The Complete Recordings [Box Set]
Currently Unavailable
About This Release
On April 7th, Frank Black and the Catholics release the complete recordings box set on Cooking Vinyl. The 7 CD box features all of the band’s 6 studio albums plus a bonus CD entitled True Blue which is made up of recordings from the Black Letter Days album sessions.
All six formally released albums (self-titled [1998], Pistolero [1999], Dog in the Sand [2001], Black Letter Days [2002], Devil’s Workshop [2002] & Show Me Your Tears [2003]) have been re-mastered from the original live 2-track and 1-track recordings. The release contains well over a hundred songs. True Blue is a disc of “technical demos” that Ben Mumphrey (who engineered all of the mobile recordings) found in his New Orleans recording archive.
Tracklist
1
All My Ghosts
2
Angst
3
Are You Headed My Way?
4
Back to Rome
5
Bad Harmony
6
Bartholomew
7
Belle Isle*
8
The Big Hurt*
9
Billy Radcliffe 1
10
Black Letter Day 1
11
The Black Rider (Rock Version) 1
12
The Black Rider (Surf Version) 1
13
Blast Off 1
14
Blizzard 1989 [Unreleased] 1
15
Bullet 1
16
California Bound 1
17
Changing of the Guards [Unreleased] 1
18
Changing of the Guards 1
19
Chip Away Boy 2
20
Coastline 2
21
Cold Heart of Stone 2
22
Constant Sorrow Man 2
23
A Dab'll Do Ya 2
24
Do Nothing 2
25
Do You Feel Bad About It? 2
26
Dog Gone 2
27
Dog in the Sand 2
28
Don't Clip Your Wings 2
29
Down in the Hole 3
30
End of Miles 3
31
End of Miles [Unreleased] 3
32
Everything Is New 3
33
The Farewell Bend 3
34
Fields of Marigold 3
35
Goodbye Lorraine 3
36
Heloise 3
37
Hermaphroditos (Is My Name) 3
38
His Kingly Cave 3
39
Horrible Day 4
40
How You Went So Far 4
41
Humboldt County Massacre [V1/Unreleased] 4
42
Humboldt County Massacre [V2] 4
43
Humboldt County Massacre [V3] 4
44
I Gotta Move 4
45
I Love Your Brain 4
46
I Need Peace 4
47
I Switched You 4
48
I Think I'm Starting to Lose It 4
49
I Want Rock ; Roll 5
50
I Will Run After You 5
51
I Will Run After You [Unreleased] 5
52
I'll Be Blue 5
53
I'm Going Down 5
54
I've Seen Your Picture 5
55
If It Takes All Night 5
56
Jaina Blues 5
57
Jane the Queen of Love 5
58
Jet Black River 5
59
John the Revelator [Unreleased] 6
60
King ; Queen of Siam 6
61
Le Cigar Volante 6
62
Living on Soul 6
63
Living on Soul [Unreleased] 6
64
Llano Del Rio 6
65
Ludwigshaffen 6
66
The Man Who Was Too Loud 6
67
Manitoba 6
68
Massif Centrale 6
69
Modern Age 7
70
My Favorite Kiss 7
71
Nadine 7
72
Nadine [Unreleased] 7
73
New House of the Pope 7
74
Out of State 7
75
Pan American Highway 7
76
Pray for the Girls 7
77
Preacher's Daughter 7
78
Robert Onion 7
79
San Antonio, TX 8
80
The Scene 8
81
Selkie Bride [Unreleased] 8
82
Selkie Bride [Instrumental/Unreleased] 8
83
Show Me Your Tears 8
84
Song of the Shrimp [Unreleased] 8
85
Sister Isabelle [Unreleased] 8
86
Six-Sixty-Six - Larry Norman 8
87
Skeleton Man 8
88
Sleep 8
89
Smoke Up 9
90
The Snake 9
91
Snake Oil 9
92
So Hard to Make Things Out 9
93
So. Bay 9
94
Solid Gold 9
95
Some Things (I Can't Get Used to) 9
96
Southbound Bevy 9
97
St. Francis Dam Disaster 9
98
Steak 'N' Sabre 9
99
Stupid Me 10
100
Suffering 10
101
Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day [Unreleased] 10
102
The Swimmer 10
103
Take What You Want 10
104
This Old Heartache 10
105
Tiny Heart 10
106
True Blue 10
107
Valentine and Garuda 10
108
Valley of Our Hope 10
109
Velvety 11
110
Western Star 11
111
When Will Happiness Find Me Again? 11
112
Whiskey in Your Shoes 11
113
Whiskey in Your Shoes [Unreleased] 11
114
Wu're Such a Wire 11
115
21 Reasons 11
116
85 Weeks 11
117
1826 11
118
1826 [Unreleased] 11
119
True Blue" - Alternate Versions of Songs from Black Letter Days 12
120
Black Letter Day 12
121
California Bound 12
122
Chip Away Boy 12
123
Cold Heart of Stone 12
124
How You Went So Far 12
125
Jane the Queen of Love 12
126
Jet Black River 12
127
Southbound Bevy 12
128
Western Star 12
