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bazza
* Dog in the Sand *
Ireland
1439 Posts |
 Posted - 09/11/2003 : 07:31:13
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the irish times has an entertainment supplement today (the ticket) with a nice FB interview (although it mentions the P word a lot). read and enjoy. cheers.
BLACK AND BLUE.
FORMER PIXIES FRONTMAN FRANK BLACK'S SOLO CAREER MAY HAVE BEEN ECLIPSED BY PAST GLORIES AND HIS MARRIAGE MIGHT HAVE RECENTLY ENDED, BUT THE ENSUING CATHARTIC BODY OF WORK IS TAKING HIM TO HIGHER PLACES. HE TALKS TO DEREK O CONNOR.
Its hard to think of an artist less willing to entertain the mere notion of romanticising his former glories that Frank Black. The man born charles thompson III - but still loved, admired and respected by many as black francis - has accepted the fact that, a decade on, its still about the pixies. never mind the best of the mans prolific solo career more than holds its own against the brief but glorious body of work he created as frontman of the seminal Boston-based noiseniks. the same questions are always going to raise their tired old heads.
so, the jovial buddha-like mr black might have landed in town on the back of SMYT - a fine collection of poison-pen love letters, utterly deserving of your attention - but he knows where the conversation is heading 'hey,' he shrugs, 'whatever gets me in the paper. i mean, i used to have an attitude about it, but now i dont care, really. if they want to talk about the pixies - fine. its my bread and butter man.
he'll freely admit that hes currently in a peculiar place headwise, the result of a painful divorce from his wife, but then all you have to do is listen to SMYT to figure that out. 'my wife had been suggesting for me to be a little more direct with my lyrics,' he muses, 'a little more... not personal... but universal. to give something more to people. ... ive written a lot of songs about her and songs about our breakup. more than anything, it puts you in a certain mood, and the musics naturally going to reflect that. im pretty good at the moment ... but its all a bit surreal.'
the songs are anything but - gone is the somewhat impenetrable obliqueness of classic thompson compositions a la debaser, in its place a heartfelt, lovelorn weariness. the song titles speak for themselves - goodbye lorraine, this old heartache, horrible day, when will ... you get the idea. dont think that our hero has drowned in a sea of tuneless despair - however (vide becks turgid sea change): this is a robust, countrified slice of on-form frank, given a buff sonic sheen courtesy of stan 'camoflague' ridgeway abd guest players like cult here's cult hero van dyke parks and joey santiago.
the matter of fact approach that frank takes to defining the group dynamic within regular backing band the catholics - 'once you get out of your asshole 20s you start to gravitate towards people who like you - and you like them, so how we play is secondary to how we get along and enjoy each others company.' still speaks volumes about the turmoil that led to the demise of the pixies.
'i would rather have a minor hit with the catholics' he offers, somewhat out of the blue. 'that would satisfy me more obviously, because it would legitimise my lesser career as frank black.
does it really feel like a lesser career?
'in terms of numbers. and numbers are everything. outside of the band. and outside of the uber fans. for people who are going to write about you, for radio stations, for promoters and agents... sll those people i deal with. they work on the business side of it - i work on the art side.
that this is all delivered in a manner entirely free of self pity and / or resignation says pretty much everything. the man is a consumate pro. which means - sorry folks - that hes still in no hurry to embrace the potential madness of a pixies reunion anytime soon.
'i have resisted it for 10 years. its easy to resist. i dont crave that particular adulation. i got people who adore me now. i have had that glory - i dont need to revisit it. i mean it would be good to be back with the band again... but it doesnt seem like the thing to do for me at this point. if i had to do it for financial reasons i would. were more famous now than weve ever been. it kind of feels like we shouldnt touch it. if its not broke - dont fix it.
my hands are now ready to FALL OFF.  cheers.
i'd give up smoking... but im not a quitter. |
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Ten Percenter
- FB Enquirer -
United Kingdom
1733 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2003 : 07:38:58
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Thanks Barry - you deserve to pass your thesis after this. In fact, could this be your introductory chapter?
No man is an island, unless he is in the bath |
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bazza
* Dog in the Sand *
Ireland
1439 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2003 : 07:42:13
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my introduction doesnt mention the word 'pixies' at all
:o) and its a lot more interesting of course bwah haw haw.
thanks andy. you are a gentleman. see ya
i'd give up smoking... but im not a quitter. |
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Stuart
- The Clopser -
China
2291 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2003 : 08:02:06
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Cheers Bazza, great interview to possibly silence the rumours, although I doubt that will happen.
Who's the man that won't cop out when there's danger all about? |
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bazza
* Dog in the Sand *
Ireland
1439 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2003 : 11:35:32
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FRANK! your damn right.
i'd give up smoking... but im not a quitter. |
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Crispy Water
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
819 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2003 : 15:12:52
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I don't much care myself whether there's a Pixies reunion myself, but I really respect the fact that he admits he'd do it for the money if he had to. Maybe just because some bands try to pretend like they do it for whatever pretentious reason they can think up, I don't know. It just looked funny to me to see that - the punk rocker in him still ready to have a good laugh on everyone or something.
Nothing is ever something. |
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Sheamus
= Cult of Ray =
Australia
345 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2003 : 21:34:04
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I agree Crispy. I think the fact that he says "I'd like some money" is great. He's totally open about it, and there's nothing dodgy going on. Hey, he wrote the songs, he is entitled to earn money from them if he can. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. He gets some money he wants, millions of fans are happy, and a few dozen grumpy old FB.net forum goers go and sulk in the corner while listening to Show Me Your Tears (yes, I agree, it's a great album) :P
Like you said, it's bad when people try and cover upi the fact they just want money...it amounts to lying, and edginess, and shadyness. This is completely open though, so theres nothing at all wrong with it, provided they can still pull off that Pixies brilliance, which I tghink they can. |
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