Every so often there are magical moments, nay miracles, in music that make you believe that there really is a God. It’s Bauhaus recording ‘Bela’ in a single take, or Sabbath busting out their eponymous album in one session, and it’s Frank Black And The Catholics self-titled debut album put to bed in two days. Recorded over a manic 48 hours, this album was originally recorded in 1997 but it’s release was delayed by American Recordings who were uncertain to the commercial viability of the raw recordings. Eventually unleashed by SpinART Records 18 months later, Frank Black And The Catholics finally gets a stand alone vinyl reissue and, thanks to a half-speed master, has never sounded better.

Despite being the band’s first release under this moniker, this group also backed Frank Black on his previous studio album, The Cult Of Ray, yet the new name seems to have revitalised them, and that becomes immediately evident on opening track ‘All My Ghosts’. The live nature of this recording (captured on two-track tape) means that we get some studio chatter and a false start, but this only adds to its charm. American Recordings were correct in calling these songs “raw”, yet time has proved this a boon, and plenty of spit, and little polish, means that these songs really hit the mark. The parred back aesthetic brings to mind Doolittle-era Pixies and the visceral ‘Back To Rome’ could easily slot onto that record. Frank’s sandpapered vocal cords are as rough as ever, so there’s no change there, but it is the band who prove themselves the real revelation; the live-in-the-studio vibe gives them a tight-but-loose jazz groove which ensures they really swing.

Sometimes the studio can get in the way of a good recording; it can be tempting for a band to keep tinkering with their work, so much so that any magic can be lost. Springsteen understood that when he released the lo-fi Nebraska, it is undoubtedly his best and it’s hard to imagine it sounding any other way. A similar thing applies to Frank Black And The Catholics, only this album is far greater in scope, yet the same rule applies: less is more. The drums sound absolutely massive on ‘I Need Peace’ and come about by sheer brute force, and absolutely dwarf the listener. A happy accident, maybe, but one that really works. The unconventional nature of this recording also renders this a very intimate album; sometimes the studio can act as a barrier between artist and listener, and with this obstacle removed, it sounds as if Frank Black is right there in the room with you.

This is an album that divided Francis’ fanbase between those who view it as his best solo album (as does the man himself) while others view it as sloppy, with hardly any views in the middle ground. However, in such a central point is where this album sits. The casual nature of this recording renders it slipshod, yet that’s exactly where its charm lays. Sometimes it does become haphazard (such as on ‘Suffering’), yet at others it is tight as a drum (‘Do You Feel Bad About It’) and as regular listeners know, with Francis you have to take the rough with the smooth. My only real “complaint” with this record is that it lacks the overt Biblical references of other Frank Black records (although it does contain a cover of Larry Norman’s ‘Six-Sixty-Six’). Yet, this is possibly the man’s most original album, and while he recorded his next album (Pistolero) in a similar fashion, this one remains the pinnacle.

• Frank Black And The Catholics is released via Demon Music Group on 19th January 2024.

Track List:

Side A:

1. All My Ghosts
2. Back To Rome
3. Do You Feel Bad About It?
4. Dog Gone
5. I Gotta Move
6. I Need Peace

Side B:

7. King & Queen Of Siam
8. Six-Sixty-Six
9. Solid Gold
10. Steak ‘N’ Sabre
11. Suffering
12. The Man Who Was Too Loud