Editor's Pick

Dave Alvin and the Guilty Men - Out in California
HighTone HCD8144, 2002

Musical Performance

Recording Quality

Overall Enjoyment

I gain respect for awards like the Grammys when performers like Dave Alvin win them, in Alvin's case for Public Domain, which we also named one of the best recordings of 2000. Co-founder of roots-rock band the Blasters, Alvin made a terrific live album with his band the Guilty Men in 1996 (titled Interstate Highway). So why make another? Amidst some distinguished studio releases, Alvin has toured relentlessly, conceding that "What I do is play live." So here are 13 tunes from various periods in Alvin's career: as Blaster, fledgling solo performer, and established act. My favorites are the two written by Alvin and Tom Russell -- the title tune and "Haley's Comet" -- for their storytelling, but throughout the sets from which the tracks were gleaned, Alvin and the Guilty Men seize the crowd's attention with a kind of rough-hewn artistry. There's even some humor -- at the very end, Alvin and band play "Freebird" essentially on a dare. The sound is a little congealed and peaky, but it doesn't ruin enjoyment of this disc and its performances, which are choice....Marc Mickelson