Teenager Of The Year

Top shelf

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

Mumbles in punk. Favourite track: Superabound.

Awesome album

I know nothing of Frank Black going in. Track 1: Hmm, this sounds kind of like Primus. Track 2: Well, this one is more like Dead Kennedys. Track 3: Now he sounds like Neil Young. Track 4: Is this a Dire Straits song? And so on. What I mean to say is there is a ton of variety on this album. I enjoyed it and will listen again.

I was unsure at first, but I did enjoy it. Its been good to have in the background while working today. Does it really belong in the list though? I’m not sure. So many great albums in this era, this feels like it falls short, perhaps because it’s so long and almost bland. I will be scoring this low for this reason. But It was nice to listen to, not one I’ll go back to (at least often).

It’s been thirty years and that is enough time for us to acknowledge how altruistic and brave it was for Frank Black to break up Pixies and immediately release a double album proving how inessential his talents were to their success. Two stars.

Loved this one. Been on a big Pixies kick so this is a welcome surprise.

tem músicas mt boas, mas é mt longo, com músicas curtas e acaba sendo pouco marcante

Nice surprise. I was kind of a Pixies fan when they were originally together, but never paid any attention to Frank Black's solo career. Favorites: Headache, Speedy Marie

Initially I wasn't sure what to think of this, but reading about Frank Black, this is probably a complex take on garage band punk which is too elaborate for me to appreciate or care much about. Also I found myself waiting for the album to be over, never a good sign.

I liked a lot of this. Might have to check out some more of his stuff. 4/5

I was around when Frank Black "hit it big" with headache and a couple other tunes. To me, back then I would listen to the radio, often college alternative stuff, and after listening to a couple good songs from the same artist I would take the plunge and buy the CD. Sometimes it was a win and I loved the band or musician and still do. On the other hand, there were those where, disappointingly, the "hits" on the radio were the only songs that actually were all that interesting... I never bought Frank Black back in the day, but after this listen, I would probably put him into the "oh well, I guess I bought the album for a couple of songs" category. Also, not to bad mouth his style or whatever, but he sounds "like" a lot of bands at the time, and ends up for me not quite at the head table.

hard pass

I love the Pixies but somehow had never heard this. I loved it, but it does suffer from mid 90s, CD bloat. There is a 5 star record on here but ultimately there is too much filler. Still an easy 4.

This was a very fun album. Maybe too long but track to track was very enjoyable

It was okay.

This doesn't quite have the punchiness of Pixies, but it becomes more sustained and interesting experimental in its own right. Reminds me of Nick Cave a little in places.

I was very surprised to see this album. It is good, but it could have easily have been replaced with Trompe Le Monde or Last Splash. I've always really enjoyed the song Whatever Happened to Pong, it's just a weird chaotic song. Space is Gonna do me Good also gets stuck in my head every now and then. Headache is also a really good song. Besides some standout songs, a lot of the songs on here are just good or okay. This album could have easily cut 1/3 of the songs and been ~40 minutes. 3.5

Creative & unique sound and arrangements. 3-4 min song length makes it easier to listen to 22 tracks. Lyrics are nearly impossible to discern any meaning. Practically gibberish.

The album doesn't feel like a 1001 contender to me. I like the sound just fine, but I can't point to one song I would specifically want to hear. It's more of a filler.

A lot of great songs but it suffers a bit from the plight of many 90s albums - too damn long. Theres a certain charm to the brevity of so many classic albums - 8 to 10 songs, 30 to 40 minutes. Sometimes less is more. In the end - this album has a high batting average is much better than I remember.

Hated the first two songs, but quite enjoyed the rest of the album. Headache was fun

Interesting to see the increased propensity for lengthy albums in the early 90s as CDs became the dominant format. The above sentence might be telling as to how little I have to say about this album of pretty normal alternative rock. Unlike the random guy at Reading 2001, I don't feel particularly privileged to have heard Frank Black today. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Headache Date listened: 08/07/24

Segundo larga duración en solitario de Frank Black tras la disolución de los Pixies. Arranca con la energía de "Whatever Happened to Pong?" y "Thalassocracy". Obtuvo un cierto y efímero éxito con el existencialista tema "Headache", impulsado por cuidados arreglos. Pero me gusta el tono pop de canciones como "(I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plain", expresión del deseo de huir de la monotonía en busca de una existencia más plena, y "Calistan", nostálgico retrato del paisaje y la identidad cultural de una California en declive. También destacan "Speedy Marie", expresión de admiración por un personaje que lleva emoción a su existencia y que podría ser su novia, y la enérgica "Freedom Rock", un satírico mensaje de autoafirmación y orgullo por la singularidad.

gosciu z Pixies czyli zespolu ktory mi sie pierwszy trafil w tej kompilacji i skomentowalem to tak - Słabe. Taka muzyka dla "uhm uh jestem zajebisty i slucham pixies i pije tanie piwo z puszki pod czarnym kotem"

Haven’t listened yet, but I will on this drive!

