Customer Reviews

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Live at the El Mocambo 1983

5 star:		(144)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There is nothing like seeing great blues in a small club. Stevie has done a lot of great live work (except while in the depths of his drug abuse), but this video is the pinnacle of what he was capable of. This small club in Toronto, with rowdy fans has more energy and fire than any arena, stadium or theatre could match.

This was also a musical high point of Stevie's career. He was older than the "In the Beginning" disc (also taken from a small club), and his playing reflects it. He was more fluid and confident, and you can see that he was REALLY feeling "it" the night of the El Mocambo show. I have never heard or seen a better rendition of Texas Flood. I have never even seen a beter blues guitar performance by anyone on any song compared to it. The versions of Tell Me, Wham!, So Excited, Testify, Voodoo Chile, Mary Had a Little Lamb, and Lenny also are the best I have heard from any recording (official or bootleg) of Stevie's.

As for the DVD, it could use some work. I noticed, in comparison with the VHS version, the mixers have brought the volume down a bit on Stevie's guitar, while making the low end sounds more prominent. This takes away from the power of Stevie's performance a bit. They also still have not included the version of Little Wing that was performed right before Third Stone From the Sun! Please! Include it, I will buy the DVD again! On a bright note for the DVD, the interview included is quite interesting, with Tommy and Chris' thoughts and relflections on Stevie and the night of the El Mocambo show.

All in all, I would still get the DVD over the VHS copy. But regardless, every fan of the blues, Stevie, and/or guitar should buy this video. Ever hear Eric Clapton describe Stevie as an open channel, in which musical ideas just flowed through him? This video is proof, and it is amazing.

I am quite happy with this disk. The 5.1 sound is excellent. The video is very good but not great; the issue being the simplistic camera angles - remember this was filmed in a bar 16 years ago.

The real joy of this disk is of course the performance, SRV before his excess of the mid 80's. The playing is fluid and graceful and gives us an insight into one of the greatest guitarists since Hendrix. Speaking of Hendrix, the version of Third Stone SRV does is a real high point of the show.

In short if you like SRV you will not be disappointed with this disk.

I have been a huge fan since the beginning but the person that turned me onto this video was not. But even for someone who does not like the blues he was thoroughly blown away by this performance. This is one of the most amazing shows one could ever hope to witness EVEN IF YOU DONT LIKE THE BLUES! From the get-go SRV rips it up with Testify. Every song thereafter is a bonus:So Excited,Voodoo Chile(there were only two people that could do this song justice Jimi and SRV),Pride & Joy, Tell Me, Mary Had a Little lamb, Texas Flood, Love Struck Baby, Hug You, 3rd Stone,Lenny and WHAM. You will find yourself laughing in awe of how truly great a SRV show could be. In an age when "rock stars" put on a "show" this video is raw musical performance without any back tracks or effects. It's just a man and his guitar. I can say without a doubt this is one the greatest buys you can ever make and I will say it again-Even if you don't like the blues! Buy this video and play it as loud as you can, you will not be disappointed.

Stevie Ray Vaughan captured live in the best environment: a small blues joint ! No special effects only ass-kicking blues and rock like only Stevie could do. See Stevie, Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon rip through their set like it was their last day on earth ! Emotions run high as Double Trouble perform, people are transfixed as Stevie blows' em away with a barrage of notes and his stage persona, playing with the guitar behind his back and his head and still reaching musical nirvana ! The whole SRV palette is explored in this video, from the delicate and passionate "Lenny" to the incredible rendition of "Texas Flood" and, as a bonus, a very psichedelic, destructive (literally!), cathartic and liberatory version of Jimi Hendrix's "Third stone from the sun". Watch in amazement and then watch again. You'll understand. Doesn't EVERYBODY have this video already anyway ?

(Quote above about Stevie by Tommy Shannon, the bassist.)

Straight up, I must say this is ESSENTIAL VIEWING! One can tell Stevie and the band thrive in this type of a small, intimate setting.

One of the things I love most about Stevie is HE DOESN'T HOLD ANYTHING BACK! He FLOWS! Stevie is so comfortable and natural in expressing himself...the fans around the world must surely see his inner beauty and SOUL--truly Breathtaking and Magnificent! Stevie is Spectacular to watch because of this inner beauty and SOUL which is fully expressed by his guitar mastery. The guitar is the conduit of what Stevie has in his heart--truly. TRULY! And what a HEART it IS. THERE ARE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS ALL OF THE BEAUTY I FEEL WATCHING HIM PLAY HIS MUSIC! I'LL CHERISH THIS DVD ALWAYS!

