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The Blasters Live: Going Home

 
Album Review: The Blasters Live: Going Home

  • Artist: The Blasters
  • Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: February 24, 2004
  • Type: Live
  • Genre: Rock

Review

In 2002, the original lineup of the Blasters -- vocalist and guitarist Phil Alvin, guitarist Dave Alvin, drummer Bill Bateman, and bassist John Bazz -- reunited to play a few shows to celebrate the release of a retrospective compilation of their recordings for Slash Records. In the grand tradition of giving the public what they want, a year after the original set of five shows had come and gone the reunited Blasters were still playing gigs for their loyal fans, and when Dave Alvin decided to pull the plug on the reunion in August of 2003, he did so in style with a special gig featuring a handful of special guests -- Chicago blues harp master Billy Boy Arnold, rockabilly legend Sonny Burgess, and members of two classic L.A. doo wop groups, the Calvanes and the Medallions. A mobile recording truck and a video crew were on hand to preserve the show for the ages, and the results have been released in both audio and video form as The Blasters Live: Going Home. The CD version has the burden of competing with an earlier live album from the first set of reunion gigs, Trouble Bound, but while Trouble Bound has a slightly higher stomp factor, Going Home finds the band in tighter and leaner form, with pianist Gene Taylor getting a greater chance to strut his stuff and the guests allowing the Blasters to show off the full range of their chops and their influences. Ultimately, both albums document one of America's greatest roots rock bands in its natural environment, on-stage in front of an appreciative audience, and like Trouble Bound, Going Home shows the passage of time hasn't dimmed the Blasters' ability to make with the hard rockin' boogie that made "American music" the stuff of legend around the world. If you dig the Blasters at all, you'll want to hear both discs...and after you do, you'll hope that the Alvin brothers can patch up their differences long enough to take their show on the road again sometime soon. It's mighty fine stuff. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Marie Marie (Lyrics) Dave Alvin The Blasters (3:22)
Real Rock Drive Bill Haley The Blasters (2:06)
Border Radio Dave Alvin The Blasters (2:33)
Crazy Baby Ron Wemsman, Ron Volz The Blasters (3:25)
Help You Dream Dave Alvin Calvanes, The Blasters (4:48)
Have Mercy Baby Billy Ward, Rose Marks The Blasters, Calvanes (4:22)
No Other Girl Dave Alvin The Blasters (2:24)
Don't You Lie to Me The Blasters (5:10)
So Long Baby Goodbye (Lyrics) Dave Alvin The Blasters (4:48)
Red Headed Woman Sonny Burgess Sonny Burgess, The Blasters (3:44)
Wandering Eye Billy Boy Arnold Billy Boy Arnold, The Blasters (5:39)
American Music (Lyrics) Dave Alvin The Blasters (4:44)
One Bad Stud (Lyrics) Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller The Blasters, Calvanes (5:34)
J.B. Lenoir Jam The Blasters (4:57)
All Your Love The Blasters (3:55)
Flip Flop & Fly The Blasters (10:52)

Credits

Bill Bateman (Drums), Garson Foos (Executive Producer), John Bazz (Group Member), Gene Taylor (Group Member), Mark Linett (Mixing), Holly George-Warren (Liner Notes), Kurt Mahoney (Photography), Mike Vecchio (Assistant Engineer), John Bazz (Bass), Francis Delia (Photography), Bob Wartinbee (Assistant Engineer), Phil Alvin (Photography), Phil Alvin (Author), Carlton Dinall (Assistant Engineer), Mark Linett (Producer), Paula Gould (Project Assistant), Phil Alvin (Group Member), Traci Swartz (Artwork), The Blasters (Producer), Gary Leonard (Photography), Phil Alvin (Vocals), Bill Bateman (Group Member), Traci Swartz (Package Supervision), Shawn Amos (A&R), Tina Reynolds (Project Assistant), Mark Linett (Engineer), Gene Taylor (Keyboards), Sandy Tanaka (Package Design), Pamela Littky (Photography), Phil Alvin (Guitar), Phil Alvin (Liner Notes), Greg Lewerke (Executive Producer), Richard Foos (Executive Producer)
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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more