Frank Black and the Catholics

Unlike some Frank Black singles, I didn't buy any of these for the sleeves. The top image is the front cover for the Robert Onion single. I think it represents the single most frustrating thing about being a Frank Black fan. You've got the first track (taken from the Catholic's third album) which has an exciting instrumental background mixed with awkward, nonsense words (I know it's about Mars, and I know it's an acrostic) and that's what's chosen to be a single, rather than songs like "Bullet", "Stupid Me", "Llano del Rio", and "If It Takes All Night".

What radio station would ever play "Robert Onion", really? If I owed a radio station I might play it once or twice late at night and that's only because I like the sound of the band playing.

The Robert Onion single contains one of Frank Black's best songs ever: "Pan American Highway". Long after I and anyone reading this has died, that song will be prominant on any collection of FB's best songs. So it's frustrating when a song like that is wasted as a B-side while "Robert Onion" is the song sent out to represent Dog in the Sand, the Catholics strongest, most consistent album.

Years ago I did a search online and saw the single for Dog Gone from the first Catholics record. The B-sides were all covers, and while I'd never heard of "Do Nothing" or "The Big Hurt", "I'm Going Down" was my favorite Springteen song so I couldn't wait to hear FB and the Catholics doing it. To this day I'm still disappointed. Maybe if I'd never heard the original it would be different, but as it is it sounds bland and unoriginal- pointless. I ended up liking the other two B-sides better. If there had been a Headache EP III I could imagine these songs on it.

All My Ghosts seems the most like an actual EP- I'd say it's the intros to both "Living On Soul" and "Changing of the Guards". The guitar playing on them and the third song, "Humbolt County Massacre", is so loose and bold and the songs themselves are so memorable. All My Ghosts is the perfect mini-record. No filler, every song is perfect and they go great together.