A comment on the rapport he has with Tommy and Chris--it's so beautiful to witness. They fuel off each other and the audience; the energy shared...Wow!

EVERY SINGLE SONG ON THIS DVD IS EXCEPTIONAL-- I LOVE 'EM ALL! I believe you will too! (Ok, here are some favorites: "Voodoo Chile", "Pride and Joy", "Tell Me", "Mary Had a Little Lamb", "Love Struck Baby", "Hug You Squeeze You", "Third Stone From the Sun" and "Lenny.")

The DVD special features are exceptional: you can turn on the lyrics or off, and the interview with Tommy and Chris in October 1999 is worth the purchase price even if there wasn't a show on the DVD! Trust me on this, you must hear this interview!

Here are the chapter titles from the interview: "Playing el Mocambo", "A different show every time", "Triple Threat", "Steve Onstage," "Stevie's Persona" (loved this one!), "What people loved about Stevie (Tommy and Chris both share their impression of meeting Stevie for the first time.), "Stevie's Gift", "Behind the Guitar", "Playing with the greats," "Stevie's influence", "Electricity and Stevie" (adore this one too! Looks like Stevie and I have something in common! Not joking!) and lastly "Stevie's Legacy."

IF YOU LOVE STEVIE, THIS IS A MUST-OWN! Even if you don't, by the time you are done watching this DVD, you will. Stevie will never be forgotten and he will never die.

HIS SPIRIT AND HIS MUSIC LIVE ON.

As a middle aged man who first took up the guitar at a very young age in the 60's, I've always had a receptive ear for upcoming guitar players.

I first read about this Texas blues phenom in an old guitar magazine. And then one day, I happened to hear Pride and Joy on the radio and it literally stopped me dead in my tracks. I could not believe what I was hearing. In fact, I later heard an interview with Eric Clapton who first heard SRV on his car radio and immediately, he had to pull the car over to the side of the road and find out who this guy was. The way Eric tells it, it couldn't wait a day / week / month. It had to be that day.

So when I heard that he was playing a show at the El Mocambo in Toronto, I quickly made up my mind that I had to see this guy.

I had always had a mild interest in the blues - having been a big fan of Clapton and Hendrix, both of whose music had it's roots in the blues.

However, it was after seeing SRV that I became a disciple of the blues. That night, I saw the heart, soul and future of blues guitar in Stevie Ray Vaughan. What an incredible performer.

From my vantage point several feet away from the band, I could see Stevie's incredibly powerful looking hands / fingers bending these big strings as if they were slinky little pieces of wire. In addition to the heavy strings he used, it also looked as if he had his action set relatively high as well. For non-guitar players, I can assure you that the combination of big strings coupled with high action takes alot of hand strength to coax the sounds you want out of your guitar.

Watching this "psychedelic cowboy" that evening, it was like watching the reincarnation of Jimi Hendrix. His take on Voodoo Chile left alot of the audience, particularily the guitar players in the room, staring straight ahead with their dropped jaws in absolute amazement.

IN fact, I remember being so thoroughly taken back by Stevie that night that I just wanted to go home and trash my collection of 10 guitars. While Clapton and Hendrix, for example, had inspired me to practice and want to get better, this guy, for that evening, had the opposite effect. He was too good..!!

He would play these absolutely blistering in-your-face licks, with the nastiest tone I've ever heard and then sit back and play something as soulful as Lenny, where you could have heard a pin drop in the room. Everyone was just captivated and mesmorized by his ability on the instrument.

I've subsequently immersed myself in the blues and have a huge collection of CDs now of both past and present masters. And while I have nothing but respect and admiration for the likes of Buddy Guy, BB King, Muddy Waters and so many others, I'm not sure anybody has ever or will ever be able to play the blues - with such feling and such ferocity - as Stevie Ray Vaughan.

That night, there just seemed to be a limitless reservoir of blues licks at his command. There was never a moment when he seemed to take pause and wonder where he's going to go with a particular guitar line. And yet, nothing seemed like a blues cliche.

Of course, Stevie was heavily influenced by Albert King, and you can certainly hear "Albert" in many / some of his licks / riffs, however, Stevie seemed to put his own "fingerprints" on the blues and make it his own.

