Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Not really my thing.
Turns out, I like Frank Black a lot more as a solo artist than I do with The Pixies. I find it a lot easier to connect with. This album is in my library now.
Listened a couple times before I felt like I could actually put some thoughts down. It feels completely familiar without ever having heard it before. A good chunk of the album is an easy listen - if I had known this at the time, mid-90's teenage me would have been happy blasting this in my '85 Honda Civic. I was never into the Pixies - never even explored them, but in looking Frank Black up, realize that he's their lead. I don't know if that plays into this album or not, but just an interesting tidbit. Probably a 3.5 for me - would listen again.
Favorite songs: Pure Denizen of the Citizen Band, Calistan, Big Red, Ol Mulholland, Thalassocracy, The Vanishing Spies Least favorite songs: Two Reelers, Sir Rockaby, Fiddle Riddle, Pie in the Sky 3/5
it's neat, I enjoyed it for the most part, but I don't see why this is on the list. very Lou Reed vocals at times
I always struggle a bit with these albums that have like 20+ songs that are mostly under 3 minutes. That seems like such an odd choice to make when writing an album. Part of the problem with these kinds of albums is that it's hard to write 20+ distinct sounding songs in a short time for one record. This album definitely fell prey to that trap. I found myself kind of checking out about halfway through. It's fine, nothing remarkable or terrible to report. He should stick with the Pixies. 2.5/5
it insists upon itself
Fantastic stuff. I do feel like it does run a little long. Especially compared to how perfect Pixies albums and songs are despite their short length. But I still love it.
Couldn’t make it through the damn thing. Men need therapy if they think this is good.
Just couldn't get through this album. It was too noisy. How is this music?
some fun stuff! i will admit that by the second half i was getting pretty tired of it. there’s some fun tongue in cheek stuff, and then there’s some things that could’ve stayed in the drafts. some good geeeetar though
Judged this prematurely and think I actually really like this. Some songs yes sound like I'm hungover at a festival laying down listening to whatever inane indie-rock band is on but not really paying attention and can't be arsed to scout out other stages. However, truncated then by a lot of songs which are really up my street and I actually love. It does itself a disservice by including a lot of weaker songs, could have been a much tighter album. Alas. Very happy to have discovered this, it'll be in my rotation. Annoyed by the 5 star system as this doesn't quite warrant a 4, but due to my own personal enjoyment I'm giving it a 4.
Thought it was very Pixies, didn't realise it was the frontman. It's ok but I prefer the Pixies
Meh.
Strong dynamic songwriting. Frank Black was on his shit then.
From the Wikipedia, "Although not originally well-received, the record is now widely praised by both critics and fans." Personally, there are about 3 decent songs in there.
This is essentially a Pixies album by their lead singer, doing Pixies stuff: American alt-Rock by the numbers. Quite boring, really. And much too long at that. 2/5
90s pop punk, playful but also a bit boring
sucks that this was awful
Pre-listening thoughts: well I heard this guy was in the Pixies so that doesn't bode well for me Post/during listening thoughts: jesus guys can we stop the talk singing PLEASE!! Also why is every song like ringtone length. Literally that episode of Zach Stone that I'm 90% sure I've referenced in a review on here before and I'm 100% sure I will end up referencing again. But 22 songs is absurd actually. There were some good ones in here but I would be a lot more enticed to listen to this if it were shorter. Also this man looks too grown to be a teenager. 5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: NO!! Fav tracks: Calistan, Headache, Superabound, Space is Gonna Do Me Good Least fav tracks: idk there were a lot of songs man. Not gonna take time to comb back thru 22 songs sorry!
ganz nicer 90s record aber nit so special
Frank Black / Pixies are the epitome of suck rock of the early 90s, and I mean that in a yes they are horrible way.
I was surprised to see a solo album from Black Francis under his alias, Frank Black, alongside the early Pixies records on this list. People must have been hungry for more of his work after the Pixies' initial breakup. I've certainly come to enjoy Francis's nonsensical songwriting, and I remember enjoying "Calistan" two months ago when it came up on my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist. With that all in mind, how did Teenager of the Year stack up? I'd say it's a good record, but it's not quite a great one. Francis continued his venture into the surf-rock-adjacent songwriting and construction, where at times, tracks like "Speedy Marie" and single "Headache" fit a more laid-back on the beach vibe. That's not to say there aren't bursts of chaotic energy like with the old Pixies sound; the opening onslaught of tracks from "Whatever Happened to Pong?" to "Calistan", and occasional tracks in the middle such as "Two Reelers", "Bad, Wicked World" and closer "Pie in the Sky" capture some of that wild spark Francis had been known for, the backing band was able to match his style decently and it's produced well. That said, we have reached the point where I have to draw attention to my two hangups with this album - it is longer and less energetic than those earlier Pixies records. Clocking in at over an hour, there is a sense purveying this record that Francis wanted to put as many songs together to distinguish himself from his earlier work. The problem is that with such a long runtime and some songs starting to run together in sound and style, there's only so much that could be reasonably accomplished without the album feeling bloated. I was starting to feel fatigued at the piano-driven reggae track "Fiddle Riddle", which at that point would have been the length of a Pixies record. Needless to say, some tracks should have been cut. I still enjoyed Teenager of the Year and continue to appreciate Francis as a songwriter. There are some good tracks in between the filler here. Cherry-pick your favorites and go from there.
Hadn’t heard any Frank outside of the Pixies. Wasn’t interested. But I like this and I’d listen again. Different sound from those days: less manic screeching (which I love, don’t misunderstand), more grounded, melodic and even a little countryfied. “Headache” stands out, but several tracks are repeatable. Sexy!
I quite like the music, but not fussed on the vocals. Wouldn't particularly want to listen to it again.
Removing a few tracks would make it a 5 for me
First impressions, is he the creepy looking guy on the cover? Started out just like something someone had put together on the type of get up you can sort out at home nowadays. But then his voice started to get to me. Very familiar, but can't place it. At times very like Neil Young, Iggy Pop and someone else who I now can't remember (I had this all typed out and saved, but they've deleted it. Grrrrrrrr!!!!!). Anyway it turned into a passable album. 3
I’d pretty much written this off before I started listening, so had it on in the background whilst doing other stuff. Found myself unconsciously enjoying it, so had to give it another listen with a bit of attention! I like this incarnation of Francis. The songs are varied and interesting, and his vocal style a lot more palatable.
This was a bit of a mixed bag, as in styles not quality. As with most artists I do tend to lose interest in them after 1, 2, 3 or if they are lucky 4 albums. Poor old Black Francis or whatever he chose to call himself on his solo albums fell into this category. I was impressed,as some of it was better than late Pixies work. I shall have to give it a few more listens though.
Black Francis from the Pixies. Solid album, voice is really on forefront here.
It's my top post-Pixies pick, see? There's 22 songs and they're all good.
Not a big fan, but wasn’t the worst thing I’ve heard today. Sorta like a meal for the sake of eating…joyless but necessary.
This list ... this 'Must listen to' ... He's pranking us, isn't he.
I hated this to start out but it did grow on me. Definitely too long for its own good, cut 1/3 of songs and runtime and this would be much better. 3/5
Dragged second half was better I liked it
2.5
Way too long and pretty boring
pretty good. previously wouldn't have recognized Pixies' singer even though I've listened to them a lot. Favorite song: Headache
I got bad vibes from the album cover, so hopefully the music is decent. I would say this is similar to the last album we had. Not in style of music obviously, but just my general feeling of the songs. Some were good, some were meh. I thought the music itself was decent throughout but sometimes the vocals made the songs worse. However, there wasn't many songs that I particularly loved, so I would say this was a low 3.
