Date: Wed, 20 Dec 1995 00:29:07 -0500 From: BluBelKnol@AOL.COM Subject: Frank Black review Just thought I'd let the Frankie fans on the list read this. This is from the Jan '96 issue of "US" magazine in the "essentials" section: "Alternative-rock icon FRANK BLACK has been somewhat eclipsed by his fellow former Pixie, Kim Deal. But he's been cranking out the solo albums as well: 'The Cult of Ray' is his third since 1993. It's infectious, noisy power pop driven by muscular drumming and guitar distortion that sounds, alternately, pretty and scary. His subjects can be frightening too: While most rockers whine about feeling alienated, Black sings about aliens (the album title is a reference to sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury). (American Recordings)" Hhhhmmm.... that way they make it sound, it ought to be pretty good. Anyone have access to an advance copy they'd like to review for us??? -Blue blubelknol@aol.com Date: Fri, 19 Jan 1996 12:12:32 -0800 From: Micah Newman (mnewman@WESTMONT.EDU) Subject: FB: Cult of Ray review I received in the mail a free issue of "Musician" magazine (March 1996), and in it, _The Cult Of Ray_ was reviewed: Frank Black The Cult of Ray (American) Frank Black is a lot like character actor Crispin Glover. Both began their show-biz careers with sturdy, star-making performances--Glover as the mousy Dad in _Back To The Future_ and the distressed friend in _River's Edge_, Black with a guitar-fueled juggernaut of releases by his old band, the Pixies. And both, over the years, have gotten weirder and weirder, to the point where only devout disciples appreciate their curious crafts. _The Cult Of Ray_, Black's third (and self-produced) solo foray, is every bit as eccentric and entertaining as Glover's recent cameo in _Twister_. It's a strange tour de force not meant for myopic masses. Black, a noted UFO enthusiast, wastes not time jumping into his fave subjects. The opening "Marsist" begins with a quasi-Kinks riff, segues into a surf lead, seasons the mix with saturnine guitar squeals, eventually does channel-to-channel battle with surf and feedback, and lyrically notes the nifty pleasures of living on another planet. "Men In Black" expands on the theory: The protagonist has just filmed a saucer with his camcorder, and figures he'll soon be silenced. Appropriately, the vocal identity Black assumes for much of this project is marshmallowy, often buried beneath swamp guitars. Even the most ferocious number--the pun-hyper "Dance War"--waives artistic personality for sheer sonic overload. The guitar reigns supreme here; voices are purely incidental. That contrast is almost palpable on the reverb-happy "Jesus Was Right", the Phil Spector-ish "You Ain't Me", and the classic rock textures (with surly '50s punctuation) of "Punk Rock City". To paraphrase an old cliche, Black may not know art, but he knows what he likes. Occasionally, such single-mindedness does Black in--the forgettable, overwrought title cut, for instance. But mostly it's redemptive. Like all oddballs--including Crispin Glover--Black cares so much for his personal causes, from space aliens to the salvation of a good, fuzz-distorted tube amp, that you wind up being charmed, if not converted, by his visions. --Tom Lanham Date: Tue, 23 Jan 1996 09:57:58 +0000 From: Andrew Norman (nja@LEICESTER.AC.UK) Subject: Frank Black - The Cult of Ray Short review: It sucks, don't buy it. Long review: It sucks, don't buy it. Totally uninspired - he seems to have lost his knack with a tune, the music sounds like any MOR rock group having a go at punk, the lyrics sound like a parody of his former work. And the cover is the sort of thing a bored eight year old would come up with if left alone with a PC drawing package. It's really embarrassingly awful - the cover screams "DON'T BUY THIS, IT SUCKS!!!", which means it is perfect. Initial copies come with a bonus CD with four extra tracks, I haven't even managed to work up the strength to listen to that yet. Don't buy it, it sucks. Got the message yet? Date: Wed, 7 Feb 1996 07:29:06 EST From: "Scott Davies (295-7039)" (sdavies@VNET.IBM.COM) Subject: cult of ray picked up frank black's latest and after 3 listening i say, thumbs down. don't know what he is doing..... i don't get it - gone are the quirky lyrics, the 2 minute paeans to the dross of american culture - this seems to be his tribute to trex/transvestite bowie guitar licks... and seems to me that, with the exception of a few songs, there was no thought put into the lyrics at all - i'll be the first to admit i rarely catch what he is crooning about on the first (or second or third or ever) listening, but even when you couldn't get it you knew he was singing about something! i'm left thinking it's a bad joke on us - those who slavishly buy frank's output - the title - the cheesey guitar in the left channel (and the credits stating that mr. black's guitar is heard on the right... barely, i might add).... the "punk rock" song that sounds about as "punk" as 90 percent of AOR - the lyric 'melting rock into metal again?' .... don't do it for me, frankie.