With
the Pixies
and as
Frank Black
,
Black Francis
often tucked away some of his best songs as B-sides, and the collection
Abbabubba
reveals that this is still the case. In sharp contrast to the high-concept albums like the
Herman Brood
homage
Bluefinger
, the exploration of sexuality that was
NonStopErotik
, and the score to the 1920 silent film The Golem, these songs are mostly short and direct, sometimes rudimentary, and almost always refreshing.
Francis
mixes demos of songs that made it onto full-fledged albums, like the especially raw takes on
's
"Rabbits"
and
"Dead Man's Curve,"
with sketches like
"Il Cuchaiao"
"The Water,"
both of which were only available previously from
' official website.
delivers the real goods with more fleshed-out tracks like
"Serious Curious,"
which echoes
"Monkey Gone to Heaven"
with its spoken word verses, the playful
"Polly's into Me,"
"Alabaster,"
another website exclusive that pays tribute to another of
' sci-fi girls. Meanwhile,
"Get Away Oil,"
a rocker originally on the
Threshold Apprehension
EP, shows that
still has the ability to inject the most innocuous words with crazed tension with the way he snarls "mouse!" Three remixes of the 2008 single
"The Seus"
add to the quirky, hodgepodge feel here, with
Infadels
cutting and pasting the track almost beyond recognition,
Charles Normal
adding synth strings to the song that make it sound like it came from
or
Teenager of the Year
, and
Bloc Party
transforming it into a serrated dancefloor workout. While there are a few rarities missing here,
still works as a goodie bag for
fans who need these previously far-flung tracks. ~ Heather Phares