“Gouge Away” by The Pixies

"Gouge Away" comes from Doolittle, the Pixies' second album, released on 4AD in April 1989, the record that broke them and that the British weeklies Melody Maker and Sounds named album of the year. Black Francis wrote it and sings it with Kim Deal, with Francis and Joey Santiago on electric guitars, Deal on bass and David Lovering on drums; Gil Norton produced and Steve Haigler mixed. Doolittle made its name on the quiet/loud trick, verses hanging on Deal's bass and Lovering's drums until the distorted guitars come crashing in, and on Francis' strange lyrics, thick with surreal imagery, biblical violence, torture and death. Kurt Cobain later counted the album among his favorites.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.