Well that is some of the most unexpected and aggressive harmonica I have ever exposed my ears to -- and I say this having two young children. Whatever Happened to Pong is a weird tone setter of an opener. Almost feels like a less possessed Mr. Bungle. Two Reelers is a frantic, wonderful mess. Ole Mulholland is another standout -- plays a bit like a Modest Mouse song in the best of ways. General feeling is that this is a kooky album that is sometimes awesome, and sometimes just in the background. I'd say it runs long for its own good, but it'll take a few listens before I can give a score. Idk I keep losing focus during this one. Could be that I've got other shit going on, but more likely this just isn't doing it for me fully. I'm going with a soft 3 here, but I think this has the rare potential to swing from 2 to 4 depending on my mood.
Thought this was gonna be punk, but it settled into a chill album. This album feels like an early 00's album even though it's from '94. I know that's not so far ahead of its time, but maybe it was a bit of an influence. Oh nvm it keeps going back to punk-adjacent. Too long for being so mid. I didn't enjoy this, but I don't think it was bad. High 2 I guess.
Some good songs, some bad songs. Switched back and forth a lot from alternative to punk. Nothing more I can really say, low 3.
Interesting this is the lead man of the Pixies. What a terrible album cover. Really hated one of the earlier songs, only to go into some absolute jams, only to go into some more I wasn't really feeling. His voice doesn't really do it for me most of the time. Really fucking loving Freedom Rock. Kinda sounds like some old Strokes at certain points. Honestly if my dude could've whittled this down to a solid 35-40 minutes it was a possible 4, but the length just got me a bit bored.
enjoyable album, lot of songs but not long ones, would listen again
Amazing
Sänger der Pixies
Dissapointingly bloated. I guess i miss the rest of the Pixies....
What a record! I probably never would have listened to this on my own, despite loving multiple Pixies records, because I find Francis kinda obnoxious. (Like, I've never heard a solo Morrisey album either.) This is definitely weird, and neurotic, but not in the way I would have expected? It's somehow both self-effacing and completely void of any self-consciousness. This is a guy born Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV who decided to call himself Black Francis, and then he's a founding member of Pixies, and then he makes -this-? I need more time with it than the two listens and a few extra plays of a few songs, but my instinct is that this is an all-time great power pop album.
Never listened for some reason to his solo stuff. This was excellent.
Mostly light hearted post punk frolic through a well constructed album. Fun but not groundbreaking
Wow the first 3 songs are bad. Next 3 are much better. Headache was a bit overhyped, not too bad tho. I like the Pixies, so I’m surprised I don’t like this that much (3)
I was not expecting to like this album as I don't like punk rock, only somewhat like the Pixies, don't like long drawn out albums that go nowhere, and don't like a lot of 90's music. This was surprisingly good. I might even throw this on sometime.
Took me a couple of songs before I realized it was black Francis. Pixies are better
Я слушал этот альбом. Было дело, да.
Kedvenc/Favourite: Freedom Rock Néha kicsit elvesztem benne, de igazából nem bántam annyira. Olyasmi érzés volt hallgatni, mint belenézni egy másik ember fejébe, és rácsodálkozni, mennyi mindenben hasonlítunk, mennyi másban meg különbözünk. Sok jó szám volt rajta, de egy idő után elfáradtam az egészben egy picit, néha túl is volt húzva. Nem a legkönnyebben emészthető így egyben, de szerintem fogom még hallgatni. Sometimes I got a little lost in it, but I didn't really mind it that much. It was kind of like looking inside another person's head and wondering how much we were alike and how much we were different. There were a lot of good songs on it, but after a while I got a bit tired of it all, sometimes it was a bit drawn out. Not the easiest to digest in one sitting, but I think I'll listen to it again.
I had no idea Frank Black was the lead singer of the Pixies, but knowing that now makes this album click a bit more. Teenager of the Year is packed with quirky lyrics, off-kilter melodies, and that signature rawness you'd expect from someone with Pixies roots. There are definitely some solid moments scattered throughout, but it’s a long album and not everything lands. Some songs feel a bit like filler, while others are surprisingly catchy and fun. It’s worth a listen for fans of alt-rock weirdness, but it didn’t quite blow me away.
Yeah not bad, second half much better
Not bad, standard sorta frank black pixies type stuff
A little long but solid album
Although it did sound decent nothing really stood out to me. It's also a really long album and felt like some songs could have been cut. Definitely good moments but overall a little dull.
Not sure I really needed to hear this before I die, but not a bad way to spend an hour.
Couldn’t get through this album. Liked about half the tracks I got through.
Hectic and upbeat. You can hear some Pixies in there still, and it's fun if you're in the right mood.
Loooong! Not as good as anything he did with the Pixies. Very of its time. Wouldn’t listen to it again.
Like many debut solo albums from people in great bands, this one is good, but also too long and filled with indulgences that the other band members would have put the kibosh on. Enjoyed it, but it was missing the other Pixies.
Some very good songs on here I thought although as double albums often do it goes on a bit
Never listened to Frank Black before other than his stuff with The Pixies. It was listenable. Halfway through and I have not really been moved by the music. Music was decent enough just did not move me.
..
It's finally Teenager of the Year day! No, this isn't a favorite album of mine, in fact I have no idea what to expect from this album. I saw this cover on the visual list a while ago, and looked it up on Wikipedia to see that it was a solo album from a member of The Pixies. Alternative rock album covers in the nineties were their own unique art form (I'm talking to you, Clumsy by Our Lady Peace), and I guess when I first saw this album, I was surprised I never saw it in any of my friends' CD binders when I was growing up. The Pixies are one of those bands that I want so desperately to love, but while I appreciate their influence and talent, they're just not for me. Maybe this solo effort from Frank Black will be the thing that breaks through to me! I really enjoyed listening to this album. Teenager of the Year was just a solid rock album, with great guitar playing, some good synthesizer and piano arrangements, and some really weird lyrics and themes. There was a lot of variation in sound on this album, which really helped this album justify its hour-plus runtime. Even with a lot of variation in sound, this album still felt really cohesive, and I liked that the songs weren’t terribly long, because it helped the album move along at a really good pace. There weren’t really any individual songs that jumped out to me, and nothing from this album is going to be bouncing around my head the rest of the day, but I still had fun listening to this, and I thought it was really well made. I might actually start referring to this as my favorite Pixies album from now on…
Absolutely loved Pixies until they reunited and decided to make new music without Kim Deal, but I've never fully explored Frank Black's solo work. I saw him at least once when it was him and The Catholics, and maybe one other time without them, but unsure on that. And while I've known of this album since 1994, I never picked it up. Listening to it today, just over 30 years later, I've got mixed feelings on it. There are some truly excellent songs on here, and I appreciate that he's just making whatever music he wants without being limited to a single style. That yields some interesting results. On the other hand, the quality of the songs doesn't feel consistent across the album, a fact not helped by how long this thing is. If you cut it down to the best songs, it'd be less than 45 minutes instead of over an hour, and you'd have a far more engaging and rewarding album experience. Maybe I'll figure out which songs specifically and make a playlist of them so I can enjoy them without the weaker songs that feel like filler. Or maybe not. Anyway, glad I've finally given this a listen even if I didn't love it.
meh 3/5
Fun album, Black Francis is great, some gems on here. Still got it, post pixies.
Kinda like a mix between the national and the Pixies
This was kinda cool, didn't quote live up to my expectations.
Felt a bit different than any rock album I've listened to previously, but it's still just rock.
An interesting one! I can definitely tell it's not the best thing since sliced bread, but does it deserve an entry on this list? Probably, yeah. It's just rock, but it feels both accessible and different. It goes on too long for my taste. Somewhere in the middle of those 22 tracks is something that I really like, but it's hidden, and I'm unsure if I want to search for it too long. And I think I'd like to find it, but over an hour of songs? Really? Somewhere between 3 and 4 for me.
