Frank Black And The Catholics – ‘Self Titled’ (Demon Records)

Frank Black And The Catholics – ‘Self Titled’ (Demon Records)

 It’s easy to forget it’s been 25 years Since Frank unleashed his hard rockin’ Catholics debut on the world and they carried on for some years making a right proper good din. getting a royal half-speed remaster it’s even louder than the original and the stripped-back band sounds sooo damn good. I’ll admit it’s been a while since I dived in on this album but when I do I still thoroughly enjoy it and this heavyweight version pays its rightful dues to the band and their output.

https://frankblack.lnk.to/catholics25

This is the first-ever re-issue of their self-titled album as a stand-alone vinyl release. The record has been mastered from the original tapes by Phil Kindrade at Air Studios, and this beautifully presented album is accompanied by a 5-page booklet and an Obi Strip.

Originally released in 1998, the backing group on this album performed on Frank Black’s previous album, ‘The Cult Of Ray‘ but the group name was first adopted on this release. Raw garage punk energy recorded live to two-track tape over the course of two days was initially intended as a series of demos. Black decided that they couldn’t be improved upon and released them as they were. This was the first album by a major artist to be commercially released on the Internet. Sounds bizarre now but it was.

All of the tracks are original Frank Black compositions except “Six-Sixty-Six”, which is a cover of a song by Larry Norman. Frank Black had long admired Norman, naming the first Pixies mini-album ‘Come On Pilgrim’, after a line in a Norman song. 

From the opening chords of ‘All My Ghosts’ the album rattles along and it’s not a stretch to find out these were live recordings intended to be demos but Frank didn’t want to mess with them or redo them in the studio so happy was he with the result of the sessions. the album feels like you’re sitting in on a session and the final cut of ‘Man Who Was Too Loud’ is my pick of the pops from this album. One of Franks’s best songs in my opinion but it is pushed close by the heavy riff-a-rama of ‘Solid Gold’ and Franks’s easy-going delivery on the lyrics is blissful.

It has been a joy these past few years seeing all the Black solo material getting dripped out with remasters and bonus material and never before on vinyl treats this is another that guitar rock fans should be all over like a rash. Bless you, Mr Black and all who plug in beside you.

Frank Black And The Catholics’ debut album go to https://frankblack.lnk.to/catholics25

Author: Dom Daley

The Cavemen – ‘Ca$h 4 Scrap’ (Slovenly Records)

The Cavemen – ‘Ca$h 4 Scrap’ (Slovenly Records)

The undisputed kings of swampy wild n wreckless garage rock n roll from New Zealand are in da house motherfuckers and they’ve brought a brand spanking new long player with them. ‘Ca$h 4 Scrap’ is everything you want it to be and some. It’s not all crash bang wallop (well, Almost) but I wouldn’t suggest for one minute that these four reprobates have lost any of that spark nor would I suggest old age is slowing them down. Songs like ‘Leather Boys’ is more a groovin slice of junk rock done in the best sleaziest way.

Start your record as you mean to go on. ‘Children Of The Dead’ rattles off with the band’s usual vim and vigour with plenty of Thrashing around. A sharp intake of breath and ‘Without You’ is climbing over broken glass to get heard. With a party kicks off in the speakers as Paul Caveman takes a drag from the 40 a day no filter smokes and gurgles neat whisky and broken glass as the boogie rages in support.

Hold onto your strides mates because these cats are grooving hard on the growling ‘Night Of The Demon’ where you can all join in on the chorus. It’s ‘Night Of The Demon’ x3 but clear your throat first this one needs some oomph.

‘Booze Ciggies n Drugs’ might be the thrasher up next but it might just be the band’s shopping list whilst they remember the essentials. Rapid, punk n roll at its dirtiest but finest. Get in the pit and start barking

y’ bastards.

I love the sleazy glam punk of ‘Isn’t Remember Your Name’ It’s trashy and beautiful with a melody knocked off from Los Pepes. Side One takes a kicking on ‘Personal WWIII’. Closing off with ‘Drug Man’ is a case of singing what you know being the mantra. So why not, with the sleazy solo and Iggy piano tonk it’s a beauty.  That’s seven tracks in, about ten minutes of crash, bang, wallop! And closing off with a song almost three minutes long is decadent as fuck almost mature proto-prog.

If this was played out in a live setting you’d just have witnessed one of the best shows for ages so get a refill and flip this bad boy over. ‘Hanging Up’ has just done a bump in the toilet and the band comes out swinging complete with Groovy handicaps. Now that’s what I call music. ‘One Leg and a Waterbed’ has some trippy organ squealing throughout behind its fantastic lyrics. And as you head towards the end you realise the Cavemen have bashed you over the head with their club called rock n roll it feels great.

If only all albums sounded this good. Fuck the sound levels, the production, the tightness this is rock n fuckin roll baby and it sounds fantastic. Rough n raw, wild n reckless, and I fucking love it. Go get some Caveman Rock n Fuckin Roll its the way to start off 2024.  Buy it!

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley