In 1977, the place of the King of Rock and Roll was vacant for obvious reasons. Malcolm McLaren and his appendages immediately presented their princes. We will call them “McLaren Homuncules”. It seemed that everything good, kind, and musical was about to be washed away by a tsunami of punk’s slop nihilism and new wave neon snot. The answer came from the same doorways. Robert Gordon came from among the radicals who practiced BDSM (violence against the listener) at CBGB’s. After breaking with the glam punks Tuff Darts, he recorded his first two rockabilly albums with the accompaniment of Link Ray himself. Levi & The Rockats were already ready on the other side of the Atlantic, already scalded by the orgy of the unfortunate who believed in “punk”. That’s how neo-rockabilly began. And then young men arrived in England who had not found success in their homeland, but had heard that things would go up in London. The Stray Cats. And the guys succeeded, getting as far as Balabanov’s “Blind Man’s Bluff”. The competition for the “Prodigal Cats” in Albion was made by Shaky Stevens, who modernized his sound after leaving The Sunsets.
Meanwhile, in California, brothers Phil and Dave Alvin were developing their own style of playing. They took as a basis all the available genres of Southern music. In 1965, Mom finally dragged little Phil to a Brownie McGee concert, and then the boy caught the blues bacillus. There were two other smart kids in the neighborhood: John Bazz and Bill Bateman. The four of them played cowboys at first, and when they got older, they began to drag themselves all the way to Los Angeles, visiting black jukejoints where no one bothered the white crows, cordially allowing them to enjoy the performances of musicians. Dave Alvin was the smallest in age, but the largest in terms of characteristics, and at some point Phil suggested that the quartet of yard cowboys become a rock quartet. John and Bill were assigned to the bass and drums, respectively, according to their speaking surnames, Phil became the main loudmouth and rhythm guitarist, and all melodic responsibility fell on the shoulders of the little one. There were doubts about the name, but they were dispelled by Jimmy McCracklin (legend of jump blues, for a second):
“Yes, Joe Turner had his own Blues Blasters. Throw out the word blues, take the rest for yourself. If Big Joe asks, tell him that I’ve allowed it (laughs fervently and hoarsely).”
Unlike in England, where in some areas and even towns, if a puppy was not born teddy boy, it was immediately drowned (no, of course, it was slowly drowned throughout its life), California did not have an abundance of rockabilly fans, but it was full of fans. What can I say, even the punk scene has accepted The Blasters as its own, which is why critics of the narrow mind classify them as a cowpunk. In 1980, on the independent label Rollin’ Rock released The Blasters’ debut album “American Music”. In addition to the pretentious title of the title song, it contained nineteen tracks, one of which was written by Phil, six by Dave, and the rest were borrowed from the giants of the 1950s. In addition to several potential hits, the record carried a major and killer hit, “Marie Marie”. Dave originally conceived it as a Cajun tune set to the rhythm of Chuck Berry. Already at the rehearsal, the band approved the theme, I had to compose the words urgently, and in Dave’s head there was only one image I saw a long time ago: a girl with a huge guitar sitting on the steps of a plantation mansion.
“Marie Marie
Playing guitar on the back porch
I sit in my car
While she sings so sad
Marie Marie”
The song was picked up by the already well-known Shaky Stevens, making it commercially profitable. One day, Stevens called Dave with an offer to become a permanent writer for Shaky. Although Dave was flattered, he had to refuse: “Mr. Stevens, I do not know where the songs come from or in what ways, so I will not be able to extract them from the topper according to the contract.” Well, Mr. Stevens didn’t disappear anyway, becoming the UK’s best-selling artist of the 1980s. The second album with the amazing name “The Blasters” was noticed even by critics.
A prominent representative of this irrepressible tribe, Robert Christgau, noted that Phil Alvin’s vocals are the most assertive among the “nouveau” rockabilly singers. And already this “nouveau” gives out a pretty great grandfather in Christgau. Next, Christgau almost puts Dave Alvin on a par with John Fogerty, but immediately shits into this honey pot, noting that Dave’s lyrics are more physical than spiritual. It’s very funny considering that The Blasters are a rockabilly band. Never read the Christgau before breakfast, as well as at lunch and after dinner. Don’t read any Christgau at all.
The third work was released two years later, the lyrics really became more thoughtful, the arrangement was enriched by a saxophone duet, and the “Long White Cadillac” dedicated to Hank Williams is a true masterpiece of rock and roll. And here we come to the line – one of the best albums, if not rock, then rockabilly for sure. “Hard Line” was released in 1985, sounding modern to this day. Let’s crack these brain bones, Moon Dogs!
Trouble Bound – rockabilly with The Jordanairs singing along. The unusual structure of the song breaks the boundaries, remaining within the acceptable limits. It sounds like freshly printed vinyl. The right double bass and the right drums complete the job.
Just Another Sunday – a song with the mighty (hello, Christgau!) by text. Uncompromising country rock.
Hey Girl is a groovy zydeco. Aren’t you dancing yet? Voodoo is coming to you. But before death, the victim will be fed gumbo. Oh, yes! The song is about carnal pleasures.
Dark Night is a new gradation of rockabilly. It’s like the very air of the South is trembling in guitar phrases. It’s like The Blasters are offering a new way of thinking. Rodriguez and Tarantino got the message right by embedding the song in their masterpiece “From Dusk Till Dawn”.
Little Honey is a mystical ballad flavored with a Louisiana violin. To such a song, all that remains is to lie in the grass, gazing at the constellations, enjoying a lazy mandolin.
Samson And Delilah is a gospel song sung by Phil with the support of a black choir. Very good gospel music. Perhaps the Lord will hear us.
Colored Lights was writtenby John “Cougar” Mellencamp. He produced it. And that’s the only weird thing on the album. Just tear it off and throw it away… Mellencamp kept trying to become the second, or even the first Springsteen. It didn’t work out, but he went all out.
Help You Dream is more pop than rockabilly. And it works. Swinging to the fullest. They’re singing along with The Jordanairs. That’s what makes a simple song great.
Common Man is a creepy country rock about the fate of an ordinary person and the one who makes that person ordinary. About manipulators.
Rock & Roll Will Stand says that no one will lose their swing in the pitch. They’ll lose it. In 1985, the trees were greener.
Dave Alvin left the band shortly after. He got a taste for the stories and their accompaniment. The Blasters band actually ended with his departure. The band’s two fairly recent albums shout, “Come back!!!”. When the unknown paths bring him back, Dave will say: “Let’s go”. And it’s going to be Mardi Gras for everyone. Don’t bite your heels, Moon Dawgs!