Like a lot of music of this type, I didn’t want to turn it off halfway through, but I’m not sure I’d seek it out again. It’s like my interest in the Pixies begins and ends at Monkey Gone To Heaven - I don’t mind their stuff, but more than one track at a time becomes a chore.
Yeah, I had an inkling what this was going to be like going into it, and it did not surprise me. Just like the pixies, it's okay if it's on in the background as you're doing something else, but as soon as you pay attention it's not actually worth your time.
**An ok album, too much screaming, banging, and non verbal loud noise.
Could not get into the vocals. His voice was too annoying for me. But the songs are fun and effective. "Calistan" and "Two Reelers" are my personal favorites on that record
I was disappointed: a diverse collection of songs but it was very hit and miss with lots of misses.
I was a huge fan of the Pixies but somehow never listened to this album before. There were some great songs buried in here like Calistan, Freedom Rock, Two Reelers, Superbound. Some that were different styles but not as effective, like Fiddle Riddle. White Noise Maker actually made me LOL. Need one of those to drown out today's news. Overall the album was a bit inconsistent despite the gems.
Not a style I typically listen to, and not quite as strong as the Pixies work, but clearly part of the same arc. Not sure I'll be adding this to my listening list, and somewhat erratic in quality, but overall decent.
Had no idea who Frank Blank was. Pleasantly surprised...thoroughly enjoyed it and would listen to it again.
No a fan. There’s too much pixies content on here!
Nothing of note here. Just generic below-average 90's alternative with no character.
Not really my thing.
No. Just. No.
Überbewertet! Schon das Cover sagt mir: Nix! Habs trotzdem probiert. Nö, tatsächlich nichts!
Never heard of this guy. But maybe it has potential being 1994. Oh yeah, definitely has all the great characteristics of the 90s. Even though I'd never heard this album before the whole thing had a familiarity to it. I bet a lot of these songs were played a lot in the UK. 5 stars.
When I saw 22 songs, I was like oh no, but they were short and to the point and overall, a fun album full of punk, garage and that classic Pixies sound.
Punk, pop, grunge, garage. And even though this is an hourlong album of brief songs, it remains unified. A real breath of fresh air.
Secret pixies album! Really loved it all the way through and never knew it existed until today. This is why we slog through the 2s and 3s folks
Never heard any FB solo stuff but this is better than Kim-less Pixies. Decent though too long. 22 songs jeez.
This is an album I didn't need to hear before I die. 2* as more boring than anything else.
This sounds like the natural extension of where the Pixies were headed before they disbanded. That's not a compliment by the way. For me, each Pixies album was slightly worse than the one before it. They started at an extreme high, with Surfa Rosa, Dolittle was also superb, Bossanova wasn't so great, and Trompe le Monde was a bit shit. Having said that, even though this album is twice as long as it needs to be, and half of it could be cut with no loss whatsoever, the other half isn't bad at all. I'm going with 3 stars.
Sounds great, just like the pixies stuff. I gave the pixies album a 4 and this was more of the same. Mid 4.
I Could Stay Here Forever
'I'm not black like Barry White, I am white like Frank Black is'.... Anders dan deze poëtische tekstregel van de Bloodhound Gang had ik nog nooit van deze gast gehoord. Ik begrijp ook wel een beetje waarom. Hij probeert wat te rocken, maar het gaat meer ernaast dan precies goed. Anderen hebben dit beter gedaan. (Het scoort wel wat hoger dat die rommel van de Pixies waar hij eerder bij zat. Ach ja.)
Na een aantal fijne luisterplaten, komt de dag dat je wist dat die zou komen. De dag dat we weer amuzikale zang moeten verwerken. Ik heb de drie albums van de Pixies gemiddeld een 2 gegeven en nu dus een solo-album van de man die die troep heeft achtergelaten. Het is sowieso te veel. Ik vind normaal een best-of-album valsspelen. Maar ik zou er nu blij mee geweest zijn. Gewoon de muzikale vondsten die er bij Franks schijven ook elke keer bij zijn (eerlijk is eerlijk) op een rij. Alle ballast over boord.
Vermakelijk om Frank Black solo te horen spelen. De nummers zijn er niet minder om geworden, eerder toegankelijker. Het klinkt best vrolijk vaak. Ik hoor er elementen van de early 90s alternative rock in als Weezer, soms ook nog wat 80s als Pixies zelf, maar ook Dinosaur Jr. Het is zeker muziek die ik elke dag op zou kunnen zetten. Maar tegelijk roept het bij mij de vraag op: wat voegt dit toe aan de lijst der 1001? Ach, die vraag stel ik me al genoeg. Het is vrijdag en ook al is het baggerweer buiten, het is bijna weekend. Wederom deze week 4 sterretjes.
This is the 19th album I’m rating. I don’t know who Frank Black is, what this album is, or what genre this is but that cover is pretty cool. I think I recognize that cover though but I might be crazy. Whatever Happened to Pong? - Not Adding to my Playlist. Feels like punk. Thalassocracy - Not Adding to my Playlist. Quintuple Pennies on the Nickel. (I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plan - Not Adding to my Playlist. This isn’t that bad but mot that great. Calistan - Not Adding to my Playlist. This is definitely worse. The Vanishing Spies - Not Adding to my Playlist. This isn’t very good. Speedy Marie - Adding to my Playlist. This feels basic and boring but good. Headache - Adding to my Playlist. I don’t think it’s punk anymore. Sir Rockaby - Adding to my Playlist. Maybe that album cover won’t be wasted after all. Freedom Rock - Adding to my Playlist. This is so basic that its pissing me off but I like basic. Two Reelers - Not Adding to my Playlist. I’m thinking this is punk again because it feels very similar to Minutemen. Fiddle Riddle - Adding to my Playlist. This might be actually good. Olé Mulholland - Not Adding to my Playlist. I’m annoyed by this. Fazer Eyes - Not Adding to my Playlist. This is too boring. I Could Stay Here Forever - Not Adding to my Playlist. Maybe not that great. The Hostess with the Mostest - Not Adding to my Playlist. Wasn’t particularly interesting. Superabound - Adding to my Playlist. This is ok. Big Red - Adding to my Playlist. Pretty cool song but this album is just so boring. Space is Gonna Do Me Good - Adding to my Playlist. Seems good enough. White Noise Maker - Not Adding to my Playlist. I never really understood having white noise to sleep. Pure Denizen of the Citizens Band - Adding to my Playlist. I don’t like the singing but it’s cool. Bad, Wicked World - Not Adding to my Playlist. I really don’t like the singing. Pie in the Sky - Not Adding to my Playlist. Not a great way to end the album in my opinion. All in all I liked 9/22 of the songs. Not as bad as Double Nickels on the Dime. Fine album but boring at times. I don’t really know who Frank Black is but I hear the Pixies are pretty cool.
Very long. Very very long. Frank needed Rick Rubin editing this one.
Of course it doesn't really come close to the big Pixies Records, but still very enjoyable. If it wasn't for the loong tracklist I think it would get a 4 star rating, but as it is I think a 3 is more like it.
Zelfs op de achtergrond begon die te vervelen
Inge vidare, men inte skitkass
Sounds like the pixies singer LOL!
Not bad, but nowhere near Pixies material
Such a 3. Generic and whatever idk I dont wanna listen to it anymore.
Better than 2, not quite a 3 but feeling generous today.
enjoyable but unmemorable
It’s curious to ponder what if the Pixies kept making music in the early 90s. This albums has its moments, probably “Headache” the best among them
Never recognised the name Frank Black but knew I recognised the voice. Really catchy tunes and now I know who he is I realised why I liked him.