It was an absolutely incredible night that I'll never forget. Many months later, Stevie returned to Toronto to play at a great old venue in this city called Massey Hall, which I also saw.

After the show, I returned to my downtown apartment. About 12:30 or so in the morning, I ran out of cigarettes and stepped out to get a pack. At that time, the streets were relatively deserted on a weekday night. However, as I was walking up Yonge Street (the main street in Toronto), I could see these three guys walking towards me just checking out the street and store windows. As I got closer, I realized it was Stevie and the other two fellows who comprised Double Trouble.

While I nodded to Stevie as we passed, I always regret not thanking him for opening up the blues to me and providing me with countless hours of listening pleasure.

A guy like this comes along maybe once every 30 years or so. And, unfortunately, like Hendrix, their stay here is sadly cut too short.!

This is a great tape of that wonderful night twenty years ago. I was lucky enough to be there to see him. But this DVD provides the next best thing.

Treat yourself to this gem - you won't regret it.

I bought this video many moons ago and it is getting a bit worn out by now, it is the most uplifting musical experience I have ever had. The sound that comes from the man himself, Chris Layton on drums and Tommy Shannon on the Fender bass is unbelievable. I have taken this video to parties, conferences and places where blues is not generally appreciated and every one with the exception of one or two "Oddballs" was totally blown away. As another reviewer said, get some friends and some brew together and play it preferably through some Hi Fi real loud. If it does not bring a tear to your eye you should check that you still have a pulse! YOU MUST BUY THIS VIDEO. Thankyou.

Of any official or bootleg release on any format that I have seen or heard (and there have been many), this still stands as the greatest I have ever witnessed of the man. I have never seen anything more intense. If you want to see the best display of technical prowess and raw emotion (ie. the best blues guitar playing ever), buy this video.

I can't even tell you how many times I've watched this video, but I can tell you that every time I've watched it, my jaw drops to the floor. The boundless energy, emotion and passion that Stevie put into his performance is nothing short of incredible...this man had hands that were touched by God!

Being a guitarist myself, my review comes mostly from a musician's point of view; but even if I weren't, I would still be amazed by this performance from beginning to end. The most awe-inspiring aspect of Vaughan was his ability to play so freely; the solos simply flowed out of him, and Eric Clapton perhaps put it best by saying that Vaughan was like an "open channel"; indeed, you never heard the same thing twice whenever Stevie played.

Another character trait of Vaughan's was his genuine humbleness; with the awesome talent that he possessed, he was a very down to earth man, even when he had reached rock bottom from his drug & alcohol addictions. He always paid loving tribute to his idols & mentors, most notably Albert King, Jimi Hendrix & Lonnie Mack; on this video, Vaughan acknowledges Hendrix in an electrifying performance of "Third Stone From The Sun", and Mack is recalled on "Wham!", where Vaughan tells the audience that this was the first record he ever bought.

But what is well worth the price of this DVD alone is Vaughan's stunning and emotional performance on the instrumental "Lenny", which was written for his then-wife. Stevie calmly sits down on the drum riser, puts a lit cigarette in his mouth, straps on a red Fender Strat and goes to work. He never opened his eyes once throughout the entire song, he only occasionally took a drag off of the smoke as it burned practically to the end. He felt every note he played and made each one count...I sat in front of the TV absolutely mesmerized and remained that way even after the video was over and the main menu had come back on.

Whether or not you're a musician, this DVD is a one of a kind and an absolute must; we will never see talent like this again in our lifetime. RIP and God bless you, Stevie Ray Vaughan!

This is the best live performance by a guitarist ever. I have read all the reviews about this dvd and so many great things said. All I can add is I only found out about Stevie Ray Vaughan by accident whilst putting "Voodoo Chile" on a juke box thinking I'd put Hendrix on. I was blown away by the guitar playing and went to the juke box to have a look. STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN it said and now I had to investigate. I went out and bought Texas Flood album and Live at the El Mocambo DVD and was blown away. I am a massive fan of the usual suspects HENDRIX, CLAPTON, PAGE, BECK but I have to say that on the evidence of this DVD Stevie Ray tops them. My jaw drops every time I watch it, and Texas Flood is without doubt guitar playing from a different planet. The whole concert just flows and I love the rawness of the sound and atmosphere in the small club. If you really want to know whether to buy this DVD or not, listen to the words of CLAPTON. He once said that "watching and listening to Stevie makes me doubt my own ability to play the guitar". I think that speaks volumes.