Hard Line | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 1985 | |||
Genre | Roots rock | |||
Label | Slash [1] | |||
Producer | Jeff Eyrich | |||
The Blasters chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Christgau's Record Guide | A [3] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10 [6] |
Hard Line is the fourth album by the American roots rock band the Blasters, released in 1985. [7] [8] Dave Alvin quit the band shortly after the album's release. [9] The album peaked at No. 86 on the Billboard 200. [10]
The song "Dark Night" was featured in the film From Dusk Till Dawn . [11]
The album was produced by Jeff Eyrich, who had attended the same high school as the Alvins. [12] [13] John Cougar Mellencamp wrote and produced one song; Mellencamp's producer, Don Gehman, produced "Just Another Sunday". [12] The album was recorded in Los Angeles and Nashville. [14] Stan Lynch, David Hidalgo, and Larry Taylor appear on Hard Line. [15]
Trouser Press wrote that the "highlights include 'Trouble Bound' and 'Help You Dream', both featuring the Jordanaires." [16] The Washington Post thought that "Dave Alvin's songwriting has grown dramatically -- the melodies are finally as prominent as the rhythms, and the lyrics tell the hand-me-down stories of the best folk songs." [12] The Chicago Tribune called Dave Alvin "one of the most underrated lyricists in popular music." [17] The Los Angeles Times wrote that "the Blasters [have] become secure enough musically to lower the instrumental voltage and let Phil Alvin’s vocals take center stage." [18] The Sun Sentinel opined that "the Blasters sound as if they took a long trip through the United States and sponged up every pop music form they ran into." [19]
All tracks written by Dave Alvin, except where noted.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Trouble Bound" | 3:48 |
2. | "Just Another Sunday" (Alvin, John Doe) | 4:15 |
3. | "Hey, Girl" | 3:11 |
4. | "Dark Night" | 3:51 |
5. | "Little Honey" (Alvin, Doe) | 3:35 |
6. | "Samson and Delilah" (Traditional) | 3:47 |
7. | "Colored Lights" (John Cougar Mellencamp) | 3:27 |
8. | "Help You Dream" | 3:40 |
9. | "Common Man" | 3:43 |
10. | "Rock & Roll Will Stand" | 2:38 |
Total length: | 35:55 |
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.
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