Al Foul - Come Back a Dog (2024) Hi-Res

Al Foul, who passed away at dusk on May 25, 2022, roared like a lion. His arms were straight as rods, stretched precisely parallel to his body, and his clenched fists held the posture of a daredevil diver diving feet-first into an otherworldly underwater abyss.

It was a terrifying, beautiful and fitting end for a musician who had been described as a "living legend" long before his diagnosis of vocal cord cancer took his life.

After more than 50 years on earth, Alan Lewis Curtis overcame a rough, violent and poverty-stricken childhood in Boston's Hyde Park to live an extraordinary life full of adventure, mainly under the stage name Al Fool.

After a stint in punk rock with the Tucson-based band Al Foul and The Shakes, he devoted himself to a solo career and worked with various Tucson musicians, always known as a charming entertainer and for his bawdy sense of humor. His performances were hilarious, riotous, and memorable, and he soon became an underground icon.

He toured Europe for decades, gaining a cult following, especially in France and Germany. His touring partner DJ Laurent Allinger (aka "The French Tourist") added surreal samples and textures to his shows, recreating the atmosphere of Foul's Southwestern hometown, making them more Lynch-like. Whether he was playing biker festivals in small villages or sharing big stages with King Khan and The Shrines and The BellRays, Al was always unforgettable.

During the pandemic, Foul was diagnosed with throat cancer and was cared for by his wife, KXCI DJ Hannah Levin, until his death in 2022. Foul's struggle with illness and their love story were documented by local PBS station AZPM, and in 2024 the documentary Al & Hannah won the Edward R. Murrow Award for Best News Documentary.

Come Back a Dog is Al Foul's final album, a mix of original songs and fan-favorite covers that have become live staples. From the sharp prophecy of the title track to his rollicking cover of the Muscle Shoals classic "Six Days on the Road," his neo-noir take on the traditional American murder ballad "Frankie & Johnny," and the heartfelt atmosphere of "Darker Shade of Blue," Foul paints a raw yet compassionate portrait of American culture that could sit comfortably between a Raymond Carver anthology and a Tom Waits box set.