Customer Reviews

Out in California

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4 star:		(5)
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in a just universe, we'd already be a little tired of dave alvin and the guilty men: the stadium shows, the pepsi commercials, the halftime gigs at the nba finals... but it's not a just universe, and dave and the lads are playing bars and clubs like the venues at which this live set was taped. the music is a gumbo of rockabilly, r & b, country and folk. the band kicks back for a fiddle-flavored "abilene," but it also channels chuck berry as it tears through "american music." this release is rowdier than "interstate city," alvin's previous live album, and the arrangements are busier, but it's all good.

Dave Alvin has released only two studio albums since his last live album (1996's equally enjoyable Interstate City), but Alvin said in a local newspaper interview before an Omaha appearance that his favorite thing to do is to play before a live audience. "There are things that happen when we play live--intense musical things that are just about impossible to capture in the studio for whatever reason."

This live album is full of raw energy and touches all the bases of Alvin's career to date. There are songs from his days with The Blasters ("Little Honey," "American Music"), X ("Fourth of July"), and his solo career through 2000's Grammy-winning Public Domain (a seven-minute version of "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down"). Alvin performs four songs from 1991's Blue Blvd: "Andersonville," "Blue Boulevard," "Wanda and Duane" and "Haley's Comet," the latter a touching portrait of fleeting fame. The title refers to Bill Haley, but the song's theme is universal. Alvin's world-weary voice is perfectly suited to these songs and the Guilty Men provide excellent support, including his long-time rhythm section of bassist Gregory Boaz and drummer Bobby Lloyd Hicks who have been with Alvin since his last live album. [Note: "Out In California" is the only track repeated between the two live albums.]

Alvin rounds out the album with some rock chestnuts (Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love") and obscure R&B (the slighlty racy "All 'Round Man"). An unlisted bonus track is an abbreviated version of "Free Bird," which some joker requests but Alvin takes up as a challenge ("You think we don't know it?" he asks. "You think we can't play it?")--it's a fitting ending to a magical set. This is 76 minutes of American music.

As other reviewers have said, if talent were the only barometer by which musical greatness were measured Dave Alvin would be among the elite. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

As a full-time road warrior, it's no surprise that Alvin's confluence of music, philosophy and work ethic is captured so vividly on these live recordings. Steeped in rock, blues, folk, and country, Alvin's decidedly non-Hollywood California viewpoint is born from the grit of a working man's life, and fueled by the endless miles in between countless road gigs.

These thirteen titles are drawn from Alvin's earliest work with the Blasters and X, solo albums (including a generous helping from his 1991 debut), recent public domain recordings, and a newly penned saga, "Highway 99." Highlights include "Blue Boulevard," Alvin's riveting homage to an influential, music-loving cousin, and a smokin' piano and guitar-driven cover of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love." An acoustic cover of Bo Carter's "All 'Round Man" and an electric stab at Little Walter's "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" show off two sides of Alvin's blues. Grace notes invoke Link Wray, Bruce Channel, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Whether fronting the Guilty Men in electric club performances, or a smaller acoustic group at a Pasadena church, Alvin puts across his lyrics with incredible conviction. The spontaneity of live performance reveals additional details of his songs, as if their studio incarnations were drawn as maps to the road ahead.

My first thoughts on the opening notes of this CD were, "Only the most confident musicians would open a show with the sound of tuning instruments"! "How can they get away with that"? "Are they really that good"? THEY ARE! The songs found here aren't about California dreaming. This isn't Hotel California! It is a culmination of many things found on the road in California, as the dream fades and reality sets in. Hot asphalt, cold beer, little diners, love, loss, dysfunctional relationships, and hope. Not one song on this CD was cleverly thought up by a song writer staring out the window of a luxury tour bus. Dave drives his own van. He lived them before he wrote them. The title track will lift you right off your feet with smokin guitar, and lyrics that compare California mountains to a woman lying naked on a bed. Haley's Comet is also a rocker, but a sad story all the same. The idea that an original American Rock n Roll hero could be forgotten to the point he's not even recognizable. Little Honey is a classic Blasters tune reformatted with guitar licks that will make the listener hang on every note; Mr. Thorogood included. Abilene is the story of too many girls who run away to California, only to end up alone in Hollywood. Don't let your deal go down offers a glimpse into one of the tougher drinking establishments several hundred years ago. Highway 99 is the type of straight ahead country that used to come out of Bakersfield, and actually get played. This is a great song, but it does sound an awful lot like Out in California. With the exception of All around Man, which is a fun loving blues romp full of sexual inuendo, the songs are very much grounded in the hard realities of life. Who would have thought that long after The Beach Boys sang Surfin USA, Some guy from Downey would come along and write a song about a couple fighting in a dark apartment on the Fourth of July? The show begins to wind down with the classic Blaster's tune, American Music. This song not only rocks, but it is also another solid reminder of why the USA is the greatest country on Earth. The last highlight to note falls midway through the final track, when some guy much like myself, shouts out, "Free Bird"! Leonard Skynard is then graciously played by the fabulous Guilty Men! Dave Alvin is a true gentleman, and an American Song writing treasure. Buy it!

