Frank Black and the Catholics: The Complete Recordings

Frank Black and the Catholics: The Complete Recordings
Frank Black The Complete Recordings.jpg
Compilation album by
Released6 April 2015 (2015-04-06) (UK)
7 April 2015 (2015-04-07) (US)
Recorded1997–2003
Genre
Length7:17:16
LabelCooking Vinyl
Producer
Frank Black and the Catholics chronology
Snake Oil
(2006)
Frank Black and the Catholics: The Complete Recordings
(2015)
Frank Black chronology
Paley & Francis
(2011)
Frank Black and the Catholics: The Complete Recordings
(2015)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
Exclaim!7/10
Record Collector
The Spill Magazine

Frank Black and the Catholics: The Complete Recordings is a 7-CD box set compilation by Frank Black and the Catholics, released by Cooking Vinyl in April 2015. Containing 132 songs, it collects all of the band's six studio albums as well as B-sides, unreleased tracks, alternate takes, the officially unreleased Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day album and the True Blue bonus disc, containing demos for the Black Letter Days album. Unusually, all tracks are listed alphabetically rather than chronologically through all seven discs. All tracks have been remastered from the original live-to-two-track and one-track recordings for this release.

Background

Talking to Songfacts in 2015 about the reason for the box set, Black said: "I suppose that as Cooking Vinyl's distributor in the US went out of business some years ago, I realized many of my records were going out of print, especially from the Catholics era. A box set is a way to revitalize a body of work, and to usher in new distribution."

Explaining the decision to present the tracks in alphabetical order rather than in their original album format, Black said in a press release: "It feels like an approximation of randomness and its a way to randomise something, especially if it's titles. We get away from the preciousness of LPs we put out and its more about the body of work, the good times that we had."

True Blue

The bonus disc True Blue features a number of "technical demos" that engineer Ben Mumphrey discovered in his New Orleans recording archive. He wrote in the set's liner notes: "These songs were recorded with the intention of being demos, to be sent to the Catholics band to learn before they traveled to Los Angeles to record the album Black Letter Days. ... We recorded in the temporarily empty "B" room in Sound City Studios in Los Angeles, where many of Mr. Black's local musician friends came by to help out. In return, exquisite evening buffets were provided for all, which Frank Black himself brought to the studio nightly and spread out. Everyone played, ate, talked, and was merry. These songs were the result."

Reception

The album received generally favorable reviews from critics. Record Collector wrote, "It’s probably foolish to conceive of Frank Black and the Catholics' body of work meriting the reverence afforded to Pixies' illustrious canon, yet the holy-rolling mass they deliver across these six, eccentrically compiled CDs is still enough to make most God-fearing rock’n’rollers believe in miracles." AllMusic wrote, "This reshuffled order just might remind fans how consistent Black's output was during this time, and how well the band's stripped-down approach suited his songwriting." AllMusic felt that the best songs of the set "serve as a reminder that Black developed into a more mature, but still playful, writer during the Catholics years."

Magnet magazine felt that as a whole, the box set "quiets the lingering misconception that after the Pixies, Black's best work was behind him." Uncut wrote that "Only those with blind faith could love everything here, but dipping in randomly produces gems."

The Spill Magazine was positive towards the alphabetically listed track order, writing, "The randomness of the album gives it a nice variety when listening to the album by mixing it up, rather than progressing through the different phases of the band." PopMatters felt the same, writing that "this seemingly arbitrary decision actually adds an element of fascination to this box set [and] lets us consider the songs free from their original context. It makes for a new set of odd clashes." They called the bonus disc "uniformly excellent" and added, "Despite being demos, True Blue sounds like a fully formed and excellent seventh album from Frank Black and the Catholics."

Exclaim! was less positive, writing that Black's "mystifying decision to release all of the material alphabetically (rather than chronologically) alongside the lack of extensive liner notes and the inclusion of a mostly disappointing bonus disc ... The Complete Recordings feels less celebratory than perfunctory."

Track listing

All songs written by Frank Black unless otherwise indicated.

