REVIEWS:
Stevie Ray Vaughn was one of the most legendary guitarists of his time, revered for his distinctive bluesy sound, considerable ability and even his vocal style. He recorded with his backing band Double Trouble until his tragic death in a helicopter crash in 1990. Reviewed here is his debut, Texas Flood, and the compilation Blues At Sunrise.
--Nick Karn
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COMMENTS
Nick,
He actually died in '90. ;-) [correction made]
I still miss him...I saw him only weeks before he died in Indianapolis, IN with Joe Cocker opening...was to date the best show I've ever seen.
Peace,
J Horst
STEVIE RAY VAUGHN PICKED UP WHERE JIMI HENDRIX LEFT OFF ... SIMPLY PUT, SRV's SOUL WAS ALL TALENT! WE GOT OUT WHAT HE PUT INTO IT! WE'LL NEVER SEE ANOTHER GUITARIST WHO COULD EVER LIGHT A CANDLE TO SRV!
(Nick Karn's review)
This release was the music world's introduction to a guitar legend, and Stevie Ray's presence throughout Texas Flood is indeed shattering, whether it be on the title track, which features not only one of the greatest single guitar solos in music history but also a passionate vocal performance or the powerful instrumentals that serve as solo excursions for Vaughn (the fast "Rude Mood" and the lyrical closer "Lenny" are particularly impressive, as is the cover version of "Testify"). The most known track "Pride And Joy" is also a memorable indicator of his talents that's easy to get into. Still I can't help feeling left a little cold throughout this album sometimes, as the actual songs are composed of mostly rudimentary blues melodies and extremely cliché lyrics that get tiring after awhile (especially on the "Pride And Joy" carbon copy "I'm Cryin'").
Texas Flood is as good an example as any as to why I can never fully appreciate albums with a blues influence at their strongest. Vaughn's playing is enough to make up for those shortcomings sometimes (he adds power to Buddy Guy's "Mary Had A Little Lamb", which is proof that any poem can be turned into a blues song, and the short opener "Love Struck Baby"), but not always. This type of stuff isn't always my cup of tea, so if it's yours, it's probably worth an 8 or 9 or maybe even a 10. I can certainly appreciate the man's talents here, but there are a few too many moments where, despite his presence, the often not too great songwriting gets in the way.
Yeehaw! We got some blues in the house, baby! My home state's blues hero broke nationwide with this piece of bluesy heaven. Well, heaven's a little strong, but it's still pretty frickin' awesome! Nothing like blues on a day that has sucked.....but let's not delve into my personal life and all the ridiculous happenings of my love life which is quite nonexistent. I stand the same chance of geting a girlfriend that Ralph Nader does of becoming president in 2004. Though that chick who worked the concessions at the movie theater is kinda cute.....snap out of it, Kevin.
Anyways, Stevie Ray is a bit of a hero down here, and for good reason. THE MAN COULD PLAY! He's probably the best white bluesman (with the exception of Eric Clapton) that ever was. His far-out guitarmanship shows on every track. My personal favorite is his awesome work on Texas Flood, but every track is a unique bluesy experience. I honestly can't think of too much original to say. Vaughan was a blues player. He plays blues. If you like blues done par excellence, get this album ASAP. If you don't like blues, you won't like Stevie Ray most likely. It's that simple.
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(reviewed by Kevin Baker)
Well, I am back. I had a lovely week off, despite some foul weather down here. Tropical storms'll do that to ya. Yes, I'm back and refreshed, ready to take the online music review world by storm....well, that's a stretch, but I'm back if nothing else. I ordered some new cds last week, and they came in the mail yesterday. How dull. Fortunately, the music isn't as dry as my 1st paragraph opener. Since the weather is so cruddy, I got da blues, so I figgered a little Stevie Ray might do the trick. Blues At Sunrise sho' nuff does. I sound horribly Texan right now, don't I? Well, I am one and so was Stevie Ray, so dagnabbit I'm gonna talk like one!
As I have said before, if you don't like blues, you won't like Stevie Ray Vaughan, even if his guitarmanship blows your mind. He's the only man I've ever heard who can keep up with Hendrix on a Hendrix song. The amazing thing is how well he could do so live. Blues At Sunrise is basically a live anthology...I think. I know at least half of it is. I've heard stories about when he played the club circuits up in Austin......too bad I was too young then. I'd have killed to see him live back then.
Well, the tracks are all pretty lengthy, with the shortest clocking in at 4 minutes. They're also all slow blues, but slow blues are the best. Why? They're pure emotion. A slow blues song is only as good as the emotional power it has. And nobody could wring more pain and sorrow and joy and anything you can imagine out of a blues song than Stevie Ray. Suffice to say, all the songs are awesome. Heck, they're all so good that I can't even pick a favorite. I will say that you haven't lived until you've heard the live cuts on here. Do get this one if you like the blues or want to have your mind blown by one of rock's greatest guitarists.
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