The Blasters – Live:
Going Home (DTS audio-only DVD
version)
DTS 5.1: B PCM
2.0 Stereo: B- Extras: D Music: B-
When we last checked into what Dave Alvin was doing, he
was solo an had released an amazing Super Audio CD of his album Blackjack David
through Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs. You
can read that review at:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/262/Dave+Alvin+-+Blackjack+David+(SACD)
That was a 1998 album released more recently in the
upgraded format. His band The Blasters
had broken up way back in 1986. Well,
on August 23, 2003, the Rockabilly band that does 1950s Rock classics (or
soundalikes thereof) as well, decided to reunite and The Blasters – Live:
Going Home has been issued in two formats.
One, a DVD-Video with footage of the concert from Shout! Factory and
this DVD-Video as DTS audio DVD from DTS Entertainment. The tracks here, including five bonus
selections, are:
1) Marie
Marie
2) Real Rock
Drive
3) One Red
Rose
4) Border
Radio
5) Troublebound
6) Crazy
Baby
7) Help You
Dream
8) Have
Mercy Baby (above two with introductions by The Calvanes and The
Medallions)
9) No Other
Girl
10) Don’t You Lie To Me
11) I’m Shakin’
12) So Long Baby Goodbye
13) Red Headed Woman
(w/intro. by Sonny Burgess)
14) Sadie’s Back In Town
15) Wandering Eye
(w/intro. by Billy Boy Arnold)
16) I Ain’t Got You
17) American Music
18) One Bad Stud
(w/intro. by The Calvanes and The Medallions)
19) J.B. Lenoir Jam
20) All Your Love
21) Flip Flop & Fly
Most of these are Alvin originals and it turns out this
was a one-shot reunion, which has the intensity to work. It is just on the repetitive side, and
non-fans might have some problems enjoying this beyond what sounds and feels
like the usual extended exercise in older Rock, Country and Blues forms. It is also a step backwards, even knowingly,
for Alvin after such an impressive solo outing. Going Home is good quality Rock, but it comes at a time
when something more progressive and breakthrough would have been welcomer. For what it is, it is not bad.
As for the sound, the PCM 2.0 48kHz/24Bit Stereo sound is
a bit on the flat side for whatever reason.
The DTS 5.1 is a better mix, but after the DSD signal on Blackjack
David and the lack of MLP sound on this disc, the DTS here seems
secondary. The back of the case nearly
suggests the existence of MLP (Meridian Lossless Packing) on this disc, down to
a “DVD-A” (DVD-Audio) marking, but this is not the case. At least a DTS 96/24 mix would have been
welcome, but this is sadly not a full-fledged DVD-Audio and maybe the recording
was limited. It sounds like it. This not bad for what it is and is certainly
better than the Dolby-only 5.1 mix on the regular DVD-Video, so fans who like
audio fidelity will prefer this disc.
The only extra is a stills section with a few dozen shots and brief
booklet inside the old-style CD jewel case, if you want to count that. As I said, this is really for fans.
- Nicholas Sheffo
