Dave & Phil Alvin – Mister Kicks

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. I’ve told people that I love blogging on the weekends because I use this time to explore more than I do during the week. I’ve posted about The Blasters before and this time it’s the brothers…Dave and Phil Alvin. I like stories about making deals with the Devil and this song falls right into that. It’s been explored in movies and books…this theme is always interesting. 

I think the Devil is playing guitar on this one…because it is wicked sounding. No, that is Dave Alvin and his playing and tone are perfect. You cannot get a better tone than what he has on this. When I first heard it… that guitar stood out so much.

Dave and Phil Alvin are the brothers who founded The Blasters. This 2015 album was the duo’s second album called, Lost Time. When Dave left The Blasters in 1986 it created a riff but in 2012…a near-death experience for Phil..reunited the brothers to record a new album of Big Bill Broonzy songs called Common Ground.

The song was written by Oscar Brown Jr. an American singer, songwriter, playwright, poet, and civil rights activist. This song came from Brown’s musical called KICKS & CO. in 1961. They opened it up in Chicago but it closed early. It made it to Broadway 35 years later. 

It’s a well-written song thanks to Brown and it works today. 

Mr. Kicks 

Permit me to introduce myself, the name is Mr. Kicks
I dwell in a dark dominion way down by the river Styx
The devil has sent me here because I’m full of wicked tricks
And I’m such a popular fellow among all you lunatics
I teach a course in ruination from the Devil’s text
For fools who can’t withstand temptation,
Step right up you’re next
I hail from a hollow hell hole down around the river Styx
Allow me to introduce myself the name is Mister Kicks
When a old wolf starts a prowlin’
Out among the young lambs howling
Don’t you know he’s looking for kicks?
When a young cat full of sly tricks
Spends his evenings chasing fly chicks
Ten to one he’s looking for kicks
Kicks is always in demand
Cause kicks is full of fun and laughter
Lots of folks get out of hand
Because it’s only kicks they’re after
Shady lady and her lover operating undercover
She knows sin and virtue don’t mix
Her momma raised her prim and proper
But now wild horses couldn’t stop her
When she’s on a manhunt for kicks
Oh kicks, looking for kicks
Just kicks, nothing but kicks
I’m satan’s simple servant sent to get in a fix
So look me up just anytime
The name is mr., name is mr.,
Name is Mister Kicks

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, 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.

35 thoughts on “Dave & Phil Alvin – Mister Kicks”

  2. Great song to begin with and the guitar on that cover is awesome. I really need to explore more of these guys, Big Bill is one of my favorites so I am going to check out that album. Thanks Max.

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    1. Thanks as always for reading Randy. Glad you liked it…this song has really stuck on me…again from CB… I had no clue about the origin of the song.

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    1. Well CB found this one…but yea…so many branches of music that we miss…really good music out there that we never know about. I never get tire of the Faust story.

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  6. Love both the original (great lighting!) and the Alvins’ cover. I read that Phil Alvin had harp lessons with Sonny Terry (one of the best – amazing tone without need for close miking, and one I was lucky enough to see – a perk of being old). Not to mention that The Blasters were instrumental in helping Los Lobos get off the ground with Anglo audiences – and gave them Steve Berlin.

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    1. Thanks for that info! I didn’t know that about Berlin I don’t think. You are right…the original is great as well…I knew nothing about it’s history before writing this.

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      1. Great to see you and others run with this stuff. I’m going to change my name to Mr Lazy. I get an education every time you do a take. I just sit back and listen and learn. Something I didnt do in school.

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      2. I didn’t either CB… I was too busy thinking I was going to be the new 3rd baseman for the Dodgers… who needed to listen?
        Thanks… I tried to cover more sports than baseball… baseball and boxing works for movies and songs.

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  7. While thanks to CB I’ve listened to some music by the Blasters and Dave Alvin, this album by Dave and Phil Alvin is new to me. And, yes, what a great guitar tone! Musically, it’s also right up my alley! That video clip of Oscar Brown is pretty cool as well – the black and white and lighting are perfect!

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    1. I thought about you when I wrote it. I thought you might like this one.
      I could hear that tone all day long… it’s mean and nasty

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  8. Never heard Oscar’s original. Fantastic! Love the clip. Same vibe but different sound. The Alvin’s are musicologists (Is that a word?). I have benefited from listening to them over the years. They dig up and steer me to music that I would never be exposed to. All of it good. They hear this stuff, are moved by it cover it and then let it inspire them to make their originals. ‘Mr Kicks’ sounded pretty good this morning. Oh yeah, you know how I feel about Dave’s playing and sound. Love it.

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    1. I never told you how much I loved this song when you sent it. Yea man I knew nothing about the origin of this song. You are right… the same vibe completely with different wrapping.
      I never would have guessed it was from a musical. A cool musical.

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      4. I do need to check Phil out more CB…I’ve concentrated on Dave because of X and the other connections that I’ve ran into.

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      1. Very cool. I will read up on that more. See what I mean about getting an education here. Amazing what I can learn when interested in something Halffast. When i first got into The Blasters, Lee Allen and Berlin were playing sax with them. I followed Lee’s history and it took me to some more great music. First stop was his time with Fats Domino

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  10. Clever lyrics (who knew so many words rhymed with kicks?) I loved realizing Mr. Kicks was kicks. Sizzling geetar makes me think of Stevie Ray but without the hotdoggin. Good selection for a Saturday afternoon.

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    1. It does have that Stevie Ray tone…good job…no one has pointed that out. That is who I thought of right away but didn’t say it. This is another CB song he sent me.

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      1. You know…to both of you… I have to wonder if Jagger got the Please Allow Me To Introduce Myself from this?

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      2. 🙂 I think the Vulcan Mind Meld goes on at PowerPop more often than in other places. GMMTA and LL&P (you get a gold star if you get these acronyms 😉 )

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