Impressive interview (and stunning photos), Glenn! I've really only heard of Dave, but was never drawn to his past musical projects....unlike Todd Rundgren's, whose career (musical output and productions) I'm intimately familiar with! I chuckled when I read Dave's account of Todd wanting "more" out of "4th of July"!
I'd never heard it, but am listening to it now and for my money, it's far more accessible than what X was doing a decade before (which I never cared for)....what Todd might have wanted is beyond me, unless it was a bank of keyboards!
Todd was taking a break in his solo recording at the time (1987), and his proggy Utopia band had stopped being active a couple years previous. I'm wondering what had attracted Dave and band to Todd in the first place, unless it was to catch his rising production star...by this time, he'd already produced hit albums by Meatloaf ("Bat"), Hall and Oates, and in '86, XTC's "Skylarking."
Anyhoo, great job, as usual, and it was great to finally get to know Dave thru your interview, and I might forage a bit, now, thru his musical canon!
Thanks, Brad! When you get the chance, look at the second part of the interview (the "outtakes" version), which is a series of great stories about his career and people he has worked with.
Alvin had left the Blasters and was hired purely as a sideman with X; he had made an album with John Doe and Exene as The Knitters the year before. "See How We Are" came at an unusual time for X. Billy Zoom, their first lead guitarist, had left the band and they were being pressured by their major label to cut a "hit."
As you mentioned, Rundgren was hot as a producer at the time, although their sound and his didn't mesh. Alvin left X to go solo before the album came out, but left them with Fourth of July, which is one of his most enduring songs.
As I said, more about this in the "outtakes" version, where I've also added a couple of videos I think you'll enjoy.
Not unlike the diminutive Miss Muffett.....I'm on my whey! Not so much the curds, though (yuck!), but my whey shall not be deterred, even by an arachnid!🕷
Impressive interview (and stunning photos), Glenn! I've really only heard of Dave, but was never drawn to his past musical projects....unlike Todd Rundgren's, whose career (musical output and productions) I'm intimately familiar with! I chuckled when I read Dave's account of Todd wanting "more" out of "4th of July"!
I'd never heard it, but am listening to it now and for my money, it's far more accessible than what X was doing a decade before (which I never cared for)....what Todd might have wanted is beyond me, unless it was a bank of keyboards!
Todd was taking a break in his solo recording at the time (1987), and his proggy Utopia band had stopped being active a couple years previous. I'm wondering what had attracted Dave and band to Todd in the first place, unless it was to catch his rising production star...by this time, he'd already produced hit albums by Meatloaf ("Bat"), Hall and Oates, and in '86, XTC's "Skylarking."
Anyhoo, great job, as usual, and it was great to finally get to know Dave thru your interview, and I might forage a bit, now, thru his musical canon!
Thanks, Brad! When you get the chance, look at the second part of the interview (the "outtakes" version), which is a series of great stories about his career and people he has worked with.
Alvin had left the Blasters and was hired purely as a sideman with X; he had made an album with John Doe and Exene as The Knitters the year before. "See How We Are" came at an unusual time for X. Billy Zoom, their first lead guitarist, had left the band and they were being pressured by their major label to cut a "hit."
As you mentioned, Rundgren was hot as a producer at the time, although their sound and his didn't mesh. Alvin left X to go solo before the album came out, but left them with Fourth of July, which is one of his most enduring songs.
As I said, more about this in the "outtakes" version, where I've also added a couple of videos I think you'll enjoy.
Not unlike the diminutive Miss Muffett.....I'm on my whey! Not so much the curds, though (yuck!), but my whey shall not be deterred, even by an arachnid!🕷
I'm not familiar with Dave Alvin but your interview makes me want to listen to his music. Well done.
Thank you! I have a feeling you’ll enjoy it.