The second of Demon Records’ two Frank Black vinyl reissues, Oddballs is a carefully curated selection of B-sides and outtakes tracked between 1994 – 1997. Defiantly not an exhaustive record of releases from the period, Frank Black’s approach mirrors that of Billy Corgan on Pisces Iscariot, with both records focused more on quality and flow than providing a definitive collection for catalogue completists. Originally self-released, the album was available to fans attending Frank Black shows or subscribers to eMusic, and it only entered regular circulation in 2013 when Frank released it via his own label, The Bureau. Now repressed on gorgeous silver vinyl courtesy of Demon Music, with printed inner jacket (complete with Frank’s offbeat liner notes), Oddballs makes a welcome return to the market and, given that the contents is largely drawn from its singles and bonus disc, it makes the perfect companion to the also-released The Cult Of Ray (reviewed here).
Opening track Pray A Little Faster is one of a number of B-sides from the multi-format Men In Black Single (also taken from the single are Announcement, Re-Make/Re-Model, Just A Little and You Never Heard About Me). It not only provides the album with a strong start, but it’s also a blistering example of just how influential Frank’s work was on the entire alt rock scene that followed in his wake. From the Headache single (along with At The End Of The World and Hate Me) Oddball is a quirky track that would not have sounded out of place on Doolittle, although Frank’s assertion that he was trying to be the Stones on this number is born out by the scratchy, Keef riff that cuts across the surface. Originally featured on The Cult Of Ray bonus disc, both Village Of The Sun and Baby, That’s Art (as well as Can I Get A Witness and Everybody Got The Beat) are worthy tracks that could comfortably have sat among the tracks from their parent album. The slow, semi-spoken Village Of The Sun may be Frank’s attempt to be Springsteen, but it cleaves closer to the Velvet Underground circa Loaded. When you consider Frank’s typically warped oeuvre, it makes sense that he should compare so kooky a number to a mainstream rocker – it’s just how he hears the world, and it sounds pretty awesome to be fair. In contrast, Baby, That’s Art is the closest you get to Frank-Black-By-Numbers, sounding uncannily like Pixies, but missing Kim’s vocal harmonies. It’s soon unseated by the frantic punk blaze of At The End Of The World, although the scuzzy riffing quickly gives way to a slacker vibe reminiscent of early Dinoaur Jnr records, the guitars barely holding tune over a stoned beat. Frank argues that Can I Get A Witness is an homage to Dylan, which makes a degree of sense, although the country elements that creep into the mix feel like they belong more to the Stones, and it proves to be a surprisingly effective song that feels like it was dug up from the late sixties. The first side concludes with the crunchy, yet schizophrenic Announcement, a sweet track from the Men In Black single that neatly captures the laid back vibe of its parent album.
Kicking off side two, the vicious Hate Me sees Frank taking aim at the Clash and coming out of it relatively unscathed, although his manic vocal lacks the sardonic bite of Joe Strummer on the warpath. Another track that just aches for Kim to drop in and lend a hand, Re-Make/Re-Model sees Frank drawing on his full range of vocal tics as the band rock out behind him. It’s a cool track, but it’s effortlessly outclassed by Everybody Got The Beat, a much better shot at The Clash vibe than Hate Me and one in which Frank starts to sound uncannily like the late Joe Strummer behind the mic. The only previously unreleased cut on the collection, Jumping Beans sees Frank “trying to be Lou” and, given how closely his vocal style recalls The Velvet Underground’s more out-there numbers, it should come as no surprise that he absolutely nail’s Lou’s laconic delivery over a rattling, sub-pop backdrop. An album highlight, the twisted surf rock of Just A Little is played relatively straight and offers up an homage to Frank’s influences. It’s followed by You Never Heard About Me, another highlight that has a tasty riff and a gritty vocal. The album concludes with a highlight from the quirky Songs In The Key Of X compilation (a surprisingly good example of a TV show cash-in compilation) entitled Man Of Steel. Another track with a country twang, it sounds lovely and has a slightly poignant undercurrent that helps bring the curtain down on a surprisingly coherent collection, despite the disparate origins of the tracks on offer.
B-Sides / Outtakes collections can so often be a mixed bag, with only a few artists showing enough interest to actually collate the albums themselves in order to create something with an album flow. Frank Black, however, wanted to make something that would stand on its own merits and the result is a resounding success that only stumbles slightly on those rare occasions where it steps too determinedly into Pixies’ territory. Overall, Oddballs is a quirky collection that not only provides the perfect companion piece to The Cult Of Ray, but arguably bests it. Beautifully pressed on crackle-free silver vinyl, it’s a welcome return to the format for a long out-of-print record that is pretty much essential for Frank Black / Pixies fans and an absolute joy for any student of the alt rock movement in general. 9/10
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