Frank Black in Bloomington, MN

Underneath their noise and weirdness, the
Pixies
had a thorough knowledge of rock history, spanning '50s and '60s' surf-rock, '70s punk's menacing energy and '80s college rock's quirkiness. After dismantling the band,
Black Francis
inverted his name, collaborated with
Captain Beefheart
/
Pere Ubu
sideman
Eric Drew Feldman
and let his inner rock historian loose on
Frank Black
. Much of the album nods to
Black
's inspirations, but his own gifts still shine through. The chugging
Iggy Pop
homage
"Ten Percenter"
borrows the
Stooges
' primitive grind, while the arty, dissonant UFO convention tale
"Parry the Wind High, Low"
recalls
Bowie
's Berlin era. However,
"I Heard Ramona Sing"
-- a
Ramones
tribute -- is an airy, jangly pop number that sounds nothing like its subject; the
Beach Boys
'
"Hang On To Your Ego"
gets a new wave makeover with crunchy guitars and shiny keyboards. Despite his efforts to escape the
' sound, many of
's songs would have fit on
Trompe Le Monde
.
"Los Angeles"
builds on that album's spacy, metallic feel; with its thrashy choruses and dreamy coda, it almost caricatures the
' extreme dynamics. However, whimsical vignettes like
"Brackish Boy"
and
"Two Spaces"
sound more like
They Might Be Giants
-- one of
's favorite groups -- than his old band, while softer songs like
"Adda Lee"
"Every Time I Go Around Here"
reveal more emotional depth.
also boasts an unabashedly big, polished sound; keyboards and brass embellish
"Places Named After Numbers"
and the epic surf-rock instrumental
"Tossed."
Just a few years later, new wave-inspired punk-pop bands like
Weezer
,
the Rentals
and even
No Doubt
ruled alternative rock, proving that even if his solo career wasn't as influential as his
years,
was still ahead of his time. ~ Heather Phares