Trompe le Monde

Trompe le Monde
Studio album by Pixies
Released	September 23, 1991
Recorded	1991 at Master Control and Pacifique, Burbank; at Studio des dames, Paris and at Blackwing, London
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	39:03
Language	English
Label	4AD
Producer	Gil Norton
Pixies chronology
Bossanova (1990) Trompe le Monde (1991)

Trompe le Monde is the fourth and final album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in 1991 on the English independent record label 4AD in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. After the surf-pop of Bossanova, the album saw a return to the abrasive sound of the band's early albums.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Blender	[2]
Robert Christgau	(A-)[3]
Lime Lizard	(very favorable)[4]

The album was described by Michael Bonner, writing in Lime Lizard, as "one of the best albums that you may very well ever hear" and "a strong contender for best album of the 21st century".^[4] Allmusic writer Heather Phares noted the reduced role of Kim Deal, calling it "essentially Black Francis' solo debut".^[1]

Content

The album name comes from the title of the first track, "Trompe le Monde", a French phrase meaning "Fool the World".^[1] Unlike previous albums, the title of the album comes from the name of a song (rather than a song lyric), and is a play on the French phrase "trompe l'oeil"—a painting technique in which the painter fools the viewer into thinking objects presented are real.

"Head On" is a cover of the Jesus and Mary Chain track that was released as a single reaching number 6 in the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Chart.

"U-Mass" is a sneering put down against the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where Black Francis met Joey Santiago before dropping out to form Pixies. Santiago recalls that the original guitar riff was written while they were still enrolled.^[5]

Track listing

All songs written by Black Francis except "Head On", which is written by Jim Reid and William Reid of The Jesus and Mary Chain.

1. "Trompe le Monde" – 1:48
2. "Planet of Sound" – 2:06
3. "Alec Eiffel" – 2:50
4. "The Sad Punk" – 3:00
5. "Head On" – 2:13
6. "U-Mass" – 3:01
7. "Palace of the Brine" – 1:34
8. "Letter to Memphis" – 2:39
9. "Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons" – 2:48
10. "Space (I Believe In)" – 4:18
11. "Subbacultcha" – 2:09
12. "Distance Equals Rate Times Time" – 1:24
13. "Lovely Day" – 2:05
14. "Motorway to Roswell" – 4:43
15. "The Navajo Know" – 2:20

Personnel

Pixies

• Black Francis – vocals, guitar
• Kim Deal – bass guitar, vocals
• David Lovering – drums
• Joey Santiago – lead guitar, backing vocals on "Alec Eiffel"

Additional musicians

• Eric Drew Feldman – keyboards, piano
• Jef Feldman – percussion

Production

• Produced by Gil Norton
• Engineered by Steve Haigler
• Recorded at Master Control, Burbank; Pacifique, Burbank; Studio Des Dames, Paris; Blackwing, London
• Mixed at Master Rock, London

Design

• Art direction and design – Vaughan Oliver / v23
• Design assistance – Chriss Bigg, Paul McMenamin
• Photography – Simon Larbalestier
• Rockets – Steven Appleby
• Typesetting – TPP Ltd. London

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1991	The Billboard 200	92
1991	UK Album Chart	7

Singles

Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1991	"Letter to Memphis"	Modern Rock Tracks	6
1992	"Head On"	Modern Rock Tracks	6

Gallup (United Kingdom)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1991	"Planet of Sound"	Gallup Top 75	27

References

• Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn. Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies. Virgin Books, 2005. ISBN 0-312-34007-9.

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Phares, Heather "Trompe Le Monde Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2010-05-22
2. ^ Dolan, Jon. "Trompe le Monde — Blender". Blender. http://www.blender.com/guide/new/55357/trompe-le-monde.html. Retrieved 2009-06-14. 
3. ^ Christgau, Robert "Consumer Guide: The Pixies", robertchristgau.com, retrieved 2010-05-22
4. ^ ^{a b} Bonner, Michael (1991) "The Pixies Trompe Le Monde", Lime Lizard, October 1991, p. 50
5. ^ Magnet Magazine interview

External links

• Allmusic: Trompe le Monde
• Trompe le Monde at Google Music