The album opens with a John Stewart cover. Dave does a fine job of it. Dave loves Calif. and changes he has seen in Cal. Many of his songs reflect the decline of Cal. as he remembers it. None the less the songs are all excellent. I agree with his feelings for California. What a great songwriter.
I just downloaded this and am listening with great pleasure now, but as a longtime DA fan, I can't let Deming's comment, in the "official" review of this here at eMusic, go unnoticed. A better songwriter and guitarist than singer? Did he accidentally download something entirely different? I guess DA's voice isn't perfect, if you're used to listening to opera, or Tony Bennett, but I've always thought DA's voice is one of the great things about his work, and that seems to be just as true from what I've heard here. Maybe this is was trying to say that his songwriting and guitar abilities are SO HIGH that nothing can match that, but that's the only interpretation that I can think of that makes any sense of such a remark.
I was a little apprehensive about a Dave Alvin album of covers, but this is an excellent album. Some great guitar work, and classic Dave Alvin vocals. It's a must-have for fans of DA.
i was a bit apprehensive about this one when i saw the PASTE review. but this is one helluva'n album. to me, it's the musical equivalent of bill buford's fabulous travel book about california (whose title i cannot recall). california has contributed greatly to popular music - from the beach boys to jackson browne, buck owens to merle haggard, x to black flag, the grateful dead to the red hot chili peppers. i think it's safe to say that dave alvin and his band could open up for virtually any of those artists and MORE than hold his own. it takes balls to tackle Surfer Girl and make it your own - i have this wistful impression of some hispanic american laborer working on a beachfront trophy home who has somehow been seduced by the beauty of some young goddess like surf diva. it is a stunning interpretation. check out Interstate City, where he tears off this fabulous version of Chuck Berry's "Promised Land" as part of a medley with "Jubilee Train" and "Do-Re-Mi." NOT TO BE MISSED!!
I'm new to DA, but I love this already. Excellent guitar work and a great voice - terrific!
As a long-time Dave Alvin fan, I wish I could be more enthusiastic about this one. There are some nice selections here, albeit a couple (Kern River, Between the Cracks) that he's recorded better previously. But like his last album, Ashgrove, I find the overall approach too reverent and subdued. It's as though Alvin loves these songs so much he's afraid to damage them in any way, and the result, a kid glove handling, lacks any sort of punch or edge. If he was going for a Nick Lowe crooner thing, he missed. He simply doesn't have the vocal subtlety to pull that off. Come on, Dave, a little more rock and roll wouldn't hurt!
How much higher can a contemporary legend rise? Dave Alvin keeps us on our toes. This collection of hand-picked tunes has already received accolades in major publications. So the glowing reviews you're sure to see here are not just the hysterical ravings of the already converted. All these songs share a common ancestry; they were written by Californians. It's a new best effort from an artist who's renowned as a songwriter himself (Long White Cadillac, American Music, Marie Marie, Plastic Electric 9 Volt Heart, etc.). Now we hear Alvin's often overlooked talent for interpreting the songs he admires while making them very, very much his own. (If you dig Dave, check out Skip Heller on eMusic. Skip is one of DA's fave guitarists.)
Most impressive set from Dave Alvin. Better than Ashgrove, which became my favorite album from 2004. This is great song writing, great covers, fantastic stuff. If you like Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen or Tom Russell you'll love this one!
