Customer Reviews

Any Rough Times Are Now Behind You: Selected Poems and Writing : 1979-1995

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Dave Alvin is one of the 'new' 'stars' of the American music movement. Turns out he isn't all that new to that style of music and being a 'star' doesn't even fill a bar on a weekday night (outside of Austin and LA). His genius is in the evocative power of the lyrics that affectionately call to mind a picture of working America that was only hinted at by Bruce Springsteen in the mid-seventies.

His book of poems examines the same bars, bedrooms, and highways painting an America of broken dreams, broken promises and, at the same time, enduring passion and amazing potential. He has a rare eye for word painting the seemingly common and bringing the emotional content to the fore.

Well worth buying and well worth re-reading. Do yourself a favor and also buy the CD King of California as it covers much of the same territory.

I had been a moderate fan of X, the Blasters and Dave Alvins solo music before picking up this book. I liked the title and was curious so I took the plunge. I began reading the poems one night and just kept on reading. I have to admit I was surprised by how good these poems are. Mr Alvin is quite adept at putting the word down. These poems are gritty without losing poetic beauty. Alvin is able to convey an extraordinary range of emotions and experiences in these poems. He manages to run the gamut of his life without wallowing in wistful nostalgia. Saccharine does not live here anymore. This is the real thing. I came away from reading these poems feeling as if I knew Alvin. He seems like a guy that you would want to be friends with. This collection is one I refer to again and again for inspiration or just a good read. This is what true poetry is supposed to be.

Slowly but surely, this poetry collection has become my most-read book. Alvin is best known as a guitarist and songwriter (he was a founding member of the Blasters and has worked as a solo artist for the past decade), but he uses poetry to hash out the thoughts that later become songs. Fans will enjoy tracing the paths those thoughts take--this collection's "Fourth of July in the Dark" exposes the origins of the song "Fourth of July"--but even those who have never heard of Alvin will appreciate his bluesy writing style and his harsh, often unflattering unhonesty

There is ALWAYS a Dave Alvin CD in my car, the man is a pure genius. The poetry's just as good as the songs are. If you've ever looked at the moon from a cheap hotel room, you'll feel right at home here. The man writes the truth.

Any Friend of Charles Bukowski 's is worth taking a look at. This work stands alone, Alvin has said what most can't.

One Great Read.

Savagebooks.net

...when i picked up this book i was captured by the very first poem. dave alvin is an amazing storyteller, letting you step into places from his past and leaving you with impressions of places you've never been and people you feel like you know. i can't wait for him to finish his next book!

I bought this book because I love Alvin's music. After reading it, I am now a bigger fan of his poetry. Any Rough Times is filled which rich imagery, both geographically and emotionally. Alvin's style is simple and effective. You can certainly see a Bukowski influence at work here. It is only an influence, not actual imitation. Alvin's voice is his own, there is nothing awkward or forced about it. If you enjoy his music, you will enjoy this book. His gift for vivd storytelling that brings you to his emotional state of mind is present in Any Rough Times. It's not unlike a literary VH1's Behind The Music without the tabloid feel. It allows you to delve deeper into the man than the confines of song structure will allow. This isn't a book of lyrics(so many songwriter's seem to think it's necessary to sell you an extended lyric sheet under the guise of poetry), it's a photo album, created with words, filled with snapshots of one man's moods and life experiences. I highly recommend this one!

I really wanted to like this, as I've been a Blasters fan since American Music, X fan, Dave Alvin fan.... but these are terrible. Not taut, not *poems*. Could use several revisions to shape them into poems. These are rough drafts, loose, unformed, uncrafted potential.