Black Letter Days

Frank Black, Frank Black And the Catholics | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 20, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Spin Art
• ASIN: B00006BSUX
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,643 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The Black Rider

2. California Bound

3. Chip Away Boy

4. Cold Heart of Stone

5. Black Letter Day

6. Valentina & Garuda

7. How You Went so Far

8. End of Miles

9. 1826

10. The Farewell Bend

11. Southbound Bevy

12. I will run after you

13. True Blue

14. Jane the Queen of Love

15. Jet Black River

16. 21 Reasons

17. Whispering Weeds

18. Black Rider

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, November 1, 2002

By 

Hamster Army - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Letter Days (Audio CD)

I don't know what else to say about Frank Black, one of the most creative, talented musicians and writers of our generation.

He may write an unlisteneable song or two, but that's just him, he is just off on his own musical tangent and all us fans are benefiting from it.

Yet Black Letter Days is quality from start to finish, as was Dog In The Sand and his Catholics' release in '98. Frank Black has matured, grown and is one of the best kept secrets in the music industry.

Listen to this CD nice and loud, and soak it up, Black Letter Days and Devil's Workshop are Black's "Exile On Main Street." And Black Letter Days has to be one of the better CD's that I've ever had the pleasure of listening to.

California Bound, Chip Away Boy, 21 Reasons, God Of Miles, Black Letter Days, Southbend Bevy, The Farewell Bend, Cold Heart Of Stone, Jet Black River, Jane The Queen Of Love...easily some of the best music I've heard in a long time.

Take a trip into our minds, the everyday working man losing track of time, the days, divorce, a cold heart of stone, chipping away at debt, at the end of miles..please pardon me sir, you have 21 reasons at least to listen to this masterpiece!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solo just keeps on getting better with age, September 12, 2002

By 

The Stalker (Somerset Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Letter Days (Audio CD)

Ok, I'll admit, I had both Black Letter Days and Devil's Workshop a few months before their actual release date (and was first in line the day of their release as well). Truth is, I simply could not wait. I saw Frank perform in Louisville Ky. April 29 (I think that was the correct date), and throughout his long, and might I add, fantastic performance, I heard several songs that were new to me. Turns out those songs were "Cold Heart Of Stone", "21 Reasons", "Black Rider" and a couple more, I think maybe Whiskey In Your Shoes" from DW being one of them. I was totally blown away. "Cold Heart Of Stone" sounded amazing live and "21 Reasons" is one of the best songs ever written IMO. I simply could not wait until Sept. to hear the new material and eventually managed to track down advanced copies of both albums. Upon first listen the songs that totally blew me away were "Chip Away Boy", "Cold Heart Of Stone" and "21 Reasons". I could'nt seem to get over these three songs and I played them over and over.....

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerizing, August 31, 2002

By 

Herb Mallette "Herb Mallette" (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Letter Days (Audio CD)

I bought this album and "Devil's Workshop" on the same day, and at first listen, my response included some of the reactions in other reviews here -- "could have been edited together into 1 awesome album" and "some songs make you wish for the old, highly-produced Pixies days." But I haven't been able to stop listening to either album in the week since I got them, especially "Black Letter Days." The idea that some of these songs could have been cut is unthinkable to me now. Likewise, glitzing this material up with studio fairydust would completely miss the point. These are raw, organic songs with a terrific range from bittersweet beauty to angry iconoclasm, and taking any one of them out or dressing any one of them up would be like editing a color out of the rainbow.

I don't know whether this album is a "good" or a "bad" place to start if you're unfamiliar with Frank Black. He's an artist whom you have to really listen to in order to appreciate. But if you're going to like Frank Black, I can't imagine that you won't end up loving this album, and at 65 minutes, it's a steal.