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Hard Line (album)

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Not to be confused with Hardline.
Hard Line
Studio album by
the Blasters
ReleasedFebruary 1985 (February 1985)
GenreRoots rock
LabelSlash[1]
ProducerJeff Eyrich
The Blasters chronology
Non Fiction
(1983) 		Hard Line
(1985) 		The Blasters Collection
(1990)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideA[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/10[6]

Hard Line is the fourth album by the American roots rock band the Blasters, released in 1985.[7][8] Dave Alvin quit the band shortly after the album's release.[9] The album peaked at No. 86 on the Billboard 200.[10]

The song "Dark Night" was featured in the film From Dusk Till Dawn.[11]

Production

The album was produced by Jeff Eyrich, who had attended the same high school as brothers Dave and Phil Alvin, the band's main songwriter and lead vocalist, respectively.[12][13] John Cougar Mellencamp wrote and produced one song; Mellencamp's producer, Don Gehman, produced "Just Another Sunday".[12] The album was recorded in Los Angeles and Nashville.[14] Stan Lynch, David Hidalgo, and Larry Taylor appear on Hard Line.[15]

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote that the "highlights include 'Trouble Bound' and 'Help You Dream', both featuring the Jordanaires."[16] The Washington Post thought that "Dave Alvin's songwriting has grown dramatically -- the melodies are finally as prominent as the rhythms, and the lyrics tell the hand-me-down stories of the best folk songs."[12] The Chicago Tribune called Dave Alvin "one of the most underrated lyricists in popular music."[17] The Los Angeles Times wrote that "the Blasters [have] become secure enough musically to lower the instrumental voltage and let Phil Alvin’s vocals take center stage."[18] The Sun Sentinel opined that "the Blasters sound as if they took a long trip through the United States and sponged up every pop music form they ran into."[19]

Track listing

All tracks written by Dave Alvin, except where noted.

No.TitleLength
1."Trouble Bound"3:48
2."Just Another Sunday" (Alvin, John Doe)4:15
3."Hey, Girl"3:11
4."Dark Night"3:51
5."Little Honey" (Alvin, Doe)3:35
6."Samson and Delilah" (Traditional)3:47
7."Colored Lights" (John Cougar Mellencamp)3:27
8."Help You Dream"3:40
9."Common Man"3:43
10."Rock & Roll Will Stand"2:38
Total length:35:55

Personnel

The Blasters

References

  1. ^ Popoff, Martin (September 8, 2009). Goldmine Record Album Price Guide. Penguin. ISBN 9781440229169 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Deming, Mark. "Hard Line – The Blasters". AllMusic. Retrieved October 30, 2007.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "The Blasters: Hard Line". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved October 30, 2007.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. pp. 668–669.
  5. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 65–66.
  6. ^ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  7. ^ "The Blasters | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  8. ^ "A Testament to the Blasters". Perfect Sound Forever.
  9. ^ "Dave Alvin". MTV News.[dead link‍]
  10. ^ "The Blasters". Billboard.
  11. ^ "5 essential songs from The Blasters to blast before the band's Long Beach show". March 21, 2018.
  12. ^ a b c Himes, Geoffrey (March 14, 1985). "More Powerful Blasters" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  13. ^ Doe, John; DeSavia, Tom (June 4, 2019). More Fun in the New World: The Unmaking and Legacy of L.A. Punk. Hachette Books. ISBN 9780306922114 – via Google Books.
  14. ^ "Spins". SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. June 12, 1985 – via Google Books.
  15. ^ The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. March 12, 2003. ISBN 9781858284576 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ "Blasters". Trouser Press. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  17. ^ "THE BLASTERS ARE TAKING A HARD LINE ON THE MEANING OF POP PATRIOTISM". chicagotribune.com. 8 August 1985.
  18. ^ "POP REVIEW : THE BLASTERS BROADEN THEIR SCOPE". Los Angeles Times. February 17, 1986.
  19. ^ Benarde, Scott (15 March 1985). "JUST FOR THE RECORD, TAKE A CHANCE ON THESE". Sun-Sentinel.com.

Further reading

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