''Romeo's Escape'' is the debut album by American artist

Dave Alvin David Albert Alvin (born November 11, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters. Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s ...

, released in 1987. It was released in Europe as ''Every Night About This Time''. It has been reissued multiple times under both titles. The album included three songs previously written and recorded by Alvin with

the Blasters The Blasters are an American rock music, rock band formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin (vocals and guitar) and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman (drummer), Bill Bateman. Their s ...

, ("Long White Cadillac", "Border Radio" and "Jubilee Train").

Reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

critic Mark Deming wrote: "If Alvin was still getting his sea legs as a vocalist on ''Romeo's Escape'', his emotional conviction and intelligent phrasing outweigh his somewhat limited range, and he's rarely rocked harder in the studio... ''Romeo's Escape'' left no doubt he had the goods to be a first-rate frontman, while his gifts as a guitarist and writer remained as strong as ever.."

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

stated that "Alvin's hoarse timbre, bellowing passion, and approximate pitch call up other songwriter front men—such dubious predecessors as John Prine and Guy Clark, who at least can claim to sound like themselves. Nevertheless, he's a born songwriter--guitarist." Jon Young, in ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'', called it " familiar roots rock and country, ranging from scorching boogie ('New Tattoo') to the weary testimony of a union man ('Brother on the Line')."

Track listing

All songs by Dave Alvin. #"Fourth of July" – 4:01 #" Long White Cadillac" – 4:46 #"Every Night About This Time" – 3:56 #"Romeo's Escape" – 3:50 #"Brother (On the Line)" – 4:14 #" Jubilee Train" – 3:53 #" Border Radio" – 3:34 #"Far Away" – 4:33 #"New Tattoo" – 3:46 #"You Got Me" – 3:50 #"I Wish It Was Saturday Night" – 3:38

Personnel

Musicians

*Dave Alvin – vocals, guitar *

Gregg Sutton Gregg Sutton (July 1, 1949 – October 22, 2023) was an American musician, songwriter, guitarist, singer, and bassist, who lived in Los Angeles. He was a member of the country rock band Lone Justice from 1985 to 1987, and wrote or co-wrote song ...

– bass on "Long White Cadillac", "Far Away" and "I Wish It Was Saturday Night" *Gil T. Isais – bass *

Al Kooper Al Kooper (born Alan Peter Kuperschmidt; February 5, 1944) is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Throughout much of the 1960s and 1970s he was a prolific studio musician, including playing organ on the Bob Dylan song " Like ...

– organ on "Far Away" *Jerry Angel – drums *

Tony Gilkyson Tony Gilkyson (born August 6, 1952) is an American musician based in Los Angeles. He is known for membership in the groups Lone Justice and X (U.S. band), X. Career He is the son of Jane Gilkyson and songwriter/folk musician Terry Gilkyson, as w ...

– guitar *

Greg Leisz Gregory Brian Leisz ( ; born September 18, 1949) is an American musician. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, banjo, lap steel and pedal steel guitar. Biography Leisz grew up in the garage ba ...

– pedal steel guitar, lap guitar, guitar *

Steve Berlin Steven M. Berlin (born September 14, 1955, in Philadelphia) is an American saxophonist, keyboardist and record producer, best known as a member of the rock group Los Lobos and, before that, Top Jimmy & the Rhythm Pigs, the Blasters, and the Fl ...

– saxophone *

David Hidalgo David Kent Hidalgo (born October 6, 1954, in Los Angeles) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Los Lobos. Hidalgo frequently plays musical instruments such as accordion, violin, 6-string banjo, cello, requi ...

– 8-string guitar on "Far Away", violin on "Brother (On the Line)", background vocals *

John "Juke" Logan John Farrell Logan (September 11, 1946 – August 30, 2013), known professionally as John "Juke" Logan, was an American electric blues harmonica player, musician, singer, pianist and songwriter. He is best known for his harmonica playing on the ...

– keyboards, harmonica *Alan Graham – background vocals *Matthew McCauley – background vocals *

Katy Moffatt Katherine Louella "Katy" Moffatt (born November 19, 1950) is an American musician, lyricist, composer, vocalist. She is the sister of country singer-songwriter Hugh Moffatt. Midnight radio Moffatt became impassioned by music as a child grow ...

– background vocals on "You Got Me" and "I Wish It Was Saturday Night"

Production

*Steve Berlin – producer *Mark Linett – producer, engineer *Melanie Nissen – design *Lou Beach – cover art

References

{{Authority control 1987 debut albums Dave Alvin albums