Review by LarryG
3 stars out of 4
As Black Francis, Frank Black (nee Charles Thompson) led the Pixies, one
of the best bands of the 80's. They made great, fast songs, differentiated
from other post punk music by Black's distinctive personality and quirky
sense of fun. Towards the end of the Pixies' career and especially in
his solo career, Black slowed down the songs and seemed more concerned
with the quirky, fun part. His first solo record was a disappointment.
With the exception of the great remake of the Beach Boys' Hang on to Your
Ego, there weren't many great songs. Teenager of the Year was a return
to form. It's Black's best post Pixies work because, while it has lots
of fun, weird touches, the quality of the songs is high. Black still
knew how to rock. Don't be put off by the genuinely creepy cover showing
Black as the proud winner of a beauty pageant, the music inside is great,
basic rock. From the start of Teenager of the Year, Black shows he's
ready to rock. It opens with two fast moshpit ready guitar songs both
of which only need a minute and a half to create a great frenzied mood.
Whatever Happened to Pong is a great, dopey tribute to the early video
game. Thalassocracy is a giddy Ramones-like simple fast rocker, which
still has time for a great guitar solo, where Black sings, "I want
to sing for you and make your head go pop" and also spouts his weird
philosophy. Things only slow down slightly for I Want to Live on an
Abstract Plain, another fun rocker which, like the equally enjoyable
Space is Gonna Do Me Good, is about Black's often expressed desire to
find a world where he'll be understood. Most of the 22 songs on Teenager
of the Year are fast and fun. Headache is a straight forward rocker.
As on much of the record, ex-Pere Ubu keyboardist Eric Drew Feldman
does a nice job filling out the sound. While most of the songs on Teenager
of the Year are straight ahead rockers, Black does a fairly good job of
making each song distinctive. Freedom Rock, where Black sings about his
love of music, "Nobody owns the pleasure of tones", is a fast
rocker that suddenly slows to ska rock before speeding up again. Two
Reelers, Black's tribute to the Three Stooges, starts out with punkish
speed then slows down to emphasize Black's plea in defense of the Three
Stooges and maybe himself as well, "some gibberish it is so serious,
what we need is more silly men." Black slows things down well on I
Could Stay Here Forever, a nice midtempo rocker where Black's vocals are
nice and unsarcastic. The middle of the cd has a few stupid songs like Ole
Mulholland, which is endless and pointless. But the record picks up in
the end with the very fun White Noise Maker and Pure Denizen of the
Citizens Band, in which Black laments that truckers don't want to talk
to him on his cb radio. The last 3 songs, with the Pixies' Joey
Santiago guesting on guitar, are particularly fun fast rock. On Pure
Denizen, Black ends with a echoing godlike vocal. Pie In the Sky is a
fun would-be dance song, apparently directing us to leave this universe.
Sadly, Black's solo work has barely sold and he's no longer affiliated
with a major label. Black is an original, distinctive talent and his cds,
including his most recent ones with his new band, the Catholics, are worth
searching for. As he showed clearly on Teenager of the Year, Black is an
original, unique talent with a great ability to make an irresistable rock
song.
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