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[quote][i]Originally posted by Jason[/i]
[br]He has reviewed Frank Black Francis.  He gets a few facts wrong, but he posts all reader comments he receives so just tell him off and set him straight in an e-mail if you want.

http://www.markprindle.com/black.htm#francis

---------

Fank Francis, the former lead singer of the Pixies, has finally proudly embraced his past and the Pixies are touring again. Everybody's really excited about it. It's a good thing my ceilings are 35 feet big because I can't stop jumping up and down, punching my fist and going, "Yeah." Also, I can't walk anymore; I can only skip about like a female child because I'm so happy about it, and excited. One time I thought I wasn't all that excited about it, but then I realized my hand was in a boiling pot of water. Once I removed it and wrapped it up in bandages, I was all excited again. Because it's exciting. A guy who wrote all of the songs for a band getting back together to play some concerts with the other people in the band -- the ones who didn't write any songs for the band and just played exactly what he told them to -- man, that's some exciting stuff. I've literally had to install an oversized drinking straw between my mouth and the tip of my penis to make sure I don't cause local flooding every time I think about it. That's how exciting it all very is.

To celebrate this non-event, Frank has issued a double-disc of Pixies classix done FARNK style! The impetus was thus: The day before the Picksys went into the studio with Big Black's Steve Albini to record the Come On A Pilgrim EP, Frank recorded a demo of 15 songs performed by he and he alone on his acoustic guitar. Years later, a record company expressed interest in releasing this age-old document of young talent and girth. Frank agreed, but feared that his fans might flip a bird upon paying $18 for 35 minutes of old demos. As such, he got together with his friends Two Pale Boys (who often record albums with David Thomas of Pere Ubu fame, I've been led to believe) and recorded a second disc of RADICALLY reworked Pixies songs. And I do mean RADICALLY reworked. The closest comparison I can think of would be a Pixies tribute album recorded by The Residents back when they were good. It's THAT strangely great. The first disc is really good too (you know the songs - they're wonderful little songs!), but disc two is what makes the project a must-own for any fan of Black Francis's legendary Posies.

Regardless, I'll begin by discussing the first disc, if only to get your excitement level way up. Think of this paragraph as the Benson to the next paragraph's Mr. Belvedere; sure, it's GOOD and all, but you can't hardly wait until 8:30 rolls around and the fat gay man takes over the TV, right? Am I right? I'm right, aren't I? Am I! Right? I am! Therefore, my second paragraph will ignore the Frank Black disc completely and just discuss fat gay men for 25 minutes.

The sound quality of disc one is oodles better than you'd expect, and it's fun to hear Frank sing the lead guitar lines over his rhythm strumming (like "bow-bow-bow!" during the intro to "I'm Amazed") and make verbal notes about how the songs are supposed to sound (he introduces "Oh My Golly" with "It's a Caribbean beat that goes like 'kah-kah-kah-kah-kah" like that," and before "Caribou," I could swear he says "This is the one I wanted to sound like Husker Du." !!!). However, the Mexican punkers don't work so well without drums because you can't tell they're supposed to be fast. Instead they just sound like simplistic three-chord mariachi songs (especially "Isla De Encanta," which comes across as a slow metal song with a shitty riff). Fans of the rare will appreciate another early version of "Subbacultcha," along with the non-album tracks "Rock A My Soul" (a lifeless stinker), "Build High" (fun!) and "Boom Chickaboom" (slow, Spanishy, okay). On its own, I'd give disc one an 8. Frank really puts everything into his performance, and most of the tunes are as catchy as a long day. "Caribou" in particular is just gorgeous, isn't it?

No no, not the song. I mean an actual caribou. Isn't it gorgeous? Don't you wanna FUCK IT??!?!?

Disc two is brilliant - all full of bizarre electronic noises, trumpets and wrongness. Offhand, I can't think of any other artist who has ever reworked his material in such an astonishingly creative manner, and I know you're shaking your head and muttering "What about the reggae version of 'Layla?,'" but wait til you hear what these guys DO with the songs you've known and loved for so many years! Let me try to paint a portrait in words:

[center]
EYE.........EYE
N
O
S E
M.................H
O.........T
U
[/center]

(*searches apartment for bag of missing wit*)

Disc two standouts include:

- "Cactus" played with the DOMINANT chords instead of the TONIC ones. You play guitar, right? Sure! We ALL do! Go play "Cactus" on the dominant chords that correspond to the tonic chords of the original! Bizarre, isn't it? Not just that, but sad and illegal!

- "Nimrod's Son' as a playfully Nazi-esque oompah march! Who doesn't love a playful Nazi? Remember Mengele? Jeff Hanneman LOVED that guy!

