The complete recordings

"The Complete Works presents the whole of Jackson C. Frank's recorded legacy in mostly chronological order. It opens with his eponymous solo record from 1965, then jumps back to 1961 and the beginnings of Frank's explorations with performing and songwriting. Of particular interest are the seven tracks cut for John Peel's radio program in 1967 which reveal the warmth of Frank's playing and singing, 1972's "Shotwell Sessions", and "The Kitchen Tapes", recorded in 1997. "China Blue" from the 1972 recording shows the promise of what a follow up record could have sounded like. And it is heartbreaking to hear the toll that the years took on Frank's voice by 1997, yet it is equally uplifting to listen to the power of sincerity as he sings such new compositions as "Singing Sailors" and "(Tumble) in the Wind", which reveal that despite all that had befallen him, Frank still possessed the soul of a songwriter. This fully remastered collection should now be considered thedefinitivedocument of Jackson C. Frank's enigmatic career".

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"In the five decades since Frank recorded his only proper album, a dozen efforts to revivify his catalog have come and gone, from covers by people like Bert Jansch and John Mayer to deluxe reissues. The Complete Recordings pairs those earlier excavation attempts with the latest finds from Frank's fragmented archive, though much debate remains about just how complete this set is. Ba Da Bing is issuing Recordings in conjunction with the arrival of Jackson C. Frank: The Clear, Hard Light of Genius, the most tender and authoritative biography on the singer to date. Befitting Frank's entire career, though, the coordinated schedule hamstrings the set itself, as a truncated and badly edited essay serves as the surrogate for proper liner notes".

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