Frank Black / Black Francis and Pixies Discussion

[southp]

Charles Thompson IV, one of the greatest alt-rock songwriters of the last 25 years.

The Pixies, Frank Black, Frank Black and the Catholics, Black Francis, Grand Duchy, Paley & Francis....

Personal top-5 albums:
Pixies - Doolittle (1989)
Frank Black - Teenager of the Year (1994)
Pixies - Surfer Rosa (1988)
Frank Black and the Catholics - Black Letter Days (2002)
Frank Black - S/T (1993)

[clavian]

Charles Thompson IV, one of the greatest alt-rock songwriters of the last 25 years.

The Pixies, Frank Black, Frank Black and the Catholics, Black Francis, Grand Duchy, Paley & Francis....

Personal top-5 albums:
Pixies - Doolittle (1989)
Frank Black - Teenager of the Year (1994)
Pixies - Surfer Rosa (1988)
Frank Black and the Catholics - Black Letter Days (2002)
Frank Black - S/T (1993)

His most recent solo stuff hasn't really piqued my interest, but he's built a very impressive discography over the years. As much as I enjoy The Pixies, I'd probably consider his time with the Catholics to be my favorite. I absolutely love Pistolero, Dog in the Sand, and S/T (probably in that order).

I saw the Catholics live twice. Once when the opened for PJ on the '98 tour, and another time a year or so later at, well, more or less a glorified frat house in Sioux Falls, SD. Excellent show. Rich Gilbert, his guitar player at the time, was an absolute joy to watch play live.

[southp]

yeah I'm not a big fan of the Paley & Francis album, but solo Frank can do no wrong.
NonStopErotik and Abbabubba are both solid but not quite as good as Bluefinger or Svn Fngrs.

Not many artists can be this consistent and prolific at the same time.

[VinylGuy]

yeah I'm not a big fan of the Paley & Francis album, but solo Frank can do no wrong.
NonStopErotik and Abbabubba are both solid but not quite as good as Bluefinger or Svn Fngrs.

Not many artists can be this consistent and prolific at the same time.

Svn Fngrs is great, i should listen to it more.

Still The Pixies...

[Gods' Die]

I love unhinged Black Francis the most.

[southp]

Anyone listen to the last Grand Duchy album Let the People Speak?
I really liked Petits Fours, but didn't even realized there was a new one that came out in 2012.

[Gods' Die]

Anyone listen to the last Grand Duchy album Let the People Speak?
I really liked Petits Fours, but didn't even realized there was a new one that came out in 2012.

As much as I love Doolittle and the rest of the Pixies records I've only got Teenager of the Year post-Pixies and thought it was too soft/safe so I didn't explore further.

Like I said a few posts above I love the unhinged Black Francis on record, and he even started to steer away from that kind of singing on the records after Doolittle. Should I give anything after these records a try?

[southp]

Anyone listen to the last Grand Duchy album Let the People Speak?
I really liked Petits Fours, but didn't even realized there was a new one that came out in 2012.

As much as I love Doolittle and the rest of the Pixies records I've only got Teenager of the Year post-Pixies and thought it was too soft/safe so I didn't explore further.

Like I said a few posts above I love the unhinged Black Francis on record, and he even started to steer away from that kind of singing on the records after Doolittle. Should I give anything after these records a try?

It's about personal taste I suppose. While I love that unhinged Black Francis as you call it, I find that it was right for the Pixies at the time, but I came enjoy the depth of solo Frank as much, if not more. Teenager of the Year is one of my favorite albums of all time probably... at least at the time I was completely obsessed with it, and to this day I go back to it more than a lot of 90's albums from any artist.

Maybe if you want to jump ahead go to Bluefinger.
(ignore the video as I have no idea wtf that is, but this song is great...)

[Birds in Hell]

I once had a chat with Frank at a smoothie shop.

He was really nice.

Pixies are awesome.

[southp]

I once had a chat with Frank at a smoothie shop.

He was really nice.

Pixies are awesome.

he looks like a man who could suck down a lot of smoothies

[Birds in Hell]

I once had a chat with Frank at a smoothie shop.

He was really nice.

Pixies are awesome.

he looks like a man who could suck down a lot of smoothies

I regret not asking what kind of smoothie he was having.

Funnily enough, I had to meet my mother just afterward and Frank happened to walk past us. He said "see you tonight!" to me (since we'd been discussing how I was seeing the Pixies later that night) and my Mum asked "oh, is this one of your friends from uni?"

[VinylGuy]

which solo records are important?

i read his going to tour this year.

[verb_to_trust]

He came off as such a fat blob in that reunion doc from a few years back.