| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Ten Percenter
- FB Enquirer -
United Kingdom
1733 Posts |
 Posted - 09/19/2003 : 01:31:10
|
Shite review by the lamentably-named Kevin Forest Moreau:
September 17, 2003
Frank Black and the Catholics: Show Me Your Tears
Spin Art, 2003
Rating: 2.5
Frank Black has been quoted recently as warming to the idea of reuniting his seminal post-punk outfit, the Pixies. That longstanding ambivalence could be melting, in part, due to a sense of nostalgia following a painful divorce. But Show Me Your Tears, which is very much a product of said divorce, presents a strong argument against attempting a Pixies reunion. That's because the Frank Black of Tears is no longer capable of wringing compelling art from pathos, as his former band did so well. Of course, it's unfair to keep judging Black's work against such a yardstick. But even by the standards of Black's previous Catholics and solo offerings, Show Me Your Tears is a disappointment. Sticking closely to the rootsy template he's followed with backing band The Catholics since 1998, Black turns in a lackluster collection of melancholy numbers marred by affected vocal tics ("Jaina Blues"), murky lyricism ("New House of the Pope," "Everything is New") and just plain limp melodies (throw a rock). The Catholics manage to slip in a few hints of muscle amidst the standard-issue arrangements, as with the bounce-throb bass that propels "Nadine" and the pristine '70s California-pop echoes of "Manitoba" (having Van Dyke Parks on board certainly doesn't hurt). And Black does muster some welterweight moments toward the end, with the love/nature allegory "The Snake" and "Manitoba"'s wrenching realization that "I have seen the face of God / and I have dearly paid," as concise a summation of love gone wrong as one could hope for. But they're not enough to lift Tears out of its bog of half-hearted catharsis. Call it a warm-up, and hope that if Black's intent on purging himself of heartbreak, he'll have gotten enough distance next time around to approach the subject with his signature oddball flair.
::: Kevin Forest Moreau
No man is an island, unless he is in the bath |
|
|
vilainde
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Niue
7443 Posts |
Posted - 09/19/2003 : 05:46:02
|
I can't fucking believe it. Ten Percenter, you posted like 40-50 SMYT reviews on the forum, and the pricks at metacritic.com managed to select this shitty review among all and lower again the score of the album. Couldn't they have chosen the reviews of the NME, of Chart Magazine, Launch Magazine, the Guardian, Time Off, Bang? This is getting ridiculous.
Denis
 "I'm in the Cult of Frank/Now how the hell do I get out?" |
 |
|
|
Ten Percenter
- FB Enquirer -
United Kingdom
1733 Posts |
Posted - 09/19/2003 : 06:54:46
|
I agree Denis, there are plenty of decent reviews to choose from, from more illustrious magazines/papers/sites than Shaking Through.net
No man is an island, unless he is in the bath |
|
|
|
Cult_Of_Frank
= Black Noise Maker =
Canada
11687 Posts |
Posted - 09/19/2003 : 07:38:03
|
What a travesty of a review.
"Join the Cult of Frank / And you'll be enlightened" |
|
|
|
Dallas
= Cult of Ray =
USA
725 Posts |
Posted - 09/19/2003 : 08:32:25
|
crap review, doesnt even make sense.
THANKS FOR THE LINKS 10 PERCENTER!!! |
|
|
|
Steak n Sabre
* Dog in the Sand *
Uzbekistan
1013 Posts |
Posted - 09/19/2003 : 12:13:52
|
I think I know who we will be throwing rocks at!!
Whatta dunce.........
The Cult of Frank: "Ask about our Lo-cost pickup and delivery service!"  |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
