Frank Black | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Inverting his stage name from Black Francis to Frank Black, the former Pixies lead singer/songwriter embarked on a solo career after he broke up the band in early 1993; actually, he began recording his solo album before he told the band the news. Working with former Pere Ubu member Eric Drew Feldman, Black occasionally heads into the ferocious post-punk guitar territory that marked such landmark albums as Surfer Rosa and Doolittle, but more frequently he plays up his considerably underrated melodic side. His self-titled 1993 debut album was an adventurous sketchbook of pop styles ranging from surf rock to heavy metal; from Beatlesque pop to new wave. Blacks second album, 1994s Teenager of the Year, was a sprawling and diverse album that amplified all the best points of Frank Black. Although it received favorable reviews and had an alternative radio hit with "Headache," it slipped off the charts two weeks after its release. Black parted ways with Elektra and 4AD in early 1995, signing a new record contract with American in the U.S. and Sony in Europe. He released his first album for American and Sony, the hard-rocking The Cult of Ray, in January 1996. The Cult of Ray hardly found the wide audience Black had hoped for, selling considerably less than his two previous efforts. Early in 1997, American was forced to close briefly as they straightened out their financial problems. Black was lost in the shuffle. He had recorded an album with the Catholics -- essentially just a renamed version of his The Cult of Ray supporting band -- but was unable to release it due to Americans problems. Eventually, he wrangled himself free from both American and Sony. Early in 1998, he signed with Play It Again Sam in England, and he released Frank Black and the Catholics that spring. He was left without an American record contract until spinART picked up the album for release in the U.S. in August. Pistolero followed in 1999. Dog in the Sand was issued two years later. In 2002, Black returned with two albums, the ambitious Black Letter Days and The Devils Workshop, a more laid-back effort. Show Me Your Tears, which was inspired by Blacks therapy sessions, followed a year later. He returned to prominence in 2004 with a Pixies reunion, a project that included North American tours that spring and fall; an appearance at the Coachella festival; dates in Europe and the U.K. that summer, including a performance at the T in the Park festival; Pixies, a DVD retrospective; a new best-of collection, Wave of Mutilation: The Best of Pixies; and last but not least, the possibility of a new Pixies album. That fall, Frank Black Francis, a double-disc set of early Pixies demos and reinterpretations of Pixies songs by Black and the Two Pale Boys, arrived in the midst of all this activity. The Pixies reunion tour continued into 2005; that summer, Black released Honeycomb, a collection of songs recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, featuring performances by session greats such as Spooner Oldham, Reggie Young, Anton Fig, and Steve Cropper. He reunited with this crew and added a host of other guest stars for 2006s sprawling double-album Fast Man Raider Man, which he supported with a string of dates opening for Foo Fighters. Though 2007s Bluefinger was a concept album about the life and death of Dutch painter/punk rocker Herman Brood, it featured some of Blacks most ferocious rock in years -- so much so, in fact, that it was credited to his Pixies persona Black Francis. Frank Black returned the following year with The Seus EP, which preceded the mini-album SVN FNGRS, a set of songs inspired by the Irish legend of Cúchulainn. In 2010 Black, still working under his Black Francis moniker, released the sexually charged NonStopErotik and a five-disc, limited-edition version of his music for the 1920 silent horror movie The Golem, directed by Carl Boese and Paul Wegener. In 2011, a single-disc version of The Golem and a B-sides collection, Abbabubba, arrived. Paley & Francis, a collaboration with longtime friend Reid Paley with contributions from Muscle Shoals aces Spooner Oldham and David Hood, was also released. In 2012, a pair of live releases, Live at the Melkweg and Live in Nijmegen, were released by Bureau B Records. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 12 Title: Frank Black Released: 1993-03-08 Tracks: 15 Duration: 46:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Los Angeles (04:07) 2 I Heard Ramona Sing (03:40) 3 Hang On to Your Ego (03:24) 4 Fu Manchu (03:02) 5 Places Named After Numbers (02:52) 6 Czar (02:42) 7 Old Black Dawning (02:02) 8 Ten Percenter (03:28) 9 Brackish Boy (01:35) 10 Two Spaces (02:25) 11 Tossed (instrumental version) (04:09) 12 Parry the Wind High, Low (04:32) 13 Adda Lee (02:00) 14 Every Time I Go Around Here (03:31) 15 Don’t Ya Rile ’Em (02:52) |
