Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Texas Flood
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.31 You Save: $3.68 (46%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.13 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Texas Flood
Free Music Review: What A Blues Phenomenon..!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
I first heard SRV and Double Trouble - probably Pride and Joy - on the radio and I can recall only two other times in my life when I felt so dumbstruck - hearing the Beatles and Hendrix previously.
As a middle aged man who first started playing guitar at a very young age in the 60's, I was always interested in hearing and seeing new players.
On that day, I found out who this phenom was and immediately scoured my back issues of guitar magazines to see if there was any information about him. I also made a point of getting to a local record store that day and purchasing Texas Flood, that was probably played continuously for the next few months. And while I became a disciple of this incredible talent relatively quickly, the love affair was solidified when I was lucky enough to see him at the El Mocombo a short time later (the show that was released as a VHS / DVD).
The title song - Texas Flood - is perhaps one of the greatest blues songs I have ever heard. It's even more remarkable when you realize that the song you're hearing was recorded almost "live" in the studio with a minimum of overdubs and takes.
Jackson Brown allowed the band to use his LA home studio to record this album and if memory serves me correctly, the entire album was recorded in days or a couple of weeks at most. And they essentially played live in the studio which gave it a very authentic feel. It didn't sound polished or slick or too sterile. This was Texas blues guitar played by a man and band that had mastered their craft playing countless gigs in and around Austin, Texas.
Of course, electric blues had been around for many, many years. And some of the greats like the Kings and Buddy Guy and Robert Johnson had had a significant influence on many of the great British players and bands like Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards and many, many others. However, this beautiful genre of music had relatively limited appeal to the "masses".
With this release, the renaissance and rebirth of the blues began. Single handedly, SRV with the release of this and subsequent albums inspired interest in the blues. Suddenly, people like myself, who had been playing guitar and listening to blues for many years, suddenly saw it in a whole new light. My listening, I confess, had been limited to Clapton. After listening to Texas Flood, it became a mission to find out more about the men who inspired this guy.
I realized that in order to really appreciate SRV's music, I had to listen to the men who inspired him to play guitar.
In subsequent years, I've managed to purchase much of the same hardware that SRV used throught his career - SRV signature Strat, Marshall and Fender amps and heavy strings tuned down a semi tone in an effort to try and replicate his sound.
However, I've not even come close. His ability didn't come from his equipment. SRV had a God given gift in his hands and ears. He was put here for one reason and one reason only - to play the blues.
Stevie was once asked what he would like to accomplish with his music. He stated that he wanted to be remembered for taking the colour out of the blues.
He succeeded.
This is an incredible debut album which should be in anybody's collection. Do yourself a huge favour and listen to this blues master.
Free Music Review: From one of the brainwashed
Hit: 5 Stars
Hear this from an accomplished guitar player: when you grow up a little and stop listening to guitar music that sounds like a MIDI file with little emotion, with limited human feeling and dynamic, then you will yearn for a master. I know, I was once like you. I listened to Vito Bratta (and countless other shredder types) and although he was a Van Halen clone wannabe--right down to using the steinberg and everything--I admit he had some talent. The remake of Radar Love was fantastic save for the abysmal signing that sounded like a 12 year-old girl with a spider dropped down her dress. Why isn't Vito famous? Because he brought nothing to the table. He was one of a thousand clones who offered nothing new, swimming in a sea of clones that forgot how to play the guitar with feeling and focused on pure technique. At least if you had compared Vaughan to guitar players that have truly mastered the art of 'technique' I would have given you points. You could have mentioned Paul Gilbert, Yngwie Malmsteen, Satriani and yes even that Vai guy (personally Paul Gilbert is the best 'technique' guy on the planet.