Who is this? I’m gonna struggle to keep going with random nonsense

I see where Green Day got their influence.. too bad they’re not as good 😏 I feel like Frank Black was one of the original “punk” bands. It was a good listen, but some songs were a lil too much for me.

No primeiro toque já deixa claro a sua importância para o rock, mas também a sensação de ser bastante pretencioso.

I didnt really care about this.

Toe tapping indie. I might have hired someone with a better voice.

Not as strong as the first couple of Pixies records, but realistically what is? It’s probably my favourite Pixies-adjacent project since the 80s and while it doesn’t quick match the band’s unique and raucous energy, it’s a bit more experimental sonically and is packed with great hooks and fun rabid yelps

I've been a huge Pixies fan since the beginning and have seen them twice since they reunited in 2000's, but I've yet to listen to any of Frank Black's solo albums. I was expected a watered down version of the Pixies, but actually this is as good or better than (especially the more recent Pixies releases) the Pixies stuff. He's expanded his range and musical variety and it's definitely a more accessible sound and the songs are catchy and listenable. It's more rock than alternative noise-rock, so it's a totally different listening experience. Teenager Of the Year was released only a couple of years after the first Pixies breakup and he has stronger material than the last band album, so it sounds fresh. I'm not sure what his later solo albums sound like, but I'm guessing TOTY must be one of his better ones.

Interesting album. Didn't love or hate it, was easy to listen to.

Back from a break! Got served up a bunch of double albums that I never found time for. This was a really enjoyable listen though. Solid alt-rock album, lagged a bit at the end IMO but overall it kept a really good pace. Mostly short-punchy songs. Would definitely listen again.

Great solo album

Better than what I figured this vanity project would be, but seems all over the place. Indifferent at best.

No

Big fan of this album format, the 20+ short songs collection. Reminds me of like an alt rock London Calling, not quite on the level of Pixies best, but it's a fun and easy listen.

He can make some catchy music and with 22 songs there’s bound to be a handful that I like. As a whole though I prefer more of the bite that comes with Pixies music that is lacking here. Still though even on the less memorable tracks, which there were a decent bit for me, I was still having fun listening to it. Rating: 3.4

First time hearing this artist but really enjoyed him. New album to add to my playlist highly recommended.

A bit corny but has some interesting variety and fun stuff.

Meh, punky, probably great but I’m not feeling it at this stage

I thought this was just ok. I'd listen again but it didn't make me feel like I couldn't wait for another listen. I tend to feel like Kim Deal was kind of the Heart and Soul of The Pixies and this record did nothing to dissuade me of that notion.

I know I should love it as it's Frank Black but I found it all a bit lacking in something - nothing stand out, nothing terrible. Maybe something if I listened to a lot I could get into but on this timetable didn't grab me.

Ooo yes. I was super happy to hear this. It was entirely new to me, or so I thought, but it turns out Headache is a song whose hook has been my ear worm since the 90s and I’ve been totally incapable of finding out where it came from. So this was revelatory!

With history on my side, the early 90s really over did it with album length. The change from limited record space to limitless cd space gave way to lots of filler. Other than having too much material to absorb, the music was fine. Pixies-esque for the obvious reason.

Vanilla

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

Not bad

I find this to be a strange inclusion for this list. I am a lifetime Pixies fan. Frank Black solo is ok, but it's missing something. It's like listening to John Lennon... It's good, but it's not the Beatles. Like David Lee Roth is fun to hear, but it's not Van Halen. I miss the rest of the band and full disclosure, Kim Deal's voice gives me a hard on. I can't hear the relevance in this album. So Teenager of the Year... I do prefer Frank's eponymous debut. This one sounds good, but it's a bit long and not much really stands out to me. Actually I was getting tired of it when I noticed I was only halfway through. I'm not hearing what is legendary, influential, or important about this album.

This was a pretty cool album to check out. It’s nice to hear another side project spin off from the Pixies, other than the Breeders. I wish I had known about this album back in the ’90s when alternative was at its peak, because I really would have enjoyed it at the time.

I always found Frank Black solo stuff to be like a more boring Pixies. This album is the best of the bunch, but still kinda boring.

2 stars

Some very good ones. Others are forgettable. Some are pretty annoying. Still 3 stars

You chose Pong, I chose Kong

90s slacker rock with a lot of bright, quick, punchy songs. Kind of feels like an attempt to mainstream the Pixies’ sound or at least fit it into the grunge/alt paradigm (ironic considering the Pixies laid part of the foundation for that paradigm), and I don’t think it totally succeeds. There’s also not really enough meat on the bone here to justify an hour-plus length. Despite all this, a pretty enjoyable listen. Best song: Thalassocracy

3.5 stars rounded up.

inconsequential (but fun) teenage rock

It had potential but kinda made my ears bleed

A great Rock and Roll, underappreciated. Could have been the Pixies though.

