BLUES N'AT

2013 marks the 30th anniversary for Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble's debut "Texas Flood". To commemorate the occasion, a Legacy Edition has been released. This features the original album on disc one as well as a bonus track, "Tin Pan Alley (aka Roughest Place in Town)". The second disc is a recording of the band's appearance at Ripley's Music Hall in Philadelphia to promote "Texas Flood" from October 20, 1983. Typically, when asked to name her favorite guitarists, Mrs. Black-N-Gold names the usual suspects: Clapton, Allman, Hendrix, Page. After rediscovering the late, great, Stevie Ray Vaughan with this double-CD, how could she have turned a deaf ear to the bluesman from Texas? SRV and Double Trouble weren't in the majority in popular music when this album was released. At the time, MTV was still in it's infancy (and still, actually, played music) and featured bands such as Culture Club, Men at Work, and Eurythmics. But Stevie Ray believed in the power of the blues and was anxious to get the word out to the masses. Disc one has many tunes that listeners of classic rock radio and the blues know and love: "Love Struck Baby", "Pride and Joy" and the title track, "Texas Flood". Stevie Ray pulled out all the stops on his Strat for his debut. And the rhythm section of bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris "Whipper" Layton lays down a beat that can't be beat, matching SRV note for note. Mrs. Black-N-Gold's favorites on disc one are the Isley's instrumental, "Testify", Buddy Guy's "Mary Had a Little Lamb", and another instrumental, the SRV original, "Rude Mood", which really gave Stevie Ray a chance to shred all up and down the fretboard.

Disc number two shows the world what a fantastic live act Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble were. No lip syncing or synchronizers here! It's just an all-out assault of the blues senses from the word "Go". They perform most of the "Texas Flood" album as well as pay homage to one of SRV's guitar heroes, Jimi Hendrix, with scorching versions of both "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" and, the closer "Little Wing/Third Stone from the Sun". Yes, Stevie Ray had a lot of Hendrix in his playing but he also puts a big, ol' SRV stamp on these tunes, as well.

This collection is a good reminder that Stevie Ray Vaughan should be mentioned among the greats of blues/rock guitar. If you don't think so, pick up "Texas Flood", the two-disc Legacy Edition and you'll hear why. You'll be glad that you did. Long live SRV and long live the blues. Until next time, boys and girls, keep it bluesy.