Frank Black
When the Pixies split up in the early nineties, part of me died. It was like having a close one die. What was going to happen? Who was I going to look up to? I was happy to learn that Black Francis, who had now changed his name to Frank Black (both are pseudonyms by the way), would continue solo. What a relief, I thought, the Pixies weren't dead after all! I had seen the video for his Los Angeles on TV and liked it. It sounded like the continuation of Trompe Le Monde. This was going to be great. I was all excited. The spirit of the Pixies was still alive and well and back when this was released, me and my high school friends were about to go on a trip to Washington DC (the same trip where I got reacquainted with Mr. Bungle). I remember buying Frank Black's first album on that trip when we got had a few minutes to wait for the bus to leave near some mall after a long day at the Smithsonian. The CD came in those old long, oversized cardboard boxes, the artwork was huge and it looked amazing... and it was mine!
What a great souvenir! But how come I was slightly disappointed when I finally got to listen to it? Something had changed and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I could still here the Pixies' sound in there somewhere, but at the same time, it was completely different. It took two more releases to figure out what had happened. Frank Black got old. The need to shock and surprise had died away. His subject matter had remained the same, but his way of expressing them had been watered down. Where was the incredible scream he was renowned for? Where were the loud blasts of angular rock riffs? All I was hearing at this point was some weird form of geezer rock, as if The Rolling Stones had invaded his spirits. It was all very uneven and seemed to become more so with each new release. To this day, the only two Frank Black albums I enjoy are his two first records (with Teenager Of The Year being my favorite). From the very deceiving Cult Of Ray (just what the heck is that artwork anyway?) onwards, I totally lost touch with him. Working in music stores throughout the years has helped me keep in touch with his later releases; some have had a bit more critical success and indeed they seemed more interesting when I listened to them, but the charm had withered away for me at this point. Even the regrouping of Pixies left me somewhat joyless, I knew things couldn't be the same anymore. I have the most profound of respect for this artist and what he has brought into my life; I respect his choices the directions he has undertaken in his musical career, but I couldn't follow him all the way.
Frank BlackLabel: 4AD/Elektra Release: 1993 Format: CD Cat. no: 961467-2 |
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Teenager Of The YearLabel: 4AD/Elektra Release: 1994 Format: CD Cat. no: 61618-2 |
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