Just too ridiculously long. Cut out half the tracks and this would be a halfway decent album

Pixies frontman. It's fine. I'm not sure I'm interested enough in finishing it though because it sounds just like every other 90s alt rock band.

Pixies minus a few, still good

Really competent, pleasant enough American indie, but has no business being so long

This is one of those albums I would have liked better if it were 8-10 tracks shorter. Doesn’t matter which ones they cut.

Weak 3*. It felt like a very long album.

Quite nice actually, better than expected. Never was a big Pixies fan, but Black's solo was ok.

3/5

Surprisingly poppy and melodic. Some elements of Pixies (Joey on guitar in a few tracks). Many nice moments and varied enough. It doesn't outstay it's welcome but doesn't hang around either.

This is fine, I guess. Decent 90s American alt rock. Interesting enough, switching it up, jumping around genres. But. We’re had 3 Pixies albums already, does this guy really deserve another hour of my time? It’s a 3 star album for me but I’m leaning towards a 2 because of the list selection.

I did not expect this music based off the album cover. Coming out strong. Another album with mostly shorter songs.

Not for me

started off ok but is very monotone

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

Am Anfang dachte ich: Och ne, nicht schon wieder so eine 90er Alternative-Rock Kapelle. Aber je länger die Platte lief, desto besser gefielen mir die Titel, bei The Vanishing Spies hat sich sogar ein Gitarrensolo verirrt.

Quite interesting, but for the most part, doesn't do it for me. Love the cover though. Best track Ole Mullholland.

Quirky and interesting. Never heard of this album so it was a pleasant surprise

Really enjoyed this one although it was a little long.

i liked it a lot and will listen agai

93/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑

Another great find

Supposedly, frontman Frank Black broke up the Pixies by sending the other band members a fax. I don't know how true that is, but it makes for a compelling beginning to Frank Black's solo career. After he released a backlog of solo songs he had recorded while still with the Pixies, he came around to working on Teenager of the Year. You can still get a feel for Pixies on this record but I think Black's oddball lyricism and personality shines through more on this record. Is it better than peak Pixies material? Hardly, but it still goes to show how much Black's contributions mattered to the band.

I expected an album of frenetic songs but there was a nice mix of songs with dif tempos/style that the album wasn’t one long homogenous tune …. Really like the album musically, not so much the vocals but all in all, enjoyable

So I remember seeing this album cover back in the 90’s, and I can tell you that it wasn’t something I was going to search out… Don’t ever recall hearing any of the songs from this album, so it was completely new to me… Was absolutely dreading this exercise based on my scaring from the album cover, and my angst was doubly amplified when I saw the album was over an hour long… Really??? Ugh… Anyway, given how low I set the bar, I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t suck nearly as much as I thought it would… Still don’t get all of the excitement over “Whatever Happened To Pong?”, but there are several tracks towards the later half of the album that I thought were decent… Perhaps the most interesting vibe that I had while listening, was how several of the songs, sorta sounded like they would have fit right into the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” soundtrack… Not sure why I got that – but that occurred on multiple occasions, so who knows, anybody else get that??? Not sure that any of tracks rose above 4-stars on my 7-star rating system, but the tracks that stood out were – “Freedom Rock” “Fiddle Riddle” “Fazer Eyes” And the best track on the album IMO was “Big Red”… Definitely NOT on the same level of the albums that I have scored a 3 to date, but it’s definitely better than a 1… Nothing better than low expectations…

Not my thing

Not really my thing

Very strong first half, pretty mid second half. Enjoyable listen overall.

Way too long

It’s not bad at all. There’s some fun stuff like Fiddle Riddle. I appreciate he wants to do other stuff outside of Pixies. But it’s just not as remarkable. I’ll go 3.5

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

19%

Not a fan.

Kinda loved this, but could've done with being about a third of the length

Didn’t know Frank Black was from the Pixies. I like the Pixies. Didn’t mind this album. I don’t know if I would listen again tho.

Fun album from Pixies singer Frank Black (Black Francis). Not as iconic as his Pixies tunes, but definitely interesting and catchy. Worth a spin.

Yeah I can’t pretend to care about this. This brand of nerdy 90s alt rock never did anything for me.

It's good and a pretty enjoyable listen. The vocal melodies are often really delightful with pleasant counters in the guitar. That said, there's about 6-10 songs out of 22 that really come together. Perhaps there's only a certain aspect that I enjoy that comes through on these tracks, or maybe the album is just too long?

Meh

Was this an album that should be on this list? I would agrue not. Will I ever listen to it again? Probably not. All things considerd it wasn't a bad album, just not to my liking

I reckon if you had caught this album when it was released it could easily be something that fell into regular listening and became on of those albums you remember fondly. But this is the age of Spotfiy. You can access every piece of music Humanity has ever produced. It doesn't stand up to that sort of scrutiny.

