| County Fair 2000 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1994 | |||
| Label | HighTone | |||
| Producer | Phil Alvin | |||
| Phil Alvin chronology | ||||
| ||||
County Fair 2000 is the second solo album by the American musician Phil Alvin, released in 1994. [1] [2] It arrived eight years after his solo debut, Un "Sung Stories" , and followed years Alvin devoted to mathematics work. [3] [4] Alvin supported the album by touring with a Dave Alvin-less version of the Blasters. [5] Alvin called the album "American minstrel music." [6]
Alvin used the concept of a small-town midcentury county fair to tie together the album; he was primarily influenced by music from the 1920s to 1940s. [7] [8] Members of his jazz side project, the Faultline Syncopators, contributed to the songs. [9] Cesar Rosas played guitar on the album. [10] Billy Boy Arnold contributed on harmonica, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band on brass instruments. [11] [12] Fayard Nicholas tapped out the rhythm to one of the songs. [13] "Ankh" is a cover of the Sun Ra song. [14]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| Robert Christgau |  [15] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [16] |
Trouser Press wrote that "it's a marvel to hear such musty chapters from music's history books brought to robust modern life in the hands of such a well-versed scholar." [14] The Guardian concluded: "Brilliant in patches; it's a pity Alvin's voice doesn't match his guitar work." [13] NPR stated that "there's room in his melting pot for ragtime, doo-wop, country music, the blues, and lots more." [7] The St. Petersburg Times determined that, "while there is an understated attempt to preserve the musical forms, these fun-loving performances extend beyond the usual archivist or traditionalist boundaries." [17] The Los Angeles Times noted that, "known for his high-voltage, larger-than-life delivery, Alvin shows a different dimension by playing it low-key throughout this album." [12]
AllMusic wrote that "County Fair 2000 leaves no doubt that Phil Alvin is a premier musicologist, preserving and staying true to what he loves." [10] The Spin Alternative Record Guide labeled Alvin the "West-Coast Buster Poindexter." [18]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "County Fair" | |
| 2. | "Wreck Your V-8 Ford" | |
| 3. | "The Blue Line" | |
| 4. | "That Thing" | |
| 5. | "Turnin' Blues into Gold" | |
| 6. | "Starlight" | |
| 7. | "Keep in Touch" | |
| 8. | "What's the Reason I'm Not Pleasin' You" | |
| 9. | "She Loves So Good" | |
| 10. | "Callin' Corrine" | |
| 11. | "The Terror" | |
| 12. | "Oh, Doctor" | |
| 13. | "Mr. Satellite Man" | |
| 14. | "Low Down Rhythm" | |
| 15. | "Danny Boy's Mourning Sunset: The Old Rugged Cross/Ankh/Didn't He Ramble" |
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