| Frank Black : Allmusic album Review : Underneath their noise and weirdness, the Pixies had a thorough knowledge of rock history, spanning 50s and 60s surf-rock, 70s punks menacing energy and 80s college rocks quirkiness. After dismantling the band, Black Francis inverted his name, collaborated with Captain Beefheart / Pere Ubu sideman Eric Drew Feldman and let his inner rock historian loose on Frank Black. Much of the album nods to Blacks inspirations, but his own gifts still shine through. The chugging Iggy Pop homage "Ten Percenter" borrows the Stooges primitive grind, while the arty, dissonant UFO convention tale "Parry the Wind High, Low" recalls Bowies Berlin era. However, "I Heard Ramona Sing" -- a Ramones tribute -- is an airy, jangly pop number that sounds nothing like its subject; the Beach Boys "Hang On To Your Ego" gets a new wave makeover with crunchy guitars and shiny keyboards. Despite his efforts to escape the Pixies sound, many of Frank Blacks songs would have fit on Trompe Le Monde. "Los Angeles" builds on that albums spacy, metallic feel; with its thrashy choruses and dreamy coda, it almost caricatures the Pixies extreme dynamics. However, whimsical vignettes like "Brackish Boy" and "Two Spaces" sound more like They Might Be Giants -- one of Blacks favorite groups -- than his old band, while softer songs like "Adda Lee" and "Every Time I Go Around Here" reveal more emotional depth. Frank Black also boasts an unabashedly big, polished sound; keyboards and brass embellish "Places Named After Numbers" and the epic surf-rock instrumental "Tossed." Just a few years later, new wave-inspired punk-pop bands like Weezer, the Rentals and even No Doubt ruled alternative rock, proving that even if his solo career wasnt as influential as his Pixies years, Frank Black was still ahead of his time. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 12 Title: Hello Recording Club 1993‐11 Released: 1993-11 Tracks: 4 Duration: 11:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Sir Rockaby (02:57) 2 Calistan (03:23) 3 Space Is Gonna Do Me Good (02:21) 4 Duke of Earl (02:41) |
 | Album: 3 of 12 Title: Teenager of the Year Released: 1994-05-20 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:02:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Whatever Happened to Pong? (01:34) 2 Thalassocracy (01:33) 3 (I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plain (02:17) 4 Calistan (03:22) 5 The Vanishing Spies (03:37) 6 Speedy Marie (03:33) 7 Headache (02:52) 8 Sir Rockaby (02:55) 9 Freedom Rock (04:17) 10 Two Reelers (03:02) 11 Fiddle Riddle (03:30) 12 Olé Mulholland (04:41) 13 Fazer Eyes (03:36) 14 I Could Stay Here Forever (02:27) 15 The Hostess With the Mostest (01:56) 16 Superabound (03:10) 17 Big Red (02:41) 18 Space Is Gonna Do Me Good (02:22) 19 White Noise Maker (02:42) 20 Pure Denizen of the Citizens Band (02:20) 21 Bad, Wicked World (01:57) 22 Pie in the Sky (02:14) |
| Teenager of the Year : Allmusic album Review : A sprawling double album, Frank Blacks Teenager of the Year builds on the clever, carefully crafted pop he forged on his solo debut and moves even farther away from the Pixies sound. It feels like the album Black wanted to make since Bossanova: "Whatever Happened to Pong?" and "Thalassocracy" are a one-two blast of energetic fun, but the tight songwriting and detailed arrangements on the strummy "Headache" and gentle, piano-driven "Sir Rockaby" are more interesting. Despite its 22-song length, most of Teenager of the Years tracks are keepers; the first nine rank among Blacks catchiest songs with or without the Pixies. "I Want to Live on an Abstract Plain" and "The Vanishing Spies" mix sweet straightforward melodies with spacy keyboards, and Black delivers a creative love song in "Speedy Marie"; the first letter of each line in the songs second half spells out his girlfriends name. The driving, anthemic "Freedom Rock" is one of the albums more ambitious tracks, along with the catchy, educational "Ole Mulholland," a musical history lesson about William Mulholland, the developer and planner of Los Angeles municipal water system. Teenagers beginning is so consistent, its not surprising that its second half isnt quite as essential, but its still interesting. The spacy, ska-tinged "Fiddle Riddle," the cryptic "Superabound," and the sprightly final track "Pie in the Sky" -- which sounds strangely like a punk version of Gary U.S. Bonds hit "A Quarter to Three" -- all add to the albums individuality. Even less-developed songs like "Fazer Eyes" and "The Hostest with the Mostest" are still worthwhile. Though his later albums took a sparer, simpler approach, Teenager of the Years ambition and quirkiness begin Blacks evolution into a cult artist who makes the music he wants to, regardless of whether or not its fashionable. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 12 Title: The Black Sessions (live in Paris) + The Kitchen Tapes Released: 1995 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:03:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Two Spaces (02:51) 2 (I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plain (02:30) 3 Headache (02:52) 4 Old Black Dawning (01:51) 5 Superabound (03:11) 6 Calistan (03:18) 7 The Vanishing Spies (03:46) 8 Sir Rockaby (02:54) 9 Big Red (03:05) 10 The Jacques Tati (03:55) 11 Oddball (03:09) 12 Men in Black (03:20) 13 Czar (03:06) 14 Freedom Rock (03:51) 15 Whatever Happened to Pong? (01:36) 16 Thalasocracy (01:24) 17 White Noise Maker (02:24) 18 Los Angeles (04:22) 19 Handyman (03:01) 20 Modern Age (02:51) 21 Jumping Beans (03:52) |
 | Album: 5 of 12 Title: The Cult of Ray Released: 1996-01-19 Tracks: 17 Duration: 52:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Marsist (04:08) 2 Men in Black (03:02) 3 Punk Rock City (03:39) 4 You Ain’t Me (02:41) 5 Jesus Was Right (02:57) 6 I Don’t Want to Hurt You (Every Single Time) (03:03) 7 Mosh, Don’t Pass the Guy (02:59) 8 Kicked in the Taco (02:23) 9 The Creature Crawling (02:49) 10 The Adventure and the Resolution (02:59) 11 Dance War (02:04) 12 The Cult of Ray (03:43) 13 The Last Stand of Shazeb Andleeb (04:39) 1 Village of the Sun (03:32) 2 Baby, That’s Art (02:06) 3 Everybody Got the Beat (01:52) 4 Can I Get a Witness (03:59) |
| The Cult of Ray : Allmusic album Review : Frank Black has never had a problem with being weird. He practically pioneered mixing bizarre lyrics about science fiction, sex and religion with loud guitars when he led the Pixies to the outer limits of pop music in the 80s. So maybe its in keeping that The Cult of Ray, his third solo album since the Pixies implosion in 1993, is his weirdest yet. Its truly a strange record for Black -- it flirts with the ordinary, something hes never had a relationship with before. While theres still flashes of Blacks normal eccentricity on songs like "The Marsist," "Men In Black" and "The Creature Crawling," for the most part The Cult of Ray is subdued and stripped-down where previous solo albums like Frank Black and Teenager of the Year sound liberated in their wide-band weirdness. Theres three songs about moshing, of all things, on The Cult of Ray: "Mosh, Dont Pass the Guy," "Dance War" and "Kicked in the Taco," all of which have the same tired-sounding chugging punk guitars that lesser artists have made their bread and butter for years. And, oddly enough, theres an honest-to-goodness, straightforward love song called "I Dont Want To Hurt You (Every Single Time)" which sounds watered-down and forced compared to some of the unique and personal love songs hes created over the years with the Pixies and on his own. While The Cult of Ray certainly isnt a disaster of an album, its certainly a disappointment. Blacks die-hard fans might be confused with his new direction, and its easy to see why: Black himself seems confused with which way to go with this album. More of a progression than a regression, The Cult of Ray begs for some of Blacks good old regular freakiness. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 12 Title: Oddballs Released: 2000 Tracks: 14 Duration: 45:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Pray a Little Faster (02:06) 2 Oddball (03:00) 3 Village of the Sun (03:33) 4 Baby, That’s Art (02:50) 5 At the End of the World (02:25) 6 Can I Get a Witness (04:18) 7 Announcement (06:01) 8 Hate Me (01:59) 9 Remake/Remodel (03:41) 10 Everybody Got the Beat (01:56) 11 Jumping Beans (02:55) 12 Just a Little (02:22) 13 You Never Heard About Me (02:57) 14 Man of Steel (04:55) |
