Search - Dave Alvin :: West of the West (Dig)

To Live and Love In the Land of Dreams & Broken Promises

prisrob | New EnglandUSA | 06/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dave Alvin's sublime new CD is a cadre of songs written by Californians either born and/or who grew up in this land. The lyrics talk about what it means to live and love in the land of dreams and broken promises. It is also a look at the story of the frontier in this large western state. Dave Alvin has a voice that is deep and smooth and like a friend of his said "infiltrates your brain like a shot of Jack Daniels."



Dave Alvin says "We started with a list of 25 songs, from Steve Gillette to Captain Beefheart and everything in between. I was even thinking of doing 'Going Back to Cali' as a blues thing. In the end, though, it wasn't about choosing my favorite songs so much as choosing songs that I could sing well enough and arrange differently enough to make them interesting." He has picked these songs carefully and each of them fit his style and voice well. Of them all, and I like each and every one, my two favorite interpretations are "Here In California" and "Surfer Girl"



"California Bloodlines" is a sentimental rendition of John Stewart's fine work, which finds peace in knowing "There's California bloodlines in my heart / There's a California woman in my song ... And a California heartbeat in my soul."



"Redneck Friend" the Jackson Brown less well known song was just right for Dave Alvin's style.



"Kern River" is a song Merle Haggard wrote after losing his best friend, and it is a melancholy rendition.



"Blind Love" from Tom Waits is sung in a bluesy style with some doo wops thrown in to give it style.



"Here in California" one of my favorites is sung with Christy McWilson. He felt this song needed a woman's perspective.



"I'm Bewildered" is an old Richard Berry, the great guitarist's tune. Backed up by The Calvenes.



"Sonora's Death Row" written by Blackie Ferrell is a fable that examines the price of acting out of greed and anger and ends up a as gun fighter's tale.



"Down On the Riverbed" is an old Los Lobos song that is sung in Dave Alvin's old blues style.



"Between the Cracks" a song written by Dave Alvin and Tom Russell is a heartbreaking tale of young boy told by a loving woman, with a rollicking tune. This is the only Dave Alvin orignal song in this CD.



"Don't Look Now" a song sung by John Fogerty is an old Creedence Clearwater revival. Bluesy and fun to make it Dave's.



"Tramps and Hawkers" by Jim Ringer is a delicate country waltz, come dance with me, BK. Lyrics are wonderful.



"Loser" by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, is darker with more infused blues than Garcia's version. It couldn't sound less like a Deadhead song. Dave Alvin put in a psychedelic section that is a tribute to the San Francisco sound



"Surfer Girl" Brian Wilson's first song is done with doo-wops and again The Calvanes did background. This is my favorite of Dave Alvin's interpretations, and he sings this surfin'song with some tongue in cheek.



Dave Alvin gives voices of California to this CD. Voices from the California coastline and the surf music it inspired to the "brown earth of the state" to the frontier life and the lives won and lost. Dave Alvin had made his mark on this state, and the writers who loved their lives by writing and singing about the state they love. Play it often and pay attention to the subtle influence of this CD. "California Dreamin'?" Highly recommended. prisrob 6-04-06



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A golden nugget of an album! Thanks, Dave!

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 06/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dave Alvin has put out a great CD full of mellow, beautifully arranged tracks. I particularly enjoyed "Here In California," the bluesy touch to "Don't Look Now," and especially the closer "Surfer Girl." This last song, performed so often by The Beach Boys, is so touchingly beautiful it's good enough to stand as a single!



Dave's voice is rich despite the fact that his vocal range hasn't always been consistently the largest. There's real passion in his voice and Dave can use his voice to highlight even the most subtle nuances of the words he sings. For example, listen to Dave sing a song here by Jackson Browne entitled "Redneck Friend." Dave uses every syllable to convey precisely what he wants to convey for this song. Indeed, in any song Dave chooses to perform, Dave imparts a sense of self-respect to even the most demoralized and exploited persons when he wants to. The musical arrangement is also very well done.



Although the mood on this album is somewhat relaxed, Dave's performance here displays a sense of confidence. He has grown as an artist and as a performer over time.



I recommend this album for Dave's fans (obviously), as well as fans of rock and pop music. As for those of us who want an introduction to Dave's talent, you can't go wrong by buying this CD.

"

Great Summer Album !

David L. Lavallee | Peoria, Il United States | 06/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just opened this and put it on my computer to play. I have only listened to the first 5 cuts, but they are all strong. The production is beautiful. I have bought cds ( and you have too ) with only one or two good songs on it, this is different. Do yourself a favor, buy this and Ashgrove and take a summer drive with Dave Alvin. You will not be disappointed."