Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan
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Free Music Notes for Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan
Free Music Review: Highly influential and like the title says essential set!
Hit: 5 Stars
Arguably the most influential guitarist of the last twenty years this set manages to capture what made Stevie Ray Vaughan such a great artist. The Texas native Vaughan managed to take his influences such as brother Jimmie, rocker Jimi Hendrix, bluesman Albert King and jazzman Kenny Burrell and weave them into something unique and exciting. Vaughan burst upon the scene with his combination of ferocity, feeling and touch. Whether playing a cover of "Voodoo Child" a funky take on Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", or the tortured blues of Elmore Jame's "The Sky Is Crying", he was always able to make the song his own. His singing could be both tender and heartfelt as in "The Things (That) I Used To Do or raucous as in "The House Is Rockin'". Sometimes he could be funky as in "Say What" or more jazzy as in "Lenny". The influence of the jazz/blues organ trios like Jimmy Smith and Jack McDuff led Vaughan to add organist/keyboardist Reese Wynans to his band Double Trouble. Almost all of his essential cuts are included and the set contains more songs than "Greatest Hits Vols 1 & 2". I am especially glad overlooked cuts like Hound Dog Taylor's "Give Me Back My Wig", Buddy Guy's "Mary Had A Little Lamb" and "Willie The Wimp" were included. I have a couple of minor quibbles with the song selections. "Ain't Gonna Give Up On Love" is frustratingly absent as well as the slide guitar spotlight "Boot Hill", a kinetic cover of Lonnie Mack's instrumental "Wham" and an inspired cover of Howlin' Wolf's "I'm Leaving (Commit A Crime)". Everyone has their own personal favorites. It is a testiment to Vaughan's will that he was able to overcome his drug addiction and still make vital music. Like Hendrix and many of his blues and jazz idols he died before his time. However, you can still discover his legacy with this "Essential" 2 cd set.Free Music Review: Hotter Than Houston In August
Hit: 5 Stars
Some of the tracks on this splendid, reasonably priced 2 CD-set could peel paint off road signs. Self-taught, unable to read a note of music, Stevie Ray Vaughan displays technical virtuosity that at times seems almost Faustian, it's hard to believe that what you're hearing is even possible. Most of all, SRV is a complete Texas blues package, his singing is excellent, his command of the blues idiom so total one imagines he must have dreamt blues as well as lived them - everything works, right down to the outfits and soul patch.
In a sense, SRV was the brightest hope of a next generation of blues masters. He picked his idols wisely, patterning himself after Albert King, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, among others. However, there are also strong rock overtones here, most notably the influence of Hendrix who he clearly worshipped. The several Hendrix covers attest to this - they are actually not the best parts of this effort although Little Wing is marvelous. The others prove that SRV could recreate the Hendrix sound - which in itself is an amazing achievement - but add nothing new.
SRV was discovered by legendary virtuoso Johnny Winter, who retains the title of Texas blues heavyweight, and also frequently crossed over to rock. There will be those who will claim SRV outstrips Winter, I can't agree, but I would say they belong in the same sentence. In life, Vaughan was unable to outlive irony. Decades of chronic drug and alcohol abuse took him to death's door where he made the decision to get clean. He did, and was enjoying success as a sober man, only to die in a helicopter crash. It's a tragic story, but he certainly left us with some incendiary, thoroughly satisfying music. I guess that really is why they call it the blues. Highly recommended.
Free Music Review: everything you need to know
Hit: 5 Stars
Stevie Ray Vaughan was my first real guitar god, my introduction to the blues, and my excuse for everything from what I was wearing to why I was late for work. I loved watching him play, and to my great distress I never got to see him in person. When I heard of the helicopter crash, I was at work; I don't recall anything of the rest of that day, and I dressed in black for about two weeks after that. He's taken me on some memorable journeys, both figuratively and for real; there's always at least one Stevie Ray cd in the wallet when I road-trip. This collection has it all, from his eager,powerful early days ("Love Struck Baby" , "Pride And Joy", "Texas Flood") through his struggling times with his evil demons ("Willie The Wimp", "Give Me Back My Wig") to when he came out on the other side, with the clean,fresh songs from In Step ("Crossfire", "Tightrope", and my ties for favourite, "Wall Of Denial" and "Riviera Paradise" - the last, one of the most beautiful and saddest songs ever written, emoting far more through guitar notes than a person could ever put in words.) It is a heavenly crime that he was taken away from us so soon, and at the height of his powers and newfound wellbeing. I miss him every time I play one of his songs, and I have to stop whatever I'm doing if something of his comes on the radio. My only quibble with this collection is that they left off "Honey Bee" -which has the smokinest little riff at the beginning of almost anything I've ever heard from anybody. I've been known to play just that riff about twenty times over before I even get to the rest of the song. This double-disc collection should be in the library of every Stevie Ray fan. Don't ignore it. You won't regret it.Free Music Review: almost everything I wanted
Hit: 5 Stars
Except I'll probably need to hear all of the 'In the Beginning' set now that I've heard the opener of this collection. 'Essential' seems to be the two Greatest Hits collections minus the inessential Beatle cover that opened Greatest Hits #1. As a blues populizer Vaughan was perhaps an even bigger deal than Eric Clapton was when Clapton came up. Vaughan had great taste in songs and worked very hard to sing them as well as he could. He was the ultimate riff machine with a bag full of embellishments that could be tossed in endless combinations at startling speed. He was a faithful student of Albert King and also Jimi Hendrix. For me Vaughan's abundance of technique often got in the way of the music. Vaughan was almost feathery when playing slower solos and harmonically not very interesting. But that's quibbling. The music was consistently very good and the Double Trouble rhythm section versatile and reliable. And many of Vaughan's rhythm parts were jawdroppers. And the best of it's here for dirt cheap.I remember how startled I was to hear Vaughan on the radio playing behind David Bowie. What a sound!
Free Music Review: Absolutely Essential
Hit: 5 Stars
Whomever compiled the tracks on Stevie Ray Vaughan's career did a nearly perfect job. Top quality tracks were selected from nearly every one of Stevie's recordings. You have all of Stevie's well know hits such as Pride And Joy, Crossfire, Cold Shot, Tightrope, and Love Struck Baby. Also some stunning more CD oriented gems such as Wall of Denial, Lenny, Tin Pan Alley, Scuttlebutting, and Telephone Song. How about some live versions of Superstition, Willie The Wimp, and Leave That Little Girl Alone.
Stevie was a hell of a talent and its a shame that he is not around today. Nonetheless, the fantastic solos and often overlooked singing are all here for your enjoyment. Also of note double trouble was one great band. Reese Wynas really pushed this act over the edge with his fantastic keyboard touches. Tommy Shannon adds some cool bass touches and Frank Layton(?) stands a solid drummer. Overall, a great way to go to get nearly all of essential recordings by Stevie Ray Vaughan.