According to Black, "There is totally a narrative arc to my solo career. "It sounds trite, but in basic language this is what's happening on these songs: it's me breaking away from the Pixies and finding myself as a solo artist, finding a band again and forging that together, then losing it and my marriage, and finally getting my obsession with two-track recording out of my system. It's a total arc.
"As compilations go, it has less in common with 'The Best of Blondie,' 'The Beatles 1962-66,' The Beach Boys' "20 Golden Greats,' and 'Rolled Gold' than it does the best of The Residents. I felt a little sheepish when my manager suggested a Best Of: I'm not exactly known for my hit records. But then, I didn't get into this to have hits. I did it to be a maverick, to be underground, to be part of that world as opposed to the Top 40 world. I wanted to be an artist and a musician, not to get invited to parties. It's about being true to yourself.
"But I've got a big back catalogue, and so for the uninitiated, 'Frank Black 93-03' is a good place to start. It just sounds like a regular Frank Black album because all my records are schizophrenic in tenor - fast song, slow song, country song, punky song. Although it's boring to say, 'I think it's very representative of who I am as an artist', it really is!"
The live tracks on the "Frank Black 93-03" bonus discs were recorded October 27, 2006 at Mr. Small's in Pittsburgh, PA, and at the Distrikt in Regina, SK on November 6, 2006. Along with Black on guitars, featured players include guitarist Duane Jarvis, bassist Eric Drew Feldman, and drummer Billy Block. the bonus disc on the European and Japanese packages, to be released June 4 through Cooking Vinyl, will each contain a different track listing (see below).
Disc One:
Los Angeles (Frank Black, 1993)
Ten Percenter (Frank Black, 1993)
Czar (Frank Black, 1993)
Old Black Dawning (Frank Black, 1993)
Abstract Plain (Teenager of the Year, 1994)
Calistan (Teenager of the Year, 1994)
Speedy Marie (Teenager of the Year, 1994)
Headache (Teenager of the Year, 1994)
Freedom Rock (Teenager of the Year, 1994)
Men In Black (The Cult of Ray, 1996)
You Ain't Me (The Cult of Ray, 1996)
I Don't Want to Hurt You (The Cult of Ray, 1996)
All My Ghosts (Frank Black and The Catholics, 1998)
I Gotta Move (Frank Black and The Catholics, 1998)
Bad Harmony (Pistolero, 1999)
Western Star (Pistolero, 1999)
Robert Onion (Dog In The Sand, 2001)
Hermaphroditos (Dog In The Sand, 2001)
Velvety (Devil's Workshop, 2002)
California Bound (Black Letter Days, 2002)
Massif Centrale (Show Me Your Tears, 2003)
Manitoba (Show Me Your Tears, 2003)
Disc Two
North American Live Track Listing:
Deadman's Curve
Raiderman
My Terrible Ways
I'll Be Blue
Johnny Barleycorn
Ten Percenter
Dog Gone
The Swimmer
Suffering
European Live Track Listing:
Bullet
Nadine
CPL593A
Living On Soul
Burnt Out Rock 'n' Roll
Been All Around the World
Six Sixty Six
Horrible Day
(Do What You Want) Gyaneshwar
Japanese Live Track Listing:
Ten Percenter
Deadman's Curve
My Terrible Ways
I'll Be Blue
Bullet
Nadine
CPL593A
Living On Soul
Suffering
I Burn Today
I'm Nod Dead (I'm In Pittsburgh)
Sing For Joy
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