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ramona
"FB Quote Mistress"
USA
3988 Posts |
 Posted - 10/01/2003 : 13:21:13
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Did anyone post this yet? I tried to do a search but it timed out so if it is already posted - sorry! I am typing the fucker out so I hope it's new to y'all.
SHOW ME YOUR TEARS review by Anna Britten (4 out of 5 stars)
Inspriations: Nick Cave, Dick Dale, shady Ladies
Praise the Lord, 'twas a happy day when Frank Black picked up the phone to gutarist and co-Pixie Joey Santiago for 2001's awesome Dog In the Sand album, a blend of shag-me rock and roll thrills, bonkers Pixies allusions and more atmosphere than a stroll through Baghdad.
With his former partner-in-crime dripping surf guitar notes like honey into a golden bowl, Frank seemed newly empowered after years of unremarkable critical response. The collaboration endures with Black's latest, but here Santiago's trademark twang plays more of a cameo role.
Show Me Your Tears sees Frank back at the reins of an altogether meaner, crankier beast - the bitter, country tinged legacy of broken hearts and lost weekends peopled by Lorraines and Nadines and nameless loves from Baltimore to Barcelona who abandoned him - quite possibly after one too many rows about his cholesterol level. Black calls it "13 big, salty tears". '
At precisley one minute and five seconds into B-movie cave-rocker and opening salvo 'Nadine' - when the tempo increases by 100% and the drumbeat kicks in defibulator style - it's as though Frank has dragged the listener onto that window ledge in the Evanescence video. He then proceeds to cackle and tease - one minute tapping his foot, the next jumping up and down until the cement cracks - for further 40 rollercoaster minutes.
Those minutes pass thus...With their trotting Tex Mex rhythms, 'My Favorite Kiss' and 'This Old Heartache' are relatively restrained, coming on like Calexico's sleazy stepbrother. 'Jaina Blues' momentarily locks itself away in a corner of bland blue collar rock self-indulgance, but then comes 'Massif Central' all undermedicated schizo falsetto, blubbery, loose-strung bassline ala 'Gouge Away' and sky punching "Yee'ahh's!" As you catch your breath, the delicious, drunken, self-deprecating bonhomie of 'When Will Happiness Find Me Again' disarms utterly with kinship to Tom Waits 'Innocent When You Dream', Manitoba' draws things to a climactic boombastic close, it's rumbling southern gothic-cum-gospel rock, singsong guitar arpeggios and Merlot-soaked vocals rendering lines such as "I have seen the face of God and I was not afraid" utterly believable.
Still giving his peers a lesson in eccentric post-punk powertooling, the high priest of alterno has done the next best thing to orchestrating the rumoured Pixies reunion. He's made it unnecessary.
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Holy adjectives, Batman!
I hope you all enjoyed it. It's pretty raving.
In a world full of caterpillars, it takes balls to be a butterfly |
Edited by - ramona on 10/01/2003 14:20:56 |
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Brackish Girl
~ Soul Eater ~
Ireland
1750 Posts |
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ramona
"FB Quote Mistress"
USA
3988 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2003 : 14:20:05
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I just realized this - DUH. I was looking for both magazines and found this one and not the other. Oh well. Read it again people!
And, by the way, I'm Emily, not Sarah. So we're all wrong!  |
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mereubu
= FB QuizMistress =
USA
2677 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2003 : 14:27:35
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I don't think it's ever been fully typed up--I'd remember "All undermedicated schizo falsetto"--hilarious. Thanks, Em!
 "I joined the Cult of Frank / And all I got was this lousy icon" |
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ramona
"FB Quote Mistress"
USA
3988 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2003 : 14:31:55
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I enjoyed "Merlot-soaked vocals" myself. This lady likes the hypen.
My new carpel tunnel syndrome is happy to hear I did not type in vain.
Also meant to say that the last thing in the review is a tiny bolded "www.frankblack.net". Yeehaw!
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Edited by - ramona on 10/01/2003 14:32:57 |
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mereubu
= FB QuizMistress =
USA
2677 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2003 : 14:35:36
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Cool beans! Sorry bout the wrists. If you sleep in wrist-braces for a little while it should calm down.
"I joined the Cult of Frank / And all I got was this lousy icon" |
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ramona
"FB Quote Mistress"
USA
3988 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2003 : 17:48:07
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| I was mostly kidding. It's my neck with the real problems. Should I sleep in a neck brace? Ehhhhhhhhh... |
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