| Eleven Eleven | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 20, 2011 | |||
| Genre | Folk rock, country rock | |||
| Length | 49:35 | |||
| Label | Yep Roc | |||
| Producer | Dave Alvin | |||
| Dave Alvin chronology | ||||
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Eleven Eleven is the eleventh studio album by folk rock musician Dave Alvin. It was released on June 20, 2011, on Yep Roc Records, and an expanded reissue was released on April 17, 2012. [1]
The recording of Eleven Eleven was influenced by the then-recent deaths of Alvin's friends Chris Gaffney and Amy Farris. [2] The eleven songs on Eleven Eleven were written over the course of seven months, with three exceptions: the three duets on the album, which were "What's Up With Your Brother", "Manzanita", and "Two Lucky Bums". [3] "What's Up With Your Brother" is a duet between Alvin and his brother, Phil Alvin, in which both brothers sing together for the first time on record since the breakup of the their legendary band "The Blasters". "Manzanita" is a duet between Alvin and Christy McWilson, a member of his band, the Guilty Women. "Two Lucky Bums" is a duet between Alvin and Chris Gaffney, and represents Gaffney's last recording before he died in 2008. [3] The song "Harlan County Line" was written for the TV show Justified . [4]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 84% [5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| American Songwriter | [7] |
| Robert Christgau | A− [8] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [2] |
| PopMatters | 8/10 [9] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
Eleven Eleven received mostly favorable reviews from critics. [5] Wayne Robins wrote in American Songwriter that the album's best songs were "character studies or snapshots of history". [7] Many critics described "Johnny Ace is Dead" as one of the best songs on the album, [7] [10] with Steve Horowitz of PopMatters calling it "the best damn Johnny Ace song one could ever imagine." [9]
All tracks composed by Dave Alvin; except where indicated
David Albert Alvin is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters. Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s and has been involved in various side projects and collaborations. He has had brief stints as a member of the bands X and the Knitters. He often refers to himself as "Blackjack Dave," in reference to his 1998 album and song of the same name.
The Blasters are an American rock band formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. Their self-described "American Music" is a blend of rockabilly, early rock and roll, punk rock, mountain music, and rhythm and blues and country.
The Gap Band was an American R&B and funk band that rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. The band consisted of three brothers: Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson, along with other members; it was named after streets in the historic Greenwood neighborhood in the brothers' hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Hacienda Brothers is an American alternative country band composed of Chris Gaffney, Dave Gonzalez, Dave Berzansky, Dale Daniel, and Hank Maninger. They have been described as "the finest country rock band since the Flying Burrito Brothers in their prime," and were called "the best country band of the decade." Their music blends soul, blues, rockabilly, country, Tex-Mex and rock and roll. They themselves call it "western Soul." The band was hailed as making a "groundbreaking blend of country, rock, blues and accordion-anchored Americana" and by the time founder Chris Gaffney died in 2008 had made three studio albums and one live album.
Christopher F. Gaffney was an American singer and songwriter from the Southwest. His career, both as a solo musician and as a member of several bands, was as eclectic as his musical tastes. Although he never achieved widespread fame, Gaffney, who died at the age of 57 from liver cancer, left his mark on country, rock, soul, and other forms of American music. In its obituary, the Los Angeles Times described Gaffney as "a peer of [Dave] Alvin, Los Lobos, X and the Red Hot Chili Peppers in chronicling the life of Southern California."
Lucky Old Sun is the twelfth studio album by American country music artist Kenny Chesney. It was released on October 14, 2008 as the first release for Blue Chair Records, Chesney's personal division of the BNA Records record label. The album produced two singles in "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven" and "Down the Road", which were both number ones on the country charts. Chesney's versions of those two songs are duets with The Wailers and Mac McAnally respectively. This was Kenny's first album since 1997's I Will Stand to not have a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Just Lookin' for a Hit is the first compilation album by American country music artist Dwight Yoakam. It includes eight singles from his 1980s albums for Reprise Records, as well as two newly recorded cover songs: "Long White Cadillac," originally recorded by The Blasters, and "Sin City," originally recorded by the Flying Burrito Brothers.
Dwight's Used Records is a compilation album by American country music artist Dwight Yoakam. It was released by Audium Records on June 29, 2004. The album peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
The Highway is the third studio album from recording artist Holly Williams. Released on February 5, 2013, the album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.
Loser's Paradise is an album by country music singer-songwriter Chris Gaffney, released in 1995 on HighTone Records. It was Gaffney's second album released on HighTone, and was produced by Dave Alvin. It was recorded over a 10-day period in Austin, Texas.
Ashgrove is an album by American artist Dave Alvin, released in 2004. It reached number 38 on the Top Independent Albums chart.
King of California is an album by the American musician Dave Alvin, released in 1994.
West of the West is an album by American artist Dave Alvin, released in 2006. The album pays tribute to California songwriters. It reached number 35 on the Top Independent Albums chart.
Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women is an album by American artist Dave Alvin, released in 2009. It reached number 35 on the Top Independent Albums chart.
Interstate City is a live album by American artist Dave Alvin and the Guilty Men, released in 1996. It was the group's first release and one of two the group released with Hightone records.
Blackjack David is the sixth album by the American artist Dave Alvin, released in 1998.
Christy McWilson is an American singer-songwriter based in the Pacific Northwest. She has performed with the Dynette Set, the Picketts, as a solo artist, and with many other artists, including Dave Alvin and The Young Fresh Fellows.
Common Ground: Dave & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy is a studio album by rock musicians Dave and Phil Alvin, released in 2014. The album is a tribute to the songs of Big Bill Broonzy; the brothers credit him with writing the first rockabilly song.
Don Heffington was an American drummer, percussionist, and songwriter. He was a founding member of the Los Angeles alternative country band Lone Justice, which he performed with from 1982 to 1985. Heffington was also a member of the bluegrass band Watkins Family Hour, recorded three solo albums, and was a session and touring musician for various artists, including Lowell George, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Victoria Williams, the Wallflowers, the Jayhawks, and Joanna Newsom.
Famous Friends is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Chris Young. It was released on August 6, 2021, by RCA Records Nashville. It was preceded by the three singles "Raised on Country", "Drowning" and the title track. "At the End of a Bar" would be released on September 13, 2021, as the album's fourth single. Young co-wrote all but two of the songs on the album overall.