Blue Blvd
| Blue Blvd | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 20, 1991 | |||
| Genre | Folk rock, country rock | |||
| Length | 48:26 | |||
| Label | Hightone[1] | |||
| Producer | Chris Silogyi, Bruce Bromberg, Dave Alvin[2] | |||
| Dave Alvin chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Robert Christgau |  [4] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [1] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [5] |
Blue Blvd is an album by American musician Dave Alvin.[6] It was released in 1991.[7]
Production
[edit]Alvin worked on the songs over a period of years after the release of his first solo album, in 1987. He dealt with health issues, worked on film soundtracks, and helped other musicians.[8] The album employed a fuller production sound than Alvin's previous album, Romeo's Escape, courtesy of Alvin, Chris Silagyi, and Bruce Bromberg.[9]
Reception
[edit]AllMusic critic Denise Sullivan wrote: "The only thing that mars this wonderful, rootsy singer/songwriter album is a heavy production hand and a drum sound attempting to give it a rock edge; consequently, some of the more beautiful songs like the title track suffer under the weight, but the final cut, 'Dry River,' is alone worth the price of the disc."[3] The Washington Post called the album "11 songs so emotionally compelling and finely crafted that they remind one of Raymond Carver's short stories."[10] The Spin Alternative Record Guide wrote that it "offers some idiosyncratic gems."[11] Trouser Press wrote that Alvin's "no-frills singing sometimes fails to hold the spotlight, especially when the backing players crank up."[12]
Track listing
[edit]All songs by Dave Alvin.
- "Blue Blvd" – 4:53
- "Guilty Man" – 4:36
- "Haley's Comet" – 4:21
- "Why Did She Stay with Him" – 4:20
- "Rich Man's Town" – 3:56
- "Gospel Night" – 4:50
- "Plastic Rose" – 4:18
- "Brand New Heart" – 3:36
- "Wanda and Duane" – 3:57
- "Andersonville" – 5:45
- "Dry River" – 3:54
Personnel
[edit]- Dave Alvin – vocals, guitar
- Don Falzone – bass
- Rick Solem – piano, organ
- Bobby Lloyd Hicks – drums
- Donald Lindley – drums
- Greg Leisz – guitar, mandolin, lap steel guitar, pedal steel guitar
- Lee Allen – tenor saxophone
- Dwight Yoakam – background vocals
- David Hidalgo – background vocals
- Terry Evans – background vocals
- Katy Moffatt – background vocals
Production notes
[edit]- Chris Silagyi – producer
- Bruce Bromberg – producer
- Dave Alvin – producer
- Michael Becker – engineer
- Steve Shepherd – engineer
- Paul DuGre – engineer
- Geza X – engineer
- Steve Klein – mixing
- Bernie Grundman – mastering
- Terri Lande Bromberg – design
- Beth Herzhaft – photography
References
[edit]- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 149.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 23.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Denise. "Blue Blvd > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Dave Alvin Reviews". Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 13.
- ^ "Dave Alvin | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ Wyman, Bill. "Dave Alvin/Skeletons/Michael Hurley". Chicago Reader.
- ^ "Lush Images Along a 'Dry River' : Dave Alvin, Who Plays Saturday at Bogart's, Cultivates Some Unusually Rich 'Sad Stories'". Los Angeles Times. December 13, 1991.
- ^ Gettelman, Parry. "DAVE ALVIN". OrlandoSentinel.com.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey (November 15, 1991). "ALVIN, SKELETONS: ROCKING'S A BLAST" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
- ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 48.
- ^ "Dave Alvin". Trouser Press. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
