So why is Frank Black’s Christmass on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
This right here is an album entry on the best 1,000 albums project where it might be reasonable for someone to ask, “What are you, some kind of a Frank Black superfan?”
Answer: yes, I’m some kind of a Frank Black superfan*.
Christmass was originally a mail-order only release (a thing that I’m pretty sure never happens anymore these days?), and captures a bunch of outstanding Frank Black performances from a 2006 tour. I absolutely adore Black in acoustic singer-songwriter mode, and equally love his deconstructions of the noisier original versions from his time in the Pixies or various other musical projects.
“Where Is My Mind?” is arguably one of the Pixies most famous songs (maybe even the most famous?), in part due to its inclusion in an important scene in the movie Fight Club in 1999. As it happens, it’s just not one of my favorite Pixies songs, but I find the Frank Black version on Christmass to be just great.
“I Burn Today” is a really nice jingle jangle folk rocker with a slight rockabilly punk feel.
“Raiderman” is another one where I enjoy the Christmass version quite a bit more than the studio version from the Fast Man Raider Man album. Even though the studio version is also an acoustic number, the live version feels far more dynamic and exciting.
“Wave of Mutilation” is another Pixies classic. The Christmass version is a bit slower and packed with more emotion than the original.
I can never get enough of “Massif Central” in whatever form it comes in, and the Christmass version again slows things down versus the original, with Black giving an emotional and even raw performance overall.
* So you won’t be incredibly shocked to learn that there are… more Frank Black and Pixies albums coming. Stay tuned!
See also: Frank Black – The Cult of Ray: #718 of best 1,000 albums ever
Some stats & info about Frank Black – Christmass
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Singer Songwriter, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 3.5 out of 5 stars
- When was Christmass released? 2006
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #566 out of 1,000
Frank Black’s Christmass on YouTube
A lyrical snippet from Frank Black’s Christmass that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
I’ve kissed mermaids, rode the El Ni ño, walked the sand with the crustaceans. Could find my way to Mariana on a wave of mutilation.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.