- "Levitate Me" played on queasy off-key bell tones for verse, cute baby-like bell chimes for bridge, and jolly horns and guitar for chorus. It's "Bell-u-riffic"!

- "The Holiday Song" - the BEST. An ADORABLE Herb Albert-style trumpet/tuba cha-cha version, with crazy psych delay loops keeping things real. You'll feel like Esquivel and Os Mutantes dressed up in a taco costume together while high on cocaine!

- "Subbacultcha" built upon grunting cacaphony, eerie violins, bells, bongos, horns and satisfaction. Imagine Tom Waits doing something different for a fucking change!

- "Planet of Sound" as a 15-minute hypnotizing-as-a-swinging-watch two-chord acoustic strummer that falls apart, back together and apart once more as Frank recites each line twenty times apiece and the Pale Boys run his guitar through different effects.

Curious? Intrigued? Buy it! Who knew Two Pale Boys were so clever and unique? The David Thomas connection naturally led me to assume that they were no fucking good at all, but I'll be good and goddamned! The only ones that kinda don't work (though they're okay) are "Where is My Mind" built upon electronic bloops and ugly noises that are a bit TOOOO random, a slow regal "Velouria" that's lovely but just drags on a bit too long, and a version of "Is She Weird" that replaces the catchy verse hook with an Enoey one-note drone. Still, those are small complaints. Disc 2 gets a 9. Put the 8 and 9 together and "Whala!" You get an 8!

That's what I told my first grade math students, at any rate. Incidentally, does anyone know what this "+" sign is supposed to be for? I told them it was a photo of Jesus and Abraham Lincoln penis-wrestling.

[/quote]

