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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Teenager Of The Year

Frank Black

1994

Buy At Rough Trade
Teenager Of The Year
Album Summary

Teenager of the Year is the second solo studio album by American musician Frank Black. The album was released in 1994 by 4AD in the United Kingdom and Elektra Records in the United States. It was co-produced by former Pere Ubu member Eric Drew Feldman, who also played keyboards on the album. Teenager also features work by several backing musicians, including Lyle Workman, Moris Tepper and Black's Pixies bandmate Joey Santiago. The album reached No. 2 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and No. 131 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1994. The single "Headache" reached No. 10 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart that year.Although not originally well-received, the record is now widely praised by both critics and fans. The album is often cited as the high-point of Francis' post-Pixies catalogue, and was ranked No. 94 on Pitchfork's "Top 100 Albums of the 1990s".

Wikipedia

Rating

2.99

Votes

12551

Genres

  • Indie
  • Rock

Reviews

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Jul 07 2021
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4

I was voted teenager of the year in 1997. Incredible that I won it really, having only been a teenager for 14 days, but there you go. I remember Scott Kelly being particularly upset by this as he'd been a teenager for longer. He now goes by the username of spackers, so that's the kind of guy he is and shows you that he never stood a chance. Spackers. I mean, come on. Anyway, this album was good.

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Nov 04 2021
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5

I LOVE this album cover and title. I also read that Frank Black was legitimately named Teenager of the Year. So I really wanted to love this. I didn’t think I had heard Frank Black before, but I did have in my library his cover of “Sugar Daddy” from the Wig In A Box album celebrating the music from Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The Pixies are also a band I feel like I should know but don’t. So I’m jazzed to listen to this… I started off wondering if this was a punk album, but while the influences are strong it’s not that... “(I Want To Live On An) Abstract Plain” and “Calistan” are amazing! The guitar solo is awesome in “The Vanishing Spies”. “Speedy Marie” is fantastic and introduced me to the word ‘romaunt’. This is a smart album! Then comes “Headache” - another incredible song. Wow wow wow! A song about the aqueducts built by Mulholland?! Holy shit! This album is officially off the hook incredible. How many times can I keep saying how great a song is? How many songs are on this album…? A song about ‘pong’?! ‘Pachinko’ and ‘Parcheesi’?! Rhyming ‘potlatch’ with ‘Sasquatch’?! ‘Chateaubriand’ in the lyrics?! Photon powered spacecraft?! The 60s sci fi show The Invaders?! Not to mention I now know the word ‘thalassocracy’! Throw in catchy as hell music and… LOVE LOVE LOVE! You know an album is great when you keep saying ‘oh THIS is the best song on the album’ over and over as you listen. TEENAGER OF THE YEAR has that. It is a fantastic album that I can’t wait to listen to again. So much going on and so much still to discover!

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Feb 02 2021
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1

How this is in the list I'll never know

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Mar 05 2021
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3

I had a feeling as soon as I mentioned the hot streak we'd lose it. This isn't bad though. Apparently Frank Black is part of the Pixies, I do like what I've heard from them. Sometimes his singing reminds me of Lou Reed and Mark Kozelek. Many of the songs feel like fragments, but there's a good force of rock driving throughout. This seems like a really creative guy who felt repressed by being in a band, so he's letting it all out in a solo project. I respect that, even though I don't love the final product. There are a few good tracks sprinkled throughout, but as a whole it's nothing too impressive. Favorite tracks: Calistan, Headache, Abstract Plain. Album art: This made me laugh when I saw it last night. It's a cool cover, but what? Why was this big adult man coronated "teenager of the year"? Why is his free hand aimed to roast someone with a "what are thoooose"? 3/5

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May 11 2022
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3

Teenager of the Year is too much long for it's own good. There are songs strewn throughout the album where there are moments that stick long enough to be memorable and where songs can be utterly forgettable. If this were split into two albums, maybe it could be a better overall achievement by Frank Black but, as one whole, it's okay. Favorites: Whatever Happened to Pong?, (I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plain, Calistan, Freedom Rock, Fiddle Riddle, Olé Mulholland, I Could Stay Here Forever, Pure Denizens of the Citizens Band.

