If you listen to the recording of "Where is My Mind?" that appears on Surfer Rosa, turn the volume up really loud, and close your eyes, it's not too hard to imagine that the Pixies are playing right in your room. You can thank producer Steve Albini for that.
Albini is well-known for his recording style, which he described this way: "...you can hear a natural relationship between the instruments where you can imagine a live performance. Quiet things sound quiet, loud things sound loud, drum kits sound like drum kits, guitars sound like guitars, singers sound like singers. So I guess it's about a lack of stylization."
This philosophy is easy to spot in "Where is My Mind?", with Joey Santiago's lead guitar grinding and crunching, Kim Deal's slightly off-pitch "ooooh's," and the drums and acoustic guitar sounding like they're right in front of you.
In fact, we'll venture to say that "Where is My Mind?" and Surfer Rosa might not have made such lasting impressions if their recording quality been more polished. By creating a sound so close to a live performance, Albini allowed the strength of the Pixies music to speak for itself, and let listeners feel closer to the song than if it were hidden behind a wall of electronic noise or studio sheen.