Frank Black
The Cult Of Ray
»
Frank Black
The Cult Of Ray
American, 1996
RiYL: Mike Watt, Burning Airlines, Jonny Polonsky |
That's what the press releases accompanying The Cult Of Ray prophecied, and they're pretty much right, even in retrospect. Here modern rock god Frank Black melts down his patented weirdness, solid rock aesthetic and obscure lyrical references into a tight record with little left to the imagination.
It's generally regarded as his least adventurous album, but it's not hard to see why Black would want to create such a thing. His previous effort, Teenager Of The Year, was by far his most loose album, and it was also the hardest to re-create live. As a "solo" artist whose accompanying musicians might come and go, he decided to travel up the road of old-fashioned hard rock -- two guitars, a bass and drums, recorded with few or no overdubs. As evidenced by the ensuing tour, this music is not only easier to play live, it's more fun and provides a more visceral experience for the audience.
Accordingly, this album is fun as hell to jack up the volume and rock out to. It works great on headphones, too, as Lyle Workman's wrenching lead guitar is recorded entirely into the left channel, while Black's practiced rhythm holds down the right.
This is also his first album with the former Miracle Legion rhythm section of Scott Boutier (drums) and David McCaffrey (bass), to become known as the Catholics on at least two future Black releases. On Ray, Black indulges in the vigor and ambition of his new friends, helping them create emphatic spaces in certain songs and rapidly propel others toward resolution.
Songs like "Men In Black" and "Punk Rock City" reflect Black's ceaseless infatuation with sci-fi themes (a word to the cred-conscious: the former was a single before the popularization of "The X-Files" and the movie of the same name), but he also throws in love songs ("I Don't Want To Hurt You (Every Single Time)"), generation-X character sketches ("Jesus Was Right" and "Dance War") and downright indescribable lyric content ("Kicked In The Taco"). Black even includes two stellar instrumental tracks on the album, reveling in his crack band's rock power.
This probably shouldn't be your first stop on a trip through the man's eclectic and ingenious archive (see: Pixies). But when you finally do get there, The Cult Of Ray proves worth the wait.
TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.