But what we are referring to here is pure heart and soul; feeling. Vaughan could play with 2 broken strings having just downed 3 bottles of Nyquil and there would be more heart and soul and skill than anything Vito ever thought of releasing. Do you recall a song off of one of White Lion's last albums, a song called 'Blue Monday'? Who the hell do you think that song was written for? Stevie Ray Vaughan, right after his death. That one song had more feeling than anything Vito had ever done before because it was dedicated to a man that he knew was his superior. If you told Vito you thought he was better than Stevie Ray Vaughan, he'd laugh at you. He'd also be a little disgusted. I know I am.
Cobaine as a guitarist?! You have got to be kidding me! Is that what it has all been reduced to, some out of touch child that thinks Cobaine had some influence on guitar players save for drunken fits played on an out-of-tune block of wood with a jagged pick? As a guitar player I have discovered that once you learn to play scales learning blistering solos is easy, the faster it is, the easier it is to play. With songs played by true talent, it is much harder. You have to learn the notes, THEN you have to learn all of the inflections, the feeling. I could play 'Wait' in my sleep after 1 day of trying. I've been trying to get the inflections of 'Little Wing' and 'Lenny' for weeks.
Here's some advice: Never, NEVER post about topics you know nothing about.
This is one of the greatest albums of all time, and I just hate to think that someone interested in picking it up would hesitate because someone who knew nothing of true talent posted such venomous bile without qualification. If you don't believe that Stevie Ray Vaughan is one of the rare talents of our guitar history then you have a great deal to learn about true guitar playing. Look up B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Hendrix, etc.
Learn...
Free Music Review: Super Cool Re-Issue of CLASSIC Debut Album, SRV Serves Up RETRO ROCKIN' BLUES GUITAR!
Hit: 5 Stars
TEXAS FLOOD, the debut album from Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble is a classic album of electric guitar excellence, made even better by a caring, jam-packed CD re-issue release featuring 4 Bonus Tracks and an informative CD booklet.
This recording captures the true tone of a clean, vintage Fender Stratocaster, better than any other album that I know of! The overall sound and song structures are definitely Old School Blues/Rock guitar, but the fiery performance of the young Stevie Ray Vaughan takes it all to a new level of intensity and entertainment for any fans of great guitar playing!
In the early 1980s, while the rest of the guitarists in the country were trying to master the latest guitar playing style of Eddie Van Halen's manic fret tapping, Stevie Ray Vaughan was instead perfecting his retro blues stylings from the obscure past of the blues.
This album was recorded while they were still unsigned, after Jackson Browne was blown away by Stevie's playing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1982, Browne invited them to record for free at his California studio/warehouse. (BTW: this career turning point of a concert where Stevie got big breaks and notice from Jackson Browne and David Bowie is available on DVD, believe it or not, and it is GREAT). Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Live at Montreux 1982 & 1985
For the TEXAS FLOOD recordings on this album, Stevie and band thought they were just doing a good demo tape to shop around to record companies to get signed eventually, but the sessions ended up as their debut album, and a part of rock and roll history.
Songs like "Love Struck Baby," "Pride and Joy," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," "Lenny," -- aw, heck, most of this entire album would remain staples in Stevie's concert repertoire throughout his entire career!
Brilliant instrumentals are also included in "Testify," "Rude Mood," and "Lenny."
The Bonus Tracks feature "Wham!," a cover song of the first 45 rpm record that Stevie ever purchased as a kid, that would inspire him throughout his career, and "Tin Pan Alley" is an early recording from this TEXAS FLOOD recording, which would be re-recorded and put on their second album, the more modern sounding COULDN'T STAND THE WEATHER, which is nearly as good as TEXAS FLOOD on CD. Couldn't Stand the Weather
The nice CD booklet has more a few more photos than the original vinyl album release had, plus an informative write up about the band and this CD.
Like all of their four studio albums, they have all been given first rate re-release treatment by Epic/Legacy, and they are all worth owning and listening to, over and over.
Free Music Review: The Most Talented Man to Pick up a Strat.
