Frank Black & The Catholics - Black Letter Days

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Music reviews of Black Letter Days

Music Review: Solo just keeps on getting better with age
Rating: 5 Stars

After a week or so, I began exploring the other material (and there's a lot of it here, and combined with DW, there's REALLY a lot of material to digest). Like all of Frank's albums, I knew that "Black Letter Days" would only get better and better with age. It was not long before the genius of the title track, "End Of Miles", "Jane the Queen Of Love" (what an amazing song) and "Southbound Bevy" revealed itself. Other tracks ("California Bound", "Jet Black River", "True Blue", "I Will Run After You") slowly crept into the pleasure center of my consciousness as well.

The only complaints I have about BLD is the overlong, monotonous "1826", and the 2nd version of the cover of "Black Rider". Make an exception for those two tracks and you have yourself as close to a perfect album as you're likely to get.

The album as a whole incorporates a very loose, reflective desert mentality. Some of it is quite bitter and angry (the title track, "Cold Heart Of Stone"), while tracks such as "Chip Away Boy" and "End Of Miles" were meant to be played while drivin' out old country roads at night or crusin' through the desert by day. I've heard some reviewers mention that this sounds like a "truck-stop" album. Not in my opinion. Much more like a pure desert-rock album. I've also heard several people mention the "alternative country" tag in relation to this record. Once I again, while there are definite country elements, I disagree. If one considers "Sticky Fingers" era Rolling Stones "alternative country" then so be it, but not I. And BLD makes a definitive nod toward that golden era of that classic band. The musicianship is superb (dear God, I absolutlely LOVE the steel Pedal guitar sound this album employs...sounds amazing), Frank's voice is in top form, and the album is simultaneously polished AND rough around the edges sounding, much the same way the classic 70's Stone's albums were.

Like one of the earlier reviewers stated, Frank could put a new album out every month and I would be the first one in line for it. I personally vote both BLD and DW the best albums of 2002. Unlike so many people seemingly stuck in the past, I don't miss the Pixies one iota, and can honestly say that ever since the first FB record, I've never looked back. Every album Frank has released has bettered anything the Pixies ever did IMO. And the man just keeps getting better and better with age.

Thanks to you Frank for giving the world such wonderful compositions. And please come to Louisville again soon. I promise I'll be the first one in the building just as I was last time.

Description of Black Letter Days

Alternative Rock CDs

• Music > Styles
• Folk
• World Music
• Pop
• Rock