{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Museum of Heart | type = [[Studio album]] | artist = [[Dave Alvin]] | cover = MuseumOfHeartDaveAlvin.jpg | alt = | released = 1993 | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = [[Soul blues]] | length = 51:47 | label = [[Hightone Records|HighTone]]<ref name=CH/> | producer = Chris Silogyi, [[Bruce Bromberg]], Dave Alvin | prev_title = [[Blue Blvd]] | prev_year = 1991 | next_title = [[King of California (album)|King of California]] | next_year = 1994 }} '''''Museum of Heart''''' is an album by the American musician [[Dave Alvin]], released in 1993.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dave-alvin-mn0000679219/biography|title=Dave Alvin Biography, Songs, & Albums|website=AllMusic}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Museum of Heart by Dave Alvin |journal=People |date=Nov 22, 1993 |volume=40 |issue=21 |page=25}}</ref> Alvin considered the album to be mainly in the soul blues style.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nelson |first1=Rick |title=EX-BLASTERS MASTER GUITARIST NOW LEADS DAVE ALVIN BAND |work=The News Tribune |date=19 Nov 1993 |page=F11}}</ref> He promoted ''Museum of Heart'' by touring with his band, the Guilty Men.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kening |first1=Dan |title=FOR DAVE ALVIN, SINGING IS AN EXTENSION OF SONGWRITING |work=Chicago Tribune |date=4 Mar 1994 |department=Friday |page=O}}</ref>

==Production== The album was produced by Chris Silogyi, [[Bruce Bromberg]], and Alvin; Bromberg encouraged Alvin to add more of a bluesy sound to his guitar work.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Museum of Heart by Dave Alvin |magazine=Billboard |date=Nov 6, 1993 |volume=105 |issue=45 |page=66}}</ref> Former Blaster [[Lee Allen (musician)|Lee Allen]] played saxophone on some of the songs.<ref name=OS/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Boehm |first1=Mike |title=Alvin Escapes Factory for 'Museum' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=11 Nov 1993 |page=F1}}</ref> Alvin worked on some of the songs for ''[[King of California (album)|King of California]]'' during the same period.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Mark |title=New performers add credibility to Pleasure Barons |work=Orange County Register |date=March 6, 1993 |page=F2}}</ref> [[Syd Straw]] and [[Katy Moffatt]] contributed to the album.<ref name=TR/>

"Thirty Dollar Room" is about the touring life.<ref name=IS/> "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame" takes its title from a [[Charles Bukowski]] poetry collection.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lepage |first1=Mark |title=Alvin cuts through and true with pictures at an exhibition on heartbreak |work=The Gazette |date=24 Dec 1993 |location=Montreal |page=D3}}</ref>

==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="AM">{{cite web |first=Denise |last=Sullivan |title= ''Museum of Heart'' > Review |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id= mw0000103811 |pure_url=yes}} |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |accessdate=July 13, 2015}}</ref> |rev2 = ''[[Calgary Herald]]'' |rev2score = B+<ref name="CH">{{cite news |last1=Muretich |first1=James |title=Dave Alvin: Museum Of Heart |work=Calgary Herald |date=12 Dec 1993 |page=B9}}</ref> |rev3 = ''[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]]'' |rev3score = {{rating|3|4}}<ref name="FW">{{cite news |last1=Philpot |first1=Robert |title=Dave Alvin Museum of Heart |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |date=October 1, 1993 |location=A&E |page=3}}</ref> |rev4 = ''[[The Indianapolis Star]]'' |rev4score = {{rating|3.5|4}}<ref name="IS">{{cite news |last1=Bacon |first1=Scott |title=Dave Alvin 'Museum of Heart' |work=The Indianapolis Star |date=3 Dec 1993 |page=C14}}</ref> |rev5 = ''[[The Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts)|The Republican]]'' |rev5score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="TR">{{cite news |last1=O'Hare |first1=Kevin |title=Dave Alvin, 'Museum of Heart' |work=The Republican |date=September 19, 1993 |page=G1}}</ref> }} ''[[Trouser Press]]'' wrote that Alvin's "comfortable within his narrow [vocal] range, letting his pithy songwriting carry the load."<ref>{{cite web |title=Dave Alvin |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/dave-alvin/ |website=Trouser Press |access-date=13 October 2022}}</ref> The ''[[Chicago Reader]]'' noted that "even the least of Alvin’s material is redeemed by his robust energy and expansive delivery."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/dave-alvin-the-guilty-men-2/|title=Dave Alvin & the Guilty Men|date=March 3, 1994|website=Chicago Reader}}</ref> The ''[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]]'' praised the "clear-headed meditations on lost romance."<ref name=FW/>

The ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]'' opined that "Alvin's rugged baritone is surprisingly effective on ballads."<ref name="OS">{{cite news |last1=Gettelman |first1=Parry |title=Dave Alvin, Museum of Heart |work=Orlando Sentinel |date=8 Oct 1993 |department=Calendar |page=9}}</ref> The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' concluded that "Alvin's lyrics convey the heartache and longing you hear in the voices of great country singers like George Jones but rarely find in their material anymore."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hilburn |first1=Robert |title=Dave Alvin, 'Museum of Heart' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=31 Oct 1993 |department=Calendar |page=61}}</ref>

[[AllMusic]]'s Denise Sullivan wrote that "Alvin's vision falters slightly, as none of the songs here are as instantly likable or classic as on previous outings."<ref name="AM" />

==Track listing== All songs by Dave Alvin. #"Museum of Heart" – 4:26 #"Don't Talk About Her" – 4:59 #"A Woman's Got a Right" – 4:58 #"Between the Cracks" – 4:26 #"Thirty Dollar Room" – 4:23 #"The Devil's Wind" – 4:15 #"Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame" – 3:09 #"One Eye's Ballad" – 0:57 #"Longer Than I Thought" – 5:05 #"Six Nights a Week" – 3:40 #"Stranger in Town" – 4:47 #"As She Slowly Turns to Leave" – 5:26 #"Florence Avenue Lullaby" – 1:16

==Personnel== *Dave Alvin – vocals, guitar *Don Falzone – bass *Rick Solem – keyboards, background vocals *Bobby Lloyd Hicks – drums *[[Donald Lindley]] – drums *[[Greg Leisz]] – guitar, mandolin, lap steel guitar *Michael "Bami" Rose – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone *Lee Allen – tenor saxophone *Leon Haywood – organ *Stephen Hodges – congas, percussion, vibraphone *[[John "Juke" Logan|John Logan]] – background vocals *[[Syd Straw]] – background vocals *Fontaine Brown – background vocals *[[John Doe (musician)|John Doe]] – background vocals *[[Katy Moffatt]] – background vocals

==Production notes== *Charlie Bracco – engineer, mixing *Chris Bellman – mastering *Stephen Walker – design *Beth Herzhaft – photography

==References== {{Reflist}} {{Dave Alvin}} {{Authority control}}

[[Category:Dave Alvin albums]] [[Category:1993 albums]] [[Category:HighTone Records albums]] [[Category:Soul blues albums]]