| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| kotvana |
Posted - 05/26/2007 : 23:19:57
when it came out i listend to it millions of times, mostly with DW, and felt that the songs are good but not great. Few days ago I listen again and discoverd i really love this thingo. Especially, the first 8 songs. Very enjoyable string of pop/rock gems. And if you play it loud it can rocks. It's before FB became nashvilleish, or whatever. California Bound, for instance, is maybe the best song he ever recoreded. Black ltter Days, End of Miles - great songs, that really can crawl under you skin and stay in your mind for ages. 1826 is almost as good as Vamos. The more quite songs in the middle-end don't sound "forced" as sometimes they do, because the superb singing-attiude.T he production is also quite good - really getting along with the songs, not too raugh or over-produced sound.
So, i recommend anyone to get back to this album. But beware. You may fall in love.. |
| 29 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| fumanbru |
Posted - 06/09/2007 : 08:04:27
quote:
Originally posted by Carl
No blue letters in various fotns sizes? Fu, what happened to you?
 "Aw yeah, that's the good stuff!"
it takes too long!! i'm a busy guy!
 "I joined the Cult of Frank/ cause I'm a real go-getter!" |
| Carl |
Posted - 06/09/2007 : 07:53:48
No blue letters in various fotns sizes? Fu, what happened to you?
"Aw yeah, that's the good stuff!" |
| fumanbru |
Posted - 06/09/2007 : 04:05:44
black letter days was a real grower for me. at first when i got it i was somewhat disappointed. but now i just love it. it really is a fantastic album. southbound bevy, farewell bend, whispering weeds, jet black river...do you ever hear songs in a place you don't really expect it and it gives you a new found appreciation? i think the turning point was when i was at a broken social scene concert last year. in between bands the music guy played 5 songs in a row from black letter days! i was like, this is great! (that was actually the highlight of the concert for me. i like bss but the band keep bitchin about the sound which was irratating.)
"I joined the Cult of Frank/ cause I'm a real go-getter!" |
| awestruck |
Posted - 06/08/2007 : 20:18:04
I know I listen to BLD more than TOTY. Don't get me wrong, I love TOTY, but there is just something about BLD.
I don't understand why it didn't more props.
It's not you I don't like
|
| lackflag |
Posted - 06/08/2007 : 17:14:05
Holy crapfish, its about time. I have been obsessively listening to FB ever since my (much older) brother gave me TOTY for Christmas back in ´95 or whenever it was. To this day it stands far and away as my favorite record by anybody ever, and I am glad to see that many fans agree, more or less. However, it always tripped me out how Black Letter Days hasn't gotten much props, when in my mind it stands quite well against TOTY, and easily crowns the efforts of FB and the Catholics. Maybe its the Tom Waits bookends. Nothing against Mr. Waits or FB's interpretation thereof, but for some reason I always skip those tracks. Ionno. |
| Jose Jones |
Posted - 06/08/2007 : 04:15:49
since they have the same birthday, i don't feel i'm off track by saying that i'm on a huge DW kick (within my GIGANTIC frank black kick recently). it's short, sweet, and the songs all have their own character but maintain an 'album feel' throughout.
as for BLD, i wish 'jet black river' was longer. it's so damn good! and southbound bevy is one of my all time favorites.
-----------------------
they were the heroes of old, men of renown. |
| erotic_vulture |
Posted - 06/07/2007 : 23:17:52
Black Letter Days is my favorite Frank Black album. It isn't the one I listen to most frequently and there are times I avoid it for months. When I am in a particular mood though- it hits me like none other.
It feels very authentic to me.
Devil's Workshop on the other hand always disappoints me. It just feels to slick and while some of the songs are well crafted, it just seems flat.
I'm really diggin the Christmass CD by the way. Great live performances on there and the new recorded tracks are amazing. Charles has a knack for putting out just the right thing at the right time. |
| Cult_Of_Frank |
Posted - 05/31/2007 : 00:25:23
Coastline: Yeah, only about 5 times. :/
 "Now you're officially my woman. Kudos. I can't say I don't envy you." |
| johnnyribcage |
Posted - 05/30/2007 : 08:16:07
BLD is an amazing album, and it's actually the first solo frank black album I heard. I picked it up the week it came out on a whim - hey, I love the pixies, wonder what this is all about... - and worked back from there. BLD reminds me of the spirit of TOTY in that it's chock full of great songs that are all over the place. DW doesn't quite hold up as much for me, but that's the one I got the band to autograph, still don't know why I grabbed that one instead...
I love this part... Yeah, we did it! |
| Jason |
Posted - 05/29/2007 : 22:56:24
When this and DW came out, I was working a very dull office job that I could mostly spend in headphone-land. Two new Frank albums at once was fucking manna. These were all I listened to under the miserable flourescent lights for probably a month, so I know these albums inside-out. Albums that took a little time to get to "know" (like Black Letter Days) were the best.
I don't think there are any bad songs on it. My favorite is probably "Southbound Bevy", though.
As for the Led Zeppelin mention above, in a 2002 interview, I remember Frank describing one of the new songs as sounding like Led Zeppelin. "1826" is probably what he was talking about. |
| eldorado |
Posted - 05/29/2007 : 22:02:53
"End Of Miles", "California Bound" and "Chip Away Boy" made me cry my eyes out, over and over. |
| blip |
Posted - 05/28/2007 : 12:06:51
I remember going up to Frank in an alley after a show and asking him when the new album was expected to come out, during at which time was finishing his DITS promo tour. He seemed a little down, not to enthused about anything, with head down he replied "I don't know", another way of saying not now kid. A few months later, viola BLD/DW double release. I should have been a bit more patient. He hit's you when you least expect it.
|
| junkmale |
Posted - 05/28/2007 : 10:37:45
This has always been my favourite FBC album. Only Dog comes close IMHO |
| mikaelp75 |
Posted - 05/28/2007 : 09:25:27
BLD and DW were the first Frank albums I got when they were brand new. Although I still listen to the latter more regurlarly, BLD has grown a lot on me lately (even though I liked it a lot when I first heard it). I guess its mood suits bad weather and unemployment.
It's obviously packed with good songs, but I kinda agree with Kotvana that the first half is better than the second. It's actually so packed that I rarely listen to the whole thing all the way through, because it doesn't have the inventiveness/originality of that other long one, Teenager Of The Year. Case in point, of the 18 tracks (quite a few of which are lengthy by Frank's standards) there aren't many "uppers." But unlike TOTH I think BLD would have benefitted a lot from a double LP format, with 1826 the finale of the brilliant first album, and the following side 3 would have sort of a unifying demo feel to it, which I think drags a bit on a long CD. (And I do think the second version of Black Rider is rather redundant. I would have been happier with Farewell Bend as the last track.) |
| pixiestu |
Posted - 05/28/2007 : 05:50:20
This is my least favourite FB&TC's album but I still think it's great. 21 Reasons is my favourite track. Oh and 'I Will Run...'. I think it's better than the SSMVGD version.
"The arc of triumph" |
| coastline |
Posted - 05/28/2007 : 05:40:13
quote:
Originally posted by vilainde
BLD is probably not FB&TC's best album but it's certainly my favorite, if that makes sense. No, wait... The self-titled is my fave. But I love BLD. I think it's the FB record that comes back most often in my CD player.
Denis
"Can you hear me? I aint got shit to say."
Makes total sense, Denis. That's me and "Honeycomb." I realize the world will never be sold on that album, but it means more to me than any other album in the world.
 Please pardon me, for these my wrongs. |
| vilainde |
Posted - 05/28/2007 : 02:26:53
BLD is probably not FB&TC's best album but it's certainly my favorite, if that makes sense. No, wait... The self-titled is my fave. But I love BLD. I think it's the FB record that comes back most often in my CD player.
Denis
"Can you hear me? I aint got shit to say." |
| kfs |
Posted - 05/27/2007 : 23:27:43
Black Letter Days is my favorite FB&Cs CD.
I used to say you have to listen to Frank Black's songs at least 3 times before you 'get' it.
I've loved this CD since the first time I heard it. I got it the same day that I got Dog in the Sand. BLD stayed in my CD player constantly for at least 6 months after I got it.
______________________
I've seen blue you've never seen |
| yingguoguizi |
Posted - 05/27/2007 : 22:13:04
I loved BLD when it first came out although I was surprised that most of my friends weren't into it. I wasn't too keen on Devil's Workshop when it first came out, but love it now. Amazing to release two awesome albums on the same day. |
| trobrianders |
Posted - 05/27/2007 : 15:33:19
I sorta agree with EDF's comments on a podcast about BLD being great songs, not so great production. He started sounding more free with BLD like he'd made his peace with the biz.
Faves; End Of Miles, California Bound and How You Went So Far.
_______________
Ed is the hoo hoo |
| TRANSMARINE |
Posted - 05/27/2007 : 14:38:30
A couple of his best songs come from BLD...however, I hold it as my least favorite FB album.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
His name is Dalton. He's got a degree in philosophy.
-bRIAN |
| awestruck |
Posted - 05/27/2007 : 14:34:24
1826 reminds me of Led Zepplin. anyone else ever thought this? and i can't believe i forgot to mention Southbound Bevy. it is a great song.
Favorite Quote: awestruck is a she, she's a she. -trobrianders |
| s_wrenn |
Posted - 05/27/2007 : 13:02:42
the steel guitar in Chip away boy is excellent
|
| awestruck |
Posted - 05/27/2007 : 13:00:38
I love BLD. from the first time i heard it. end of miles and black letter day are definitely two of my faves. I still don't have every album yet, but this one ranks high among the best.
Favorite Quote: awestruck is a she, she's a she. -trobrianders |
| Carl |
Posted - 05/27/2007 : 12:56:42
It ceratainly grew on me. I think ti may be the best Catholics album, overall...Whispering Weeds is beautiful. |
| coastline |
Posted - 05/27/2007 : 08:51:26
Off-topic, sort of, but your post makes me wonder: Dean, have you still listened to Honeycomb only five or six times?
Please pardon me, for these my wrongs. |
| Cult_Of_Frank |
Posted - 05/27/2007 : 08:44:27
I never understood why this album didn't get more praise... glad to have another convert.
"Now you're officially my woman. Kudos. I can't say I don't envy you." |
| coastline |
Posted - 05/27/2007 : 06:24:36
Same story here. When BLD and DW came out, I think I was overwhelmed with new material. And at the time, FB and I had drifted somewhat. And then two weeks ago, just by chance I put on BLD and was blown away. Partly, I think it's the Bluefinger effect. I wore my ears out with Bluefinger, and when I went back to other albums, I had a new appreciation for them.
Please pardon me, for these my wrongs. |
| OLDMANOTY |
Posted - 05/27/2007 : 01:56:43
A similar thing happened for me. I was a bit down on FB when BLD came out and didn't buy it till a couple of years later. Now I think it's one of his best (definately the best Catholics album) and never get bored with it.
Godspeed |