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Sep 08 2022
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5

There is something really quite special when an album you love but never imagined would make it on the list comes up. And so, here we are, with Frank Black’s second solo album (his first is also pretty good). Unleashed from the now split Pixies (temporarily split, as it turns out) although still working with Joey Santiago who delivers some fine guitar solos, Black indulges his love of space, aliens, conspiracies, sci fi, deserts and his and the water supply to California. Most tracks are short, snappy and punchy, (The Hostess with the Mostest is a nifty slice of diner pie clocking in at 1m 56s) alongside some extended surf rock and ska tracks. At the time, many called this ‘Pixies on the Beach’ and whilst there is light and sunshine here, Black’s oddities and obsession never quite put the listener at ease. But he’s clearly enjoying creating some pop rock tunes, singing not screaming and it makes for a fun, quirky, terrific record.

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Sep 22 2021
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4

You'd be forgiven for not realizing this is the main dude from the Pixies, when he went by the stage name Black Francis. Apparently this thing came out in May, 1994, but this is my first time ever hearing of it. In fact, my only familiarity with Black Francis/Frank Black's solo work is a great cover he did of The Beach Boys' "Hang On To Your Ego". There's a very good chance that if I had more than 24-hours to sit with this album, it would warrant a beloved 5 rating.

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Feb 05 2021
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4

If anyone is familiar with Jeff Tweedy's (Wilco frontman) first band Uncle Tupelo, this album has a few songs that sound just like it and I love them. Never explored the Pixies much further than the hits, and always thought they were just eh. But I was really digging this guys style. Alternative with a slight country influence at times. Made for some earnest songwriting.

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Dec 12 2022
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3

The older I get, the less tolerance I have for double albums. Give me a concise 40-45 minute record, with just your best shit. Leave me wanting more, don’t make me want to walk away because you keep rambling. Save the rest for a bonus ep or another standalone record. There are very few double albums that justify being 65-80 minutes long and Teenager of the Year isn’t one of them. There’s probably a great, 5 star, record in here, but there’s too much similar sounding sprawl to make this a concise, enjoyable experience. Let’s be honest, no one needed a Frank Black reggae/dub excursion, which underscores my point about double records: just because you can do something (fill a cd with 80 minutes of music, record a reggae track) doesn’t mean you should. The best parts of this record are when the song structures get a little complex and the instrumentation gets varied (though a lot the synths and keys on this record definitely sound dated). I wouldn’t call them “prog” songs, but they are certainly “prog-like”. Even then, these songs become indistinguishable towards the end. As whole, the album attempts eschew formula with varied stylistic choices, but the songs themselves all follow a very similar formula. 13 or 14 songs into Teenager of the Year, you’ll probably be thinking to yourself, “Ok, I get it already” or “didn’t I hear this song already?”. Then, you’ll realize you still have another 8 or 9 tracks to go.

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Oct 31 2021
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1

Fitting that the most popular song on the album is called Headache. Did not like it very much. Not worth a listen to me. 1

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May 12 2022
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5

Never ad erd of deez but its qite nice and feels qite of the time.

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Jan 14 2021
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5

You’re like wtf is this? Then it grows on you. Is it good you ask? Idk I listen to the whole thing and I’m still puzzled.

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Jan 30 2021
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5

I really enjoyed this, it was a chaotic mess that reminded me of a more grungy They Might Be Giants at times? Need to look into more Frank Black and The Pixies. "Headache" was the best track, but there were a lot of tracks I was fond of. "Ole Mulholland", "Space is Gonna Do Me Good", "Thalassocracy".

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Jan 27 2021
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5

Everything is not good, but there are plenty of good songs, some even reminding me of Dire Straits.

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Aug 30 2021
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4

So, Frank Black , aka Black Frances, aka Charles Thompson IV is the lead singer of the Pixies! Didn't know that. I enjoyed this and really did get some Dire Straits vibes on a couple songs. References a Wrinkle in Time in Headache, so its got to be good. 4

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May 11 2021
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3

Decent album. Enjoyable. A few different styles. Seemed to be doing impressions of different artists. Spot the Neil Young and New Order.