...parked right there in the FRONT row! Great sound, great performances, and a great opportunity for Dave Alvin fans to relive that small club atmosphere. You can almost smell the cigarette smoke and feel the waitress bump up against you as she sits another cold one on your table. This one's for the fans, I'm sure, and now we gotta get The Blasters to issue a live album from that recent five-gig stand, and all will be well in the universe. The intro to and the performance of BLUE BLVD. is worth the cost of this record alone. And AMERICAN MUSIC? Fuhgeddaboudit! Did I mention the killer combination of LITTLE HONEY and WHO DO YOU LOVE? As this record ended and I was left with the silence of the room around me, I just shook my head from side to side, smiled broadly, and said to no one in particular, but to one incredibly gifted and enduring guitarist and singer and songwriter...thanks Dave.

P.S. That picture of you and the band on the inside?...yikes!!!

What I love about Dave Alvin is that he is creative and varied enough to defy any of the categories that most people create for musicians. He can be a country crooner, a rocker, a balladeer, and a thoughtful folk singer. He is known as a brilliant songwriter but is also a compelling figure live. More importantly, just as you get used to one of his creative directions, he finds the ability to do something different. For example in the past year, he has done live shows with his rock band the Guilty Men, done live acoustic shows in places like the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena, played guitar in the Blasters reunion, toured with Christy McWilson, played guitar at a few Chris Gaffeny gigs, and still does a few shows as a member of the Knitters.

So here comes Dave with a new live album! Consider this the Dave Alvin sampler. This gives you an idea of what a wonderful songwriter he is. It also gives you an idea of how energetic his live shows can be. I know because I attended two of the three concerts that were recorded to make this CD. What's great about it is there are live performances of songs that he recorded a number of years ago such as Haley's Comet, Blue Boulevard and Wanda and Duane.

My only complaint about this CD is actually a suggestion. There are so many more songs that Dave does live that are terrific. I hope he issues another CD that would be available to fans at his shows. This could have been a 2-disc CD that would have been just as compelling and fun to listen to. Instead what we have is a single disc CD that is terrific and will leave you begging for more.

Now I've listened to it...this cd is further proof that Dave is one of American Music's unheralded icons. Ther are no new tunes on this cd, but it does an excellent job of capturing his live show. Anyone who is (or is becoming) a Dave fan should also try to listen to any of Tom Russell's cd (except maybe The Man From God Knows Where - it's a good cd, but not really representative of Tom's writing or performing. Both Dave and Tom can and should be rated up wit the likes of Dylan when it comes to song writing (or storytelling with music). Another suggestion would be Chris Gaffney's cd El Vida Loca.

Alvin's voice isn't for everyone, but his songwriting and guitar playing are some of the best around. This is a record with a wonderful sound and a great overall feel. The highlight for me is "Abilene," but there seem to be plenty of other opinions. That is the sign of a excellent record.

I was at the show recorded at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara CA. Can you hear me? I was one of the people clapping. Anyhoo, "Out in California" is an excellent document of one of America's finest songwriters and performers. Dave and the Guilty Men can go hard to soft, folk to blues, and back again with an alacrity that is sadly missing from the prepackaged corporate pop that is polluting the charts and airwaves. For real music, BUY THIS ALBUM!

I actually haven't listened to the CD yet, but wish to correct the editorial reviewer's comment re: Haley's Comet. Dave co-wrote that one (as well as Out in California) with Tom Russell.