 | Album: 7 of 12 Title: Frank Black Francis Released: 2004-10-12 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:25:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Holiday Song (01:54) 2 I’m Amazed (01:25) 3 Rock a My Soul (01:50) 4 Isla de Encanta (01:39) 5 Caribou (03:00) 6 Broken Face (01:21) 7 Build High (01:26) 8 Nimrod’s Son (02:08) 9 Ed Is Dead (02:45) 10 Subbacultcha (02:45) 11 Boom Chickaboom (02:33) 12 I’ve Been Tired (03:10) 13 Break My Body (01:55) 14 Oh My Golly (01:59) 15 Vamos (02:14) 1 Caribou (03:09) 2 Where Is My Mind? (03:41) 3 Cactus (02:41) 4 Nimrod’s Son (03:01) 5 Levitate Me (02:01) 6 Wave of Mutilation (02:25) 7 Monkey Gone to Heaven (03:49) 8 Velouria (04:35) 9 The Holiday Song (02:21) 10 Into the White (03:24) 11 Is She Weird? (03:51) 12 Subbacultcha (02:56) 13 Planet of Sound (14:56) |
| Frank Black Francis : Allmusic album Review : 2004 was the year that Charles Kitteridge Thompson IV seemed to finally find a balance between the legacy of his work with the Pixies and his separate identity as a solo artist. After all, that years reunion with the Pixies could have only come about because he felt secure enough in his work as Frank Black to revisit the songs he wrote as Black Francis. The two-disc set Frank Black Francis also bridges the gap between his personas, offering a disc of solo demos recorded the day before the Pixies went into the studio to record The Purple Tape (half of which became Come on Pilgrim), and a disc of recent studio recordings with Pere Ubu and David Thomas collaborators the Two Pale Boys that revisits and reinvents some of the Pixies key songs. The demos disc is even sparer and rawer than The Purple Tape -- its just Black Francis and his guitar, recording directly into a Walkman -- and the newer disc is far lusher, softer, and weirder than Frank Blacks first two solo albums, but despite (or perhaps because of) their polarized approaches, they both sound fresh, vital, and a lot less predictable than most archival releases. Any fans delighted by 2002s Pixies, which presented the half of The Purple Tape that didnt make it to Come on Pilgrim, will probably be equally taken with Frank Black Francis first disc. Demos can either crackle with potential that makes them exciting in their own right, or just sound unfinished; disc one has some of each, but most of the song sketches here are nearly as invigorating, in their own way, as the Pixies finished material. Not only can you hear songs like "Subbacultcha" and "The Holiday Song" take shape, you can hear Thompson becoming Black Francis. Its a fun, funny, and exciting transformation: he sounds like a smarty-pants kid as he plays these raw but still brilliant songs, especially when he sings Kim Deals parts on "Im Amazed" and "Ive Been Tired" (and the high, breathy part of his register does sound uncannily like Mrs. John Murphys voice), or the lead guitar lines and drum parts on songs like "Oh My Golly." Most of the songs have enough presence that they sound fleshed out with just Francis and his guitar. "Broken Face," "Nimrods Son," and "Caribou" sound like spooky campfire singalongs, and "Isla de Encanta" is recast as angular, Latin American folk. "Rock a My Soul" -- which appears in the most cleanly recorded version yet unearthed -- and its kissing cousin, "Boomchickaboom," both revel in Francis love of catchy, surreal nonsense and 50s rock, and also sound oddly contemporaneous with his later solo work (especially Devils Workshop and Dog in the Sand). Not all of the demos are revelatory: "Ed Is Dead" and "Vamos" lack the thrust that bass and drums give them, but they fizz with the on-the-brink creativity of the rest of the disc. Even though the second disc doesnt have the excitement of what was to be, it does show that Frank Black can cover his own work with as much, if not more creativity than other artists; in fact, some of these covers are more different from the originals than, say, David Bowies version of "Cactus" or TV on the Radios "Mr. Grieves" were. This part of Frank Black Francis is called the "treated disc," and its an apt way of describing the approach to these songs: the arrangements are largely electronic and highly processed. Its interesting, but not surprising given the involvement of the Two Pale Boys, that a lot of the disc sounds like latter-day Pere Ubu rather than the Pixies: "Cactus" and "Into the White" have the layered, lumbering, off-kilter feel of the bands Pennsylvania and St. Arkansas-era work. "Caribou" and "Where Is My Mind?" sound a little overdone and reactionary, but for the most part disc two offers a genuinely fresh perspective: "Velouria," "Wave of Mutilation," and "Monkey Gone to Heaven" opt for slow, dreamy surrealism instead of the Pixies usual fast, jagged surrealism. The futuristic ska on "The Holiday Song," the Middle Eastern electronica of "Subbacultcha," and the brooding, brassy take on "Nimrods Son" are among the standouts, along with the epic final track, a 15-minute version of "Planet of Sound" that begins with Who-like guitar strumming and unfurls into drones and whistling trains. The song probably didnt need to be that long, but it has an ambition and oddness that needs to be heard more often in Blacks solo work. Indeed, these covers seem to be more about his reclaiming the songs by making them fresh for himself again, rather than necessarily revealing anything new to Pixies fans. Regardless, those who really love Frank Black and Black Francis songs, as opposed to just their sound, will enjoy eavesdropping on him playing around with his work, both before and after it became part of the alternative rock canon. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 12 Title: Honeycomb Released: 2005-07-04 Tracks: 14 Duration: 49:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Selkie Bride (03:05) 2 I Burn Today (04:05) 3 Lone Child (03:11) 4 Another Velvet Nightmare (04:25) 5 Dark End of the Street (03:53) 6 Go Find Your Saint (02:05) 7 Song of the Shrimp (03:10) 8 Strange Goodbye (02:09) 9 Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day (04:11) 10 Honeycomb (03:53) 11 My Life Is in Storage (05:40) 12 Atom in My Heart (02:41) 13 Violet (02:09) 14 Sing for Joy (04:57) |
| Honeycomb : Allmusic album Review : Leave it to Frank Black to have his cake and eat it, too: by releasing Honeycomb, his Nashville-recorded collaboration with session legends including Steve Cropper, Anton Fig, and Spooner Oldham, while his reunion tour with the Pixies continued, he could follow his bliss and please his longtime fans. Those who thought Blacks later work sounded like the output of a bad bar band probably wont get Honeycomb either, but at least the reunited Pixies should satisfy their longings to hear him shriek about surrealism and incest like he did in the good old days. On paper, Black might not seem like the likeliest fit with Cropper, Fig, et al., but the early-rock roots of the Pixies mutated surf-punk-pop and the country and roots rock flirtations of his later career suggest otherwise (and "In the Midnight Hour," which Cropper co-wrote, was one of the first songs that Black ever played live). Honeycombs songs feel tailored to the experience of recording with these musicians in this location, and have a sophistication that Black might not have been able to get with another group of players: the affably drunken "Another Velvet Nightmare" floats by on Oldhams elegantly wasted piano lines, and the band as a whole makes the cover of Dan Penn and Chips Momans "Dark End of the Street" that much more soulful and genuine. Another cover, Doug Sahms "Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day," pays tribute to one of the most prominent influences on Blacks later post-Pixies work. Yet, despite the homages to his influences, the musicians playing with him, and the very town in which the album was recorded, Honeycomb is one of Blacks most intimate collections of songs, and the closest hes come to a traditional singer/songwriter solo album. Even in this more straightforward territory, though, Blacks imagery remains unique: "Selkie Bride" places the beguiling sea spirit of Orkney legend in modern times; the woman hes looking for in the title track has "cherry brown lips of maple"; and "Atom in My Heart" mixes straight-up country with science. Like Show Me Your Tears, Honeycomb is a remarkably personal album, and its still a bit of a shock to hear one of alternative rocks most famously cryptic artists reveal so much about his life in his music. Blacks songs are increasingly about coming to terms with lifes realities and disappointments, but they end up feeling more liberating than depressing. "I Burn Today" and "Lone Child" carry on with the dancing-on-your-troubles approach of Show Me Your Tears. "Strange Goodbye," meanwhile, is