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Jason	Posted - 11/19/2004 : 06:59:35 He has reviewed Frank Black Francis. He gets a few facts wrong, but he posts all reader comments he receives so just tell him off and set him straight in an e-mail if you want. http://www.markprindle.com/black.htm#francis --------- Fank Francis, the former lead singer of the Pixies, has finally proudly embraced his past and the Pixies are touring again. Everybody's really excited about it. It's a good thing my ceilings are 35 feet big because I can't stop jumping up and down, punching my fist and going, "Yeah." Also, I can't walk anymore; I can only skip about like a female child because I'm so happy about it, and excited. One time I thought I wasn't all that excited about it, but then I realized my hand was in a boiling pot of water. Once I removed it and wrapped it up in bandages, I was all excited again. Because it's exciting. A guy who wrote all of the songs for a band getting back together to play some concerts with the other people in the band -- the ones who didn't write any songs for the band and just played exactly what he told them to -- man, that's some exciting stuff. I've literally had to install an oversized drinking straw between my mouth and the tip of my penis to make sure I don't cause local flooding every time I think about it. That's how exciting it all very is. To celebrate this non-event, Frank has issued a double-disc of Pixies classix done FARNK style! The impetus was thus: The day before the Picksys went into the studio with Big Black's Steve Albini to record the Come On A Pilgrim EP, Frank recorded a demo of 15 songs performed by he and he alone on his acoustic guitar. Years later, a record company expressed interest in releasing this age-old document of young talent and girth. Frank agreed, but feared that his fans might flip a bird upon paying $18 for 35 minutes of old demos. As such, he got together with his friends Two Pale Boys (who often record albums with David Thomas of Pere Ubu fame, I've been led to believe) and recorded a second disc of RADICALLY reworked Pixies songs. And I do mean RADICALLY reworked. The closest comparison I can think of would be a Pixies tribute album recorded by The Residents back when they were good. It's THAT strangely great. The first disc is really good too (you know the songs - they're wonderful little songs!), but disc two is what makes the project a must-own for any fan of Black Francis's legendary Posies. Regardless, I'll begin by discussing the first disc, if only to get your excitement level way up. Think of this paragraph as the Benson to the next paragraph's Mr. Belvedere; sure, it's GOOD and all, but you can't hardly wait until 8:30 rolls around and the fat gay man takes over the TV, right? Am I right? I'm right, aren't I? Am I! Right? I am! Therefore, my second paragraph will ignore the Frank Black disc completely and just discuss fat gay men for 25 minutes. The sound quality of disc one is oodles better than you'd expect, and it's fun to hear Frank sing the lead guitar lines over his rhythm strumming (like "bow-bow-bow!" during the intro to "I'm Amazed") and make verbal notes about how the songs are supposed to sound (he introduces "Oh My Golly" with "It's a Caribbean beat that goes like 'kah-kah-kah-kah-kah" like that," and before "Caribou," I could swear he says "This is the one I wanted to sound like Husker Du." !!!). However, the Mexican punkers don't work so well without drums because you can't tell they're supposed to be fast. Instead they just sound like simplistic three-chord mariachi songs (especially "Isla De Encanta," which comes across as a slow metal song with a shitty riff). Fans of the rare will appreciate another early version of "Subbacultcha," along with the non-album tracks "Rock A My Soul" (a lifeless stinker), "Build High" (fun!) and "Boom Chickaboom" (slow, Spanishy, okay). On its own, I'd give disc one an 8. Frank really puts everything into his performance, and most of the tunes are as catchy as a long day. "Caribou" in particular is just gorgeous, isn't it? No no, not the song. I mean an actual caribou. Isn't it gorgeous? Don't you wanna FUCK IT??!?!? Disc two is brilliant - all full of bizarre electronic noises, trumpets and wrongness. Offhand, I can't think of any other artist who has ever reworked his material in such an astonishingly creative manner, and I know you're shaking your head and muttering "What about the reggae version of 'Layla?,'" but wait til you hear what these guys DO with the songs you've known and loved for so many years! Let me try to paint a portrait in words: . . . . . . . . . . . . EYE.........EYE N O S E M.................H O.........T U (searches apartment for bag of missing wit) Disc two standouts include: - "Cactus" played with the DOMINANT chords instead of the TONIC ones. You play guitar, right? Sure! We ALL do! Go play "Cactus" on the dominant chords that correspond to the tonic chords of the original! Bizarre, isn't it? Not just that, but sad and illegal! - "Nimrod's Son' as a playfully Nazi-esque oompah march! Who doesn't love a playful Nazi? Remember Mengele? Jeff Hanneman LOVED that guy! - "Levitate Me" played on queasy off-key bell tones for verse, cute baby-like bell chimes for bridge, and jolly horns and guitar for chorus. It's "Bell-u-riffic"! - "The Holiday Song" - the BEST. An ADORABLE Herb Albert-style trumpet/tuba cha-cha version, with crazy psych delay loops keeping things real. You'll feel like Esquivel and Os Mutantes dressed up in a taco costume together while high on cocaine! - "Subbacultcha" built upon grunting cacaphony, eerie violins, bells, bongos, horns and satisfaction. Imagine Tom Waits doing something different for a fucking change! - "Planet of Sound" as a 15-minute hypnotizing-as-a-swinging-watch two-chord acoustic strummer that falls apart, back together and apart once more as Frank recites each line twenty times apiece and the Pale Boys run his guitar through different effects. Curious? Intrigued? Buy it! Who knew Two Pale Boys were so clever and unique? The David Thomas connection naturally led me to assume that they were no fucking good at all, but I'll be good and goddamned! The only ones that kinda don't work (though they're okay) are "Where is My Mind" built upon electronic bloops and ugly noises that are a bit TOOOO random, a slow regal "Velouria" that's lovely but just drags on a bit too long, and a version of "Is She Weird" that replaces the catchy verse hook with an Enoey one-note drone. Still, those are small complaints. Disc 2 gets a 9. Put the 8 and 9 together and "Whala!" You get an 8! That's what I told my first grade math students, at any rate. Incidentally, does anyone know what this "+" sign is supposed to be for? I told them it was a photo of Jesus and Abraham Lincoln penis-wrestling.
7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
JamesM	Posted - 12/30/2004 : 17:46:49 Prindle is the greatest living music journalist to grace God's (or Nature's) green earth. -Jimmy M.
hWolsky	Posted - 12/17/2004 : 19:27:34 Love you Guy!!!! SS
Thomas	Posted - 12/17/2004 : 17:15:12 quote: Originally posted by Bartholomew That Prindle's a great writer and funny guy. But the best reviews I see written these days are from http://www.adriandenning.com/ Not only are all his reviews well written, fair and excellent, but his Frank and Pixies reviews are spot on. Check him out Adrian Denning is a forum member. I invited him here when we opened the site. He's posted a few times. http://forum.frankblack.net/pop_profile.asp?mode=display&id=202 "Our Love is Rice and Beans and Horses Lard"
Aurora-borealis	Posted - 12/17/2004 : 16:06:13 Who is this Mark Prindle? He seems like a feckin' twit to me...
Bartholomew	Posted - 11/19/2004 : 12:00:46 That Prindle's a great writer and funny guy. But the best reviews I see written these days are from http://www.adriandenning.com/ Not only are all his reviews well written, fair and excellent, but his Frank and Pixies reviews are spot on. Check him out
Triakel	Posted - 11/19/2004 : 11:43:55 Rhymes with "floosh."
Doryphore	Posted - 11/19/2004 : 10:30:45 Mark Prindle needs serious help.

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