Results from the First Blasters/Dave Alvin Poll

Okay, it's July 1st and the results of the first online Blasters/Dave Alvin Poll are in. Looks like Dave has a strong following on the Net (beating Phil 2:1 as favorite Blaster) and his albums are almost equally liked by all. No one chose Over There album as their favorite Blasters album while the band's first album, American Music, got a surprising large number of votes given its relative obscurity.

Border Radio is clearly the favourite Blasters song, although the results here were more spread out over many choices. A few people commented it was difficult to pick one, but hey, it's a poll, you have to!

Many people sent along kind words about this site, which are greatly appreciated. I tried to respond to each of you; if I didn't, it's most likely because you entered you email address incorrectly.

Look for a new poll sometime early next year to appear on these pages. This one inspired some obvious follow-ups, especially with the overwhelming Dave Alvin support. If you have a question you'd like to see asked, drop me a line.

I tallied the tallyable questions and list them below. I selected excerpts from the free-form questions and include them below also, although in no particular order.

Thanks for taking part!



My favorite Blaster is:

32 Dave Alvin
16 Phil Alvin
Lee Allen
Gene Taylor
James Intveld
Bily Zoom


Favorite Blasters Album:

22 Blasters
12 Non Fiction
11 American Music
5 The New One
2 Hard Line


Favorite Blasters Song:

10 Border Radio
6 Marie Marie
5 American Music
5 Long White Cadillac
4 Help You Dream
2 Trouble Bound
2 So Long Baby Goodbye
(2 Fourth of July)
Kathleen
Bus Station
Little Honey
Barefoot Rock
Blue Shadow
Common Man
Dark Night
I'm Shakin'
Boomtown
Tag Along
Red Rose
Fool's Paradise
Flattop Joint


Favorite Dave Album:

17 King of California
13 Romeo's Escape
12 Museum of Heart
11 Blue Boulevard


Favorite Other Blasters Related Album:

6 Unsung Stories
4 County Fair 2000
3 The Knitters album
3 Streets of Fire Soundtrack
Loser's Paradise
And a Time to Dance (Los Lobos)
The Red James Harmann Band Album (Forgot the name)
Red Devils Live
A Minute to Pray A Second to Die
Anything Dave produces
Kiko (Los Lobos)
6 to 6 (Big Sandy)
The Other White Meat (Billy Bacon and the Forbidden Pigs)
The Compilation CD
Border Radio Soundtrack


Favorite Philism:

2 The grin
American Music
Forgot about that bowtie; wondered what the heck was hapn'n'.
This one goes out to the truckers on Highway 95.
Dedications in general
Thanking the audience for paying high ticket prices
The leg kicks
Goodnight, we're the Blasters.
Hey, wipe that smile off your arm.
If you think YOU'RE some kind of trouble maker, come over here.
Gimme back my voltage regulator.


Next to the Blasters (and Dave), I listen to:

7 Los Lobos
4 Bruce Springsteen
3 Van Morrison
3 X
2 Paul Weller
2 Paladins
2 Elvis Costello
2 Merle Haggard
2 Joe Ely
2 Big Sandy
2 Tom Russell
Dave and Deke
Russell Scott
Jonathan Richman
The Beatles
Howlin' Wolf
Red Devils
Beat Farmers
Grateful Dead
Charlie Feathers
Stray Cats
Polecats
Gene Vincent
Vibro Champs
Horton Heat
Pavement
Replacements
John Hiatt
Uncle Tupelo
Big Joe Turner
Latin PLayboys
Fab T-birds
Cramps
Whatever Dave produces
Greg Brown
Peter Case
Blue Rodeo
Jack Logan
Richard Thompson
Violent Femmes
Subdudes
Radiators
Robert Gordon
Hank Williams
J.J. Cale
Blazers
Junior Brown
Paul Westernberg
Crowded House
Derailers
Kelly Joe Phelps
Dale Watson


The Song I'd Like Phil to Cover:

Party Party Party (Dean Beard)
Jump Jive and Wail
Somethin' Else (Eddie Cochran)
Desafinado
Only Hell my Mama Ever Raised
Aint Misbehavin
That's All right Mama
Change of Heart (as recorded by the Stray Cats)
King of the Road
Walkin' after Midnight
Mystery Train
Something by Peetie Wheatstraw
30 Second Lover
One of the new Dave solo tunes
Something by Elvis
Haley's Comet
Hell Hounds on my Trail
Uptown (Roy Orbison)
Mean Little Mama
Sweet Surrender
LSD Made a Wreck out of me
Ring of Fire
Dancin's Sue (Roadside Mark and the Texas Speed Bumps)
Ooby dooby (Roy Orbison)
Johnny 99 (Bruce Springsteen)


The Song I'd Like to Hear on the Next Album:

Daddy Rollin' Stone
4 11 44
Flat Top Joint
Treat Her Right
Black Slacks
Something by Sugar Boy Crawford
Brother on the Line
Window Down Below
Just a Wave (Butch Hancock)
Bad Boy
Hoodoo Man
Perfect World (James Intveld)
Travelin' Band (CCR)
More Dave stuff


Other:

I love the songwriting of Dave Alvin. I have "Museum of Heart" and it seems to feel more like a book; each song is a chapter from his life. Kind of cliched... It amazes me that honest talent that the Blasters/Dave Alvin have is overlooked for marketable images.

Also - Lee Allen is my favorite because he introduced me to the wonders of Johnny Walker Red Label scotch backstage at the Warfield. He was ultra-cool, and talked all about Little Richard and the Specialty band. Magic night. Of course, Phil was ranting about Fibonacci numerals til my head was swimming!

Phil should tour accoustically again.

Man, just get it done! I've heard rumors of a new Blasters disc for years....

[Phil] signed a dollar bill for li'l' ol' me.

James Intveld rocks like no other player on the planet.

One of the great mysteries of life may remain why the Blasters are not a huge commercial success.

Dave really is THE MAN. The best American songwriter of the last 30 years.


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Return to Scot's page.


Last Updated: 16Dec96

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