THE BLASTERS
The Blasters Live: Going Home
(Shout! Factory)
US release date: 24 February 2004

Although they only released four studio albums in a five-year span (1980-85), The Blasters remain one of America's greatest roots-rock bands. They've continued to tour with a series of guitarists in place of original lead guitarist/songwriter Dave Alvin - who since has established a successful solo career as a folk artist - but only a few compilations and a live album documenting one of their occasional original-member reunions have surfaced in the interim.

"Going Home" is another live recording - capturing the rockabilly/R&B/blues outfit's "final" reunion at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana, California - but goes a step further, with a companion DVD marking The Blasters' video debut. Original drummer Bill Bateman, who left in 1993, and keyboard player Gene Taylor, who was a member from 1981-85, join Dave Alvin and the band's two members who never left: Dave's brother Phil (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and bassist John Bazz.

Pulling out all the stops for this August 2003 show, the band is tighter and leaner than ever, and on many tunes downright muscular. They hit the ground running with Dave Alvin's "Marie Marie," a song that normally would have been done at the end of the show, and followed it with one they hadn't played for some time: the obscure Bill Haley and The Saddlemen number "Real Rock Drive."

Three songs feature backing vocals from members of Los Angeles doo-wop legends The Calvanes and The Medallions: "Help You Dream," "Have Mercy Baby" and one of the Blasters best covers, "One Bad Stud," written by Leiber & Stoller.

Gene Taylor's piano skills and lead vocals are in the spotlight on "Don't You Lie to Me," a New Orleans take on the Tampa Red blues standard.

Former Sun Records recording artist Sonny Burgess turns in a cameo performance of his "Red Headed Woman"; later, bluesman Billy Boy Arnold revisits his "Wandering Eye."

Aside from the special-guest material, there are more signature Blasters tunes, including "Border Radio," "So Long Baby Goodbye" and, perhaps best of all, "American Music."

Even the rehearsal for the show yielded some nuggets, included at the end: "J.B. Lenoir Jam," Magic Sam's "All Your Love" and Big Joe Turner's "Flip, Flop & Fly."

The companion DVD includes extra songs such as Little Willie John's "I'm Shakin'," as well as bonus footage of vintage "classic Blasters" and more recent "current Blasters" (Phil Alvin, John Bazz, new drummer Jerry Angel and new guitarist Keith Wyatt.

Peter Hund
phund at pacbell dot net

The Columbia Gypsy