Doolittle 25 - 2014 European 4AD label 25th anniversary Expanded 46-track 3LP Set

Playful and noisy Boston, Ma., quartets 2nd album was and still remains a stroke of pure geniuous - originally released in 1989 - here celebrated in its 25th anniversary issue in a lavish deluxe edition with lots of extra materials: all the B-sides, two complete John Peel Sessions from late 1988 and spring 1989 - as well as the entire album in  its demo form and adding to it... with nearly half of the tracks having not been commercially released before. A download card is included, offering access to all LP tracks plus four more bonus tracks. The full tracklistings can be found below.

Allmusics Heather Phares wrote that "Doolittle" reins in the noise in favor of pop songcraft and accessibility" and that "The Pixies' arty, noisy weirdness mix with just enough hooks to produce gleefully demented singles like "Debaser," -- inspired by Bunuel's classic surrealist short Un Chien Andalou -- and "Wave of Mutilation," their surfy ode to driving a car into the sea."

After writing "Smells Like Teen Spirit", both  Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana thought that "this really sounds like the Pixies. People are really going to nail us for this."* and  PJ Harvey was "in awe" of "I Bleed" and "Tame", and described Francis' writing as "amazing."**  Pitchfork ranked "Doolittle" as the fourth best album of the 80s and Pitchforks Mike Powell dispenced a rare 10/10 rating when reviewing Pixies catalog in 2014. This is simply one of those astonishing and unmissable albums.

The albums is pressed on three 180 gram vinyls – includes MP3 download card – housed in a gatefold picture cover delicate new artwork by Vaughan Oliver - reinterpreting his original artwork and Simon Larbalestier’s photographs to create two stunning new sleeves using metallic ink... neat.

What do they say about that album:

"The definitive version of an all-time classic." – Uncut (10/10)

"Their most famous album, and for understandable reasons." – Pitchfork (10.0)

"The complete package – and still a reason to believe." – MOJO *****

"Out of this world." – Q *****

Tracklisting:

Side 1: B Sides:
1                           Manta Ray       2:40

2                           Weird At My School                  1:58

3                           Dancing The Manty Ray           2:14

4                           Wave Of Mutilation (UK Surf)                            3:02

5                           Into The White                            4:43

6                           Bailey's Walk   2:24

Side 2:

Peel Sessions 18/10/88

1                           Dead                  3:18

2                           Tame                  1:58

3                           There Goes My Gun                  2:18

4                           Manta Ray       2:15

Peel Sessions 02/05/89

5                           Into The White                            4:11

6                           Wave Of Mutilation                   2:31

7                           Down To The Well                      2:14

Record 2: Demos:

Side 3:
1                           Debaser            3:00
2                           Tame                  2:10
3                           Wave Of Mutilation (First Demo)                     2:04
4                           I Bleed               1:46
5                           Here Comes Your Man (1986 Demo)               3:07
6                           Dead                  1:35
7                           Monkey Gone To Heaven       2:52
8                           Mr. Grieves     1:42
9                           Crackity Jones 1:21

Side 4:
1                           La La Love You 2:08
2                           No. 13 Baby Viva La Lomo Rica (First Demo) 2:17
3                           There Goes My Gun                  1:29
4                           Hey (First Demo)                        3:22
5                           Silver (Kim Deal) 2:11
6                           Gouge Away   1:42
7                           My Manta Ray Is All Right       2:30
8                           Santo                 2:17
9                           Weird At My School (First Demo)                     1:53

Record 3: Doolittle:

Side 1:
1                           Debaser            2:51
2                           Tame                  1:56
3                           Wave Of Mutilation                   2:04
4                           I Bleed               2:34
5                           Here Comes Your Man             3:21
6                           Dead                  2:21
7                           Monkey Gone To Heaven       2:56

Side 6:
1                           Mr. Grieves     2:05
2                           Crackity Jones 1:24
3                           La La Love You 2:43
4                           No. 13 Baby     3:51
5                           There Goes My Gun                  1:43
6                           Hey                     3:31
7                           Silver (Kim Deal) 2:25
8                           Gouge Away   2:43

All tracks were written by Black Francis, except where noted.
Recorded October 31 – November 23, 1988, at Downtown Recorders in Boston, Massachusetts, and Carriage House Studios in Stamford, Connecticut.

Pressed by MPO, 6228 boulevard de l'Europe, 53700 Villaines-la-Juhel, France

Credits:

Pixies:
Black Francis – vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
Kim Deal – bass guitar, vocals, acoustic slide guitar on "Silver"
Joey Santiago – lead guitar, backing vocals
David Lovering – drums, lead vocals on "La La Love You", bass guitar on "Silver"

Additional musicians:
Arthur Fiacco – cello on "Monkey Gone to Heaven"
Karen Karlsrud – violin on "Monkey Gone to Heaven"
Corine Metter – violin on "Monkey Gone to Heaven"
Ann Rorich – cello on "Monkey Gone to Heaven"

Technical Credits:
Gil Norton – production, engineering
Steve Haigler – mix
Matt Lane – assistant engineer
Gil Norton – production, engineering

Artwork:
Simon Larbalestier – cover image, album booklet imagery
Vaughan Oliver – album booklet imagery
Dave Snider – assistant engineer
Burt Price – second assistant
Rob Sylvain – second assistant

*Azerrad, Michael. Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday, 1993. ISBN 0-385-47199-8, p. 176
**Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn. Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies. Virgin Books, 2005. ISBN 0-312-34007-9. p. 120