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Feb 24 2024
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3

The CD era really was a terrible time for concise, solid throughout albums, instead opting for throwing everything in the artist could that would fit on a disc, and it leads to albums like Teenager of the Year. Frank Black has some solid ideas here, with that signature feeling of Pixies throughout, but it feels like something is missing. What's missing, of course, is the rest of the band, but also those intricate decisions of what songs were deemed worthy of an album are gone, instead allowing for far too many tracks on an album that could be cut down to 1/3 of its size and be better for it. There's good playing, good song-writing, and strong enough melodies to be found on the whole project, but after an hour it all starts to feel the same, with little to help it stand out.

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Nov 11 2023
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3

This album is like life - it peaks early This album is like life - it has it's moments, which only exacerbate the disappointments This album is like life - it's too long for it's own good Three lifetimes out of five 👶👨👴

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Sep 12 2024
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5

LOVE IT! Had never heard of this album and had a great time listening. I wish I had been the right age when this came out because it would have been the perfect life soundtrack. Some super hip little musical and metric turns. A few killing solos. Kept catching myself bobbing my head. Good fun!

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Mar 21 2024
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5

One of my favorite new-to-me albums I've gotten on this list. Sometimes double albums can feel like a drag, but this one could've kept going and I wouldn't have been upset. I enjoyed every last song, zero skips on this album for me. There are times where a song sounds like it's going to be a generic pop/indie song, but then he puts his own little twists in there that make it utterly unique and just plain cool. It's a super fun album, but it always maintains a little edge to it which I just love. I've been a Pixies fan for a very long time and am ashamed that I haven't listened to Frank Black's records sooner. I'm going on a short road trip next weekend and already can't wait to play this during my drive. Perfect spring time drive music. Finding albums like this makes this whole experience so worthwhile.

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Jan 11 2024
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5

When this was good it was brilliant, particularly when it was more punky which was the case for the first few songs. Reminded me of Weezer and I thought this album would be exactly what I always wanted from the Pixies. For the album as a whole there was a lot of pixies-sounding tracks, which while still great didn't stand up to the heavier stuff for me. Album was a little bloated too, could have trimmed about 25% of just okay tracks to end up with a better album. Saying all this, some class songs on this, 4.5.

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Jan 11 2024
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5

This is class! Like the Pixies meets Rocket from the Crypt, with great melodies and catchy little hooks. I didnt connect the name to Pixies to begin with, and I’m not sure why Ive never listened to Frank Black’s solo stuff given Ive been a longtime fan of Pixies. It is long, but bar a couple of tracks they are all excellent. And it doesnt really outstay its welcome especially given there’s over 20 tracks on this. Will be back.

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Oct 03 2024
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5

I like it, stays true and consistent with Frank Black’s vibe.

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Aug 07 2024
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5

