History Music / SurferRosa

''Surfer Rosa'' is the first full-length album by Music/ThePixies, released in 1988, generally considered one of the all-time best (alternative) rock albums with fans such as Music/KurtCobain, Music/PJHarvey and Billy Corgan of Music/TheSmashingPumpkins. It was their second release with Creator/FourADRecords, the first being their EP ''Come On Pigrim''. Despite being an American band, it was also their first release to have U.S. distribution, being issued in America by fellow indie label Rough Trade. The first CD edition on both sides of the Atlantic included ''Come On Pilgrim''. Rough Trade also issued ''Come On Pilgrim'' on vinyl and cassette. After the collapse of Rough Trade in the early '90s, their American distributor at the time, Creator/ElektraRecords, released both ''Surfer Rosa'' and ''Come On Pilgrim'' individually, the band having moved there for American distribution with ''Music/{{Doolittle}}''. U.S. releases have remained separate even after 4AD acquired the American rights to the band's 1987-1991 catalog. The album was eventually certified gold (sales of over 500,000 copies) by the RIAA in 2005.

* LyricalDissonance: A jolly, peppy song about a woman taking voyeuristic delight at watching a black man's big penis.

** Music/DavidBowie covered "Cactus" on his album ''Music/{{Heathen}}'' (2002).

* ContemptibleCover:
** The album itself, with its topless flamenco dancer.
*** To the point that attempting to post videos with it as the thumbnail on {{Website/Facebook}} leads to the [[MoralGuardians post being taken down and your account being locked]]. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer No, really]].
** The cover for the "Gigantic" single takes it up a level, with a naked baby.

-->-- '''Music/KurtCobain''', who named ''Surfer Rosa'' his second favorite album of all time, after ''Music/RawPower'' by Music/TheStooges. He later hired Music/SteveAlbini to produce ''Music/InUtero'' for Music/{{Nirvana}}.

The album is best known for the underground hits "Gigantic" and "Where Is My Mind?". The album was listed at nr. #317 in Magazine/RollingStone's ''Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime''. The album attracted rave reviews in the music press and was a hit on CollegeRadio, leading to the band's American deal with Elektra.

''Surfer Rosa'' is the first full-length album by Music/ThePixies, released in 1988, generally considered one of the all-time best (alternative) rock albums with fans such as Music/KurtCobain, Music/PJHarvey and Billy Corgan of Music/TheSmashingPumpkins. It was their second release with Creator/FourADRecords, the first being their EP ''Come On Pigrim''. Despite being an American band, it was also their first release to have U.S. distribution, being issued in America by fellow indie label Rough Trade. The first CD edition on both side of the Atlantic included ''Come On Pilgrim''. Rough Trade also issued ''Come On Pilgrim'' on vinyl and cassette. After the collapse of Rough Trade in the early '90s, their American distributor at the time, Creator/ElektraRecords, released both ''Surfer Rosa'' and ''Come On Pilgrim'' individually, the band having moved there for American distribution with ''Music/{{Doolittle}}''. U.S. releases have remained separate even after 4AD acquired the American rights to the band's 1987-1991 catalog. The album was eventually certified gold (sales of over 500,000 copies) by the RIAA in 2005.

''Surfer Rosa'' is the first full-length album by Music/ThePixies, released in 1988, generally considered one of the all-time best (alternative) rock albums with fans such as Music/KurtCobain, Music/PJHarvey and Billy Corgan of Music/TheSmashingPumpkins. It was their second release with Creator/4ADRecords, the first being their EP ''Come On Pigrim''. Despite being an American band, it was also their first release to have U.S. distribution, being issued in America by fellow indie label Rough Trade. The first CD edition on both side of the Atlantic included ''Come On Pilgrim''. Rough Trade also issued ''Come On Pilgrim'' on vinyl and cassette. After the collapse of Rough Trade in the early '90s, their American distributor at the time, Creator/ElektraRecords, released both ''Surfer Rosa'' and ''Come On Pilgrim'' individually, the band having moved there for American distribution with ''Music/{{Doolittle}}''. U.S. releases have remained separate even after 4AD acquired the American rights to the band's 1987-1991 catalog. The album was eventually certified gold (sales of over 500,000 copies) by the RIAA in 2005.

''Surfer Rosa'' is the first full-length album by Music/ThePixies, released in 1988, generally considered one of the all-time best (alternative) rock albums with fans such as Music/KurtCobain, Music/PJHarvey and Billy Corgan of Music/TheSmashingPumpkins. It was their second release with Creator/4ADRecords, the first being their EP ''Come On Pigrim''. Despite being an American band, it was also their first release to have U.S. distribution, being issued in America by fellow indie label Rough Trade. The first CD edition on both side of the Atlantic included ''Come On Pilgrim''. Rough Trade also issued ''Come On Pilgrim'' on vinyl and cassette. After the collapse of Rough Trade in the early '90s, Creator/ElektraRecords released both ''Surfer Rosa'' and ''Come On Pilgrim'' individually, the band having moved there for American distribution with ''Music/{{Doolittle}}''. U.S. releases have remained separate even after 4AD acquired the American rights to the band's 1987-1991 catalog. The album was eventually certified gold (sales of over 500,000 copies) by the RIAA in 2005.

* {{Mondegreen}}: The cover art of "Gigantic" nods to a potential one for the chorus, by showing an image of a baby next to an image of a glove. ("A baby glove"?)
** One of the more hilarious ones is mishearing the first line of "Cactus", which happens to contain the phrase "cement floor" but due to the quiet opening is very easy to mishear as "semen floor".