Hit: 5 Stars
I will never forget the first time I heard this guy who called himself stevie ray. I remember as a little girl, I sat down next to the record player, and listened to the sound I had never heard before. His guitar playing overwelmed me as I asked my dad, who is this guy? From that day on I was hooked. There was just something about him that made me want more. He was very unique in the way he played to the way he dressed. When he'd pick up his guitar to play, you knew that this guy was special and what you were about to hear would be amazing. I don't go a day without listening to stevie. He does something to me that I can't explain. His stage performance was amazing and he gave his all and more to the audience. He got up their wasted out of his mind sometimes and still gave an awesome show. I think when he cleaned up, thats when alot of people realized, wow, this guy can really play. If he was still alive today, I think he would be a household name. He would be as well known as jimi hendrix. But, stevie left his mark on many of us. We all miss him and we play his records over and over and over again. <3 Anyway, I got so side tracked after reading those worthless reviews about how stevie is horrible and has no talent what so ever. Texas Flood is wonderful! There are so many classics on here like pride and joy, love struck baby, lenny and my favorite testify. Stevie does an amazing job with Wham, texas flood, and dirty pool. There isn't one song I don't like on any stevie album. And that's very rare for me. I'm not kidding, this guy was amazing. He also has a very talented band behind him. Chris and tommy are very good musicians aswell, and later reese. In addition, I also recommend all of stevie's records. Also check out jimmie, on the fabulous thunderbirds albums.
I think it's really sad when I read what people think, like bonnie for example. It's upsetting to think that people don't understand what this man is about. And don't get to experience what so many stevie fans feel when they hear his music.
Bonnie I could care less what you think about stevie. I don't need someone to tell me what good music is, I'm a big girl and honey this man IS talent. And that's that. This man is rare because of his talent. He's not your average guitar player, unlike the one's you listed. I'm not claiming that stevie is GOD because I already have one that I worship in church. He has more talent in his little finger than all of those peons you listed all put together have. Something you need to remember is the ones you listed, don't play with soul.
Speed and the same chords over and over again is NOT talent, is NOT soul, and is NOT skill.
Free Music Review: One of the few truly magnificent blues records of the 80s
Hit: 5 Stars
Rarely does a year go by without some new artist being proclaimed the greatest thing since music's birth, and when I first heard of Stevie Ray Vaughan, I was a bit wary. With so many people talking about him as if he was the second coming of Jimi Hendrix, something had to be amiss.
Well, it isn't. The late Stevie Ray Vaughan was actually every bit as great as he was made out to be, and his debut album is by far the best collection of blues-rock and contemporary blues of the first half of the 80s, holding up wonderfully more than twenty years later.
This record brought the blues back into the limelight. It spent some seven months on the American charts (an extremely rare feat for what is essentially a blues record), and it includes several of Stevie Ray Vaughan's very best songs:
The blistering rockers "Love Struck Baby" and "I'm Cryin'" are here, as well as the magnificent slow blues "Texas Flood" and "Dirty Pool", an excellent rendition of Buddy Guy's blues-slash-nursery rhyme "Mary Had A Little Lamb", and of course Stevie Ray's most famous song, the sublime "Pride And Joy".
Stevie Ray Vaughan knew not only the form but also the substance of the blues, and his guitar playing is masterful. Vaughan had an incredibly ability to keep his solos sounding fresh and innovative, even when they went on for several minutes at a time, and he was a more than adequate singer as well, switching effortlessly between rock n' roll and slow, soulful blues tunes.
His playing on this album is as good as anything he ever recorded, and it's not hard to see why Eric Clapton once stated that he found himself "in the presence of greatness" upon hearing Vaughan play.
This CD reissue adds five bonus tracks, one of which is a short interview snippet. The other four include a very good live take on "Mary Had A Little Lamb", and the otherwise unreleased instrumental "Wham" (unreleased except on compilations, that is).
And everything here, rockers, blues, instrumentals and bonus cuts, is worth a listen. Many listens. "Texas Flood" is a magnificent blues record, Vaughan's finest original album, and it should appeal to fans of both blues and rock. And, well, music.