Blue Blvd

Blue Blvd
Studio album by
Dave Alvin
ReleasedAugust 20, 1991
GenreFolk rock, country rock
Length48:26
LabelHightone[1]
ProducerChris Silogyi, Bruce Bromberg, Dave Alvin[2]
Dave Alvin chronology
Romeo's Escape
(1987) 		Blue Blvd
(1991) 		Museum of Heart
(1993)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Robert Christgau(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)[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

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

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

All songs by Dave Alvin.

  1. "Blue Blvd" – 4:53
  2. "Guilty Man" – 4:36
  3. "Haley's Comet" – 4:21
  4. "Why Did She Stay with Him" – 4:20
  5. "Rich Man's Town" – 3:56
  6. "Gospel Night" – 4:50
  7. "Plastic Rose" – 4:18
  8. "Brand New Heart" – 3:36
  9. "Wanda and Duane" – 3:57
  10. "Andersonville" – 5:45
  11. "Dry River" – 3:54

Personnel

  • 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

  • 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

  1. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 149.
  2. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 23.
  3. ^ a b Sullivan, Denise. "Blue Blvd > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  4. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Dave Alvin Reviews". Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  5. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 13.
  6. ^ "Dave Alvin | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  7. ^ Wyman, Bill. "Dave Alvin/Skeletons/Michael Hurley". Chicago Reader.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ Gettelman, Parry. "DAVE ALVIN". OrlandoSentinel.com.
  10. ^ Himes, Geoffrey (November 15, 1991). "ALVIN, SKELETONS: ROCKING'S A BLAST" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  11. ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 48.
  12. ^ "Dave Alvin". Trouser Press. Retrieved 17 February 2021.