| Un "Sung Stories" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Genre | Roots rock, jazz, blues | |||
| Label | Slash Records [1] | |||
| Phil Alvin chronology | ||||
| ||||
Un "Sung Stories" is the first solo album by the American musician Phil Alvin, released in 1986. [2] [3] Alvin supported the album with a North American tour. [4] He then returned to his graduate studies in mathematics. [5]
Sun Ra's Arkestra and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band contributed to the album. [6] [7] The Arkestra played on three homages to Cab Calloway: "The Old Man of the Mountain", "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?" and "The Ballad of Smokey Joe". [8]
"Daddy Rollin' Stone" is the only track on the album that was composed after World War II. [9]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| Robert Christgau | A− [11] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [12] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [1] |
Trouser Press called Un "Sung Stories" "a delightful solo album of blues, gospel and jazz goodies." [13] Robert Christgau opined that Alvin "loves a good lyric, and if he can't write them or order them up, he has only to ransack his record collection for oldies that are just strange enough." [11] The Sacramento Bee noted that "Alvin has trimmed some of the excessive stylization of some of his Blasters work, and deepened the bluesy feel in his voice." [14]
The Chicago Tribune deemed the album "an offbeat mix of musical Americana that includes gospel, country blues and pop anthems of the 1920s and '30s." [15] The Los Angeles Times wrote that "Alvin's forceful arrangements fuses the material with dark, funny, frightening and inspiring edges... The result is an album that suggests a heroic grappling with the struggles involved in daily living." [16] The San Francisco Chronicle determined that "the whole enterprise has a slightly esoteric feel, but when the collaborations click, such as the funky 'The Ballad of Smokey Joe' or the rollicking 'Daddy Rollin' Stone', the results provide minor musical gems, unexpected rewards and enough high points to declare Alvin's daring worthwhile." [17]
AllMusic wrote: "Short and sweet, Un 'Sung Stories' is a true gem that's richly felt in a way a collection of 'old standards' is not expected to be." [10] The Spin Alternative Record Guide likened Alvin to a "West-Coast Buster Poindexter," and considered the album "pleasant." [18]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Someone Stole Gabriel's Horn" | 3:15 |
| 2. | "Next Week Sometime" | 2:31 |
| 3. | "The Ballad of Smokey Joe" | 4:38 |
| 4. | "Death in the Morning" | 2:50 |
| 5. | "The Old Man of the Mountain" | 2:55 |
| 6. | "Daddy Rollin' Stone" | 3:34 |
| 7. | "Titanic Blues" | 3:04 |
| 8. | "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?" | 4:08 |
| 9. | "Collins' Cave" | 3:47 |
| 10. | "Gangster's Blues" | 3:26 |
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.
Dub Housing is the second album by American rock band Pere Ubu. Released in 1978 by Chrysalis Records, the album is now regarded as one of their best, described by Trouser Press as "simply one of the most important post-punk recordings."
Naked is the eighth and final studio album by American rock band Talking Heads, released on March 15, 1988, by Sire Records. Following the more straightforward new wave and pop rock sound on Little Creatures and True Stories, Naked marked a return to the worldbeat stylings of both Remain in Light and Speaking in Tongues, blending elements of Afrobeat, Latin funk, and art pop. The album's songs were formed from improvisational jam sessions recorded in Paris, which featured the participation of numerous guest musicians such as former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Kirsty MacColl. Lyrics and vocals were then added in New York City following the Paris recordings.
So Alone is the debut solo studio album by Johnny Thunders, then leader of the Heartbreakers and formerly lead guitarist for New York Dolls. The album was released on 6 October 1978 and was produced by Thunders and Steve Lillywhite. So Alone was preceded by the singles "Dead or Alive" and "You Can't Put Your Arms Round A Memory", the former originally being omitted from the album and later included as a bonus track on the 1992 reissue. The album featured Heartbreakers-members Walter Lure and Billy Rath, as well as several guest musicians, including Phil Lynott, Steve Marriott, Paul Gray, Peter Perrett, Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Mike Kellie, Patti Palladin, and Chrissie Hynde.
Big Trash is the seventh studio album by the British pop group the Thompson Twins, released in 1989 by Warner Brothers/Red Eye. It was produced by Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie, with two tracks produced by Steve Lillywhite.
Lanquidity is a 1978 studio album by American jazz musician Sun Ra.
Philip Joseph Alvin is an American singer and guitarist known primarily as the leader of the rock band The Blasters. His voice has been described as "robust...powerful...rich, resonant, [and] supremely confident."
Hard Line is the fourth album by the American roots rock band the Blasters, released in 1985. Dave Alvin quit the band shortly after the album's release. The album peaked at No. 86 on the Billboard 200.
The Blasters is the second album by American rock band the Blasters. Originally released in the United States by the independent label Slash Records, its strong sales performance required a deal for wider distribution with Warner Bros. Records. The album was well received, being ranked among the top 10 albums of 1982 by Time magazine and peaking at number 36 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart.
Blue Blvd is an album by American musician Dave Alvin. It was released in 1991.
Edge of Allegiance is the third album by the American band Timbuk 3, released in 1989.
Set is an album by the Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour, released in 1990. The album in part inspired the Senegalese youth movement Set-Setal, which sought to beautify Dakar.
Van Go is the second album by the American rock band the Beat Farmers, released in 1986. It was the band's first album for Curb Records.
Tales of Great Neck Glory is an album by the American band Sammy, released in 1996. The album was put out by DGC Records; band member Luke Wood was working for the company at the time. The first single was "Neptune Ave ".
Spin the World is an album by the American band Royal Crescent Mob, released in 1989. It was the band's major label debut. They supported the album with a North American tour.
Vermilion is an album by the American band the Continental Drifters, released in 1999. It was first released in Germany, in 1998.
Non Fiction is the third album by the American roots rock band the Blasters, released in 1983.
The Mekons Honky Tonkin' is an album by the British band the Mekons, released in 1987. It was their first album to be released in the United States and the band's third country music-influenced album. The band supported the album with a North American tour.
Road Shows, Vol. 1 is a live album by the American saxophonist Sonny Rollins, released in 2008 via Doxy/EmArcy Records. It was the first volume in a series of Rollins live Road Shows recordings. The tracks, recorded between 1980 and 2007, came from the archives of Rollins and from recordings by enthusiast Carl Smith. The album peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart. It was released around the same time as a DVD, Sonny Rollins in Vienne.
County Fair 2000 is the second solo album by the American musician Phil Alvin, released in 1994. It arrived eight years after his solo debut, Un "Sung Stories", and followed years Alvin devoted to mathematics work. Alvin supported the album by touring with a Dave Alvin-less version of the Blasters. Alvin called the album "American minstrel music."