Wow what an awesome surprise! The lead singer/songwriter from the pixies. This album though has more of a reggae/ska/punk feel - I read it was described as the Pixies on the beach. At 22 songs, I thought it was going to be far too many songs, but as I started writing down standout tracks, I ended up writing down half the album. Best tracks: (I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plan Calistan Headache Sir Rockaby Fiddle Riddle Big Red Space is Gonna do me Good Pure Denizen of the Citizens Band
I'd never heard of Frank Black, but was happy to find out he is the Pixies frontman. I really enjoyed this album and will definitely relisten. Standout tracks on first listen: - Headache - Freedom Rock
Fav song: Headache Good production, great lyrics, proper punk vibes. Love Frank Black’s apathetic attitude in his vocals. Most of this album just reminded me of Scott Pilgrim Vs The World OST.
ahh, never heard this but after reading he's from the Pixies, got me interested. not really for me. very cool though.
Iggy Pop made headlines 25 years before with better songs so trying to be his clone is no success plan.
aggressively mediocre and unfortunately 62 minutes
7/10
Meh.
Not as memorable as when it came out
3.5
I've never listened to a solo Frank Black Album before and, goddamn, I loved this.
4.0
Own a couple of Pixie albums from back when they came out, but never a big enough fan to have gone into Franks solo work. It’s what I expected, I enjoyed it as still have soft spot for 80s early 90s US indie/college rock, it possibly suffers from that cd age of being overlong which was a general thing back then. Great cover.
Naked, vulnerably presented, eclectic, and weird, it's interesting, but I wouldn't pick this over Doolittle. Notably, there wasn't a single song on this long album that really jumped out to me.
Best album I never knew. Opening track must've been a big inspiration for everything Geordie Greep has done. I'm sold.
Thoughts before listening: I love the Pixies but have never really dove very heavily into Frank Black's solo work. I believe there were a couple songs that made the playlists on alt-rock radio and 120 Minutes back in the day so I look forward to reminiscing about those during this first listen. Review: Man I've been missing out on this album. I don't actually recognize any of these songs (I guess the ones I know are from his first solo album) but they're great. This album definitely has a bit of the Pixies sound: Frank's distinctive voice immediately makes you think of his main gig and there is a similar rhythm to most of the songs as well. There is however more variation here (keyboard solos, ballads, etc) than on the Pixies' albums. Listening to this I can understand why people have often classified the Pixies final (original run) album Trompe le Monde as a Frank Black solo album since this one has a similar sound. It just so happens that Trompe le Monde is my favorite Pixies album so this is right up my alley. 4-stars
Favourite tracks: headache; thalossacracy; calistan
I was never really a Pixies fan, which is weird because they were theoretically right up my street back in the day. Anyhoo, for this album Black Francis became Frank Black and released this mish-mash of post punk, surf-guitar, garage and reggae infused songs. It clicked into place for me on the track Ole Mulholland where I realised that he was channelling the spirit of Lou Reed on a song about the LA water system of the 1920s. Infrastructure-tastic!
The least we can say is that Black Francis was cheap on this one. It's all over the place and (too much) full of ideas. It changes genre in every song or so, sometimes sounding like the Pixies, sometimes almost like country, sometimes almost like soft rock or jazzy... It's sometimes brilliant, it's sometimes a bit WTF -- but let's say he's trying -- he lost me more than a couple of times but then I'm hooked again. Cut the thing in half, and it would have been a banger. Still worth the listen.
Headache alone is worth five stars, and the rest of the album gets close, but (at this point) isn’t quite perfect. I should probably listen to this a dozen times before rating, but I guess I’m not doing that.
With or without Frank, no Pixies. Without or with the Pixies, no Frank. Still, this is a worthwhile listen. Album is long good listen with a great title.
Did a relisten and gosh golly did I like. Drew from a lot of the Pixies music, but added some flares of quirky, mixed with indie pop rockabilly.
I do really like Frank Black. Because there is no filler I don't mind that this album is too long. But it is too long. Maybe he only needed 15 songs. 16.
solid but just makes me want to listen to the pixies could i write poetry to this? n
A fine album from Frank Black/Black Francis, only surpassed by all of the (original lineup) Pixies and his first solo record. Additionally, this recording suffers from an affliction common to many of the time. As CD technology afforded more space for music than a typical LP record, too many artists felt the need to fill the added 20-some minutes with unworthy tracks.
Wish it was the Pixies
It's good but not great. Too many songs are too similar to each other.
More hinged that the pixies, honestly I think headache was the single because it was one of the more pixies adjacent songs without sounding too strange for the mainstream. Honestly though the album is too long I found white noise maker, speedy Marie and freedom rock to stand out a bit more and you can appreciate tracks like fiddle fiddle for what they are. But there’s just too much of it, I enjoy the pixies but I couldn’t stand an hour of that kinda music. Still a 4/5 though
p724. 1994. 1 star. Average vocals, average songs, average playing. And it's a double album. Who decided this was essential listening?
Si hay algo que he notado haciendo este ejercicio de la lista es que hay géneros y bandas o artistas sobrerrepresentados. Y resulta que Frank Black y el rock en general son uno de esos casos.
01) Whatever Happened to Pong? - 5,5 02) Thalassocracy - 5,5 03) (I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plain - 6,0 04) Calistan - 6,0 05) The Vanishing Spies - 6,0 06) Speedy Marie - 6,5 07) Headache - 6,5 08) Sir Rockaby - 6,0 09) Freedom Rock - 5,5 10) Two Reelers - 5,5 11) Fiddle Riddle - 6,0 12) Olé Mulholland - 6,0 13) Fazer Eyes - 6,0 14) I Could Stay Here Forever - 6,5 15) The Hostess with the Mostest - 5,5 16) Superabound - 6,0 17) Big Red - 6,0 18) Space Is Gonna Do Me Good - 5,5 19) White Noise Maker - 5,5 20) Pure Denizen of the Citizens Band - 6,0 21) Bad, Wicked World - 6,0 22) Pie in the Sky - 6,0 TOTAL: 5,91 (59/100) Current ranking: 321/397
Rather longwinded and doesn't have the same 'in-your-face' energy as most of the Pixies stuff I've heard from this list. 5/10
Kept me entertained but I don’t think I’ll be returning
Pretty noisy for me. 2.5
it was okaaay its like a 2.5
Not bad. Songs were enjoyable
There's quite a lot going on here but it doesn't add up to a whole heap of coherence. Couple of minor indie hits, a handful of other goodies, a lot of sketches and experiments.
did not expect to love this....couldn't have been more wrong
1. pong - 1 2. thalacracy - 1 3. plain - 1 4. caliztan - 1 5. zpiez - 1 6. zpeedy - 1 7. headache - 1 8. rockbaby - 1 9. freedom - 1 10. reelerz - 1 11. fiddle - 0 12. mulholland - 1 13. eyez - 1 14. forever - 1 15. hoztezz - 1 16. zupera - 1 17. red - 1 18. zpace - 1 19. noize - 0 20. band - 1 21. uuorld - 1 22. zky - 1
Really solid album...but not quite as good as Pixies. Headache is an alltime classic though. 4/5
really enjoyed
Second day on a road trip. Another good album to enjoy the view from the road! I won't be reviewing it today, just like yesterday, but I will express my curiosity about Frank Black. I had no idea he had a solo career (I'm not a regular Pixies listener) and his voice sounds great on this album.
Fallacy of composition in action. Frank Black is a vital component of the Pixies, and the Pixies punched far above their weight to produce something vastly better than the sum of its parts. The fallacy is that, because Black was a part of something amazing, by himself he will be amazing. Sadly, this is not the case. I still enjoy this album, but I like the Pixies better.
This one has been in my rotation for a long time. I love the pacing of the songs. I love that it goes to different places throughout.
Everything about this album feels too pretentious. And I can’t tell if he’s doing it ironically or not.
