So why is Frank Black’s Frank Black Francis on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
I’m such a deep level fan of Frank Black, Francis Black, Frank Black Francis, Black Francis, or whatever he wants to call himself that I honestly can’t tell what level of fan you need to be to appreciate Frank Black Francis as much as I do.
What I do know is that it’s incredible.
The first brilliant half of this double album – replete with Black occasionally commenting on how instrumentation could work or vocally improvising the sound of other instruments at times – is one of the great acoustic rock sets of all time in my assessment. As sacrilegious as this notion will be for some, I enjoy some of the songs included more than original/studio versions performed by the Pixies.
To take a step back, here’s the deal with Frank Black Francis, via Wikipedia:
Frank Black Francis is a 2-CD set released in 2004 by Frank Black, roughly coinciding with the Pixies reunion tour. Disc 1 consists of a March 1987 solo acoustic demo tape recorded by engineer Gary Smith, just prior to the first Pixies recording session. Disc 2 is a contemporary recording from 2003 of Frank Black reworking a number of Pixies songs with Keith Moliné and Andy Diagram, who are part of David Thomas and Two Pale Boys.
The album’s Pitchfork review claims the first of half the album “isn’t going to speak to anyone who doesn’t already know the material inside and out” while those “who do, however, will no doubt lose their shit for a chance to hear these naked versions of some of the best-loved Pixies songs.” Further, the second half, “a total oddity,” will have many listeners “choking back the bile.”
Well, color me fully in the second camp for the first half.
Let’s start with some of the material that I enjoy well enough as Pixies studio tracks but that completely melts my brain by way of their crisp and exciting acoustic solo performances on this album.
Exhibit A is “Oh My Golly!”
The version of “Oh My Golly!” on Surfer Rosa is good-to-very-good thrashy noise/punk rock with intense and hyper-weird energy.
The acoustic solo Frank Black version maintains all the energy while transcending into a sublimely frantic and passionate sonic plea. It’s manic and gorgeous.
“The Holiday Song” meanwhile transforms into folk punk of the highest order.
“Isla De Encanta,” another Spanish language number, shows off Black’s weirdo wizardry on guitar and vocals without the added level of electric guitar distortion, and it’s just great.
“Caribou” is another Pixies song that I find to be just kind of fine in terms of its studio version, but the cut here from Black becomes enchanting and haunting and wonderful. Bonus: it’s really fun that he quickly adds at the beginning of the recording that it’s meant to have a Hüsker Dü vibe.
If you’re thinking that I’m leaning on the first half of the double album in levying praise, you are correct. While I don’t dislike the tracks compiled in 2004 with Keith Moliné and Andy Diagram, it’s the solo acoustic stuff laid down in early 1987 that vaults Frank Black Francis into the Top 90 of the best 1,000 albums ever.
Some stats & info about Frank Black Francis
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Indie Rock, Alternative Pop
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4 out of 5 stars
- When was Frank Black Francis released? 2004
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #89 out of 1,000
Frank Black Francis on YouTube
A lyrical snippet from Frank Black Francis that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Oh my golly! Oh my golly!
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.