Part of the roots rock movement of the mid-80's, The Blasters transcended all possible labels. At their best, they rose above mere revivalism and translated the energy of punk into pure rockabilly and blues. Unfortunately, not much remains of their catalog. American Music was their first, and it was unavailable for years; its recent reissue by Koch is a blessing, but it represents the band before they found their own voice. Their three major label albums (and an ep) have never been on CD, and 20-song Blasters Collection is criminally out-of-print. Hopefully, someone will rerelease these gems; until then, happy hunting.

Solo releases by the fraternal leaders of the Blasters, Dave and Phil Alvin, have merit but can be uneven. Dave (one of the best guitar players I've ever seen) acquitted himself nicely on his blazing debut, Romeo's Escape, reworking a handful of new and old tunes, but the following albums were more labored. Starting with King Of California, a largely unplugged affair, Dave again hit his stride. He has worked frequently as a sideman and producer. Phil (the singer) has been less prolific, cutting only two solo albums, Unsung Stories (1986) and County Fair 2000 (1994). I like the first, but it was only issued briefly on CD - and only in Japan.