Meh

Underrated all around artist

Wore me down. Really began to enjoy this after a second listening.

I dunno who this guy is.. he's pretty and the music feels juvenile pop.. I can't say that there's anything about it that grabs me. Bored now. 2 stars.

Okay. One or two catchy songs that jumped out at me. Otherwise just gimme the Pixies.

theres probably enough really good songs in this to make a 4 or even 5 star album. however, its stuffed full of filler (particularly in the second half) to make it over an hour long. why? seriously why?

It's a real curio this. I've grappled with it on and off over the years. I think it's definitely true that there's plenty here that's right up there rivalling Pixies' best work. It's also true that it's too long and is an assault on the senses at times. Pretty wonderful, really. Headache, Speedy Marie, Freedom Rock

Good lord it was bad, I had a hard time getting through it

frank black is my opp

Did not like

What do you call this, talk rock? I mean, if you're going to make such a point of not singing melodically, at least have something interesting to say. This dude is fucking gross. This isn't interesting to me at all. It's hard for me to imagine anyone actually getting into this. There's nothing here.

I had never heard of this album but it was a great listen. Not quite as good as the classic Pixies albums but quite enjoyable and Headache is a classic tune.

I was excited to learn that the lead singer of the Pixies had another band. I wasn't in love, but there were a few catchy tunes.

So many really good musicians in the US. I wonder how Mr. Black made it into this List? - 0/5

This was kinda fun. I liked the guitar licks and there were a couple with a very strong groove. But this isn't an improvement on the pixies and I found it overly long.

Too long. Some positive moments. Mostly chaotic. 2 stars.

cringe

The guitar work is great but the singing irritated me so much.

So nice I played it twice. I’ve tried this album in the past and it didn’t hit so happy it took this time around.

Pretty fine. The best parts of this reminded me of early Arctic Monkeys. I probably won’t revisit but not a terrible listen

Not my favorite. Kept thinking that this was used on Veronica Mars at some point because it reminded me of the vibe of the soundtrack to that.

Exposing a blind spot of pre-00s Alt/indie/punk rock that didn't break through to the pop charts. I have never heard of this guy before until looking into him. Made me realize how little i know of the Pixies and similar bands. While i don't know the specific songs, the actual music didn't sound all that foreign or off-putting as it's adjacent to other music that I enjoy (e.g. Nirvana). So with a little more familiarity i bet I'd appreciate it more, but as is it didn't move the needle much.

Well, I do like Pixies, so I guess I can go into 62 minutes by Black Francis himself. The cover art threw me off. And it's really good. Some of his vocals remind me of Lou Reed or Ezra Furman (her voice also reminds me of Lou Reed's, to be fair). It's still a long record and I think some careful editing could get this down to a comparably lean 50 minutes--but overall I'm impressed by the consistent quality on an album this long. Highlights: Whatever Happened to Pong?, (I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plain, Speedy Marie, Headache, Sir Rockaby, Freedom Rock, Two Reelers, Pure Denizen Of The Citizens Band

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

Never judge a book by it's utterly horrific cover i guess. I had fun with this

first listen good one, need to listen again

I've always liked Frank Black, and enjoyed this album.

what an explosive and creative openning for such a mediocre album. its also waaay too long, with splashes of interesting and memorable bits. as some other guy here said, make it a 40 minutes thing with your best music, make me want more, instead of making me lose interest cause its all samey shit for 60 minutes weirdly enough, i kinda liked the album, but i dont think its any significant Significant 57/173 Liked 28/173 Added 6/173 NYN

Based on the first song, I thought this would be a weirder album than it turned out to be. The overall vibe of Teenager Of The Year brings together different styles and genres but weaves them together in a distinctly 90s indie rock sound. I enjoyed this much more than I expected but wished the album was significantly shorter than its 63 minute runtime.

Liked this a lot, clearly talented

Rock, Punk, Altern., 1994 -> 2

Conceptually, I am not feeling much here. Honestly, this feels like a Beatles situation where someone leaves the band and drops a whole bunch of tracks they were sitting on. I am curious to see if this was Frank's first record without the Pixies, as that could sway my ranking just a TAD. There is a PLETHORA of genres here, which again is why I feel like there is no identity, and that this was kind of just pieced together unreleased tracks. With that being said, I did vibe out to quite a few of these- but really that's because I like the pixies and those songs give those vibes. Im gonna be honest, if I want this sound, I will just listen to the pixies- there is nothing ground breaking, or innovative here. My favorite track off this record is Speedy Marie.

meh just meh I dont see how this is even on this list and it was really boring I like a few of the songs but it was not a bad time just forgettable and I listen to it twice and nothing stayed with me I do not remember anything