This album ranged from good to great to for me. My favorite moments were admittedly the ones which most reminded me of the Pixies. Lots of Trompe Le Monde adjacent dissonance scattered around the album, and the occasional twanged out not-country-but-not-rock-either guitar solos. 4/5
Listened to this a lot when I was 20, and I have a strong fondness for it after being obsessed with the Pixies. It's not as strong as good Pixies albums, but I keep it about the same tier as Trompe Le Monde. 3.75/5
Solo album by The Pixies frontman. Sounds like The Pixies with the good parts replaced by louder parts, and went on way too long. Didn’t enjoy enough to listen again.
Solo album by former Pixies member Frank Black - it's very 90s alternative rock, with some good tunes and interesting sounds, but it isn't really memorable overall and it is too long - perhaps because the songs are fast and energetic is seems ever longer. Does it really belong on this list?
I mean, I like this album, but I wouldn't *ever* tell someone that you need to hear his before you die. Just give anyone Pixies' first three albums and you're sorted with Frank Black. Best Tracks: Whatever Happened to Pong?; Headache; Two Reelers
I don’t really like his voice but the guitars very good
Intenté ponerle onda por qué me pareció super simpática la portada pero la verdad es que me pareció muy largo y monótono, con pocas cosas para destacar.
Quintessential early 90's Rock, punk sound from someone I thought I hadn't heard of. This album predates Marcy Playground, but reminded me a lot of Marcy Playground specifically.
Feels good to have absolutely no thoughts about an album for once. This is a solo album from the Pixies frontman, a band I like but have no strong feelings about. Unfortunately it seems like this solo album lacks the same conviction that makes Doolittle so iconic, opting for a grab-bag of alternative rock textures that don't result in anything interesting. I respect the attempt though. 5/10
very good
Alright this like
I enjoyed this album but he is way better with the pixes! Kim's vocals help so much!
Absolutely fantastic and unexpected. I missed this album when it came out. An instant favorite for me.
sorry im late, kendrick dropped. anyway, great album
é até legalzinho, mas me pegou num dia meio ruim
rock alternativo noventista é bão demais, num tem jeito. é um album longo, mas num me perdeu em momento nenhum. gostei bastante do pixie sem os pixies.
Well, I'm annoyed that this album makes the list and The Breeders didn't, Last Splash is a five star effort. This is good not gold. Frank is a crusty fella but talent still shines out on this.
Y'know, I never woulda been able to guess what I'd get from a Frank Black solo album. Heck, before this album I didn't even know this album existed — or who Frank Black was, for that matter. For real, I'd known about the Pixies and I at least knew the name Kim Deal, but it turns out I had no idea who Frank Black was. So, learning that this guy fronted the Pixies, I suppose my initial expectation going into this was that, like... It'd be more? And exactly "more" as in "more of the same," but like "a more extreme version; more concentrated." Which, to be clear, I liked the two Pixies albums I heard. I didn't **love** them; I still think I generally enjoy Weird Al's pastiche more, but I did enjoy my time with them. So, there was a small part of me that wasn't really looking forward to hearing a more concentrated Pixies. But goodness me, I never woulda guessed that **this** is what the frontman for the Pixies would've made. Like, it's way popper than I would've guessed. I mean, I suppose this **is** indie rock, whereas I'd always pegged the Pixies as alternative and punk. (And, yeah, genre definitions are loose, so the Pixies are also indie, but you get what I mean, right?) It's catchy stuff. It also reminds me so much of a specific band which, for the life of me, I can't think of the name of, but I know it's one I like, so it's still a good thing anyway. So many key and synth parts I liked, goodness. I think what surprised me most is how much I actually paid attention to the lyrics. I normally don't do that the first time with an album; not even with the Pixies albums. But here, they jus' kinda captivated me. LIke, there's songs about PONG and the aqueduct. I'd never heard the word "aqueduct" outside of a Monty Python. movie. It's just interesting stuff — kinda quirky and specific, which I guess just captures me way more than conventional and broad. But together with the music especially — goodness, it's great stuff. Honestly, I'd be pretty happy to give this thing a 5. It worked for me just that well — and it's a higher rating than I've given to any Pixies album, even. So, hey, good on you, Frankie. And big congrats on that Teenager Of The Year award, by the way. I'unno how **you** got it, but, hey, maybe the judges were working off of "casting for a high school drama" logic. Y'know, I never woulda been able to guess what I'd get from a Frank Black solo album. Heck, before this album I didn't even know this album existed — or who Frank Black was, for that matter. For real, I'd known about the Pixies and I at least knew the name Kim Deal, but it turns out I had no idea who Frank Black was. So, learning that this guy fronted the Pixies, I suppose my initial expectation going into this was that, like... It'd be more? And exactly "more" as in "more of the same," but like "a more extreme version; more concentrated." Which, to be clear, I liked the two Pixies albums I heard. I didn't **love** them; I still think I generally enjoy Weird Al's pastiche more, but I did enjoy my time with them. So, there was a small part of me that wasn't really looking forward to hearing a more concentrated Pixies. But goodness me, I never woulda guessed that **this** is what the frontman for the Pixies would've made. Like, it's way popper than I would've guessed. I mean, I suppose this **is** indie rock, whereas I'd always pegged the Pixies as alternative and punk. (And, yeah, genre definitions are loose, so the Pixies are also indie, but you get what I mean, right?) It's catchy stuff. It also reminds me so much of a specific band which, for the life of me, I can't think of the name of, but I know it's one I like, so it's still a good thing anyway. So many key and synth parts I liked, goodness. I think what surprised me most is how much I actually paid attention to the lyrics. I normally don't do that the first time with an album; not even with the Pixies albums. But here, they jus' kinda captivated me. LIke, there's songs about PONG and the aqueduct. I'd never heard the word "aqueduct" outside of a Monty Python. movie. It's just interesting stuff — kinda quirky and specific, which I guess just captures me way more than conventional and broad. But together with the music especially — goodness, it's great stuff. Honestly, I'd be pretty happy to give this thing a 5. It worked for me just that well — and it's a higher rating than I've given to any Pixies album, even. So, hey, good on you, Frankie. And big congrats on that Teenager Of The Year award, by the way. I'unno how **you** got it, but, hey, maybe the judges were working off of "casting for a high school drama" logic.
Considering it's literally a solo album by the Pixies' frontman, while having a similar feel to that band's discography, it definitely leans on the lighter side of alternative than something like Surfer Rosa or Doolittle. 4.5 bumped down to 4.
I am strangely at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. I can’t explain it; I had some serious doubts, because I’ve been pretty mixed on the Pixies in the past, and a solo album from their lead singer led me to one of two conclusions: either a more cleaned up, commercialized sound that would be palatable and distinctly different from the Pixies, or leaning even harder into the more avantgarde and loose parts of their hard rock sound, so much so that it somehow would loop around into art. By some miracle, this album manages to hit on both of those, and it weaves in and out of those paths so often that they end up blending together. I can give an immense amount of praise to most of the instrumentals here; they’re never really stale until maybe 3/4ths of the way through the album, and even then, there’s a very intentional choice to explore different genres in an effort to try and stay fresh. The effort sort of fails, but also sort of works at the same time; I can’t really describe it, if only because there was some general fatigue due to this album’s length that had me start to falter out by the end. I can give some good praise to his vocals too – he really does come across as a strong vocalist on a lot of these tracks, and it’s distinctly different from his Pixies style, which leaned a lot more into a slower, surfer-y vibe. These feel good to listen to throughout. The only thing I can kinda knock are the lyrics, but even with those, I sort of admire how off-the-wall some of the tracks are in their subject matter; spacecraft being sent to Mars, people who made water more available in California, a hard rock ballad about the 3 Stooges… there’s a lot here. It’s sort of Sufjan Stevens-esque in how varied it all is, and I like how big of a swing it takes. The biggest issue is the runtime and the amount of tracks; for as entertaining and as fast of an hour as this is, it could’ve been cut down by a bit – a few too many tracks start to tread on the same tone and subject matter, even with the experimental genre shifts towards the end. Get this down to like, 18 or even 15 of the best tracks, and you’ve got a pure winner here. As it stands, it’s still good, but it overstays its welcome just a little too long. That’s why I’m at a 4.5, but I enjoyed this too much to knock it down; it deserves a 5, and I’m kinda stunned that it does. It’s a fun album.
