blasters v stray cats

Hi everyone

been meaning to put this up for a while, don't if any of you read uncut (UK music mag), but last month in the usual feature .... stop me if you've heard this one before .... they ran an editorial from 1982 where the journalist Allan Jones went to interview the Blasters in Texas in 1982 .... see what you make of it and if anyone out there knows what they say about our heroes is true

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26534210@N07/2885292390/

you should be able to view and read this ok

Well real fans don't care what anybody says. Like Micheal Jackson?
He got the baddest shit all over him but the fans still love him.
But hey....Blasters?
Never heard of them...

We all say and do stupid things when we're 21. And 40. And 49.

Since Lee Allen was playing with the Blasters at the time, there's probably some truth to that story. Does Dave Alvin make himself look any better with his comments? More importantly, does he care what I think about what he said 26 years ago?

But we're here because the music affects us. Hell, if I refused to buy music from people who were assholes from time to time, I'd have a really small music collection. And a much thicker wallet. I think I'm gonna be sick...

Assets - hole - a - billy

Good points ... didn't the Blasters play on the same bill as the cats at loreli festival less than a year later tho'... as much as l like the Blasters, sounds to me like Dave's just a little bit on the jealous side. As a fun thing ... can any one connect the dots name the connection between
The Blasters
Shakin Stevens
Brian Setzer

scamperoo wrote:

As a fun thing ... can any one connect the dots name the connection between
The Blasters
Shakin Stevens
Brian Setzer

Dave Edmunds?

I don't remember who started it, nor do i pretend to know much about what happened, but i remember a comment about "Dave Alvin can't play worth a damn".

What i DO recall is reading where they had patched things up, and I even got snaps of them together (Brian and Dave Alvin) years later at an Elvis birthday celebration at the Club Lingerie in 1988. In the house that same night was James Burton, James Intveld, Cesar Rosas (Los Lobos), & Rosie Flores, among others. (Intveld played slap bass during Setzer's set) What a moment.....all Elvis, all night .

Now about that Setzer vs. Big Country controversy......................

Walking on Thin Ice,
Scatman

shaker wrote:

scamperoo wrote:

As a fun thing ... can any one connect the dots name the connection between
The Blasters
Shakin Stevens
Brian Setzer

Dave Edmunds?

I don't think Dave Edmunds ever worked with the Blasters... But here's another way to sort of connect them:

The Blasters have the original version of Shaky's big hit "Marie Marie", and according to an old interview (in Guitar Player? I'm not sure where...), it was Shaky's version of "This Old House" that trigged Brian to record it on the Dirty Boogie album.

Scamperoo, am I anywhere near....?


Anders

gretschoholic wrote:

Anders

...huh....anders means "Different" or "Or else" in Dutch.
(ignore me)

Patrick wrote:

gretschoholic wrote:

Anders

...huh....anders means "Different" or "Or else" in Dutch.

I already knew that!


-Different-

oh man, the Blasters... I was at the Santa Monica Pier when Gary Hoey, The Blasters and Stray Cats played a few years back. greatest show of my life. First time I'd ever heard of the Blasters and man did that get me started. oh, and Setzer was hammered.

Anders you the man ... spot on

1st LPs personally owned when I purchased a turntable in highschool (80s)
Blasters
StrayCats
Chuck Berry

I use to sing Marie Marie at high school parties, kids went nuts... Thanks Blasters
Sang Maybelline and the girls screamed, ...thanks Chuck Berry.
Sang Rock this town, cleared the dance floor... I could never
do Setzer proper. (all I had was a fake hondo strat, a peavey bandit +arion delay)

Scatman wrote:

I don't remember who started it, nor do i pretend to know much about what happened, but i remember a comment about "Dave Alvin can't play worth a damn".

Scatman

I also remember that when he was asked what he thought of Dave Alvin's playing, a certain Cat was quoted as saying "Dave Alvin is useless." That one still makes me laugh the rare times I hear or see the Blasters or Alvin.

That's pretty much the same thing, but I do remember the "useless" part for sure.

Rocky Mountain Cat wrote:

Scatman wrote:

I don't remember who started it, nor do i pretend to know much about what happened, but i remember a comment about "Dave Alvin can't play worth a damn".

Scatman

I also remember that when he was asked what he thought of Dave Alvin's playing, a certain Cat was quoted as saying "Dave Alvin is useless." That one still makes me laugh the rare times I hear or see the Blasters or Alvin.

That's pretty much the same thing, but I do remember the "useless" part for sure.

ha ha ha..!!!! good one who cares what the blasters think ( or thought )
anyway's I suspect they were only tryin to make some publisety for themself's
at the time by slagging the most famous rockabilly band there is and ever will be

Yeah Right!!
Don't mess with the Stray Cats!

I once read about John Hiatt saying: "I loved and played Gretsch before silly bands like the Stray Cats came along..."
That's the first time I heard about John, so I never took the time to listen to any of his music!
Is that fair?

Like I said before, don't mess with the Cats!
Period!!

Just spotted this topic(!) The Blasters are one of my all time favourite bands -on a par with the Cats in my affections. I think the comment was born out of Dave's feeling of affrontery for the sleight on Lee Allen -who was not only a friend and legend but getting on in years -lets face it Lee allen has played on more legendary rock'n'roll tracks than all but a select view. If indeed Brian did say that he didn't rock or whatever that would've been a mighty arrogant thing to say.

I read quite a lengthy interview with Brian in the NME years ago where he was presumably having a bad day cos he totally ripped into Eddie Cochran's stage presence -saying that he and most of the old rock'n'rollers were not visually exciting -only singling out elvis for praise!

I also have a cassette magazine -can't remember what was called only lasted a few months were was interrview with brian where he came over less than joyful!

Could be the case that Brian was a little less humble during his first rush of success!

As far as I'm aware there is no hostility between them these days and Lee allen has long since departed from us.

I remember a few interviews Brian gave in the UK press after the second album came out, and he did`nt seem happy at all, especially with the music press.

Something about 20/20 vision and hindsight keeps popping into my noggin.