Product Description

Stevie Ray Vaughan is a red-hot talent whose fiery playing and passionate delivery have seen him heralded as the futureof the blues, alongside such notables as Robert Cray. For 1986's LIVE ALIVE, three albums into his career, Vaughan added pianist Reese Wynans to the Double Trouble duo of Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton, fleshing out an already-potent sound. Originals like "Change It" and "Say What" find Wynan's rollicking playing gilding Vaughan's unusually funky playing, while Wynans and Vaughan play off one another in percolating covers of material by Stevie Wonder ("Superstition") and Hank Ballard ("Look At Little Sister").
As always, Vaughan pays tribute to his elders-Buddy Guy ("Mary Had A Little Lamb"), Howlin' Wolf ("I'm Leaving You [Commit A Crime]"), and Jimi Hendrix ("Voodoo Chile [Slight Return]"). Although this Hendrix version lags a bit, Vaughan's playing is exemplary on the shuffling "Cold Shot" and downright playful on "Love Struck Baby", where older brother Jimmie joins in the fun.

Track Listing

1. Say What
2. Ain't Gonna Give Up On Love
3. Pride And Joy
4. Mary Had A Little Lamb
5. Superstition
6. I'm Leaving You (Commit A Crime)
7. Cold Shot
8. Willie The Wimp
9. Look At Little Sister
10. Texas Flood
11. Voodoo Chile
12. Lovestruck Baby
13. Change It
14. Life Without You

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48289 in Music
• Released on: 1993-04-05
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live

Customer Reviews

Not the best SRV live album
Much as i love SRV, this is not the best live album. If you dont have any live Stevie, get the 'Live at Montreaux 82 & 85' double album.

Not a good 'live' album
I just wanted to add to this review that I am a huge SRV fan. It was just such a shame that the one thing he did so well - playing live - is represented so poorly on CD (or LP etc.). I would highly recommend getting one of the videos/DVDs if you want the live feel. Live At The El Mocambo is fantastic. So:

Does this really qualify as a live album when much of it was overdubbed whilst on the road? Consequently it sounds fragmented and, at times, awkward.

I was disappointed.

A great live album
The late Stevie Ray Vaughan rocked on stage. His rendition of Howlin' Wolf's "Commit A Crime" may lack the raw punch of the original, but that's a minor complaint - most of this album is simply excellent.

Vaughan's playing is gritty, his vocals are good and the song list is magnificent, and features the rare, non-LP track "Willie the Wimp" about the bizarre funeral of a Chicago "wiseguy".

Other highlights include Vaughan's best song, the superbly groovy "Pride And Joy", as well as "Superstition", "Cold Shot" and the slow blues "Texas Flood", but there are really no weak songs, and this album should appeal to fans of both blues and rock music. The sound is very good, and the band is, too. Highly recommended.