Review: Frank Black Francis

My review of Frank Black Francis album can found on uncut.net

Come on Pilgrim, you know I love you

The Pixies have reunited…this is how this story ends, but I’m getting way ahead of myself. The artist formally knows as Charles Thompson, then Black Francis, following Frank Black and finally Frank Black Francis is going back to his roots. This was going to be the big news of the summer of 2004, Black Francis revisiting some of his classics; something he would never think of doing, not even during his live tours with the Catholics, but after going through what Frank calls personal therapy and to chill out with age was the first step to reconciliation with his former life as the head of the Pixies.

The first step after therapy was sifting through some demo tapes that he recorded on a walkman before going into the studio for Come on Pilgrim. These acoustic sketches made in 1987 are a glimpse inside the genius that is Black Francis. Stripped away with the buzz riffs of Joey Santiago, Bass lines and backing vocals of Kim Deal and the drumming of David Lovering would seem lacking to some—but to me this shows what an amazing and timeless songwriter Black Francis truly is. Anyone can layer songs with a band but hear these songs naked and fresh display the skeletal basis for future greatness of the band we have grown to adore, The Pixies.

What I love about the first disc is hearing the young Black Francis having fun strumming on his acoustic guitar playing such demos as “Broken Face,” “Oh My Golly,” and “Ed is Dead.” During the beginning of “Caribou” Frank says, “I want this one to sound like Husker Du.” (For those of you who don’t remember Husker Du, another one of the stellar acts of the eighties, fronted by Bob Mould, who’s uncompromising and electrically eclectic styles made them a favorites of the Alternative120 minutes nation.) You can hear the mindset of Black Francis he didn’t want to sound like top 40 hit-makers like the Escape Club or Wang Chung; he wanted to go deeper in the underground mold of Husker Du.

Pere Ubu was another one of those groups who avoided the mainstream with their uncompromising style with demented lyrics and dissonating rhythms even Frank Black could love. Former lead singer of Pere Ubu David Thomas collaborated with the Two Pale Boys, Andy Diagram and Keith Moline. The Two Pale boys are the ones who now have joined Frank Black Francis on disc two. Together with the Two Pale Boys, Frank Black reworks thirteen Pixies classics. Fear not Pixies faithful the result is pure amazement. Would you consider anything less from our beloved Francis?

Before I continue I must add that re-recording classics is not without precedent Lou Reed, Paul McCartney and David Bowie are a few of Rock legends who have gone back and reworked some of their favorite songs. If you don’t think Frank Black Francis doesn’t belong to mentioned with these greats than you need drive your car into the ocean.

Imagine what the Pixies would sound like in a 21st Century pub? Jazzy, hints of electronic flavor and 100% Frank Black. Sounds like greatness to me. Black goes back to the past and rewrites most of the arrangements on disc two. Let me tell you, these aren’t your older brother’s Pixies songs—the arrangements on such classics as “Caribou” have ambient touches, violin’s and trumpets blaring in the background along with Frank’s guitar and trademark howls. Think of being a Cowboy watching the stars in a metropolitan wasteland or a surfer looking at a fading sunset over a row of commercial buildings both in futuristic worlds—you might feel a bit out of place but you would still be in a state of wonder and amazement of scenery and the rhythms floating around you. That’s what the new versions on Disc two sound like. Most of the songs soar but a few like “cactus” might overreach with their arrangements. But the majority of the versions like “Wave of Mutilation” and “Holiday song” soar in their new incarnations.

What I love about these new versions, Frank puts his Pixies voice in the foreground for the first time highlighting the strength of his deranged and unique lyrics. Unbeknownst to some, most of the songs on both discs were written, in the early eighties, for one of Frank’s old flames Jane who would encourage Black to come up with crazy word games and to crack her up he’d write these insane and memorable songs like “Is she weird” for her.

The good news is that if it wasn’t for this two disc set, the Pixies reunion might never have come together. You can hear Frank Black Francis come to terms with his Pixies past and replay some of classic songs with a new fervor and excitement. Soon after these sessions with the Two Pale Boys, the original group Deal, Santiago and Lovering got together to rehearse and now their one their self proclaimed Sell Out Tour.

Now you can hear for yourself the seeds to their reunion on Frank Black Francis—where the past and future collide on an impression collection that is a must for all Pixies’ fans. So before you head out to the reunion shows pick up this instant classic by Francis you will be amazed.

adrian ernesto cepeda
2005