Tag: The Alpha Band

The Alpha Band – The Alpha Band – 1976

The Alpha Band rose out of the ashes of the backup band from Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976. T-Bone Burnett, Steven Soles, and David Mansfield had worked so well together on the tour they decided they should head top the studio and this album is the result. The album has a strong T-Bone fell but that’s going to happen as his vocals are so distinct. But musically this is definitely a T-Bone album and is much more in the style of T-Bone than Soles or Mansfield. The album features T-Bone’s signature songwriting but Soles was also heavily involved in songwriting. If you’ve listened to a T-Bone album then you will know what to expect from this album. If the first track doesn’t work for you keep listening as it gets much better. I’m not disrespecting “Interviews” but I just don’t think it was a good choice for the lead track. Track 2 “Cheap Perfume” is much better and set’s the album on a good path.

Tracklist
1 – Interviews – 3:52
2 – Cheap Perfume – 2:49
3 – Keep It In The Family – 4:34
4 – Ten Figures – 4:09
5 – Wouldn’t You Know – 3:51
6 – Madman – 4:23
7 – The Dogs – 4:20
8 – Arizona Telegram – 4:25
9 – Dark Eyes – 3:34
10 – Last Chance To Dance – 3:18

Credits
Art Direction, Design – Nancy Greenberg
Bass – David Jackson (4)
Drums – Matt Betton
Lacquer Cut By [JG etched in runouts] – John Golden
Management [Personal Representation] – Jonathan Taplin
Photography By [Cover] – Deborah Turbeville
Photography By [Sleeve] – Camera 5, Ken Regan
Piano – K. O. Thomas* (tracks: A3)
Recorded By – Larry Hirsch
Violin, Mandolin, Guitar – David Mansfield
Vocals – Rosanna Taplin (tracks: B2), Roscoe West (tracks: A1)
Vocals, Guitar – Steven Soles
Vocals, Guitar, Piano – T-Bone Burnett

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Arista Records, Inc.
Copyright © – Arista Records, Inc.
Recorded At – Paramount Recording Studios
Mastered At – Kendun Recorders
Pressed By – PRC Recording Company, Richmond, IN

Maria Muldaur – Gospel Nights – 1980

This is one of those albums that I wonder how it came about. Here’s the story as it is told today. Muldaur was invited to play a small concert at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in in Santa Monica, CA. She invited The Chambers Bros. to perform with her. For a band she told her friend T Bone Burnett to put something together so T Bone invited his fellow Alpha Band members Steven Soles and David Mansfield along with his friend Stephen Bruton. So now we have all the actors in place let’s move onto the album. I’ll be honest that I wasn’t expecting much from this album as I’m not the biggest Maria Muldaur fan. Boy was I wrong. This is a fantastic album. This is not some hippy dippy affair, this is an in your face soul, blues, rock, bluegrass album. Not all at the same time but they are all there. I guess I should have expected that with such a great line up of artists. I don’t have a top 500 albums list like David Lowman but this would be on mine and I’m surprised it missed David’s list. Anyway, if you missed this one back in the day please do yourself a favour and give it a listen today.

Tracklist
1 – Brothers And Sisters – 6:46
2 – My Jesus Is All – 3:44
3 – Trials, Troubles, Tribulations – 4:22
4 – Bright Morning Star – 3:24
5 – Daniel Prayed – 3:26
6 – Nobody’s Fault But Mine – 1:38
7 – Just Like An Eagle – 4:43
8 – Did You Remember – 3:17
9 – Traveling Shoes – 4:14
10 – People Get Ready – 4:01
11 – Said I Wasn’t Going To Tell No One – 5:55
12 – Guide Me, O Great Jehovah – 1:53

Credits
Art Direction – John Van Hamersveld
Bass – Leon Gaer
Drums – Ron Tutt
Electric Guitar – Stephen Bruton
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Steven Soles
Electric Guitar, Fiddle, Mandolin – David Mansfield
Liner Notes – T Bone Burnett
Photography By [Back] – Matt Kramer
Photography By [Cover] – Sally Shoaf
Piano – Danny Timms
Producer – Jon Monday, Maria Muldaur
Recorded By, Mixed By – Ron Marks
Vocals – Maria Muldaur, The Burns Sisters, The Chambers Brothers

Companies, etc.
Recorded At – McCabe’s Guitar Shop
Recorded At – Gingerbread Studios