CD one (Al-Co)
No.TitleWriter(s)Place of originLength
1."All My Ghosts" Frank Black and the Catholics, 19983:14
2."Angst" Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day, 2000; B-side to "Robert Onion", 20001:36
3."Are You Headed My Way?" Devil's Workshop, 20022:04
4."Back to Rome" Frank Black and the Catholics3:25
5."Bad Harmony" Pistolero, 19993:19
6."Bartholomew" Devil's Workshop2:26
7."Belle Isle"TraditionalSnake Oil, 20062:36
8."The Big Hurt"Wayne ShanklinB-side to "Dog Gone", 19981:53
9."Billy Radcliffe" Pistolero2:21
10."Black Letter Day" Black Letter Days, 20023:28
11."The Black Rider (Rock Version)"Tom WaitsBlack Letter Days2:35
12."The Black Rider (Surf Version)"WaitsBlack Letter Days3:09
13."Blast Off" Dog in the Sand, 20017:13
14."Blizzard 1989" Previously unreleased2:43
15."Bullet" Dog in the Sand3:24
16."California Bound" Black Letter Days3:21
17."Changing of the Guards"Bob DylanPreviously unreleased6:55
18."Changing of the Guards"DylanB-side to "All My Ghosts", 19986:36
19."Chip Away Boy" Black Letter Days2:54
20."Coastline" Show Me Your Tears, 20031:56
CD two (Co-Ho)
No.TitleWriter(s)Place of originLength
1."Cold Heart Of Stone" Black Letter Days3:18
2."Constant Sorrow Man" Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day; B-side to "St. Francis Dam Disaster", 20013:25
3."A Dab'll Do Ya" iTunes Exclusive, 20032:49
4."Do Nothing"Lynval GoldingB-side to "I Gotta Move", 19982:56
5."Do You Feel Bad About It?" Frank Black and the Catholics2:07
6."Dog Gone" Frank Black and the Catholics2:59
7."Dog in the Sand" Dog in the Sand3:48
8."Don't Clip Your Wings" iTunes Exclusive, 20031:51
9."Down in the Hole"Mick Jagger, Keith RichardsB-side to "Everything Is New", 20033:09
10."End of Miles" Black Letter Days3:48
11."End of Miles" Previously unreleased2:48
12."Everything Is New" Show Me Your Tears3:52
13."The Farewell Bend" Black Letter Days3:21
14."Fields of Marigold" Devil's Workshop3:06
15."Goodbye Lorraine" Show Me Your Tears2:36
16."Heloise" Devil's Workshop3:51
17."Hermaphroditos (Is My Name)" Dog in the Sand4:12
18."His Kingly Cave" Devil's Workshop4:42
19."Horrible Day" Show Me Your Tears3:36
20."How You Went So Far" Black Letter Days4:19
CD three (Hu-Ki)
No.TitleWriter(s)Place of OriginLength
1."Humboldt County Massacre" (Version 1) Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day2:03
2."Humboldt County Massacre" (Version 2) B-side to "I Gotta Move" (Promo)2:37
3."Humboldt County Massacre" (Version 3) B-side to "All My Ghosts"1:44
4."I Gotta Move" Frank Black and The Catholics3:39
5."I Love Your Brain" Pistolero3:49
6."I Need Peace" Frank Black and The Catholics5:13
7."I Switched You" Pistolero5:58
8."I Think I'm Starting to Lose It" Pistolero2:10
9."I Want Rock & Roll" Pistolero3:07
10."I Will Run After You" Black Letter Days3:59
11."I Will Run After You" Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day3:52
12."I'll Be Blue" Dog in the Sand3:32
13."I'm Going Down"Bruce SpringsteenB-side to "Dog Gone"2:59
14."I've Seen Your Picture" Dog in the Sand2:52
15."If It Takes All Night" Dog in the Sand3:20
16."Jaina Blues" Show Me Your Tears3:59
17."Jane the Queen of Love" Black Letter Days3:32
18."Jet Black River" Black Letter Days1:51
19."John the Revelator"Traditional, adapted by Son HousePreviously unreleased4:37
20."King & Queen of Siam" Frank Black and The Catholics2:51
CD four (Le-Sc)
No.TitlePlace of originLength
1."Le Cigare Volant"Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day; One More Road for the Hit, 20062:26