This is one of my partner's favourite albums of all time, so I know it well. As she puts it: "It's a collection of nuggets. And their weird charm works on you whether you're in a foul or a happy mood. So you can stop using this app now. Look no further, this is *it*". Her words, not mine. 🙂 Truth be told, being a huge Pixies fan myself, I did buy *Teenager Of The Year* at the time of its release, and I have also enjoyed it for a long time. So I have my own personal compliments to give to this weird and wonderful gallery of post-1950s snapshots put into nineties indie-rock regalia, going from space conquest fantasies to UFO obsessions, or from Atlantis fairy tales to Hollywood conspiracy theories. The American spirit, as seen through a genius distorted lens of folk myths and urban legends... With the inclusion of the previous eponymous solo debut (also exploring those themes through so many memorable tunes), this sophomore LP is thus certainly the other Frank Black offering to select for such a list. And thanks to its whooping 22 tracks, it's also a *gargantuan* offering for sure--in keeping with Mr. Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV's rotound figure. 22 songs sound like a lot, but the album just flies by, really. First because a large quarter of the tracklist is made out of quite short and endearing jittery hectic punk-rock-inspired cuts only a mind like the one of Frank Black could pull off: they're tongue-in-cheek, surreal, very much in the abrasive loony spirit of Pere Ubu (who had Eric Drew Feldman in their ranks at the time, and helped produce this thing), and yet there's always something accessible to them. Half of the other songs in the album encompasses a larger indie-rock / hard-rock / pop-rock spectrum, sometimes acoustic-guitar-based, sometimes electric, with so many great melodies and catchy choruses it becomes a festival of standout tracks: "Abstract Plains", "Calistan", "Freedom Rock", "Two Reelers", "Olé Mulholland', "Pure Denizen of the Citizens Band", "I Could Stay Here Forever", "Headache"... The latter song was a hit in France, by the way, and this unexpected success in my neck of the woods probably explains why Frank Black will play the album in its entirety in Paris next February for the anniversary of its release. But even if I go to that gig and find a way to sneak in backstage, I don't expect Mr. Kittridge to remember me from the time I interviewed him for a local radio station at the end of the nineties--that interview was a bit boring, honestly, and to this day, I still don't really know if the fault was his or mine--just a way to say that if I have those personal recollections of the artist, I don't think they're influencing my positive take on *Teenager Of The Year* almost three decades after... To return to the album, each song from the last 25% of its tracklist seems to explore a different musical genre not directly adjacent to the main bulk of the record. The organ-laden surf-rock overtones of a couple of cuts were not so surprising from the former Pixies, but the mock-reggae song, along with the folk, country-rock and even doo-wop whiffs on a fistful of other cuts were quite unexpected. This is where complainers will bitch and moan about the album's length the most, I guess. I would retort to them in two ways: Frank Black's singular songwriting chops are still very much intact and *very much his* on those deeper cuts, which brings the necessary cohesion to the whole shebang ; and rather than being unnecessary detours, those fun exercises in style sprinkled throughout the record's tracklist give a sense of space and scope that's also necessary for such a project. Because long albums need to *breathe* once in a while, and this is how they can justify their lengths, at least if their twists and turns manage to keep you on your toes... Per Wikipedia, *Teenager Of The Year* was "not originally well-received", but it seems that this lukewarm assessment ended a few years down the line. I do remember a couple of mixed reviews at the time of the album's release, but frankly, I didn't give a rat's ass about them. I knew it was a great and very fun record from one of the most important musicians in its genre / category. Glad other folks seem to concur today. Frank Black might not have been the *real* "teenager of the year 1994" (and he was probably aware of the upcoming backlash / turn of the tides trendwise, hence the ironic title and the goofy artwork). But in retrospect, he does deserve his place on the indie-rock podium of all time. If there's one thing that this app can teach you, it's that yesterday's pageants don't matter that much. 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 5. 9.5/10 for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: 116 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 386 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 226 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 284

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May 19 2024
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5

This album is so consistantly strong. Every single song is great, even if the album seems to go on longer than it should, I can't think of any song I'd be okay with cutting. Love this album. Also, I didn't expect Frank Black to look like that, his voice made me think of some super skinny guy with bronze skin lol

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May 08 2024
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5

Hadn’t listened to this in ages and I sang along to it.

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Aug 12 2024
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5

Just the right amount of chaos. I've been sleeping on Frank Black, he did not decline from the Pixies.

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Jun 14 2024
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5

Lead singer of Pixies!!! I could hear it now that I realize that. Sir Rockaby and Fiddle Riddle are great songs.

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Feb 23 2024
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5

great thalassocracy (i wanna live on an) abstract plain calistan the vanishing spies speedy marie headache freedom rock fiddle riddle ole mulholland the hostess with the mostest superabound big red space is gonna do me good white noise maker pure denizen of the citizens band bad, wicked world

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Jan 22 2021
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5

One of my top 20 albums of all time.

