Record Review 4 Frank Black: "Christmass"

Frank Black: Christmass
"This release is comprised of live Frank Black acoustic recordings from Summer 2006, along with five studio tracks recorded partly in hotel rooms and partly at Planet of Sound studios in Hartford, Connecticut. The set also features a DVD (NTSC format) with selections from one of the live acoustic shows and the whole things features seven new songs in total. Frank only titled this Christmass to satisfy his father, who always asked him to put out a Christmas album, and to reclaim the original spelling. It's a stripped down and intimate affair.

I like Frank Black. Even more then I like the Shins. I did not get on the Pixies the first time around and discovered Frank Black’s solo stuff and finally got back around to The Pixies...who then blew me away...not that you care. Frank Black...fat...bald...and alone with his acoustic guitar and his troubling voice is about as pure performance art as you can get for someone who isn’t even trying. he is creepy in a fascinating way. His songs are straightforward, often nonsensical and always eerily beautiful.

This is no different. There are no surprises here. There do not need to be. last years “Fast Man Raider Man” was a self indulgent double CD that covered a lot of ground but this is some new stuff but mainly a nice acoustic look back. he hammers old Pixies chestnuts “Where Is My Mind?”, “Cactus” and “Wave of Mutilation.” His sol songs are not epochal but it is a nice mix with highlights of “Nadine”, “Raiderman” and “I Burn Today.” The new stuff is all good just because it is new...and it is him.

If you don’t know Frank Black you don’t need this CD but you should go listen to the Pixies. Frank’s stuff is all more stripped down so I like it but the Pixies...rock. The CD comes with a nice DVD performance of a number of the songs. Like I said i love this guy but he is one of the uglier men in the universe. He looks more like Spiderman's nemesis Kingpin then anything else. Then again. I loved Kingpin. The CD is non essential for anything but a fan. 6 SLingers out of 10. here is a pic I took of the dear boy last year at The Duck Room