Ok

It took me much too long to realize this was the Pixies singer. I had a very strong suspicion that this was a side project, not sure exactly what made it feel like that, but maybe is is the somewhat irreverent lyrics. Once I finally looked it up it all made sense. I'm not too into the Pixies yet, I've heard a few songs that I enjoyed, but never sought them out. I'd guess there is an album or two on this 1001 journey. With my ignorance of the Pixies and Frank, I may be missing the key that unlocks my perception of this album. Many of these songs seem like they should suck. But they also seem like they are partly satirical which makes the suckiness intentional for those songs, and make them a bit better. As of now I just assume they are kinda duds out of a massive 22 tracks and understandable. Favorite track "I want to live on an Abstract Plain" 3/5

I started and stopped this album many times. Once I finally got to ripping the band aid off, it felt like the album would never end. Most of these songs do not feel written so much as “worked out.” Like Frank Black found a chord progression and then kind of devised lyrics on top of it. Nothing offends my earbuds, per se, but very little actually appealed to me. The album’s saving grace is its production, which makes it pretty listenable. In fact, I liked it best when I stopped listening to the album and just heard it in the background of whatever else I was doing.

Meh

Kinda weird, but it was ok

I neither hated nor loved this until I looked at the length. Why is this an hour? I could have done with less

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

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.

While it wasn’t my cup of tea, I am amazed at how ahead of it’s time this was, and how every song was bite sized and perfect. 3.5, would listen to again to parse it out.

Pretty good, felt longer than it was for some reason.

Strange, but to be expected. Good kind of strange, though.

Stand out track - Big Red

Not my thing! 2/5

It's really interesting to hear Frank Black in isolation from The Pixies. I certainly prefer his pixies material, since it feels much fuller in terms of the sound, as well as being more innovative, given the time when it was made. This is still good, it just doesn't feel revolutionary the way that something like Surfer Rosa does 3/5

This was a little longer than I had hoped for but I don’t really have any complaints about it. It was just orally average and I didn’t dislike I would listen again but nothing really stuck out to me. Just something I had going on.

Wholly and shockingly unremarkable...when not otherwise just terrible. I hated this album then, and I hate it now. Sounds like a talentless kid gifted some recording equipment and a budget. A few non-horrible songs (e.g. "Calistan") don't save the overall boring dogshit. Anything in the Pixies family tree should have suffered the fate of the Fangorn trees at the behest of Saruman. Tear them all down. 2/10 1 star.

It's so painfully okay. Speedy Marie was a highlight, though. Everything just sort of dragged on, if the album was like 16 songs I might've given it a 4.

I’m only familiar with Frank Black’s work with the Pixies. I actually didn’t know he had some solo work until now. This was a good album. Leans heavily into the mid-90s indie rock sound a la Pavement but has a couple curveballs here and there. There were some reggae/dub-inspired tunes which I was surprised to hear. The only drawback is that the album is a bit too long.

loved!

I learned this guy was the front man of the pixies. I’m not much of a fan of them, and this is not really my cup of tea. I see the influence this likely had on others but doesn’t really do it for me

OK full disclosure, I'm not a Pixies fan, but went into this with an open mind, and thought this was more enjoyable than I expected... and then the reggae song comes in and I am in actual hysterics. Fuck, there are still another ELEVEN songs after this? I curse the CD era

doesn't quite justify the length but there's plenty of solid stuff in here.

Je ne m'attendais pas du tout à un son autant alt rock/punk sur cet album, mais c'était bien acueilli. J'ai su par après que c'est le chanteur des Pixies et ça explique beaucoup de choses. Généralement j'ai bien aimé, mais clairement pas autant que les albums du groupe en question. L'album est un peu trop long pour son bien. 7/10

probably not gonna like it

Very well put together

I didn't enjoy the first song, but the rest of the album was very enjoyable.

I could't get into this at all. I thought the vocals sounded awful and off-key throughout the majority of the album.

Never heard of Frank Black and it was a toss up between 1 or 2 stars....gave it 2 stars just for the beat in a few songs.

it was hit and miss, but mostly miss.

I gave this a very distracted listen, so I have minimal insights. It didn’t sound like the mid 90’s to me, which makes it fairly evergreen. My ears perked up a few times- for example- Sir Rockabilly sounded kinda cool. I’d listen to it again. 3.0

Somehow Frank Black never got on my radar. I know of The Pixies but haven't heard them. Sounds like standard 90s alt fare with some interesting additions. Not sure if this would have stuck for me in the day. Doesn't do much for me now. And 22 songs?! c'mon already. 2.7

some fun melodies, but a bit overlong and definitely lacking the presence of the other Pixies

This really gave me nothing

B- Whatever Happened To Pong? 2 Thalassocracy 3 (I Want To Live On An) Abstract Plain 3 Calistan 3 The Vanishing Spies 3 Speedy Marie 3 Headache 3 Sir Rockaby 4 Freedom Rock 4 Two Reelers 3 Fiddle Riddle 5 Olé Mulholland 3 Fazer Eyes 3 I Could Stay Here Forever 3 The Hostess With The Mostest 3 Superabound 4 Big Red 4 Space Is Gonna Do Me Good 3 White Noise Maker 3 Pure Denizen Of The Citizens Band 3 Bad, Wicked World 3 Pie In The Sky 3 UMass Proud.