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Jan 31 2024
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5

Eu tinha tentado ouvir com a Flora, sem prestar muita atenção, mas não deu, foi incômodo. Tentando novamente, agora com atenção e acompanhando as letras.... Uau. Tem melodias deliciosas e tem bastante mudanças. Foi muito bom ficar esperando para ver como ele iria trabalhar com a voz, cada verso era uma surpresa!! O toque punk de algumas é lovely.

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Apr 11 2024
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5

This is really great. Reminds me a lot of the Pixies (because he was the singer), but a bit different. On consecutive songs ‘Superabound’ and ‘Big Red’, his vocals remind me of Bob Dylan and Tom Waits, respectively, but with far different music and more of a Pixies sound. Something about this album that I like in music is it switching between songs quickly. There are still some that get to shine, but it has a nice energy to it. The end

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Oct 22 2023
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5

I loved this, which was unexpected.

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Jan 16 2024
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5

This album is good but long. Frank’s voice sounds as good as a Pixies album here, and it feels like he made a Pixies album under his own name. What a genius. 5/5 Fav: “Calistan”, “Headache”, “Whatever Happened to Pong?” Least Fav: None

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Feb 10 2022
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5

I love that Charles Thompson IV took his initial stage name of Black Francis and flipped it to Frank Black as he set off on his solo career. But as a big Pixies fan who never listened to Black's solo work, I started "Teenager of the Year" with unreasonable expectations. I liked a few songs on the first half of this double album, but somehow I got to track 10, "Two Reelers," before I got the Pixies feel I was hoping for. Then I really liked most of the rest of the album. And I kept thinking, what was going on with the first half - were there just too many songs that should have been cut from an overstuffed album? So I had to give it another listen. And not only is the first half better than I initially gave it credit for, but the whole album is fantastic. You're gonna have some misses among 22 tracks, but the overall quality and variety while still maintaining much more Black Francis-ness than I first gave it credit for is a joy. The Pixies were never a big commercial hit, and Black's solo stuff even less so. But this album definitely deserved to be held among the best of its time. Though I'm sure part of the problem was that this came out in 1994, a year with an absolute glut of completely amazing rock music. It's probably generational, but for me it might be rock's greatest year.

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Oct 04 2023
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5

There are so many odd things here that I've loved for almost 30 years. TIL that Two Reelers is about The Three Stooges. What an odd dude.

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Mar 31 2021
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5

I like Pixies. I like Frank Black. I See FB and I upvote

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Apr 13 2021
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5

What lovely off the beaten path subversive alt pop

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Jan 21 2024
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5

Another album that I already know well and love . It’s been a minute tho and I’m overdo for a visit. Some great recommendations here Thankyu

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Oct 17 2023
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5

6 stars. This was my bible, my shield, my parents, and my best friend. A lot of Pixies fans couldn't bridge the gap between that band and this (and his first solo one, for that matter), but it all made sense to me. Where I think a lot of his musical ideas fell into ruts as time went on, this is one where every song and every diversion in every song was still paying off big time. 10 stars. This was way cooler than anything on the radio - we were swimming in a real sea of shit with the copy-of-a-copy grunge and mass-produced R&B. This was the only album with songs about video games, going to malls, visits from aliens, and The Three Stooges - sung with all the passion of Celine Dion singing about the power of love or whatever. A million stars.

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Aug 25 2024
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5

Like the pixies! Not as good but still it has so many hits!

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Mar 03 2021
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5

Love this album overall. Freedom Rock lives in my head rent free.

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Aug 02 2023
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5

this rips, can always use more heyday pixies

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Jul 17 2023
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5

((Totally new for me. Excellent and different. a relief it isn't crap. This is a wretched list)) Adventurous? ...you like it non-standard sometimes? Or maybe you are bored and need something edgier to meet your mood ? Take one of these then. It might work.... Excellently chaotic music, suited well to almost any mood, but perhaps best suited driving top down along Mulholland at some crepuscular dawn after an all night pool party, half open Hawaiian shirt, RayBans and a 52mm girth Cuban between the lips. Haven't you heard of this band? Me either. He played with the Pixies. This description from Wikipedia makes help to make sense of what is going on, and why the guitar sounds are pressing familiar buttons you can't put you're finger on: "His vocal style has varied from a screaming, yowling delivery as lead vocalist of Pixies to a more measured and melodic style in his solo career.[4] His cryptic lyrics mostly explore unconventional subjects, such as surrealism, UFOs, and biblical violence, along with science fiction and surf culture.[5] His use of atypical meter signatures, loud–quiet dynamics, and distinct preference for live-to-two-track recording during his time with the Catholics, give him a distinct style within alternative rock.[6] Source: Wikipedia, obviously.