La première toune était vraiment bonne, mais sur un album de plus d’une heure, l’énergie n’était plus là
I haven’t listened to this in years. It’s a solid album, but would I choose to put this on instead of the Pixies?
You can hear how significant he is in the writing and overall style of the pixies. I liked the album a lot and there's plenty of variety. Two reelers has Sam McK vibes. I don't like the synth sounds much; they sound cheap. Deserves further listens. Weird cover art, which I like.
This album is a small masterpiece that easily stands out against the works of the Pixies and is vastly superior to his debut album. While Black Francis released several subpar projects after the Pixies—his solo work will always be compared to that iconic band—this album is filled with clever and outstanding songs. It's difficult to highlight specific tracks because there are hardly any misses among the many songs. Unfortunately, he has not been able to match or surpass this album with his later releases. In essence, "Teenager Of The Year" is the best album that the Pixies never made.
I've never listened to this before, and I was always kinda luke-warm on the Pixies - but I like this one. It's like the Pixies meets Neil Young.
Love Pixies but never spent too much time with Frank's solo stuff. I really liked this record.
Frank Black - Teenager of the Year I enjoy the Pixies but never took time to delve into any of their solo projects. If not for this challenge I don't know if I would have listened to this album. This album was released in 1994, when I was heavy into grunge and would be mourning the death of Kurt Cobain. At that time there would be no way this album would have found it's way to me. I like to think that music finds us when we're ready. Something we may not of enjoyed when we were 20 hits when we're 50. That's why it's important to step out of our comfort zones when it comes to music. I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed this album in 1994, but 30 years later it speaks to me. This album has a lot of different styles. There's a Dire Straits feel, a punk feel, alternative feel, and Franks voice handles it all. I would definitely recommend this album. 4/5
22 SONGS>????
Second double album in a row and I’m tired, boss. This isn’t bad, but it’s too long. Very few, if any, double albums are worth the time investment and this isn’t one of them. That said, there’s some really good stuff here, but you have to cut through the chaff to get there. This would have definitely benefitted by cutting about 15-20 minutes of fluff out of it.
As one half of Houmous & Chutney, I know what it feels like to be overrated so I feel sorry for Frank Black. Everything’s fine but in this day and age, that’s just not enough. A hard lesson to learn, but that’s the only way myself and Len have survived all this time. Keep evolving 2.2
Interesting. I expected something closer to the Pixies. This is not that. It’s good. It’s fine. It’s alright
General impression: raw, playful, energetic alt-rock Detailed review: While it’s missing some of the fiery weirdo energy from the Pixies material I know, it still has this sort of playful, off-the-cuff urgency to it, like the songs had to be written and recorded before they faded or curdled into something lame. Some are really short, some are a more traditional length, and they all sound like they were made in the heat of rock ‘n roll inspiration. There’s like, some Elvis Costello to these songs, something a little more rooted in straightforward structures. The wacky energy comes mostly from Black’s vocals, which are sometimes sweet and measured and freaked out at other times. Admittedly none of the songs really stand out from the others, nor are they on the level of Pixies best tunes, but it’s still a good energy. Deeper thoughts (context): I’m underrating this, honestly, because I enjoy it more than a 3. But I just don’t think it’s good enough for a 4, and it’s probably not a must-listen like Pixies albums are. Score: 3.4 Number of albums left to review: 955 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 26 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 20 (including this one)
Album oozing with creativity and unfinished ideas. For garage rock/ indie rock of the era, there are several songs that are really unique and don't sound like anything else, in the best way. I liked Speedy Marie, Fiddle Riddle, Ole Mulholland, and several others. Cool sounds, shredding guitar nonchalantly in the background. I think some of it is rather unfinished sounding, but overall, it's quite good. As expected from a member of the Pixies, it's ahead of it's time.
This is more, my taste in music. Fun, angsty, high energy punk vibe. Adding to my collection.
This was okay. Probably could have been two albums
It feels quicker than it's 66 minutes but its quite uneventful. sounds a bit better than some Pixies stuff
2/5
The Good: ‘90s indie rock! The Bad: that I did not, for whatever reason, listen to this during the ‘90s The Ugly: the album cover as Frank Black looks a lot like Frans Bauer… This album substantiates my rule that all albums need to be listened to at least twice before I can rate them, as I did not like it at all during first spin. However, by the end of the second spin I was already Bogart in Casablanca… Play it again Sam. I am no big fan of the Pixies, something that many friends of mine don’t understand due to my massive appreciation of ‘90s college radio music, so maybe I need to listen to several Pixies albums after I am done listening to Teenager Of The Year for the 5th time in 24 hours… 4* well deserved!
This was long. Not terrible, just long. Actually enjoyed the general vibe of this although it’s not normally my thing. But why was it so long??!
3/5
1. What in the blue fuck is this? No. Like, really, just...no 2. OK, this is actually music. Not good music, but recognizable as music 3. Not offensive. Not really enjoyable either though 4. Not offensive. Slightly more enjoyable than the previous track. This artist is showing me in this song he has the potential to be one I like 5. Pretty bland 6. Eh... 7. This was the single? 8. Inoffensive, I guess 9. I feel like I have the gist of the album at this point. I'm not listening to 22 tracks of this. 2.0
Polish up the production a bit, give it a less bizarre cover artwork and title, lop off about 8 tracks and 20 minutes and you have a certified masterpiece on your hands. However, you also lose a lot of the chaotic charm. It took me a few days to digest this fully as it is all over the place but I have enjoyed it more and more the more I've got to know it. It reminds me a lot of Stephen Malkmus, who I already considered a true lo-fi genius. The changes of tempo and raw bursts of furious melody are fantastic and for someone I'd never heard of or seen before (although of course I know the Pixies somewhat), I am really really glad to have met Frank Black this week.
Not bad, like sonic youth
I used to sit by this guy named Tim at work who liked the same music as I and we got to be great friends. One time he took a picture of my grandma and photocopied her face onto a bunch of different album covers including this one which was very cute. I forgot how cool Teenager of the Year is, and I wonder what Tim is up to these days.
Cool album Standout songs: Calistan Two Reelers Pure Denizen of the Citizens Band
Did nothing for me. One and done.
Did not love this, but some songs were ok.
Mostly sounds like a decent but boring Pixies album, and I'm not much of a Pixies fan. 2.3/5
Nope. I really struggle with his kind of music, not sure why but it just leaves me cold.
Very meh, thought I'd like this more
What a great L.P.
3.5/5
I expected to not enjoy this, this list has a lot of throwaway alt/indie albums that I have not liked. But this one is not too bad. Eclectic but still a mostly grounded alternative rock avoids being indulgently weird for the sake of it, except it’s a bit long. Pretty good songwriting.
A bit underwhelming and forgettable, but fairly solid
Good energy. Some really good tunes on here tbf
The beginning is the strongest portion of this album, and aside from slightly tapering off in the midsection, this is a great LP. Never heard of this guy before he came up on the generator, now I kinda wanna dig into his discography.
fun start with some lulls in the middle, enjoyable
I actually listened to most, but not all of this when it was first recommended a few months back, and I remember enjoying what I heard. Returning to it as I plug through the final half dozen or so, I have enjoyed it again. Even more so when I discover quite how early it was. Sure, it is a hair too long, and sure, it isn't the most cohesive album of all time. But it's an interesting, if not mesmerising listen.