''Surfer Rosa'' is the first full-length album by Music/ThePixies, released in 1988, generally considered one of the all-time best (alternative) rock albums with [[BigNameFan celebrity fans]] such as Music/KurtCobain, Music/PJHarvey and Billy Corgan of Music/TheSmashingPumpkins. It was their second release with Creator/4ADRecords, the first being their EP ''Come On Pigrim''. Despite being an American band, it was also their first release to have U.S. distribution, being issued in America by fellow indie label Rough Trade. The first CD edition on both side of the Atlantic included ''Come On Pilgrim''. Rough Trade also issued ''Come On Pilgrim'' on vinyl and cassette. After the collapse of Rough Trade in the early '90s, Creator/ElektraRecords released both ''Surfer Rosa'' and ''Come On Pilgrim'' individually, the band having moved there for American distribution with ''Music/{{Doolittle}}''. U.S. releases have remained separate even after 4AD acquired the American rights to the band's 1987-1991 catalog. The album was eventually certified gold (sales of over 500,000 copies) by the RIAA in 2005.

* YourCheatingHeart: From "Bone Machine",
--> ''You're into Japanese fastfood\\
And I drop you off with your Japanese lover\\
And you're going to the beach all day\\
You're so pretty when you're unfaithful to me\\
[[SuddenlyShouting YOU'RE SO PRETTY WHEN YOU'RE UNFAITHFUL TO ME!]]''

''Surfer Rosa'' is the first full-length album by Music/ThePixies, released in 1988, generally considered one of the all-time best (alternative) rock albums with [[BigNameFan celebrity fans]] such as Music/KurtCobain, Music/PJHarvey and Billy Corgan of Music/TheSmashingPumpkins. It was their second release with Creator/4ADRecords, the first being their EP ''Come On Pigrim''. Despite being an American band, it was also their first release to have U.S. distribution, being issued in America by fellow indie label Rough Trade. The first CD edition on both side of the Atlantic included ''Come On Pilgrim''. Rough Trade also issued ''Come On Pilgrim'' on vinyl and cassette. After the collapse of Rough Trade in the early '90s, Creator/ElektraRecords released both ''Surfer Rosa'' and ''Come On Pilgrim'' individually, the band having moved there for American distribution with ''Music/{{Doolittle}}''. U.S. releases have remained separate even after 4AD acquired the American rights to the band's 1987-1991 catalog. The album was eventually certified gold (sales of over 500,000 copies) by the RIAA.

''Surfer Rosa'' is the first full-length album by Music/ThePixies, released in 1988, generally considered one of the all-time best (alternative) rock albums with [[BigNameFan celebrity fans]] such as Music/KurtCobain, Music/PJHarvey and Billy Corgan of Music/TheSmashingPumpkins. It was their second release with Creator/4ADRecords, the first being their EP ''Come On Pigrim''. Despite being an American band, it was also their first release to have U.S. distribution, being issued in America by fellow indie label Rough Trade. The first CD edition on both side of the Atlantic included ''Come On Pilgrim''. Rough Trade also issued ''Come On Pilgrim'' on vinyl and cassette. After the collapse of Rough Trade in the early '90s, Creator/ElektraRecords released both ''Surfer Rosa'' and ''Come On Pilgrim'' individually, the band having moved there for American distribution with ''Music/{{Doolittle}}''. U.S. releases have remained separate even after 4AD acquired the American rights to the band's 1987-1991 catalog.

''Surfer Rosa'' is the first full-length album by Music/ThePixies, released in 1988, generally considered one of the all-time best (alternative) rock albums with [[BigNameFan celebrity fans]] such as Music/KurtCobain, Music/PJHarvey and Billy Corgan of Music/TheSmashingPumpkins. It was their second release with Creator/4ADRecords, the first being their EP ''Come On Pigrim''. Despite being an American band, it was also their first release to have U.S. distribution, being issued in America by fellow indie label Rough Trade. The first CD edition on both side of the Atlantic included ''Come On Pilgrim''. Rough Trade also issued ''Come On Pilgrim'' on vinyl and cassette. After the collapse of Rough Trade in the early '90s, Creator/ElektraRecords released both ''Surfer Rosa'' and ''Come On Pilgrim'' individually, the band having moved there for American distribution with ''Music/{{Doolittle}}''. U.S. releases have remained separate even after 4AD acquired the American rights to the band's 1987-1991 catalog.

The album is best known for the underground hits "Gigantic" and "Where Is My Mind?". The album was listed at nr. #317 in Magazine/RollingStone's ''Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime''.

''Surfer Rosa'' is the first full-length album by Music/ThePixies, released in 1988, generally considered one of the all-time best (alternative) rock albums with [[BigNameFan celebrity fans]] such as Music/KurtCobain, Music/PJHarvey and Billy Corgan of Music/TheSmashingPumpkins. It was their second release with Creator/4ADRecords, the first being their EP ''Come On Pigrim''. Despite being an American band, it was also their first release to have U.S. distribution, being issued in America by fellow indie label Rough Trade. The first CD edition on both side of the Atlantic included ''Come On Pilgrim''. Rough Trade also issued ''Come On Pilgrim'' on vinyl and cassette. After the collapse of Rough Trade in the early '90s, Creator/ElektraRecords released both ''Surfer Rosa'' and ''Come On Pilgrim'' individually, and U.S. releases have remained separate even after 4AD acquired the American rights to the band's 1987-1991 catalogue.