Very uneven. Definitely interesting. I definitely enjoyed it, but…

This feels like a prime example of skatepark rock.

Not really my vibe, but not terrible. If it came on I probably wouldn't try to change it.

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.

I’ve listened to this once before and did not enjoy it. Three songs in and I feel the same way again. The Pixies really just didn’t do anything nearly as interesting after breaking up. At least The Breeders and The Martinis were sort of doing different things than Pixies and were relatively better for it, but Black Francis/Frank Black sort of just seems like he wanted to make poppier Pixies songs here, and I think he at least succeeds at creating a Pixies-esque sound, which is not something that The Breeders or The Martinis seemed like they were really trying to do. However, it’s an unfortunate continuation of the downward trend that started with Bossanova. You’re better off turning this off and listening to Doolittle or Surfer Rosa.

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

Long. OK. not impressed

Þessi plata kemur út 1994 og hljómar mjög svipuð og margt af því sem er á "standard" listanum. Gott stuff ...

A bit long but some great tunes on it

Weird stuff. Loved it.

Cool. 3.6

Middle better than beginning and end. I found it kind of meh. Not my cup of tea.

The first rock concert I ever attended had Frank Black as the opener when he was promoting this album, so this music really brings me back. That made him the first rock star I ever saw live, long before I knew who The Pixies were. Listening to this album now, it sounds like what you often hear from lead singer solo projects, which lacks the chemistry of the rest of the band. Despite that, it has some real gems. 'Headache' is the standout track and rivals most material by The Pixies. But there is enough else on here to make for a good album. My only complaint is that it's a bit longer than it needs to be. Trim about 20 minutes off and it would be a tighter album but I still really enjoyed listening and imagining that first live experience again.

4.0 - Frank Black proves once again why he’s master of the 90s loud-soft-loud alternative rock sound. Lots of great cuts on here, especially “Headache” and “Speedy Marie.”

interesting album, blend of post-punk and ska. I don't know if I will listen more, may have had enough with initial listen.

Took me by surprise. 4/5

Pixies fíla ég og ég hlusta oft á Doolittle. Mér fannst sólóplatan hjá Frank samt ekkert eitthvað spes. Það er Pixies-keimur á plötunni en ekkert sem stendur upp úr. Ég er ólíklegur að setja þessa aftur í spilun.

Uhhhh Punk rock zonder energie

"Big Red" and "Pie in the Sky" were my favourites. 3/5.

Frank Black without the Pixies is kinda like amazing pizza that's missing the cheese. Still good, but could be so much better.

Teenager of the Year is a nice solo album of Frank Black. The songs are ok, but not that special and he never reaches the quality of his Pixies days.

Heck yeah. I’m a big fan of The Pixies and you can really hear Frank Black’s imprint on the band’s sound when you hear him solo. I love Kim Deal too, but the shadow of Black Francis looms large. Still, I’d rather have The Pixies (or The Posies or Throwing Muses). A good listen.

I felt like I was in the 90’s

Listening to the Pixies without the rest of the band doesn't really make it much fun

inesperadamente incrível! cheio de camadas, super fun!

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.

Felt very personable, as if a friend of mine had made it, appreciated the length too!

Interesting, didn't finish

Frenetically uninteresting

somewhat listenable

Gutes 90er Indie Album

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.

Ugh enough pixies already, 3 albums in 2 weeks.

Mehhhh

New to me. Pretty good.

Ok. Former lead singer of Pixies!

3.5

I know of him from The Pixies but had not heard any of his solo work. There are some good tracks here, and the musicianship is solid. I think I'll give it more of a listen and I'll look out for his other work.

I never really got deep into The Pixies, but I always enjoyed their music whenever I happened to hear it. This feels the same, perhaps unsurprisingly.

Un album qui me fait bel et bien sentir comme une adolescente (la date de parution doit y être pour en quelque chose). Bon équilibre entre l’anxiété des paroles et l’énergie débridée de la musique

Suoraviivaisempaa kun pixies, mutta myös tylsempää. Hiivatin monta biisiä myös levyllä. 3/5

Tässä ois ehkä 30 minuuttia matskua neljän tähden levyyn, mutta ei millään tuntia. Paljon hyvää rockia anyway.

