Blasters – Trouble Bound

This song has a cool groove to it. A little gospel touch at first and then Dave Alvin’s guitar lifts it up and is quite loud in the mix which is fantastic.

The Blasters never had mainstream success…but popular radio back in the 80s would have been greatly improved by these guys. The band has a cult following and during the 80s they had critical acclaim and recorded for Warners, but no big hits.

The Blasters are a rock and roll band formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin (vocals and guitar) and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman.

Blasters - Hard Line

This song was on their fourth album which was Hard Line which was released in 1985. This is it was written by Phil Alvin who was the guitarist, singer, and main songwriter for the band.  The band produced a range of “rockabilly, country, blues, and New Orleans roadhouse R&B.” This album peaked at #86 on the Billboard Album Charts.

I’ve said this before but some rockabilly bands, or roots rock bands, sound like they came in on a nostalgia wave from the 1950s. There is nothing wrong with that but…not the Blasters. They sounded contemporary in the 80s even in the middle of an era where production was at its height and overkill. Their music still sounds timeless now…years after it was released and you can’t peg it to a decade.

The Blasters promoted the album heavily and did a bunch of radio concerts and TV appearances including their third appearance on American Bandstand, a taped concert for MTV, and Farm Aid. In the summer a full concert was taped while on their European tour for a show called Rockaplast. The concert was aired only in Europe and was an outstanding performance.

Dave Alvin left right after the release of this album.

Dave Alvin: “The night that Gene Taylor (piano player) left the Blasters was this gig in Montreal (Nov. 1985) and it was maybe the worst gig that I ever played. It was obvious that this wasn’t working anymore. The Thunderbirds had opened up the show and Gene just walked off stage at the end of the night and went right out the back door and got on the Thunderbirds bus and left. That night I decided I’m quitting. Everybody was so pissed off at each other. I flew to New York the next morning to do a Knitters gig at Irving Plaza and when I got to the gig, John said, ‘Billy’s (Zoom of X) leaving the band, you want to join?’ I said ‘Yeah!!’ without hesitation. Once I became a member of X, the Knitters became X.”

Trouble Bound

I’m old enough to know the score
But I’m young enough to want more more more
They say it means nothing all said and done
But that’s alright, I’m just here for the fun

And I don’t think twice
When the sun goes down
I’m trouble bound

There’s a demon deep inside of me
Sometimes I let the old boy run free
Trying to make a living during the day
Deep in the night I throw it all away

But I don’t think twice
When the sun goes down
I’m trouble bound

You see that girl lookin’ fine fine fine
I’m gonna throw her a good time line
If she bitеs I’ll reel her in
But if she don’t I’ll throw my line again

I’m old еnough to know the score
But I’m young enough to want more more more

And I don’t think twice
When the sun goes down
I’m trouble bound

You see that girl lookin’ fine fine fine
I’m gonna throw her a good time line
If she bites I’ll reel her in
But if she don’t I’ll throw my line again

This old world is a tired place
The same sad story on every face
Trying to make a living during the day
Deep in the night I throw it all away

And I don’t think twice
When the sun goes down
I’m trouble bound

…

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

31 thoughts on “Blasters – Trouble Bound”

    1. Yes…The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
      I do like the sound of these guys…some roots bands sound nostalgic…but the Blasters sounded genuine to me…with their own sound.

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      2. I never really considered them in the same catagory but that might just be me. I like both though. The Thunderbirds had that Texas sound to them.
        off topic… I have picked up on another one of your Canadian Songwriters…Ron Sexsmith…Strawberry Blonde…great great song.

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      5. I like Alvin’s songs…he built in dynamics with them and his guitar, ln this one, is in your face. Not as commercial though as the T Birds.

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      7. I know they made an album together, “Family Style”. I don’t know if they ever played live together. I saw on an online forum that the T-Birds once opened for SRV and Double Trouble, so they at least shared a stage.

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      8. That’s cool, thanks for sharing I totally forgot about Family Style I heard a couple cuts off that, didn’t know about opening for SRV. Did you ever see SRV or the TBirds? I saw the latter while Jimmie was still in the band. They were part of Dave Edmunds Rock and Roll Review I think they called it. Dion and Graham Parker. What night that was!

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  3. I would have listened to some of this. It does sound very retro as it was done in the 80s. I liked that sound, but felt at the time there was too much of it being done. I’d sure love to have it on the radio today. The mention of Downey, California always makes me think of The Carpenters, btw.

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    1. You did have a few going to more of a roots music at the time like The Stray Cats… they were more commerical but yea…I would love to hear this today of course.
      Oh thats right about The Carpenters.

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  8. Aces from me Max. Speakin my language. These guys together and solo and with other groups made and make some of my favorite music. Ive been listening to a more current Alvin Bros get together. I was going to send you. Just great. Fortunate to see the band in the early days. Some of the best live shows in my experience. Small club, sweaty, loud, smokey and rockin.
    If Im not mistaken Mellencamp produced this album or a couple songs. Yeah it was the record company’s big push to commercialize them. Dave Alvin in my book is up there with American songwriters like Bruce, Fogerty, Robertson. You got me going Max.

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    1. CB this one is a great song…I love that transition from that…well gospel like beginning (dont’ know what to call it) to Dave’s guitar coming through.
      Oh yea Colored Lights I think Mellencamp may have wrote and worked with them on. Glad you liked it CB.

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      1. Both Phil and Dave are musicologists like yourself so their influences run deep and wide.
        Daves lyric on ‘Dark Night’ is so memorable to me “Hot air hangs like a Deadman”. The whole record is solid. Dave’s guitar really comes through. Thta’s right on the ‘Colored Lights’ song. I remember now.

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