Charles Thompson devised the stage name of Black Francis from a combination of a few family names. The moniker provided an androgynous, ironic counterpoint to his blood-curdling wails and bizarre lyrics. After his legendary alt-rock band Pixies broke up, he inverted his name to Frank Black, and for his 11th solo album, the first since the much-heralded Pixies reunion, he has released a double album whose title bridges the gap: Frank Black Francis. The album’s composition reflects the title choice: though all the songs are from the Pixies era, Thompson is the only group member to appear.
In 1987, on the day before Pixies entered the studio for the first time (to record what would later become their revolutionary debut EP Come on Pilgrim), Thompson went and recorded 15 songs onto legendary producer Gary Smith’s walkman. The first disc of Frank Black Francis collects this stark, solo performance with remarkable clarity and barely any production touches. Hearing a young Thompson nail most of Pixies early greats, complete with some great commentary between songs, is enough to get true Pixies fans out to the record stores in droves.
Those fans would do well to steer clear of the second disc, a series of Pixies greats as re-imagined by the largely unknown production duo Two Pale Boys. The songs eschew the trademark quiet-loud sound transition that Thompson developed in the late ‘80s, and rather focus on ornate instrumentation unbecoming of the tracks. While a few tracks are interesting, the painful electronic string section and overuse of the tuba make these classics sound stale, at best. Any producer in the world would love to get their hands on these songs, and it’s a shame Thompson didn’t decide to open the second disc up to more able hands.
For all the weakness of the second disc, the demos more than justify Frank Black Francis. Halfway through the reincarnation epic “Caribou,” Thompson says “I’m supposed to be screaming,” and then lets out a howl of “REPENT.” Before Pixies had even laid its songs down on tape, and without an audience, Thompson already knew exactly what to do.