Although I'm very familiar with the Pixies, I wasn't aware that Frank Black had a solo project. After listening to the first few tracks on the album, I wanted to abandon the whole thing in frustration. I couldn't cope with the music. But the album kept playing at first. The music reminded me a little of Nirwana, mixed with something else interesting. So I let the album play and my interest in Frank Black grew. I'm not a fan, but that could still happen. 4/5
As much as I love The Pixies, I've never listened to any of Frank Black's solo stuff. Really fun Pixies adjacent record. My only complaint is that it's 22 songs. They start to blend together after a while but there are super interesting parts all through this.
I can't put a finger on why I like this as much as I do. The first couple songs made me dread how long this album was but after that for the most part I really enjoyed the vibe of this album. It somehow feels both ahead of it's time and of it's time at the same time to me. I'll look forward to a relisten of this to dig into the lyrics more.
Cool album, but just not my jam
I had a thought last night. I’ve written reviews for over 400 albums, and there are nearly 600 more to go. At what point will I run out of things to say? There is only so much to write about the two dozen albums that all sound the same. I worry that one day I may hit a brick wall and be left with nothing left to speak about. I feared that today might be that day, in all honesty. I looked at this album and its cover and assumed it might be a rough one. Thankfully there was more to this than I initially expected. As I was listening to this, I kept thinking to myself, “What seems so oddly familiar about this singer’s voice?” I couldn’t put my finger on it. I just decided to put the name Frank Black into Google. Immediately I saw that this was Francis Black, the lead singer of the fucking Pixies. And then everything I had been hearing made sense. I actually wasn’t aware Francis had any solo records. But it was an interesting experience exploring the creative endeavors of one of rock’s most influential figures, without the presence of his fellow band mates. Truth is, this is not comparable to really anything the Pixies made in their prime. It doesn’t really come close in the level of quality. This is due in part to both Francis himself, and the lack of his cohorts. I love the guy, and I think that by the time this released, he had done more than enough to prove himself. But it’s clear no matter how genius he is, the rest of the band is needed. Interestingly enough, the lead guitarist Joey Santiago actually worked on this record. But I don’t think what you hear on this is comparable to the work of the Pixies. Bossanova maybe, but still. It feels much less manic and dark, and contains some pretty bright sounding power pop songs. The guitar work from Joey and Francis is not bad at all. Pretty consistent throughout. But the rhythm section as a whole is significantly weaker than anything from something like Doolittle. Aside from a few drumming moments here and there, it leaves something to be desired. This also falls off dramatically around the half way mark, and doesn’t really recover until the last two songs. It’s not a bad record by any means, but not as essential or important as this icons other works. Rating: 5/10
Sorprendente, desconocido
I thought it was going to be another weird one once it started, but it wasn't pushing it that much. It sounds like someone who is flailing a bit after the grunge movement, and then I looked up the album, and yeah, it's a member of the Pixies going solo in the early 90's. The first song is literally a guy baffled by the fact that art has *gasp* moved on. He made a perfect metaphor between himself and a game dev who doesn't understand that pixels have colors now. It's not bad, but why is it here? It's not that influential, considering where rock went in the following years (unless I'm missing something, I'm not an expert), it's not that popular, and it's not that relevant. I'm not calling it bad, but I just don't get the argument for it being on this list. This list has a lot of albums that I don't like, genres I'm not a fan of, popular albums I can't stand, weird stuff that pushed the limits of music, or underground works that influenced the mainstream. I can't really see why this is here.
wautsika wau! taas albumi joka on lisätty listalle syynä: soolohenkilö joka oli osana jossain bändissä joka oli kuuluisa... tämä on tarpeeksi syytä että PAKKO PAKKO KMSUT OLOISTNEM MUST LISTEN BEFORE DEATH ENNEN KUOLEMAA PAKKO PAKKO PAKKO KUUNNELA PAKKO KUNELA KUUNTELEEEE NENNEN KUN M= !==! ALBUMS BEFORE DEAYING.. in my time of dying... want nobody to mourn.. just listen to teenager of the year by frank black before death........................ 2.98-3.04 luottamusvälin sisällä oleminen tarkoittaa sitä, että albumi on luultavasti täyttä paskaa.. oikeasti artistina toivot mielummin rehtiä 2.5 tykitystä eikä vittu tätä keskikaarti kusemista freedom rock
I was bored
There were like 2 songs I didn't like but other than that none of the individual songs were that bad. Feel like there was an energy shift midway through the album. Couldve been better if it was split into 2 but as a whole it wore on me.
6/10 - I feel like the cover art does not give the energy that the album actually has. The album overall was decent but not fantastic. Some fo the songs like Ole Mulholland and Speedy Marie were weird but other songs like the Vanishing spies I liked.
A little too similar sounding for how long it was
Good stuff.
I like it, stays true and consistent with Frank Black’s vibe.
Depending on the day, like if it was today, my third genie wish might be that every human had a compulsion to produce at least one album. The goal of which was just fun and expression. Somehow Teenager Of The Year makes me feel a sort of happiness for Frank Black. Always feels kinda stressful knowing the interpersonal tension within the Pixies. But maybe if Frank's just able to be Frank, it's a little more enjoyable? I have no way of knowing, but I bet he had fun making this. At least I had fun listening.
2.5/5. Generic-sounding rock from the 90s. I did not get much out this.
I like the Pixies. I don't like this.
Noph ei ihan paskaa ole...
Great Pixies record! Ok that's not exactly true but this is the next best thing to even the worst Pixies record!
33% leftover sketches of songs not good enough to put on a Pixies record, 33% tinkering with whatever cool instrument was within arms length, and 33% ‘50s rock ’n’ roll pastiche. When he splits the difference between the three, Frank Black is able to make a pretty decent post-Pixies solo album that takes the strengths he showcased in his old band and expands on them in intriguing ways, at least if you’re already into Black Francis as a songwriter. It’s when he decides to write a song that only focuses on one idea, however, where this record falls apart. There’s a lot of songs that just sound like worse versions of better Pixies songs. There’s even more songs that feel like genre experiments that have no purpose being on an album proper unless you support his watercolor-esque sketches of Latin syncopations. And there’s a handful of rockabilly moments, which don’t appeal to me personally, and even if I try to stomach them, still feel kitsch and ephemeral on their own terms. Look, I adore Pixies, and I enjoy Black Francis as a songwriter. This was never going to be on the same tier as Surfer Rosa or Doolittle or even Bossanova, but at its strongest moments, I’m pretty easily won over, because I’m biased. If you trim the fat from Teenager of the Year, you might honestly have a great solo effort on your hands. But there’s a TON of fat here, and that makes this record both inessential and kind of exhausting, even if you’re a hardcore Pixies fan. In the end, there’s just enough for me to go positive on it, but if you’re not already a fan of Pixies, this certainly isn’t going to win you over on Black Francis.
Meh, not really my jam.
Interesting concept. He pulls off some
This is a pretty cool listen despite the high number of songs and it’s a lot to take in. I like some Pixies more but not a bad solo effort at all! Highlight: “I Could Stay Here Forever”. 3.5 stars.
This is a sky high three point five. Some great tunes- but it’s too long for its own good. And the good stuff comes later in the sequencing. Not 1001 essential.
I prefer a couple of Pixies abums to this, Doolittle and Basanova for sure. On par maybe a bit better than Surfer Rosa. Still a great album overall (8.6) ★★★★
Really not my favourite alternative rock aesthetic, and on top of it all more than an hour long. 2 stars
Some really great material here that rivals Charles Thompson's best work with the Pixies, unfortunately at 22 tracks, there's also a lot of unnecessary filler. Highlights include "Headache", "Thallassocracy", and "Superabound". 4 stars.
3.5
Big chore of an album with nothing coming close to the best Pixies songs. First few tracks are absolute pain and torture and whilst it does become more listenable as it goes on it’s still about 20 tracks too long. 1.99 stars.