2."Living on Soul" (Version 1)B-side to "All My Ghosts"2:43
3."Living on Soul" (Version 2)Previously unreleased2:39
4."Llano del Rio"Dog in the Sand4:10
5."Ludwigshafen"One More Road for the Hit2:17
6."The Man Who Was Too Loud"Frank Black and The Catholics3:22
7."Manitoba"Show Me Your Tears4:35
8."Massif Centrale"Show Me Your Tears4:56
9."Modern Age"Devil's Workshop2:55
10."My Favorite Kiss"Show Me Your Tears2:08
11."Nadine"Show Me Your Tears3:01
12."Nadine" (Version 2)Previously unreleased1:51
13."New House of the Pope"Show Me Your Tears3:30
14."Out of State"Devil's Workshop2:30
15."Pan American Highway"Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day, B-side to "Robert Onion"4:18
16."Pray for the Girls"Heroes and Villains: Music Inspired by the Powerpuff Girls, 20003:37
17."Preacher's Daughter"iTunes Exclusive, 20033:11
18."Robert Onion"Dog in the Sand4:02
19."San Antonio, TX"Devil's Workshop3:48
20."The Scene"Devil's Workshop2:29
CD five (Se-Su)
No.TitleWriter(s)Place of originLength
1."Selkie Bride" Previously unreleased2:40
2."Selkie Bride" (Instrumental) Previously unreleased1:59
3."Show Me Your Tears" iTunes Exclusive, 20031:42
4."Song of the Shrimp"Sid Tepper, Roy C. BennettPreviously unreleased2:39
5."Sister Isabelle"Del Shannon, Brian HylandPreviously unreleased3:37
6."Six-Sixty-Six"Larry NormanFrank Black and The Catholics3:05
7."Skeleton Man" Pistolero3:10
8."Sleep"Donovan LeitchSunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day2:38
9."Smoke Up" Pistolero2:56
10."The Snake" Show Me Your Tears2:06
11."Snake Oil" Snake Oil2:45
12."So Hard to Make Things Out" Pistolero5:39
13."So. Bay" Pistolero4:58
14."Solid Gold" Frank Black and The Catholics4:16
15."Some Things (I Can't Get Used to)"Jon E. Risk, Joseph PopeSnake Oil; Devil's Workshop outtake3:27
16."Southbound Bevy" Black Letter Days3:03
17."St. Francis Dam Disaster" Dog in the Sand4:59
18."Steak 'n' Sabre" Frank Black and the Catholics3:48
19."Stupid Me" Dog in the Sand2:34
20."Suffering" Frank Black and the Catholics2:50
CD six (Su-18)
No.TitleWriter(s)Place of originLength
1."Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day"Doug SahmSunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day5:12
2."The Swimmer" Dog in the Sand2:46
3."Take What You Want"Reid PaleyB-side to "Everything Is New"2:32
4."This Old Heartache" Show Me Your Tears3:28
5."Tiny Heart" Pistolero3:29
6."True Blue" Black Letter Days1:51
7."Valentine and Garuda" Black Letter Days3:15
8."Valley of Our Hope" Pistolero; Japanese bonus track4:16
9."Velvety" Devil's Workshop2:28
10."Western Star" Pistolero3:13
11."When Will Happiness Find Me Again?" Show Me Your Tears2:22
12."Whiskey in Your Shoes" Devil's Workshop3:08
13."Whiskey in Your Shoes" Previously unreleased2:24
14."Whispering Weeds" Previously unreleased2:30
15."Whispering Weeds" Black Letter Days3:39
16."You're Such a Wire" Pistolero2:08
17."21 Reasons" Black Letter Days5:40
18."85 Weeks" Pistolero2:32
19."1826" Black Letter Days6:49
20."1826" Previously unreleased5:06
CD seven (True Blue)
No.TitleLength
1."Black Letter Day"2:57
2."California Bound"3:33
3."Chip Away Boy"2:10
4."Cold Heart of Stone"3:19
5."How You Went So Far"3:18
6."Jane the Queen of Love"4:07
7."Jet Black River"1:26
8."Southbound Bevy"3:02
9."The End of Miles"2:42
10."The Farewell Bend"3:30
11."Valentine and Garuda"2:59
12."Whispering Weeds"2:19

Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes.


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