June 2, 2014

Music Review: Dave and Phil Alvin’s “Key to the Highway”


TRACK 6

“Key to the Highway”

From Dave and Phil Alvin’s Common Ground: Dave Alvin + Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy

YEP ROC

Liner notes: On their first joint studio album since the ’80s, the once-estranged Blasters siblings uncork a spiffy country-blues rendition of Bill Broonzy’s best-known song, also covered by Derek and the Dominos.

Behind the music: Born Lee Conley Bradley, Broonzy (who died in 1958) has been cited as an influence by the Kinks’ Ray Davies. Muddy Waters cut an entire album of his tunes.

Check it out if you like: Modern blues crusaders Gary Clark Jr., Alvin Youngblood Hart, and North Mississippi Allstars.

This review originally appeared in the May/June 2014 issue of Mother Jones.

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