Dog in the Sand

Frank Black | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 30, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: What Are Records
• ASIN: B0000560GU
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #186,277 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Blast Off

2. I've Seen Your Picture

3. St. Francis Dam Disaster

4. Robert Onion

5. Stupid Me

6. Bullet

7. The Swimmer

8. Hermaphroditos

9. I'll Be Blue

10. Llano del Rio

11. If It Takes All Night

12. Dog in the Sand

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Black in the Sand, April 14, 2003

By 

High Y (Charleston, SC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dog in the Sand (Audio CD)

First, about this album, DOG IN THE SAND:
After nothing short of worshiping FB's first 3 solo albums, I was kind of disappointed by the first 2 offerings from FB & the Catholics. The production was lower, the performances were done live but sloppily at times, the lack of instruments made the arrangements emptier, and while some of the songs were FB-signature compositional gems, a good bit of it seemed musically and lyrically uninspired (for Frank, I mean... not saying it still didn't blow away 99% of the mindless [stuff] out there). Well, this was the album that got me back into Mr. Black with both feet. This album is sort of laid back and definitely a bit country-western in its instrumentation (lots of acoustic guitar, plus slide, pedal steel, piano, and even banjo), but Frank just seemed to be oozing with unique musical and lyrical ideas again. Still recorded live to 2-track, but way more instruments, much better performances, and perhaps some of Frank's most crisp and dead-on singing to date. Not a dud song in the bunch really, and that is quite an improvement from Pistolero and the Catholics 1st album.

Second, about this version, the one with bonus tracks:
Why this version is always cheaper than the original album, I have no idea. It is identical to the original album-- same CD, same cover art, same track listing-- EXCEPT, you get 4 acoustic demos at the end (not listed on the back cover). You get to hear "Stupid Me," "If It Takes All Night," "Robert Onion," and "Blast Off" demos, and they aren't just [crummy] sound quality dud tracks. It's like a Frank Black solo unplugged session to close out the already awesome album for you, and it's terrific. Especially "Stupid Me" and "Robert Onion"-- his voice sounds as cool if not cooler on the demo versions compared to the regular versions. To sum up, you should get this album, and there is no excuse for not getting this enhanced version of it!

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dear Andrew Mueller,, February 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Dog in the Sand (Audio CD)

Try reading the liner notes before you write a review. That way, you won't credit Santiago for playing on tracks that he didn't. You'll also see that he only played on three songs. Joey's a fine player, but not as important as you seem to think. That's Dave Phillips playing "the frenetic power chords" on "If It Takes All Night" and Rich Gilbert with the "exuberant" solo on "Bullet". As for the "subtle picking" on "Robert Onion", that's Frank on accoustic and Dave Phillips on lead. Rich and Joey are playing the power chords.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Black is back, January 30, 2001

By 

"ivarjons" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dog in the Sand (Audio CD)

Frank Black was a member of the Pixies. The Pixies were a great little group with a relatively simple sound. All of a sudden, in 1993, Black split the group up and began his solo career. My guess is that he was fed up with the simplicity of the Pixies' music, plus there were some personal complications with the rest of the band. He released two magnificent albums, Frank Black and Teenager of the Year. The latter was an especially extraordinary piece of work, with 22 highly original and brilliant songs. However, the critics didn't get it and TOTY didn't sell very well. So, after making The Cult of Ray in 1995, he decided to form a pure rock'n'roll band and record live to 2 track. Frank Black and the Catholics' first, self-titled album, was a rather half-baked effort. However, Pistolero (1999) was a step in the right direction. Now, on the 29th day of January 2001, Frank Black has finally returned with a masterpiece comparable to TOTY and FB. Dog in the Sand is a brilliant album, packed with weirdness and imagination. Eric Drew Feldman returns with his keyboard magic and the overall sound is more produced, although they still record live to 2 track. A must-have for all adversaries of Westlife.