Out in California

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Out in California
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  1. Audio CD: Release Date 2002-05-21
  2. Publisher: Shout Factory
  3. Artist: Dave Alvin, Guilty Men
  4. Format: Live
  5. Sales Rank in Music: #29846

Product Review

Dave Alvin, winner of a 2001 Grammy for his release from the same year Public Domain, continues his exploration of what he calls 'electric and acoustic folk music' with this live album Out In California. 13 tracks. Digipak. 2002.

Amazon.com

Though Dave Alvin's reputation rests with his songwriting, the dynamism of this live recording puts the pedal to the metal and leaves the studio versions of much of this material in the dust. Highlights range from a nine-minute medley of Alvin's "Little Honey" and Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" to the honky-tonk country of "Highway 99" to the raucous celebration of "American Music" that has been Alvin's anthem since his days with the Blasters. Not since Creedence's John Fogerty has a roots rocker mined such a rich vein of Americana, though material such as "Haley's Comet," "Blue Boulevard," and "Wanda and Duane" find Alvin's hard-bitten lyricism growing increasingly dark as it matures. While his half-spoken, half-sung vocals lack the nuance of the best of his songwriting, a killer band featuring drummer Bobby Lloyd Hicks and keyboardist Joe Terry provides propulsive support for his stinging guitar. --Don McLeese
Title Tracks for Out in California

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars why isn't this guy a star?, May 27, 2002
david favrot (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Out in California (Audio CD)
in a just universe, we'd already be a little tired of dave alvin and the guilty men: the stadium shows, the pepsi commercials, the halftime gigs at the nba finals... but it's not a just universe, and dave and the lads are playing bars and clubs like the venues at which this live set was taped. the music is a gumbo of rockabilly, r & b, country and folk. the band kicks back for a fiddle-flavored "abilene," but it also channels chuck berry as it tears through "american music." this release is rowdier than "interstate city," alvin's previous live album, and the arrangements are busier, but it's all good.


12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars + 1/2 Stars...Alvin Is a First-Rate Songwriter, July 1, 2002
Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Out in California (Audio CD)
Dave Alvin has released only two studio albums since his last live album (1996's equally enjoyable Interstate City), but Alvin said in a local newspaper interview before an Omaha appearance that his favorite thing to do is to play before a live audience. "There are things that happen when we play live--intense musical things that are just about impossible to capture in the studio for whatever reason." This live album is full of raw energy and touches all the bases of Alvin's career to date. There are songs from his days with The Blasters ("Little Honey," "American Music"), X ("Fourth of July"), and his solo career through 2000's Grammy-winning Public Domain (a seven-minute version of "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down"). Alvin performs four songs from 1991's Blue Blvd: "Andersonville," "Blue Boulevard," "Wanda and Duane" and "Haley's Comet," the latter a touching portrait of fleeting fame. The...Read more


7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Fine electric and acoustic live performances, July 25, 2002
hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Out in California (Audio CD)
As a full-time road warrior, it's no surprise that Alvin's confluence of music, philosophy and work ethic is captured so vividly on these live recordings. Steeped in rock, blues, folk, and country, Alvin's decidedly non-Hollywood California viewpoint is born from the grit of a working man's life, and fueled by the endless miles in between countless road gigs.These thirteen titles are drawn from Alvin's earliest work with the Blasters and X, solo albums (including a generous helping from his 1991 debut), recent public domain recordings, and a newly penned saga, "Highway 99." Highlights include "Blue Boulevard," Alvin's riveting homage to an influential, music-loving cousin, and a smokin' piano and guitar-driven cover of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love." An acoustic cover of Bo Carter's "All 'Round Man" and an electric stab at Little Walter's "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" show off two sides of Alvin's blues. Grace notes invoke Link...Read more

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