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Jun 16 2023
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5

Absolutely love this album. I have no idea how many times I've listen to this. So happy to see it on the list!

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Jan 31 2024
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5

inesperadamente incrível! cheio de camadas, super fun!

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Mar 25 2024
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5

Top, didn't know Frank Black is Pixies front man!

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Aug 18 2023
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5

Ondanks dat ik het idee heb dat ome Frank graag de mensen ook een beetje wil irriteren kan ik z'n muziek altijd heel goed hebben. Album is een tikkeltje aan de lange kant (ruim een uur), maar blijft best interessant. Ik geef een hele lichte 5 sterren. Ik vind het te goed voor 4, maar de andere 5 sterren albums zijn vrijwel allemaal nog net iets beter.

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Jul 02 2023
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5

Looks like we have Pixies here before Pixies. And as with that band, I really liked Black Francis' album. Very diverse, you can never know what is going to happen next in the song. Just a very solid record, I'm actually surprised I haven't heard about it more. Over 20 songs with many diamonds in there, I'm looking forward to listen to them more often.

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Dec 06 2021
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5

4.5/5. Very consistent for so many songs. Can definitely see it influencing Toadies, POTUS, etc.

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Feb 01 2023
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5

Wow this was fantastic. I’d heard Calistan before but there were so many bops. He managed to keep his craziness while also churning out some really catchy stuff. Lot of heft here. Secures the 5.

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Jan 13 2024
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5

One of the very best albums of all time. Amazing songs. Wonderful delivery. Great artist. As near perfection as you can get. Immediate, punchy, weird, a high octane window into the quirky world of Frank Black/Black Francis.

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Jan 28 2024
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5

Song: Headache This is the second coincidence of the project—the Pixies today and their lead singer today. This isn't the type of music I usually listen to, but something about it just really hit me. I really enjoyed this song, the lyrics, the instrumentals (that keyboard, for some reason). I would absolutely listen to that again.

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Aug 18 2023
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5

had pretty low expectations for this because 1, I forgot who Frank Black was (frontman of Pixies), and 2, the album cover, title, and seeing that it was a 90s alternative album, I was expecting some mediocre grunge-metal so glad that this is actually fucking fantastic although now that I know who Frank Black is, it makes sense that the guy who wrote the songs for Surfer Rosa and Doolittle would write an album like this - 10/10

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Jun 16 2023
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5

I love Frank Black/Black Francis/Pixies/etc. While his solo stuff is a little more hit and miss compared to some of the Pixies pre-breakup albums, this is probably my favorite of his solo albums and I really love it.

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Feb 01 2023
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5

Very impressed! What a great surprise!

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Oct 08 2021
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4

Halfway through and this album sounds like a descent into madness. Starts really punky and turns into this weird synthy jam band. I dug it though

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Dec 04 2022
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4

Impressive record with a great sound. The songs are really interesting and the tracklist flows perfectly. Maybe this is not at the level of the best Pixies, but the final result is more than enjoyable.

