Wikipedia

Common Ground: Dave & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy

Common Ground: Dave & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy is a studio album by rock musicians Dave and Phil Alvin, released in 2014.[6][7] The album is a tribute to the songs of Big Bill Broonzy; the brothers credit him with writing the first rockabilly song.[8]

Common Ground: Dave & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy
Studio album by
Dave Alvin, Phil Alvin
ReleasedJune 3, 2014 (2014-06-03)
RecordedDecember, 2013 – January, 2014
GenreFolk rock, country rock, blues
Length42:38
LabelYep Roc[1]
ProducerDave Alvin
Dave Alvin, Phil Alvin chronology
Eleven Eleven
(2011) 		Common Ground: Dave & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy
(2014) 		Lost Time
(2015)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(81%)[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Record Collector[4]
Uncut[5]

The album peaked at No. 144 on the Billboard 200.[9] It was nominated for a Grammy, in the "Best Blues Album" category.[10]

Reception edit

AllMusic critic Mark Deming wrote: "While listening to this is a potent reminder of how good Broonzy's songs still sound in the 21st century, it also demonstrates the complementary talents of Dave and Phil Alvin... It's clear the Alvins love this music and know how to mess with it in just the right way, and they don't treat Broonzy's tales of all manner of wild living like museum pieces, but as vital, living bits of American music, and that's how they sound on this album."[3] The New Yorker wrote that "the Alvins have picked a dozen songs that reflect the wide range of Broonzy’s material, from early highlights, like 'Saturday Night Rub', to mature classics, like 'Key to the Highway'. Both brothers sing and play guitar, and both shine."[11]

Track listing edit

All songs by Big Bill Broonzy unless otherwise noted.

  1. "All By Myself" – 3:28
  2. "I Feel So Good" – 4:09
  3. "How Do You Want It Done?" – 3:00
  4. "Southern Flood Blues" – 4:29
  5. "Big Bill Blues" – 3:19
  6. "Key to the Highway" (William Broonzy, Charlie Segar) – 3:48
  7. "Tomorrow" – 3:21
  8. "Just a Dream" – 3:52
  9. "You've Changed" – 3:12
  10. "Stuff They Call Money" – 4:44
  11. "Truckin' Little Woman" – 3:08
  12. "Saturday Night Rub" – 2:08

Personnel edit

  • Dave Alvin – vocals, guitar, National Steel guitar
  • Phil Alvin – vocals, guitar, harmonica
  • Bob Glaub – bass
  • Brad Fordham – bass, acoustic bass
  • Don Heffington – drums
  • Lisa Pankratz – drums
  • Gene Taylor – piano

Production notes edit

  • Dave Alvin – producer, liner notes
  • Craig Parker Adams – engineer, mixing, producer
  • Joe Gastwirt – mastering
  • Michael Triplett – design
  • Harry Sabin – photo assistance
  • Cass Alvin – cover photo
  • Beth Herzhaft – photography

References edit

  1. ^ "Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin - Common Ground Yep Roc Music Group Store". yeproc.11spot.com.
  2. ^ "Common Ground: Dave & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy by Dave Alvin" – via www.metacritic.com.
  3. ^ a b Deming, Mark. "Common Ground: Dave & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  4. ^ "Common Ground: The Songs Of Big Bill Broonzy - Record Collector Magazine".
  5. ^ "Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin - Common Ground: Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin Play And Sing The Songs Of Big Bill Broonzy". July 9, 2014.
  6. ^ "Dave Alvin | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  7. ^ "In Big Bill Broonzy's Blues, Brothers Find A Way To Sing Together". NPR.org.
  8. ^ "Review: Dave & Phil Alvin toast Big Bill Broonzy at the Troubadour". Los Angeles Times. February 1, 2015.
  9. ^ "Dave Alvin". Billboard.
  10. ^ "Phil Alvin". GRAMMY.com. November 23, 2020.
  11. ^ Greenman, Ben. "Listening Booth: The Alvin Brothers". The New Yorker.
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