There are certain things in life that make me swell with happiness: the smell of fresh laundry, pushing on the soft spot of a baby's skull and the heavenly taste of a Take 5 candy bar. But above all of that is the literary magic of drug-addled and sex-soaked rock tomes. The more morally corrupt the better. (This is the time when I would go on about Motley Crue's The Dirt and the legendary Zeppelin masterpiece, Hammer of the Gods, deserving a place next to the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez—en espanol—but I'll reel it in.) If you too love salacious goodness then Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies by Josh Frank and Caryn Ganz…is not the book for you. If you do love a well-researched book for real music fans, this is definitely it.
Instead of the smut that seems to make so many of these books so entertaining, here is a thoughtful, and honest, oral history of one of the most influential bands from the 120 Minutes era. Even without the "trash" you get the goods on their formation, their infamous breakup via fax and the dirt about the "triumph of the will" reunion—plus a ton more. There is something very endearing about having an intro from co-author Frank warning: this is not a tell all "…strewn with journalistic commentary and backbiting…" but a book not only for Pixies fans but those wanting to learn more about the early stages of "alternative" music. The book is filled with bullshit-free first person accounts from each band member (Charles Thompson aka Black Francis aka Frank Black, Kim Deal, Joey Santiago, and David Lovering) featured alongside tidbits from their former mates, managers, agents, producers, label heads and adoring musicians that have no problem telling it like it is (good and bad). Yes, it gets a touch "fanboy" and the fawning can be extra but hey, they're the Pixies, and you can't be mad at that.
Bravo for creating a vibe that makes you forget that you are reading a book and instead listening in on something that may or may not be any of your business. The dialogue about the power struggle and, um, supposed sexual tension between Frank Black and Deal—that eventually broke the band up to the dismay of Santiago and Lovering—doesn't feel childish and tacky but cathartic and, at times, amusing. And there are "cute" stories galore. It's actually kinda sweet to hear about when the Pixies were touring with Throwing Muses and Frank Black got on his hands and knees of a club to clean up blood (?!!) left on the floor so lead Muse, Kristen Hersh, wouldn't be grossed out. Chivalry kids, you don't get that in rock anymore. So while there might not be any tales of setting hookers on fire and/or doing lines off of their inner thighs, it's still one hell of a good read—and it will make you want to bust out those old Pixies CD's for good measure.
-Erika Clarke
