The solo albums broke up the Pixies way back in the day yada, yada, yada. Well, time proved that Frank could indeed combine both and his band was indeed only on hiatus. It’s hard to believe it’s thirty years since this album dropped just look at the catalogue we have to feast over since eh? This limited edition ‘Teenager of the Year 30th Anniversary Tour Edition’ on double gold vinyl is a joy to (be)hold It is remastered from the original analogue master tapes for all you audiophile geeks out there but it does sound as fresh as the day I first heard it. It was an album I played to death when it came out and got my first shiny Discman it was a constant companion on CD its also cut at 45 rpm for optimum playback and is pressed on double gold vinyl. The album also comes in a gatefold sleeve with liner notes by both Frank Black and producer Eric Drew Feldman, and is his usual lavish affair to be fair.

Its widely regarded as Franks finest solo album and an album maybe, the Pixies should have made but with hindsight maybe he needed to break free to actually record this album in this way and had it had the Pixies baggage it wouldn’t have had the lasting impact or sounded anything like it does.

Sprawling over twenty-two tracks and an hour of music it’s a joy to drop the needle and have the chaos of ‘Whatever Happened To Pong?’ blast out of my speakers. I’ll fess up and say I still think his debut self-titled record is my favourite but this is a pretty awesome follow-up by anyone’s standards. The single off the record was strong, ‘Headache’ had a memorable earworm of a melody that is as strong as anything he’d written previously or since to be fair.

If you are humming and arghing over shelling out on this reissue then let me try to soothe any fears and just encourage you to go and get it. It’s a beautiful thing. christ, The opening side is faultless offering a variety of Blacks styles from the rockin out of ‘Thalassocracy’ to the pop rock of ‘Calistan’ it doesn’t harm a record when it sounds like its captured live and the band are this freakin good. Oh by the way the same band are doing the live shows as well.

The lyrics have aged really well and having been able to play this record for it’s second birth has been a joy and something a thirty years older me has really appreciated more than I thought I would. The Bowie esk ‘Ole Mulholland’ never sounded so good. Viewing it through more mature eyes has thrown up different perspectives and had me leaning to tracks I previously dismissed – songs like ‘Fazer Eyes’ with its twists and turns and ‘SpaceIs Gonna Do Me Good’ with its parping horns and shakers left me hazy but a welcome return to the turntable for sure. Come Join me you won’t regret it and if it’s a first dabble with Frank Black then dive in you won’t regret it the guys a genius. Buy It!

Tickets for the Teenager Of The Year shows are available from here: https://blackfranc.is

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Author: Dom Daley