Frank Black's latest delivers some familiar songs in unfamiliar forms. The first disc consists of a lo-fi 1987 solo session by Black (who was then going by Black Francis) just before the Pixies made their first recordings. It's a revealing, if not quite essential, portrait of the artist as a younger, much skinnier man. In such stripped down guises, the songs give some hints as to Black's early influences; "Holiday Song" here is a dead ringer for the Violent Femmes. He even prefaces "Caribou" by saying "This one should sound like Husker Du."
The second disc is a collaboration between Black and Two Pale Boys, the avant duo best known for their work with Pere Ubu frontman David Thomas. It's all Pixies songs, but radically reimagined, sometimes with little regard for the original recording. Black calls it "messing with the gospel" in the liner notes. It's an uneven affair, with moments of brilliance. "Monkey Gone To Heaven" maintains the melody and structure of the original, but the Pale Boys give it a majestic, dreamy reading, with treated horns and guitar free-floating around Black's vocals. Other songs are less revelatory, but the disc is an inventive, rewarding look at the Pixies esteemed catalogue. Sometimes, the gospel should be messed with.
Tyler Wilcox November 9, 2004
"Fried food, cigarettes, no exercise, chest pain..." (Excerpt from the Angina Monologues)
