He’s not the kind of doctor that you would go to with a sore throat. He’s Dr. Frank and he’s got a Ph.D in songwriting, though in my opinion he could use a few more years of schooling. Apparently Dr. Frank, who is responsible for almost one hundred percent of what you hear on this album, is referred to only as Dr. Frank; no other name appears on the album entitled Show Business Is My Life. The band is essentially Dr. Frank himself, along with his electric and acoustic guitars trying to compliment his desperate vocals. He struggles to hit a lot of the notes he sings, and in many cases he doesn’t succeed. Backup vocals were added on tracks like “Ask Beth”, which help to cover up Dr. Frank’s lack of ability.
Simple and to the point seems to be the way that he conducts most of the songs on the album. He explores many musical styles, ranging anywhere from the dark folk-like tones of “Suicide watch” to punky, more upbeat tracks like “She Turned Out To Be Crazy”. This variety of styles really adds an edge to an otherwise weak album. Typical of many bands on the Lookout label, the recording and sound quality seems a little cheap. “Thinking of you” sounds like something I recorded when I was ten with my mom’s battery-powered tape recorder. There is hope for Dr. Frank, but he needs to step down and let someone with talent handle the vocals. Ouch!
+ matt crafts
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