Pretty good but too long! 3.5 stars, 3 stars for this project
I enjoyed his solo work more than his work with The Pixies.
I enjoyed Calistan.
Quirky
My only knowledge of Frank Black prior to listening to this was from Fire Water Burn by The Bloodhound Gang which contained the lyrics “I’m not blank like Barry White. No, I am white like Frank Black is.” I’m happy to hear that Frank is nice and dirty alt rock. This album had me interested throughout, never fading into becoming background music. And can we mention that album cover? It is fantastic! I’m really happy to consider myself a fan of Frank Black now. I should have listened to him ages ago.
I really couldn't get into this. I honestly skipped over almost all of it.
Huge Pixies fan. Could never get into Frank Black's solo work.
Lost in brit pop craziness
After I learned that this guy was in the pixies I thought for sure that I was going to hate it. I was pleasantly surprised that I was only slightly annoyed with it by the end of the album. Aggressively average rock album was the best I was hoping for on this one and it delivered!
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!
Love the Pixies but this album is very meh
Fun loving goodness
4 out of 5. I like the energetic melodies this album has, with Headache being a standout for me.
Surprisingly good. An album I could happily listen to again.
I don’t know what it is about this guy but I love his vibe, whether it’s with the Pixies or doing his solo thing. It’s just good ol background music. Listen again: probably Purchase for my collection: if I came across it cheap Favourite Song:
I played this a lot when it was new. I liked the album before and the album after better, but this is better than I remembered. It's more versatile. Not all of it is good. I'd rather have a more consistent good record. And shorter too. Favorite song: Two Reelers
I do own this album, and I am fond of it, but truth be known, it's not a patch on the pixies stuff.
So Frank heard Kurt and said, "I can do this too!" but it turns out he couldn't. This has all the right stuff, but it's boring.
Would probably grow on me. Good musicianship. The fuzzy drums are not my favorite sound.
Could not get past the chaos of noise. 1/10.
Some great songs and some average songs. Long album with a bit of padding. Heard it before as I'm a massive pixies fan. First 4 albums anyway. Good to hear it again. 7/10
very 90's, I liked it
If I was christened Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV I would have felt blessed and the last thing I would have done was change it to Frank Black. But this critter did and that lack of judgement and sensibility is very much reflected in this collection of music. I say music in its loose sense because there is nothing here in this long procession of songs to interest me or offer anything new which is always something I hope for when I am given a previously unknown artist. 1/5 1/9/24
A bit of a mixed bag. Not entirely unpleasant.
It's long but the songs vary enough that its not fatiguing. An icon of alternative rock releasing a record in 1994 was a risk but 30 years later it sounds right at home among contemporary albums.
the soundtrack to a 30-something homeless guy rider mowing his way across america for quarters and soda-pop. not conceptually of course -- the record lacks concept (and a lot of cohesion) but it does have the feeling of trying to recapture a forever lost youth. the songs kinda melt together into a big hunk of pop, like leaving a box of Mike n Ikes in your car overnight. yeah, i like Mike n Ikes, and i don't think i'd feel sick or whatever, but eating the whole block kinda gives you (heh) a headache. maybe it hits harder on a long drive, but i honestly think this is one of the few cases of "too much good music brings the whole experience down". (this is why im not much of a fan of "the best of" albums. it can't ALL be pop chart darlings all the time.) i like it, but i don't like THAT much of it. despite this glut of hook and fuzz, i still don't think i hated a single song on the record. except "fiddle riddle". what the fuck was that, frank
6.5/10. It is decent indie rock album. I prefer the Pixies' work over this solo album. :)
Muy bueno. Un poco largo, pero bastante bien.
This is a whopper of an album; over an hour. I like the sloppiness of it. I don't know how often I'd listen to the whole album all the way through, but I love the vibes.
Not for me, thanks.
Quality gen x angst on this thing. Not my usual listen but I found myself enjoying it. I think if I was 10-20 years you get and this album found me at the right time I would love it. The rough vocals sometimes help and sometimes hurt the overall sound. It’s a little bloated at over an hour but otherwise a solid album
I liked it more than I thought I would. Started listening to the self titled album. Actually liked that better than this
This was a fun and quirky album. I'll say that the biggest negative is that it is too long and could have been whittled to a tight single album. But it has a great post-punk vibe even though its later than that. The songwriting and playing is often off kilter and that keeps it consistently interesting and enjoyable. It also throws in enough hard edge to remind you its still rock. I also really enjoyed the Spotify radio mix after the album was over. I was torn between a 3-4 so I had to look back on my 3's. Definitely 3.6
very very cool
Danceable noise. Has nothing to say.
Vocalista do Pixies! Muito legal esse disco. Bem dinâmico! Top!
I hadn't heard of any of Frank Black's work outside of the Pixies and this was a wonderful surprise. Plenty of great songs but the length of it with some filler had to knock it down a star, but all in all, it's a solid album.
Like the pixies! Not as good but still it has so many hits!
Started very emo but mellowed out a bit. Felt like a rough start but we enjoyed it more towards the end.
3 good album little long
This is good. 90s good.
Is this as good as the worst Pixies album (their last). Not really. Black and his songs are here but... Evidence: 1. 22 songs, even if many are under 3 mins, is just too many. 2. You don't realise how much variety Kim, Joey and David could wring out of their instruments until you hear a more limited band. 3. Not much in the way of backing vocals interplay. Three stars.
Pixies singer, good stuff
Nice rock!
It was fine but really long. I don't think this needed to be over an hour. The Pixies had albums that were under 40 minutes for a reason.
First half is eh. 2nd half starting with Freedom Rock is great. Too long though. Cut out the first 6-8 songs and it’d be great.
Interesting I'll give it that
Always been cautiously curious about the Pixies so this is an interesting introduction to a solo Pixies effort by Mr. Frank Black. Interesting how his voice ranges from high and almost-Neil Young sounding to low and punky, the latter of which at some points has an Iggy Pop/ Lou Reed drawl to it, never a bad thing. This album grew on me the longer it played. While firmly alternative, this album has some nice groove to it, including the capacity to be enjoyed as a sick straight-ahead rock album. Despite the ample range, there is no shortage of edge throughout. Plenty of genre-play, from mathy to punk to even a reggae standout. That right there, could be analyzed in and of itself. How a non-Jamaican musician tackles a reggae song says a lot about who they are as an artist and I think Mr. Black pulled it off here. I actually feel like I'm listening to a very well-schooled academic on rock music, which is exciting. He knows his shit and you can hear it throughout. There are tons of sonic references to rock and punk history in clever ways that stay true to himself. I'd definitely listen to this again. Looking forward to checking out more Pixies with less skepticism in the future.
Pretty Meh. There are some interesting tracks, but the sound quality and lyrics are pretty forgettable.
Just the right amount of chaos. I've been sleeping on Frank Black, he did not decline from the Pixies.
The second solo album by Frank Black aka Black Francis aka Francois Noir clearly demonstrates his ability to write catchy, noisy, energetic pop songs disguised as something more rocky. There's always a songs on any of his or Pixies' albums that will get stuck in my mind for days. That being said, I don't think it would be too difficult to cut out 40%-50% of the 22 tracks and end up with a stellar record.
Teenager Of the Year is a bit like watching Pixies live - the songs just keeps coming and coming and coming. Is 22 songs too many? Probably. It seems excessive. Should the record be any shorter? I mean, it’s Black Francis doing his thing. So probably not.
High energy! Highly enjoyable.
I thought the album was solid, though far too many songs; could probably lose half of them and I don't think they'd be missed. Outside of that, it does sound very late 90s indie rock; nothing really jumped out at me. 5/10.
Frank Black getting his chance to explore other genres and making the most of that opportunity.