4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Debut! Great Sound! Great Electric Blues!, July 17, 2009
This review is from: Texas Flood (Audio CD)
I remember when I first bought this album on cassette tape at least 16 years ago that I was really taken by how good the guitar playing was as it was about the time of Buddy Guy's revival and Robert Cray and it seemed the Blues was having it's day in the sun once again albeit as it turned out a brief stint at that. I was very impressed by the mostly instrumental tour de force of the title track and I remember wanting to learn the whole track by heart having recently picked up the guitar and then realising just how much practice that it would take just to sound halfway as good as the record.
That cassette has since been lost and now years later I find myself listening to this mini-lp replica sleeve (mlps) version and realising that this album has aged very well indeed and that good Blues is indeed timeless. The remastering job on this album is good and the bonus tracks are a plus with track 11 giving us a chance to hear Stevie speak about how he approaches playing the guitar going with feel more than strict theory. Other than "Tin Pan Alley (aka Roughest Place In Town)" we get to also hear how good Stevie was as a live performer with the live tracks "Testify", "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Wham!" rounding out the rest of the bonus tracks which in my mind add to the overall enjoyment of the album.
It always amuses me when people (usually non-musicians)try to take pot shots at guitarists saying this one is better than that one or this one is overrated etc when you never see the musicians themselves say these things. I remember reading Eric Clapton saying that for every one like him, 20 others that are better exist who have yet to be discovered. Stevie Ray will always be Stevie and his brand of music and excellent phrasing will always make him a giant of the genre and true musicians are happy to leave it at that. Being a guitarist myself and knowing just how hard it is to do what Stevie does, I don't need any convincing that his was a magical talent and that we have lost a brilliant musician at the height of his musical prowess.
As far as debuts go, this is a very, very good one and this mlps version with remastered sound quality and an 8-page glossy insert containing an essay by Michael Ventura as well as another 16-page booklet containing all the lyrics in both English and Japanese although the cardboard design isn't the best I've ever seen is still a good way to remember the man.
Recommended.
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