GRAMMY award-winning guitarist, singer, and songwriter Dave Alvin today shares “Inside,” the third track revealed from his first album of solo material in eleven years, From An Old Guitar: Rare and Unreleased Recordings, out November 20 on Yep Roc Records.
“The late, brilliant songwriter Bill Morrissey was a very close and treasured friend of mine, offers Alvin. “I was also honored to play lead guitar on his last album before his untimely death in 2011. We actually got to be close pals years before because he approached me one day claiming that a song of mine, "Bus Station," was a rip off of his beautiful composition, "Inside." I just laughed and said, ‘I wrote Bus Station in 1982. What year did you write Inside?’ Bill started giggling in his charming way and then said, ‘Hmm. I wrote “Inside” much later than that so I guess I ripped you off.’ We were tight comrades ever since. After Bill's passing I started performing “Inside” at some of my shows and eventually went into the studio to record my version with my band, The Guilty Ones. I wanted to pay tribute to Bill and his amazing talents as a songwriter by recording his bittersweet ballad that cemented our friendship forever.“
The album includes songs written by Alvin as well as songs written by Alvin’s dear friends like Peter Case, Bill Morrissey and, Chris Smither, and heroes like Willie Dixon, Bob Dylan, Earl Hooker, Doug Sahm, Lil’ Hardin Armstrong, Marty Robbins, and Bo Carter. There are also contributions from dearly departed comrades like Chris Gaffney, Amy Farris, and Bobby Lloyd Hicks and from old Blasters pals like Gene Taylor along with various members of The Guilty Men/Women/Ones.
“If I had a few extra bucks in my pocket, I’d book a day in the studio, call some old (or new) friends, comrades and co-conspirators to join me and see what would happen,” notes Alvin, “no pressure, no expectations, just making music for the transcendental thrill of, well, making music.” Some of the brilliant accompanists joining Alvin in-studio include Greg Leisz, Cindy Cashdollar, Bob Glaub, Don Heffington, Christy McWilson, Danny Ott, Dale Spalding, and Cindy Wasserman.
Produced by Dave Alvin, From An Old Guitar: Rare and Unreleased Recordings, the 16-song collection offers a mix of acoustic blues and ballads to electric bar room blues to folk and country/rock. Featuring songs recorded over the years for his own records and tribute albums, “the majority were recorded for no other reason at all than the sheer kicks of going into a recording studio to make some joyous noise with musicians and singers that I love and admire,” offers Alvin.
“I consider myself extremely lucky to have had such a stellar collection of musicians to make some noise with, and to say that I'm proud of the performances on this release would be a gigantic understatement,” adds Alvin. “And, yeah, of course, I played beat up, old guitars on all the songs. I sincerely hope you enjoy these songs (and the musicians/singers bringing them to life). These recordings may be rare, unreleased, or little heard, but I'm very proud of them, and they hold a very special, warm place in my heart. Just like my old guitars.”
From An Old Guitar: Rare and Unreleased Recordings Track listing:
1. Link of Chain
2. Highway 61 Revisited
3. Variations On Earl Hooker’s Guitar Rhumba
4. Amanda
5. Albuquerque
6. Mobile Blue
7. Perdido Street Blues
8. On The Way Downtown
9. Inside
10. Krazy And Ignatz
11. Peace
12. Man Walks Among Us
13. Beautiful City ‘Cross The River
14. Dynamite Woman
15. Who’s Been Here
16. Signal Hill Blues