a remarkably cheery postmortem of Blacks marriage -- sung as a duet with his soon to be ex-wife, Jean -- that ends up being one of the highlights of his post-Pixies career. Considering that the album was recorded in just four days, Honeycomb is a remarkably strong album, and even on weaker tracks like "My Life Is in Storage," the playing on it always shines. Unlike some of his peers, not only is Frank Black still here, hes making music that isnt just a rehash of his salad days. With the therapy/roots rock of Show Me Your Tears, the disc of Pixies "covers" on Frank Black Francis, and this album, Black proves that he isnt just open to change in his solo work, he embraces it. Honeycomb is steeped in tradition, yet manages to buck it at the same time; while not all Pixies and Frank Black fans will appreciate its mellow maturity, its an intimate treat for those who follow its lead. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 12 Title: Fast Man Raider Man Released: 2006-06-19 Tracks: 27 Duration: 1:34:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 If Your Poison Gets You (02:56) 2 Johnny Barleycorn (04:50) 3 Fast Man (04:12) 4 You Can’t Crucify Yourself (03:23) 5 Dirty Old Town (03:03) 6 Wanderlust (03:27) 7 Seven Days (04:11) 8 Raider Man (03:04) 9 The End of the Summer (03:53) 10 Dog Sleep (03:48) 11 When the Paint Grows Darker Still (03:33) 12 I’m Not Dead (I’m in Pittsburgh) (03:41) 13 Golden Shore (03:17) 1 In the Time of My Ruin (04:21) 2 Down to You (02:17) 3 Highway to Lowdown (02:35) 4 Kiss My Ring (02:29) 5 My Terrible Ways (03:36) 6 Fitzgerald (03:12) 7 Elijah (03:16) 8 It’s Just Not Your Moment (05:32) 9 The Real El Rey (03:20) 10 Where the Wind Is Going (03:32) 11 Holland Town (02:32) 12 Sad Old World (04:57) 13 Don’t Cry That Way (02:25) 14 Fare Thee Well (03:18) |
| Fast Man Raider Man : Allmusic album Review : Playing like the widescreen directors cut version of Honeycomb, Frank Blacks sprawling double album Fast Man Raider Man reunites him with the Memphis session legends who played with him last time, and adds even more stars to the cast of characters. Along with veteran Catholics member Lyle Workman and Honeycomb players Reggie Young, Buddy Miller, Spooner Oldham, and Chester Thompson, the roster also includes Al Kooper, Jon Tiven, Bobby Bare, Jr., the Bands Levon Helm, Cheap Tricks Tom Peterson, and Bad Companys Simon Kirke, giving Fast Man Raider Man the feel of an all-star jamboree. As on Honeycomb, the playing throughout the album is subtly excellent (and how could it not be with supporting musicians like these?). Jazzy guitars and saxophone give "If Your Poison Gets You" a sophisticated take on roots rock, while the lush horns on "My Terrible Ways" and the keyboards on "Highway to Lowdown" and "You Cant Crucify Yourself" are authentic, soulful touches. Though Fast Man Raider Man shares the warmth of Honeycomb, unlike that album -- which was recorded in just a few days in Memphis when all the players had the time to come together -- this set of songs is less urgent, and less overtly confessional. Black seems more and more comfortable in the Americana/alt-country direction of his later work, but fortunately its the kind of comfort that allows him to keep elaborating on this sound. Indeed, the overall vibe of the album is just as important, if not more so, than the individual songs. However, highlights are scattered throughout both of Fast Man Raider Mans discs and include "Dirty Old Town," an Irish drinking song that Black transforms into an alternately heartfelt and rollicking duet with Marty Brown; the dramatic, Lou Reed-esque "End of the Summer"; "Where the Wind Is Going," a fun homage to Texas garage rock; and the breezy yet heartfelt ballad "Dont Cry That Way." This is easily one of Blacks most eclectic albums, moving from gutsy rock like "Johnny Barleycorn," "Kiss My Ring," and "In the Time of My Own Ruin" to oddities such as "Dog Sleep," which switches between a rousing brass band and slow-motion passages that drift on woozy organs, to the genuinely soulful "Sad Old World" and "Golden Shore." Like the simultaneously released Devils Workshop and Black Letter Days, Fast Man Raider Man couldve been edited down to one discs worth of songs; however, the flowing, laid-back feel of the whole set is a big part of its appeal. Indeed, if it werent for the albums studio polish, itd feel like an extremely well-recorded concert -- it has the ebb and flow of a good live set, and its expansive warmth ends up making its length work in its favor. