Way to go, SmackDaddy. Educate.

You guys sound like you don't know who Dave Alvin is. Class is now in session: Dave Alvin helped to kick start the American roots rock scene in the early '80s with the band the Blasters and has since gone on to a career as a solo performer, songwriter, producer, and sideman that's been as well respected as it is eclectic. Born in Downey, CA, in 1955, Alvin was raised by a family of music fans, and as teenagers Dave and his older brother Phil immersed themselves in blues, rockabilly, and vintage country sounds, collecting rare records and attending nightclub performances by the likes of T-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner, and Lee Allen. Like many fans, the Alvin brothers wanted to play music influenced by the sounds they loved, and in 1979 the formed the Blasters with fellow Downey residents Bill Bateman and John Bazz. Combining the revved-up energy of punk rock with an enthusiastic embrace of classic American sounds, the Blasters became a sensation in Los Angeles and won an enthusiastic cult following across the United States and Europe. However, the Blasters were unable to translate their critical respect and enthusiastic fan base into mainstream success, and in 1986, Dave left the band. Phil Alvin continued to front various lineups of The Blasters, and in 2002 Dave joined forces with Phil, Bill Bateman and John Bazz for a short series of Blasters reunion shows. While playing with the Blasters, Alvin had already displayed a broad range of enthusiasms with two side projects, Chris D.'s literate goth-punk collective the Flesh Eaters and the Knitters, an acoustic ensemble in which Alvin performed vintage country and folk numbers with John Doe and Exene Cervenka of X. Shortly after leaving the Blasters, Alvin joined X as lead guitarist after the departure of Billy Zoom; however, Alvin amicably left the group to work on a solo project shortly after the recording sessions for their album See How We Are. Alvin's first solo album, entitled Romeo's Escape in the United States and Every Night About This Time in England, added a purer country influence along with a larger side-portion of the blues; while the album was critically well received, it didn't fare well in the marketplace, and Alvin was dropped by his American record label, Columbia. Alvin suffered health problems which sidelined him for a while, except for a wild tour with friends Mojo Nixon and Country Dick Montana as the Pleasure Barons, which was described as "a Las Vegas revue from acts who aren't going to be asked to play Vegas." (A live album was released of a second Pleasure Barons tour in 1993.) In 1989, Dwight Yoakam scored a hit on the country charts with Alvin's song "Long White Cadillac," and Alvin used the royalties to start work on his second solo set, Blue Blvd. Released by the California-based roots-music label Hightone Records, Blue Blvd received enthusiastic reviews and sold well enough to re-establish Alvin as a significant artist in the roots rock scene. After releasing Museum of Heart in 1993, Alvin began to turn his attention to acoustic music with 1994's King of California, and over the next several years Alvin moved back and forth between hard-edged roots rock and more introspective acoustic material that still honored his influences (and allowed him to display a greater range as a vocalist). In 2000, Alvin recorded a collection of traditional folk and blues classics, Public Domain: Songs From the Wild Land, which earned him a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. In 2004, Alvin signed with the upstart roots rock label Yep Roc Records, who released his album Ashgrove, a low-key but hard-edged set of blues and rock. When not busy recording his own music, Alvin has also worked as a producer for several other roots-oriented acts, including Tom Russell, the Derailers, and Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, as well as collaborating with rockabilly legend Sonny Burgess. As a sideman, Alvin has recorded sessions with the likes of Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Little Milton, Katy Moffatt, and Syd Straw. I saw when he played with X when Billy Zoom left the band for awhile. The guy is one of the best guitarists ever.

japanmoran wrote:... ...

I really hate this genre of music - no discernible tune, unremarkable voice, terrible lyrics...

This guy can play, and I generally like this song,but it just seems to go on way too long for me sometimes.

lixy wrote: Bite your tongue! No such thing. this is more texas blues shuffle than anything...reminds me of Smokin' Joe Kubek

wade44 wrote: Soooooooooo glad I'm not the only one!

Oh yeah.

fpduffer wrote: I just came here to post the same thing!

hmmmmm. maybe becasue I've lived in Houston for a while, but I totally thought he was saying 'I wanna go back to the Astros' and since I'm not a big baseball fan tuned out the rest of the lyrics that don't make any sense if the song is about the Astros...

While this is a "good" song - it's being played too much these days on RP. I think there are several artists that have a version getting airplay that may contribute to the overplay. Too much of a good thing...

Great lyrics!

For a while I thought it was Knopfler! Cool song!

Sounds like "live music night" at Chili's.

This one has that genuine ersatz sound. The band sounds like their minds are elsewhere.

Classic Fender Strat sound!!

denizenusa wrote: Naw. This is music with a pulse. You might want to check for your own, while you're at it.

denizenusa wrote: Double yawn

Rock butt, boys.

An unusual ability to tell a story...

Wow I've never heard of this guy before and I'm really impressed; his backing band certainly do him justice. A solid 8 from me.