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Feb 11 2021
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4

One of my favorite singers, and one of my favorite albums

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Jul 05 2021
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4

Wasn't sure about this at first but then really got into it. Now I know he is the lead singer of Pixies, it makes a lot more sense. Listened twice - was good

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Nov 25 2022
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4

I liked it more than expected. Needs the Pixies to be amazing

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Feb 14 2021
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4

Going by the album cover and the fact I’d never heard of the band before let alone their music I was not entirely sure what I was in for, but I didn’t have great vibes. The saying goes ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover...’ and its entirely applicable in this example. I was pleased to hear the sweet sound of distorted guitar instead of the doof of bass when the first track started and I found it enjoyable from then on. The songs are all unique enough from each other but still hold a comparative southern rock grit that holds them all together. Vocals are a mix of Curt Cobain crossed with Chris Ballew (Pres USA), which sometimes sound as though they are going to stretch the bounds of listenability, but are actually well controlled and at times even tender. They are dirty and strained yet also compassionate and haunting at all the right times. While the music does have a 90’s feel to it, you wouldn’t immediately guess the album was from that decade. This album is guaranteed to win you over the more and more you listen. It’s a creeper in that sense. So put your prejudices aside and settle in...you’re in for a good time ride. Four stars!

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Oct 28 2022
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4

I liked this album. Heard of it before but didn't ever listen.

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Nov 07 2022
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4

There's a real Pixies feel to this and I really like it. The guy's really talented and there's a variety to this too that makes it worth listening the whole way through.

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May 05 2021
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4

This album totally escaped my radar, but it's quintessentially 90's alt-rock. Fun to listen, ejoyable melodies, round compositions, memorable. Like it!

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Feb 03 2021
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4

Good rock album Didn't know he was the vocalist of pixies

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Nov 10 2022
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4

Old enough to remember the Pixies breaking up, and yet, despite my love of Come on Pilgrim, Surfer Rosa, and Doolittle I didn't track Frank Black after the breakup. Fast-Forward five years to a friend forcing this album on me saying Frank Black deserves my attention. Looking back I'm surprised Mr. Black didn't track right after the breakup. The first 2/3 of this record is right up my alley. Really, it's only at song #21 that I start to think this thing has gone on a little too long. And then BOOM! it's over at the end of song #22. So there you go. Maybe if he had released four fewer songs in 94, I would've been converted. As it stands, I still saw Frank Black and the Catholics in 1999 after that same friend had put the CD in my hand as a hook to get me to buy a ticket to the show. Lots of these songs were played and played well. The record still holds up here on an abstract plain at the end of 2022.

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Oct 23 2022
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4

He does a good job of combining different genres to make an overall enjoyable and fun album that is rewarding to listen to. 4/5

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Nov 08 2020
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4

Quintessential Frank Black. A very solid effort in which the listener can cleay hear both its infuences and what it went on to inspire.

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Oct 07 2022
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4

Es bastante sorprendente y está bastante bien

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Oct 12 2022
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4

I went back and forth about this album. There were a number of songs I liked, and a number of songs that I kind of scratched my head about. They were short, and didn't seem to go anywhere. It's like they were underdeveloped ideas that could have used someone to bounce ideas off of. I can hear the obvious influence that Black and the Pixies had on a lot of later American music. They did stuff that a lot of bands used to make that grunge and alternative sound. Truly ahead of their time. On the strength of songs like "Two Reelers" and "Ole Mulholland," I am going to give this a 4, but it's a pretty weak 4. A lot of this was relistenable and enjoyable, but some of the shorter songs were very undercooked IMO.

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Nov 17 2022
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4

There's only two Frank Black records I really like without the involvement of Kim Deal. The amazing Honeycomb and this. Lots of pretty short, spiky songs and one stone cold, copper bottomed, tin hatted classic in Headache.

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Oct 16 2022
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4

J'ai beaucoup aimé cet album de la baleine Franck Black, notamment le moment où ce dernier remonte à la surface prendre sa respiration, expulsant l'eau présente dans ses poumons d'un splendide geyser aquatique.

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Oct 08 2021
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4

I always assumed I loved the Pixies, but it turns out I like the Pixies greatest hits album mostly. The big studio records seemd to have a lot of filler to me the last time I listened to them. (As always I reserve the right to completely 180 any and all of my opinions at whim). This solo album though seems much more my speed. Fiddle Riddle is a highlight for sure.

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Jun 23 2021
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4

A very fun and well written punky/alt rock record, but it really didn’t need to be a whole hour long. Takes away from the energy and sustainability of the record.

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Aug 11 2022
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4

This was good but not good enough to break up the Pixies for lol

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