Customer Reviews

Blackjack David

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's hard for me to be objective about any work from Dave Alvin...I just respect his music so much. But even I wasn't ready for the beauty of the title track, which has proven to be a truly haunting theme since this album was released. I must have listened to it a dozen times before I was ready to tackle the rest of this album. Dave Alvin is, in my estimation, the most underrated, overlooked artist of our time but I really don't think it matters to him. He had a (sort of) heyday with The Blasters, but comparing those times with these is like comparing The Dark Ages with The Industrial Revolution. Two periods, albeit prolific, nonetheless completely different. With "BLACKJACK DAVID", Alvin continues with what he does best...songs about people, songs about situations, and songs about love, loss, heartache, redemption, and hope. He can rock and roll ya one minute ("Abilene" or "New Highway") and have ya crying tears of poignant melancholy the next ("California Snow" or "1968"). He surrounds himself with crackerjack musicians, The Guilty Men, his touring band, and others who complement his music well. You can't buy a bad Dave Alvin record; it's as simple as that. And the best thing is, if this is your first Dave Alvin album, what a trip you have in store. Go back for classics like "KING OF CALIFORNIA" and "BLUE BLVD." and "INTERSTATE CITY". I feel privileged to appreciate artists like Garnet Rogers, Peter Himmelman, and Dave Alvin. Their music transcends the norm...it truly comes from the heart and soul of the artist himself. You can listen to what everyone else is listening to, or you can listen to great music performed by great artists. Dave Alvin is a great artist and a wonderful musician. "BLACKJACK DAVID" is a keeper. Do yourself a favor.

Those of us who live in Southern California have had the pleasure of seeing a lot of Dave Alvin over the years. Along with Tom Russell, Dave Alvin is one of America's greatest songwriters. He and Russell teamed up to write "California Snow" for this CD -- possibly one of the most moving songs I've ever heard. The song 1968 was previously recorded by Chris Gaffney. This album's version doesn't rock like Gaffney's but will affect your emotions as well. Other terrific songs include all of them but especially the title track and Mary Brown.

For those of you who have never seen Dave live, check out the Hightone Records web site and find out when he comes to your town. He recently opened for Bob Dylan in the East Coast and tours regularly. Seeing him now is a treasure -- it must be similar to those who saw Bruce Springsteen in Asbury Park before he became famous and moved to Beverly Hills.

I've been listening to Dave Alvin in form or another for going on 20 years now. While I'll admit I prefer his Stratocaster to his Martin, I can say with conviction I LOVE every single record he's ever made from the Blasters on. This record is particularly compelling. Listen to "Mary Brown" and you'll realize that even Bob Dylan doesn't write better songs than Dave Alvin. I've read a lot about his limited vocal abilities and have to say that I totally disagree with that perspective. His raggged-but-right vocals on Romeo's Escape are charming (and there's more Strat there too!) and the vocals get better with each record. I think the vocals on this record are absolutely beautiful, especially "Tall Trees". The reason for 4 stars instead of five is that I don't really care for "California Snow" (maybe its a personal problem - I bet Dave owns a Tom Russell coffee mug). Dave Alvin makes American Music pure and simple and NOBODY gets it as right as he does as often as he does. I HIGHLY recommend every single one of his records, but especially this one, King of California and my favorite of his solo records - Romeo's Escape.

The difference between Dave Alvin and other countryish folk-rockers (i.e. Richard Buckner, Vic Chestnutt, etc) is the quality of his songs. Sure, many artists can create a deep, moving, country SOUND, but how many can really write a SONG that tears your heart out? That leaves you feeling sexy? Whose lyrics make you think? Dave Alvin does the sound AND the songs. I also own King Of California and that record is wonderful too. Seen him twice live, and he is also a very nice man. Listen to this one and weep!

This CD contains another classic group of songs that I can't listen to enough. Each and every song could be mentioned as my favorite (and at various times, each is). "1968", "California Snow", and "Abiline" are songs that stop me in my tracks each and every time, the stories ring so true. That, in essence, is what makes this CD (like all of Dave Alvin's music) so special. There is no weak point; the lyrics and music are strong and the mix of musical styles is seamless. In addition, Alvin's vocals keep getting better & better. He truly TELLS a story musically. In other words, the arrangements are haunting, the musicians are excellent, the lyrics are pure poetry. What more could one want?

The song From A Kitchen Table is his masterpiece period! Every artist has that hope to be the best they can be someday. This would be it and who knows he just might be ornery enough to do it again....especially since almost no one noticed this time...judging from the reviews. Keep on Dave ...you hit the heart.

I didn't know much about this artist till an audiophile friend told me to just go out and buy it. Man, he was right, I was blown away. I am not a musicologist but I know what I like. This is a true "Americana" album, full of great stories of being on the road and life's heartaches. Great vocals and lyrics, acoustic guitars, etc. It sounds amazing too!

Dave Alvin is an important figure in American Music and this is amongst his most important albums. The song "Abilene" has one of the catchiest hooks you'll ever hear which combined with its sensuous dynamics (i.e. increasing and decreasing sound levels/density) results in a very heart-tugging effect. Overall a very mature effort in the best sense of the word. This is the type of impact that thousands of singer-songwriters that are out there wish they could have on an audience. Not every song is as strong as the best ones on the album, thus 4 stars instead of 5.

Being a recent convert to the music of Dave Alvin, I hesitate to pontificate too much on his many musical virtues, but having listened repeatedly to Blackjack Dave I can honestly say that his is music that's impossible to dislike. Dave Alvin here presents a variety of moods that have made this album one of my favorites. He offers up a pungent stew of love, sex, betrayal, friendship, despair, and murder. My favorites are Blackjack Dave, a story of a rich woman who turns her back on all she has to be with a vagabond; California Snow, a moving song about a Border Patrolman who is torn between duty and the injustices he sees; The Way You Say Goodbye, a swinging, sexy song of a bitter ending; 1968, a story of inability to get over the loss of a close friend in Vietnam; and the chilling ballad Mary Brown which to me is the high point of the album. The other songs are good too, particularly the country-infused Abilene and the Cajun styled Laurel Lynn. Dave Alvin shows consistent improvement in both his songwriting and his vocal technique and is proving to the listening public that he is Hall of Fame material. If you are already a Dave Alvin fan, you know what he can do, but if you are not yet one, its time to get on the bandwagon.

If there were a real school for songwriters, then BLACKJACK DAVID must surely be required listening for anyone in attendance. The singer-songwriter's success depends on his ability to understand the complexities of life, and convey them in simple stories. Alvin's cast of characters is as real, as haunted, as confused, battered and tormented, as angry and apathetic, as cold and as warm as the people who will pass you on the street tomorrow. They cry from inside. They carry their burdens in silence. They laugh, they holler, they brood, and then they just go on. They are alive. "Still Work the Same Job, Still Live With My Mom For Free. Ever since the old man passed on, It just got harder to leave." And perhaps best about Alvin's style is that his heros speak to you as if they were sitting across that kitchen table, coffee (or beer) in hand, pouring out soul. Their smoke-rings are still floating in the air. If this album doesn't carve out a special place in your heart, you'ld better check your pulse.