129
The End of Miles 13
130
The Farewell Bend 13
131
Valentine and Garuda 13
132
Whispering Weeds
Tracklist
1
Gold Heart Of Stone
2
Constant Sorrow Man
3
A Dab'll Do Ya
4
Do Nothing
5
Do You Feel Bad About It
6
Dog Gone
7
Dog In The Sand
8
Don't Clip Your Wings
9
Down In The Hole
10
End Of Miles
11
End Of Miles (Unreleased)
12
Everything Is New
13
The Farewell Bend
14
Fields Of Marigold
15
Goodbye Lorraine
16
Heloise
17
Hermaphroditos
18
His Kingly Cave
19
Horrible Day
20
How You Went So Far
Tracklist
1
Humboldt County Massacre (V1)
2
Humboldt County Massacre (V2)
3
Humboldt County Massacre (V3)
4
I Gotta Move
5
I Loved Your Brain
6
I Need Peace
7
I Switched You
8
I Think I'm Starting To Lose It
9
I Want To Rock & Roll
10
I Will Run After You
11
I Will Run After You (Unreleased)
12
I'll Be Blue
13
I'm Going Down
14
I've Seen Your Picture
15
If It Takes All Night
16
Jaina Blues
17
Jane The Queen Of Love
18
Jet Black River
19
John The Revelator
20
King And Queen Of Siam
Tracklist
1
Le Cigar Volante
2
Living On Soul
3
Living On Soul (Unreleased)
4
Llano Del Rio
5
Ludwidshafen
6
Man Who Was Too Loud
7
Manitoba
8
Massif Centrale
9
Modern Age
10
My Favourite Kiss
11
Nadine
12
Nadine (Unreleased)
13
New House Of The Pope
14
Out Of State
15
Pan American Highway
16
Pray For The Girls
17
Preacher's Daughter
18
Robert Onion
19
San Antonio, Tx
20
The Scene
Tracklist
1
Selkie Bride (Unreleased)
2
Selkie Bride (Instrumental/Unreleased)
3
Show Me Your Tears
4
Song Of The Shrimp
5
Sister Isabelle
6
Six Sixty Six
7
Skeleton Man
8
Sleep
9
Smoke Up
10
The Snake
11
Snake Oil
12
So Hard To Make Things Out
13
So Bay
14
Solid Gold
15
Some Things (I Can't Get Used To)
16
Southbound Bevy
17
St Francis Dam Disaster
18
Steak 'n' Sabre
19
Stupid Me
20
Suffering
Tracklist
1
Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day
2
The Swimmer
3
Take What You Want
4
This Old Heartache
5
Tiny Heart
6
True Blue
7
Valentine And Garuda
8
Valley Of Our Hope
9
Velvety
10
Western Star
11
When Will Happiness Find Me Again?
12
Whiskey In Your Shoes
13
Whiskey In Your Shoes (Unreleased)
14
Whispering Weeds (Unreleased)
15
Whispering Weeds
16
You're Such A Wire
17
21 Reasons
18
Eighty Five Weeks
19
1826
20
1826 (V2)
Tracklist
1
Black Letter Day (True Blue Version)
2
California Bound (True Blue Version)
3
Chip Away Boy (True Blue Version)
4
Cold Heart Of Stone (True Blue Version)
5
How You Went So Far (True Blue Version)
6
Jane The Queen Of Love (True Blue Version)
7
Jet Black River (True Blue Version)
8
Southbound Bevy (True Blue Version)
9
The End Of Miles (True Blue Version)
10
The Farewell Bend (True Blue Version)
11
Valentine And Garuda (True Blue Version)
12
Whispering Weeds (True Blue Version)
Reviews
The box set will have the songs in alphabetical order as Black Francis AKA Frank Black explains the alphabetization “It feels like an approximation of randomness and it’s a way to randomize something, especially if its titles.” He goes onto say by placing the songs this way “we get away from the preciousness of LPs we put out and its more about the body of work, the good times that we had.”
True Blue:
“These songs were recorded with the intention of being demos, to be sent to the Catholics band to learn before they traveled to Los Angeles to record the album Black Letter Days. Another reason was to test Frank Black’s personal “New” recording” equipment. This included a “full track” (1 track) mono analog tape recorder, and a mishmash of old vintage tube gear. We recorded in the temporarily empty “B” room in Sound City Studios in Los Angeles, where many of Mr. Black’s local musician friends came by to help out. In return, exquisite evening buffets were provided for all, which Frank Black himself brought to the studio nightly and spread out. Everyone played, ate, talked, and was merry. These songs were the result, recorded live to 1 track.” Ben Mumphrey, 2014.