Jotenkin tää ysärin kyyninen kapinahenki tuntuu nykyään lähinnä lapselliselta. 2/5

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

No thanks. I really don't like his voice, I don't really like the Pixies anyway, and this doesn't do much to change my mind. It's too long and has far too many songs that are so unremarkable as to immediately be forgotten, and it only gets a 2 instead of a 1 because it's not definitely bad, I just don't want to listen to it.

Like a Pixies record, but without the infectious energy. His voice isn't good enough for this more stripped back style of music and there's nothing that brings it back from that. 2/5.

Garbage

One song album. Sorta punky

It was alright

Great album. Your typical Frank Black humor and pop hooks. Very little filler for such a long album.

I've heard of the Pixies but never listened to them. I like this album and will check out more.

I don't like the pixies, and it turns out because if this guy!

Really? Like is this good enough for the list? Okay... I'll give it a shot. I'm not feeling it. I like some of his music from the Pixies, but this isn't it.

estuvo bueno actually 7.5/10

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

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.

This was a great listen and new to me!

Liked this one a lot

None of these tracks rival the best of the Pixies’ output, though they’re all cut from the same agreeable cloth. Shortening the album to put more focus on the stronger tunes would definitely have been to its benefit. I have serious doubts about whether it warrants a place on this list, but to be honest as soon as I saw the cover I knew I couldn’t give this less than a 3. Just look at Frank’s happy little face!

2/10

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.

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.

A very odd album. I was pleasantly surprised; like a music critic said, the album artwork gives the wrong impression entirely. Calistan and Freedom Rock were great, Fiddle Riddle utterly rotten, and the rest pretty enjoyable. Quite like the sound, is relatively consistent between the Pixies which I also enjoyed. Nice one Frank.

I enjoyed this album but it does go on for a while. I don't think I have any desire to revisit this. Highlights: Abstract Pain The Vanishing Spies Headache Bad Wicked World

Wasn't aware this was the guy from pixies initially. The album art gave me the complete wrong impression! Didn't know he had a solo career. It's not as good as the pixies, but I really like his voice and enjoyed this mostly. Bit long, but songs were short so kept my attention. Some similar to the pixies, some not so much. Felt very much of that 90s American scene which I grew up with so felt familiar although I haven't heard it before. Some perhaps like the magnetic numbers? I thought "pure denizen of the citizens band" sounded like the Rollins band. Anyway, I think there was a lot here to enjoy, quite eclectic. He's talented, not sure about his more reggae sounding offering (freedom rock). Highlights: Thallasocracy Abstract pain Calistan Headache Big red Pure denizen of the citizens band Bad, wicked world I'll be back. Somewhere around the 3.5 or 4 mark but I reckon it could be higher. Changing to 5 as I've listened to this lots since reviewing

Not for me.

This was a solid album. The first half is very good, last half is kinda eh. A good variety of music too. It doesn’t feel too repetitive. Although I will say the lyrics are pretty weak. A little all over the place in the scheme of the whole album, and even within each song the lyrics are kinda just okay at best. Also the first song sounds like sex b-bom. Remove the last third of the album you have a 4, but the whole album is a 3.5

Definitely NOT. Salvaged ‘Fiddle Riddle’ from the hot mess of an album but other than that it's a tosser.

Good

3.5

Some good songs but he should have stuck with the pixies

I thought the guy on the cover looked like someone who might have came second in Pop Idol but the music here is great. Only complaint is that maybe this collection is little too long

Inte lika bra som Pixies men inga större fel trots allt.

Didn't listen much. Sound too much like just generic uninspired rock

Didn't enjoy it, at times it was alright but mostly just mad yelling sounding

Just noise. Not a fan.

This is a great listen 👍🏼

Good stuff but too many fillers

Better than any pixies album tbf

What a weird album. Not in a bad way, but man, what a weird thing to listen to. I'm not sure if I like it, but its not bad at all. 3/5

Surely an album with a track called Thalassocracy has to be great, right? You'd be wrong, it's simply *alright*. This album isn't for me, but it's still a clear step down from the Pixies.

Superchulo.

reminds me of arctic monkeys' first album in some parts. was nice enough alright

a very cool post-pixies exploration by frank black. a buffet of alternative rock with catchy tunes and deeper tracks. i love his cryptic lyricism, making repeat listens more enjoyable. a few really catchy tracks like headache. not a 5 due to it being a pretty long album of 22 tracks, a few of which could have been cut. but the rest is gold nonetheless.

Going to need someone to explain to me why this isn't hot garbage, because that's exactly what it feels like to me.

250226 11:26 3.5

I like it quite a bit. It does sound like what you’d imagine a ‘90s alternative album would sound like. A mix of dissonant guitar chords and sharp pop production tricks. Excellent songwriting, which might be the least surprising thing about this album. VERY relistenable if a tad too long.

3.7 . Best pixies album they never made

80s alt rock from former lead singer of the Pixies. Nice discovery.

