Pixies have today announced an expanded reissue of their classic BBC sessions compilation – and it’s available for the first time on vinyl.
The alternative rock legends from Boston did six sessions for the broadcaster between 1988-1991, which were given a 15-track CD-only release as Pixies At The BBC in 1998, five years after they had disbanded.
Now the complete sessions – five for John Peel and one for Mark Goodier – are being released in full by record label 4AD for the first time, on a 3LP or 2CD set, as well as digitally.
The sessions caught the raw energy of the band’s live performances, timestamping a moment when Black Francis, Kim Deal, Joey Santiago and David Lovering were at the peak of their powers.
Among the 24 tracks they recorded in this period (including two ‘doubles’ – Allison and Wave Of Mutilation) are favourites from mini-album Come on Pilgrim and three of their four 4AD studio albums.
Highlights include Caribou, Tame, There Goes My Gun, Velouria, Monkey Gone To Heaven and Motorway To Roswell.
Pixies also recorded three covers; reworks of The Beatles’ Wild Honey Pie, Eraserhead’s (In Heaven) Lady in The Radiator Song and The Beach Boys’ Hang On To Your Ego, a track Black Francis covered a few years later on his debut Frank Black solo album.
This reboot now sees all tracks from the six sessions included and presented in chronological order, which fans have long since been asking for.
Pixies At The BBC, 1988-91 is released on 4AD on 8 March, and pre-orders are being taken HERE.
On the day of release, Pixies will be in Dublin on the first night of a sold-out tour where they’re playing their Bossanova and Trompe le Monde albums in full. They return to the UK for festival dates in August.
