Frank Black: 'Cause I'm a greedy son of a bitch? I'm not sure. Just the way it worked out. It's just two records, not some kind of a big statement.

The Stone Pony: You¹ve been quoted as saying that you "could make albums all day." How many songs were written to come up with the 29 tracks that made it onto the two albums? Do you write songs very quickly, or do you keep reworking your ideas until you come up with the finished product?

FB: Well, I generally release what I record, although I hold a few back; I'm not THAT prolific. I really only meant to say that I like working. Some are fast, and some are slooooow ...

The Stone Pony: Your "live to two track" recording method has become an important part of your sound. Some critics love its distinctive sound and the feel of the music, while others say that the lack of slicker production will limit their audience. When you don¹t need to worry about studio tricks or heavy production, does it enable you to concentrate more on the music itself or does it force you to be more creative to make up for the lack of gloss? Do you see yourself continuing to record in this manner, or do you feel that you¹ll eventually want to do something different?

FB: Well, it certainly isn't my own invented method, it's just the way that it used to be, and I think I can speak for all of the Catholics and say that we really are crazy for it. In terms of lack of gloss, I would say that all of the records I've made lack a certain amount of gloss, especially as compared to mainstream music. That is not to say I don't like gloss, I really like the slicker Bryan Ferry stuff, for example. I think many critics assume that our records are lo-fi because we record them live, which simply isn't true. We even attempt a bit of a production now and then. And of course the whole notion that rock and roll is somehow better if you spend a lot of money on cheesy production is just asinine. I mean, how ridiculous is that?

Too many critics are caught up in the selling of records to the masses. I guess everybody loves a success story so it's hard to blame them.

The Stone Pony: Keeping on the subject of your recording style, both CDs are credited as being recorded on the band¹s "mobile recording studio".  Can you describe exactly what equipment is used when you¹re recording? Have you ever considered taking the live recording process a step further, and simply recording a live show for release?

FB: We use mostly vintage gear; it's all analog except for the CD burners. I suppose most of the gear is 60's and 70's vintage, but we have some nice pieces from the 50's and even the 40's. We have considered recording shows, and we will. It is a bit more challenging and potentially expensive; I really want it to be album quality, and not too thin sounding.

The Stone Pony: Being so prolific a songwriter, it would seem an odd decision to start and conclude "Black Letter Days" with two variant covers of Tom Waits' "The Black Rider". Can you explain your thought process in including this particular song, how the two alternate versions came about, and how you decided to use those tracks as bookends for the album?

FB: We played the song a lot last year, and when we recorded it I thought it would be instantly good, but it wasn't. We decided to change the vibe a bit from country punk to something a bit more Iggy '77. We did five or six takes and what you hear are the first and last takes. It had begun to devolve into something of a Monster Mash thing, but we liked those two takes the best. I'm not sure why I put both on the record; it seemed like a good idea at the time. On the one hand I am very serious about making records, but on the other hand I don't like to be too precious about it.

The Stone Pony: Touching on a little history, ten years ago, bands and fans alike were citing your work with the Pixies as hugely influential in the development and eventual explosion of :alternative" music. How you feel your work with the Pixies has held up over time? Do you still perform any Pixies songs during your live sets? Do you still feel a personal connection to that music, or does it feel like something you¹ve moved away from and evolved beyond?

FB: Well, I've certainly evolved, or at least I like to think I have, but I still like a lot of the Pixies stuff. I still play some of those songs. I suppose they have held up, as they are all still in print, and they were not smash hit records, although some folks seem to think they were.

The Stone Pony: Sticking with the Pixies legacy, when you were releasing albums such as "Surfer Rosa" and "Doolittle", the term "alternative" music was well-defined and still had a magical, underground and somewhat mysterious connotation, since it was difficult to locate that music on the radio or in record store bins. Has the explosion of music media, video and the Internet made it so easy to distribute music, and the word "alternative" co-opted to apply to almost anything,  that the same development process that worked for bands in the late 80s and early 90s would be impossible today?

FB: I basically divide all rock music into two categories, good and shitty. And I think that you can analyze the music business all day, but good music comes down to talent, pure and simple. So I don't personally have a lot of faith in the particular environments in which people make music in terms of them being all-important catalysts. It doesn't matter if Reagan was in office or the civil rights movement was going on or people were rebelling against the status quo. I'm not saying that those things aren't worthy moments in history, or that they aren't reflected in the music, but I think talented people are talented no matter what is going on around them. Jimi Hendrix was gonna blow everyone away no matter when he was born. He deserves all the credit that is due him, not some hokey remembrance of "his generation".

The Stone Pony: It may seem a strange question to ask only a few months after you¹ve released two albums of material, but do you plan to release additional material soon? Do you already have songs written that you could record, or that you¹re doing live, or will you start writing new material when you¹re ready to undertake a new recording.

FB: Yeah, we've started to record again. We're always recording, or at least gearing up to record. What else is there for a rock band to do?  If I were a superstar, well, sure, maybe I'd be in India hanging with some heavy spiritual guy, but for the moment I make music. That's what I do. I play gigs and I make records. Back in the 60's some of those bands used to put one out every six months. Now that sounds like a good time to me.

The Stone Pony: In a March 2001 "Rolling Stone" article, you¹re quoted as saying: "I'm basically a liquor and beer salesman, you know, selling drinks in bars to patrons." Do you still enjoy performing live, and what is your attitude about touring after all of these years? Is it more enjoyable for you to be writing and recording music or do you still look forward to sharing that work with an audience?

FB: I guess I sounded a little unappreciative of my patrons there. I certainly didn't mean to sounds so blasé. I just think some musicians take themselves a little too seriously, and I like to refer to the grittier reality in which I work. I'm not putting it down. I come from a long line of saloon keepers and I consider it a matter of pride to be working in the same gin mills that my father did.

The Stone Pony: Set the stage for your appearance at The Stone Pony on November 11th. Will you be performing a lot of material from your most recent CDs, your earlier solo records, Pixies material? Who are the musicians who will be playing on stage with you that evening?

FB: We don't do set lists, although we do fall into ruts during a tour as every band does. By not doing a set list we at least keep it a little different each night and sometimes manage to surprise ourselves. We're rehearsing in Canada next month before the tour starts, and it's then that we will decide what material we will draw on for the tour. The band for this tour will be Scott Boutier, Dave McCaffrey, Rich Gilbert, and Dave Philips, all core Catholics.