Artist – Album: Frank Black – Teenager of the Year
Released: 23rd May 1994
Sounds
Like: The (prom) king
returns
Frank Black’s output since parting with the Pixies in 1993
has been nothing if not prolific – 22 albums in those 20 years, that’s quite
the hit rate. In comparison, fellow ex-Pixie Kim Deal’s band The Breeders have released three albums and two EPs in the same period. That’s just shy of one
full length Breeders album for every seven (SEVEN!) Frank Black albums. There’s
been the good – 2005’s Honeycomb was imbued with pleasing alt-country vibes –
the bad – I’m gonna plump for The Cult of Ray here, but there’s definitely more than one candidate – and the ugly – take your pick from pretty much any of the
album covers. But only one album could potentially stand up next to his dazzling and influential work with the Pixies as an equal. Oh, and look, I get
to write about it today!
Due to its rambling length and more conventional tone than
he’s more readily associated (it’s much closer to Trompe Le Monde than Surfer
Rosa stylistically) the album remains somewhat underappreciated. But throughout
its twenty two tracks Black Francis displays his lyrical ability (try on the
romantic acrostic of ‘Speedy Marie’ for
size – it spells out Jean Marie Walsh!), his knack of rendering throwaway
comments über-cool (such as the cracking “That’s just how some things don’t
materialize” from ‘The Vanishing Spies’),
and his amazing talent for marrying alternative music to poppy melodies (never
more evident than on the singalong ‘Headache’).
Even if you are a big Pixies fan, there’s a good chance that
Black’s questionable solo career has put you off exploring further. For the
most part, that’s the right choice. Well done you. But, buried deep in amongst
the Sh... ow Me Your Tears, is this gem. Dig it out, put it on and enjoy.
Albumaday... rating:
7/10
1. Whatever
Happened to Pong? – 1:34
2. Thalassocracy
– 1:33
3. (I
Want to Live on an) Abstract Plain – 2:17
4. Calistan
– 3:22
5. The
Vanishing Spies – 3:37
6. Speedy
Marie – 3:33
7. Headache
– 2:52
8. Sir
Rockaby – 2:54
9. Freedom
Rock – 4:16
10. Two
Reelers – 3:01
11. Fiddle
Riddle – 3:29
12. Olé
Mulholland – 4:41
13. Fazer
Eyes – 3:36
14. I
Could Stay Here Forever – 3:36
15. The
Hostess with the Mostest – 1:56
16. Superabound
– 3:10
17. Big
Red – 2:41
18. Space
Is Gonna Do Me Good – 2:22
19. White
Noise Maker – 2:42
20. Pure
Denizen of the Citizens Band – 2:20
21. Bad,
Wicked World – 1:57
22. Pie
in the Sky – 2:13
Listen to ‘Speedy
Marie’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKI7scna2jY
Also released on the 23rd May:
1969: The Who - Tommy
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