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 12 Title: Christmass Released: 2006-12-18 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:11:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 (Do What You Want) Gyaneshwar (02:55) 2 Bullet (02:59) 3 I Burn Today (03:20) 4 Wave of Mutilation (01:59) 5 Living on Soul (02:56) 6 She’s My Way (03:47) 7 Massif Centrale (05:11) 8 Where Is My Mind? (03:21) 9 Raiderman (02:22) 10 Demon Girl (04:00) 11 Dead Man’s Curve (02:43) 12 Cactus (02:46) 13 Six‐Sixty‐Six (01:57) 14 Radio Lizards (02:47) 15 Don’t Get Me Wrong (03:59) 16 All Around the World (03:25) 17 Nadine (03:41) 18 Manitoba (03:24) 19 The Water (04:05) 20 Outtakes / Song of the Shrimp (09:30) |
| Christmass : Allmusic album Review : Formerly a mail-order-only release, Frank Blacks Christmass is an immaculately recorded audio/video document of acoustic performances from his summer 2006 tour. The CDs track list will please hardcore Black fans -- along with Pixies favorites ("Where Is My Mind?," "Wave of Mutilation"), it touches on nearly all of his post-4AD solo albums. Standouts include "Bullet," "I Burn Today," and "Nadine," all of which benefit from the grit and immediacy of live performances. Christmass also includes several new tracks, chief among them the ridiculously catchy "(Do What You Want) Gyaneswhar" and "Demon Girl." The DVD is also a treat, especially since it doesnt repeat many songs from the CD and begins with a fantastic version of "Los Angeles." Black is in his element on-stage. He and the audience both sound like theyre having fun -- any Black fans who dont already own this should definitely check it out, now that its more widely available. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 12 Title: 93–03 Released: 2007-06-15 Tracks: 32 Duration: 1:52:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Los Angeles (04:07) 2 Ten Percenter (03:28) 3 Czar (02:42) 4 Old Black Dawning (02:02) 5 (I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plain (02:17) 6 Calistan (03:22) 7 Speedy Marie (03:33) 8 Headache (02:52) 9 Freedom Rock (04:17) 10 Men in Black (03:02) 11 You Ain’t Me (02:41) 12 I Don’t Want to Hurt You (Every Single Time) (03:03) 13 All My Ghosts (03:33) 14 I Gotta Move (03:38) 15 Bad Harmony (03:19) 16 Western Star (03:11) 17 Robert Onion (04:01) 18 Hermaphroditos (04:12) 19 Velvety (02:29) 20 California Bound (03:25) 21 Massif Centrale (04:54) 22 Manitoba (04:34) 23 Threshold Apprehension (radio edit) (03:52) 1 Bullet (04:58) 2 Nadine (03:42) 3 Remake/Remodel (03:39) 4 Living on Soul (02:38) 5 That Burnt Out Rock ’n’ Roll (02:49) 6 All Around the World (04:30) 7 Six Sixty Six (04:05) 8 Horrible Day (04:16) 9 (Do What You Want) Gyaneshwar (03:05) |
| 93–03 : Allmusic album Review : Frank Blacks solo career took more than a few sonic detours over the years, ranging from synth-heavy new wave homages to rootsy nods to Nashvilles glory days. However, 93-03 focuses on the crunchy, quirky rock that has made up the heart of Blacks music since the Pixies breakup. This approach makes for a consistent listening experience, showing that theres less musical distance between songs like Teenager of the Years "Calistan" and Black Letter Days "California Bound" than previously imagined. On the other hand, this collection might be almost too straightforward, especially for hardcore fans, who might very well wonder why inspired tangents like Frank Blacks wonderful instrumental "Tossed" or Dog in the Sands epics "Blast Off" and "St. Francis Dam Disaster" arent represented here. Quibbling aside, 93-03 does a fine job of pointing out the brightest highlights of Blacks solo work, from the sci-fi rock of "Los Angeles," "Freedom Rock" and "Men in Black" to more confessional, thoughtfully written songs like "Manitoba," "Western Star" and "Speedy Marie." Even if it doesnt capture everything that makes Frank Blacks music great, 93-03 is a good starting point -- anyone intrigued by these songs will love discovering the wilder territory of Blacks discography later on. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 12 Title: Live Session EP (iTunes exclusive) Released: 2007-07-30 Tracks: 5 Duration: 19:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Re‐Make/Re‐Model (03:41) 2 Massif Central (04:54) 3 Manitoba (04:01) 4 History Song (04:06) 5 The Black Rider (02:27) |