The Blasters
Testament: The Complete Slash Recordings

THE REVIEW

The Blasters were formed in Los Angeles in the late seventies by brothers Phil and Dave Alvin, one a great rock'n'roll singer and the other a good guitarist with a rebellious hairstyle and an inspired composer influenced by both blues and hillbilly. They were soon joined by friends John Bazz, a very agile bassist, and Bill Bateman, a solid and precise drummer. Together, they dedicated themselves to reviving the roots of American music by blending rockabilly, country, swing, doo-wop, cajun, and rhythm'n'blues. To this mixture of traditional styles, the Alvin brothers added the final ingredients of good humor and a pinch of Los Angeles punk attitude.

Between 1980 and 1983, the Blasters recorded three particularly successful albums and a handful of great songs that in no way represent a useless and predictable rockabilly revival but perfectly match the street poetry and fiery spirit of Los Angeles at the time, the one sung about by the X. The magic created by the combination of Phill's mature and soulful voice, the electricity charged from Dave's guitar, and the strength from a perfect rhythm section create a vintage sound that leaves no one indifferent. The raw and angry "American Music," the splendid "The Blasters," and the excellent "Non Fiction," both released on the Slash label, represent, with their unmissable tracks full of rhythm and speed, the other eighties, those digging to retrieve the pure sound of Sun Records, the spirit of the early Elvis Presley and the legendary Hank Williams. Tracks like "Marie Marie," "American Music," "Border Radio," "Red Rose," "Long White Cadillac" and "Barefoot Rock" rightfully enter the great encyclopedia of rock'n'roll.

Alongside their continuous and fiery live performances, documented by the EP "Over There," Dave Alvin also found the time to join the X to create the country project The Knitters and to play with the Gun Club on the excellent "Las Vegas Story." These sporadic experiences brought new ideas to the Blasters, who in 1985 released their true masterpiece, the mature "Hard Line," again on the Slash label. Financed by John Mellencamp, who also participated compositionally, and co-produced with Don Gehman, "Hard Line" is a perfect meeting between energy and tradition. The album contains a series of high-quality songs where the band attacks rock'n'roll with great personality. "Trouble Bound," "Dark Night" and "Common Man" showcase Dave Alvin's great songwriting skills, while "Little Honey" and the beautiful "Just Another Sunday" are two street ballads composed with friend John Doe of the X. Unfortunately, despite the critical success of the album, the Blasters remained a cult group, plagued by ongoing internal arguments and sharp conflicts between the Alvin brothers that led to the band's breakup the following year. "Hard Line" remains the last album by the true Blasters, who reformed only in 2002 for a farewell tour documented by the adrenaline-charged live "Trouble Bound."

All their discography on the Slash label is featured in the splendid double anthology CD "Testament," a complete work that includes all the classics by the Alvin brothers alongside a series of classic tracks performed live. This work offers a complete view of the group's work, showcasing the deadly effect of their sound. Dave Alvin, after playing for a period with the X, began a respectable solo career full of great albums, among which it is worth mentioning the excellent "King Of California," the acoustic "Black Jack David," the traditional and award-winning "Public Domain," and the recent "West Of The West," where he classily interprets songs by Brian Wilson, Jerry Garcia, David Hidalgo, John Fogerty, Jackson Browne, and Tom Waits.