FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | September 8, 2023 — Liberation Hall announces the start of a major reissue campaign for California roots-rock band the Blasters, including solo albums by the band’s singer and guitarist Phil Alvin. The Blasters are one of the bedrock acts that formed the template for the “Americana” music movement that came to prominence in the late 1990s. Since their inception in 1979, the core members of the Blasters have been Phil Alvin, his younger brother and the group’s principal songwriter and guitarist, Dave Alvin, drummer Bill Bateman, and bassist John Bazz. Dave Alvin is also an accomplished solo artist with two GRAMMY Awards® to his credit.
Mandatory: The Best of the Blasters is the inaugural title in the campaign, arriving in stores November 3. The 21-song set includes the band’s best-known tracks alongside deep cuts and a pair of songs which originally featured on the soundtrack to director Walter Hill’s 1984 cult film, Streets of Fire. The tracklist was chosen with the full cooperation of the band and Mandatory will be available on CD and digital. Released the same day is Phil Alvin’s solo debut album, Un “Sung Stories,” originally issued by Slash Records. This marks the first time the album will be available on vinyl since its original pressing in 1986. Un “Sung Stories” will also be available on CD and digital.
Pre-order Mandatory: The Best of the Blasters on CD/DL at Bandcamp
Pre-order Un "Sung Stories" on LP/CD/DL at Bandcamp
Los Angeles music journalist Chris Morris, who was an eyewitness to the rise of the Blasters, has contributed new liner note essays for both titles. He describes Mandatory as “a definitive sampling of the Blasters recorded work from their 1980-1985 heyday.”
Phil Alvin’s Un “Sung Stories” is an eclectic journey through America’s musical back pages, featuring ten vintage blues, jazz, and gospel tunes recorded in collaboration with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the Sun Ra Arkestra, among others. Only one song, Otis Blackwell’s “Daddy Rollin’ Stone,” was composed after World War II. The tracks featuring the Sun Ra Arkestra are notable for being the last recordings the Arkestra made while its founder and leader was alive. The Los Angeles Times wrote that “Alvin’s forceful arrangements fuse 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.” In his liners, Morris states that the album is “A lost jewel of American interpretive singing and ensemble musicianship. It is overdue for a revival.”
Digital singles are now available from both albums. “American Music” appeared on the Blasters’ 1980 debut album of the same name, released by Rollin’ Rock Records. “Someone Stole Gabriel’s Horn” is the lead track on Un “Sung Stories.”
“Johnny, Bill, Phil and I are excited to have our historic recordings re-released through the reputable and knowledgeable team at Liberation Hall,” said Dave Alvin. “We are confident they will do a thorough, authoritative and complete job of handling our legacy.”
“We’re pleased to have entered into a long-term relationship to manage the Blasters’ back catalog in the United States,” said Arny Schorr, President/COO of Liberation Hall. “Our track record of managing deep catalog titles makes us uniquely qualified to put these timeless albums back into the marketplace. We’ll be working closely with Dave, Phil, and their management to make certain we release their albums in a respectful, creative manner.” MVD Entertainment Group will distribute all titles in the USA only.
THE BLASTERS – Mandatory: The Best of the Blasters (CD/DL, LIB-5161)
All songs by Dave Alvin unless otherwise noted.
TRACKLIST: 1. American Music # | 2. Real Rock Drive (Bill Haley) # | 3. Flat Top Joint # | 4. Marie Marie @ | 5. No Other Girl @ | 6. I’m Shakin’ (Rudy Toombs) @ | 7. Border Radio @ | 8. So Long Baby Goodbye @ | 9. Hollywood Bed @ | 10. Blue Shadows ~ 11. One Bad Stud (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) ~ | 12. Red Rose * | 13. Jubilee Train * | 14. Long White Cadillac * | 15. Trouble Bound % | 16. Dark Night % | 17. Little Honey (Dave Alvin, John Doe) % | 18. Samson and Delilah (Traditional arranged by Phil Alvin) % | 19. Help You Dream % | 20. Common Man % | 21. Kathleen ^
# Originally appeared on American Music (Rollin’ Rock Records, 1980)
@ Originally appeared on The Blasters (Slash Records, 1981)
* Originally appeared on Non-Fiction (Slash/Warner Bros., 1983)
% Originally appeared on Hard Line (Slash/Warner Bros., 1985)
^ Hard Line outtake, originally appeared on The Blasters Collection (Slash/Warner Bros., 1991)
~ Originally appeared on Streets of Fire: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (MCA Records, 1984)
PHIL ALVIN – Un “Sung Stories” (LP, LIB-5174; CD/DL, LIB-5163)
1. Someone Stole Gabriel’s Horn (Edgar Hayes, Irving Mills, Ned Washington) | 2. Next Week Sometime (Alec Johnson) | 3. Ballad of Smokey Joe (Cab Calloway) | 4. Death in the Morning (Reverend A. Johnson) | 5. Old Man of the Mountain (Cab Calloway) | 6. Daddy Rollin’ Stone (Otis Blackwell) | 7. Titanic Blues (Hi Henry Brown) | 8. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (Jay Gorney, E.Y. Harburg) | 9. Collins Cave (Andy Jenkins, Irene Spain) | 10. Gangster’s Blues (William Bunch a.ka. Peetie Wheatstraw)
Originally issued by Slash Records (1986)
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