Had only listened to the Black’s work with the Pixie’s prior to this listen. Thought this was really good, a bit long at 22 tracks but a strong lighter grunge album. Abstract Plain and Headache were both solid, there’s some decent humour on it too. Ole Mulholland came on and it was such a strong reminder how big and influence had on Isaac Brock which gave me a whole other reason to appreciate this. Yea, a bit long but fuck ya Frank! 4 stars

Vermakelijk album, niet onmisbaar

Helt ait, syns pixies er bedre

Great listen. I haven't explored much of Frank Black's solo career but I felt this was a very cohesive album that was so listenable.

I like a lot of the guitar work, but this album feels like when a good character in a show disappears and comes back but now they're dark and brooding cause they've been through some shit. Shouldn't have broken up the pixies, francis

It was better than the Pixies album, but I still didn’t love his voice. I appreciated the short songs, but there were just so many of them!!! The vibe from the album cover vs the vibe of the songs themselves did not match.

2.5

no this is nothing to me and it really just goes on forever huh

Not bad, not amazing

Endlessly creative. Went on from Pixies to have a great solo career.

Wasn't my style; not one song I loved.

Not my thing

Not too bad

I fell asleep for some songs but the ones I listened to weren't bad

I enjoy the Pixies and this was cool but too long.

Крутой альбом но! длинный

Мужик развалил культовую группу и ушёл писать песни про марсоходы. Динамично, но как-то не торкает.

Давно я так часто не заглядывал в спотик посмотреть сколько там ещё осталось и вечно разочаровывался. Хедэйк, так сказать

I love the Pixies and some of Frank Black’s solo work. This one doesn’t really grab me - good but not great.

I hadn't heard any of Frank's solo records, and honestly thought this would just sound like a Pixies record. But it sounds distinctly like a solo record. And I'm into it! Some well-written ditties for sure. While nothing in particular stuck with me a few days after listening, I'd definitely listen again. So that's a great sign.

Objectively, I’m not sure why this is on the list (as much as I love The Pixies). Subjectively, it was a fun album and exactly what I want to listen to. I’ll split the difference with my rating, I guess.

solo album by the song from Pixies! This was very very good! 8.0/10

I liked the sound a lot. I also really like the hodge-podginess of the lyrical content but it went on for too long. Kinda like eating a peanut butter sandwich for 3 years. Almost all of them are going to be pretty good with no complaints (except for maybe one.. looking at you Fiddle Riddle). Over time though, it’s just the same stuff and your lunches feel like they’re the same shit every day and you start to wonder when will you be able to eat a new sandwich. 6.5/10 Fav song: Headache Least: Fiddle Riddle

Solides Rock Album. Hat mir so zum nebenbei hören gefallen. 3.9

3,5

Nice Songs. Liked it! Love the mix of musical styles. personal top3 in no order: speedy marie freedom rock fiddle riddle

Einzelne Songs werde ich vermutlich erneut hören. Gutes Album! Am besten gefällt mir "Headache". 6.5/10

Manchmal bissle zu punkig, aber insgesamt groovy

Some hits and some misses. Some references to LA, so that's fun. Love the overall tone

It's got that 90 indies rock vibe that I enjoy. I didn't really know who Frank was and thought it sounded familiar and then reading the description of the album made the penny drop. It's like a fun version of The Pixies. Faves: Abstract Plain, Freedom Rock

Hmmmm, to start with the inevitable Pixies comparison, this seems to be lacking a certain je ne sais quoi. Is it just lack of familiarity, or the absence of Kim Deal? A little bit of both, maybe? I gave this three play throughs and it definitely started to grow on me - maybe with more plays I'd reach the same level of admiration I have for Pixies... Fave tracks - "(I Want to Live on An) Abstract Plain", "Two Reelers", "Bad, Wicked World" all stood out. I'm not sure how I feel about the reggae-tinged "Fiddle Riddle"....

Oh a solo album from the lead singer of the Pixies. I was wondering what this was about since I'd never heard of it! This is the kind of music I would have loved in high school and obsessed over. I don't think anything about it really blew me away but i also liked every song and found this very easy to listen to. Diverse enough and interesting flow. Really talented artist.

There weren’t any bad songs, though I did feel the album was a bit long. A sci-Fi theme of earth and isolation started to emerge in the second half which I found really really interesting and wished he leaned into more, in favor of some of the other songs that, while interesting, detracted from a tighter album. Still, I liked the album and would listen to it again.

Best frank album in my opinion

Huh

Some good songs but overall too long/bloated.

Nothing really stuck out on this one. Really missed the rest of the pixies.

The most frontloaded album of all time.

Couldn't care less for this album, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

The first 7 songs were nice and the rest was generic alternative noises from the 90s. 7 songs out of 22 is not enough to reach a 3 stars. Not today. Sorry.

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 👶👨👴

not awful, not remarkable thoug