The Blasters (album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Blasters
The Blasters cover
Studio album by The Blasters
Released 1981
Genre rock
Label Slash
Professional reviews
The Blasters chronology
American Music
(1980)		 The Blasters
(1981)		 Over There: Live at the Venue, London
(1982)

The Blasters is a 1981 album by American rock band The Blasters. Although the album was released by the independent label Slash, its strong performance required a deal for wider distribution with Warner Bros. Records.[1] The album was well received, making Time Magazine's list of "top 10 albums" for 1981 and peaking at #36 on Billboard's "Pop Albums".[2][3]

Contents

[edit] Response

The national distribution of The Blasters was an eye-opener for listeners of "rockabilly, country, blues, and New Orleans roadhouse R&B", who found a band capable of producing new material that "stood up well to the influences from whence they sprang".[4] Staff reviewer John Cruz of Sputnikmusic declared "they took all that was old and made it new again and took what was new and played it the way the cats way back when used to play it".[5] Journalist Piero Scaruffi praised the album as more than an imitation, describing it as a sincere and "rootsy" production that captured "the American soul",[6] while Trouser Press declared that the album "smokes" and that the band's performance was "tighter than a drum".[1]

[edit] Track listing

Except where otherwise noted, all songs composed by Dave Alvin.

  1. "Marie Marie"
  2. "No Other Girl"
  3. "I'm Shakin'" (Rudy Toombs)
  4. "Border Radio"
  5. "American Music"
  6. "So Long Baby Goodbye"
  7. "Hollywood Bed"
  8. "Never No Mo' Blues" (Elsie McWilliams, Jimmie Rodgers)
  9. "This is It"
  10. "Highway 61" (Albert Laundrew)
  11. "I Love You So" (Bo Diddley)
  12. "Stop the Clock" (Bob Ehret, Damon Robertson)

[edit] Personnel

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Young, Jon. The Blasters Trouser Press. Accessed October 30, 2007.
  2. ^ Waldman, Scott. (November 8, 2002) A link in the chain. PopMatters. Accessed October 30, 2007.
  3. ^ The Blasters Billboard at Allmusic
  4. ^ Bowden, Marshall. (June 11, 2002). The Blasters Testament PopMatters. Accessed October 30, 2007.
  5. ^ Cruz, John. (January 27, 2006). Testament. Sputnik Music. Accessed October 30, 2007.
  6. ^ Scaruffi, Piero. Blasters. Scaruffi website. Accessed October 30, 2007.