Rediscovering Stevie Ray Vaughan
When I started my voyage into the blues, something strange happened. Prior to my journey into the vintage stuff, I held Stevie Ray Vaughan in the highest of regards. As I began hearing Vaughan’s influences firsthand, I started to get too cool for school and more or less stopped listening to him anymore. He was no longer real blues to me. There was too much rock and roll in his playing.
Friends… I willingly allowed myself to be filled with feces. I was completely full of shit.
I don’t know how I got so puritanical so fast, but I did and the only person I hurt was me. Stevie Ray Vaughan may not be pure blues – whatever that fuckin’ means – but he is one hell of an artist and the blues shine brightly through his music. Who gives a flying fuck if he dabbles in Hendrix? The man was incredible and his music still is, and isn’t that the fucking point? The music is good. Forget everything else.
Last night, I listened through his amazing debut Texas Flood. This morning, I’ve listened to Couldn’t Stand the Weather. There are dozens of tangible reasons I love listening to Stevie Ray, but it’s the indefinable characteristics that dwell within the great ones that make them something more.
That double shot – a “Cold Shot,” anyone? – has cured me of my sick thinking. Stevie Ray Vaughan is back in heavy rotation on my iPod, and I’m all the better for it.
Filed under: Bloggin' the Blues, Stevie Ray Vaughan
Fuck genres, man. That’s just marketing for the lazy, ill-informed and unadventurous who need to be guided. I am sure there are some some so anal they categorize their collections, but to me it’s all just music. I have a pal whose dad only likes Mississippi Delta blues. Won’t have none of that Chicago nonsense.
Like many artists before Stevie synthesizes his influences. It might not be pure this or that, but it’s 100% pure Stevie, which is consistently outstanding. Plus, he was certainly one to honor and pat tribute to those who came before. His latest release to show that. I really need to get to my review of it.
You’re absolutely right, El B, about all of it. Sometimes I need a good setting straight.
Before I allowed myself to get retarded I loved listening to Stevie Ray. I never stopped thinking he was a great player or singer, but I got blocked by this whole “purist” bullshit. Last night and this morning, I listened to those albums and just cranked it. The guy was fucking amazing, period. Like you said, it’s all music and his is great.