Artist bio
See also: Pixies
Frank Black, nee Charles Thompson, is one of the most accomplished rock songwriters of his era, basically the 20th century's final 15 years and beyond. He earned his stripes with five albums in six years as the frontman for underground icons the Pixies, but after disbanding the group via press release in 1993, he embarked on an even bolder mission: to outlive the legacy he created.
1993's Frank Black and 1994's Teenager Of The Year proved Black's creativity to have even more range than he displayed with his critically acclaimed former band. Both find him reaching past his well-known surf-punk motifs to create pop-rock vistas that distilled dozens of influences into tunes about UFOs, architects, obscure towns, facial hair, and the Three Stooges.
But lo, Black was not completely happy on his own. He missed having a trusty band behind him that he could tour long and hard with and not worry about collaborating with dozens of people on each album. Enter the Catholics, basically the former Miracle Legion rhythm section of Scott Boutier and David McCaffrey. With a string of guitarists including Lyle Workman, Rich Gilbert, and Dave Philips, Frank and the Catholics turned into an old-school band of rock troubadors, punching out albums like Frank Black And The Catholics, Pistolero, Dog In The Sand, and Devil's Workshop with impressive regularity.
Black adopted the new m.o. of recording live to two-track, which gave his albums an immediate feel and gave his band a reason to really learn their shit and get air-tight in time for the performances. The former indie icon is currently living out his dream as a rock and roller with a band in a van, criss-crossing the country to play ear-crushing shows at a smoky club near you.
Albums by this artist
Bluefinger (2007)
Fastman Raiderman (2006)
Honeycomb (2005)
Show Me Your Tears (2003)
Black Letter Days (2002)
Devil's Workshop (2002)
Oddballs (2001)
Dog In The Sand (Recommended) (2001)
Pistolero (1999)
Frank Black And The Catholics (1998)
The Cult Of Ray (1996)
Teenager Of The Year (Recommended) (1994)
Frank Black (1993)
Concerts
February 5, 2001
Mercury Lounge, New York
July 6, 1999
The Metro, Chicago
Interviews
The Devil's Workshops
July 15, 2002
Frank Black
Oddballs
» TROY CARPENTER | CO-DIRECTOR
|
Frank Black
Oddballs
EMusic, 2001
RiYL: Lou Reed, David Bowie, Mike Watt |
Frank Black is one damn prolific dude. His first release came with 1987's
Come On Pilgrim (if you don't know, he was then Black Francis, young n' enigmatic leader of the Pixies), and 14 years later, he has 11 albums under his belt. Toss in the newly released Pixies b-sides compilation, and this here thing called
Oddballs, and we're getting close to an album a year. Of consistently good material. Now, that's impressive.
That said, this collection is not his finest work. The album is what it says it is: a bunch of oddballs. It's by no means a clearinghouse of Frank solo rarities -- in fact, some of his more notable b-sides are absent. But Frank's the kind of guy you can get obsessed with, and this album is for the obsessed. Available only at EMusic or at the t-shirt stand at Frank Black and the Catholics shows,
Oddballs is a gift for the Frank Black fan who owns every album, but still has that insatiable hankering for just one more slice.
"Jumping Beans," a fiery stompin' rock track, is the only truly "unreleased" song in the package, and it is a welcome addition, having been played live in Frank sets as early as 1994. But chances are, unless you are an incredibly astute collector, some of the other tracks here have also escaped your grasp, most having been released on sundry import singles and soundtrack compilations over the years.
"At The End Of The World," long regarded by this reviewer as one of Frank's best non-album tracks, is a heart felt Bowie-esque paean to deceased comedian John Candy. "Remake/Remodel" is an inspired Roxy Music cover. "Man Of Steel" is a big-ringing-rock-chord song originally released on the
Songs In The Key Of X compilation.
And so goes the rest of
Oddballs. There's not much cohesion here, and it doesn't make for as fulfilling a listening experience as a Frank Black record usually does. But we can appreciate it for what it is, and hope that Frank keeps on rollin' through his lengthy and bountiful career.
TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves. 