Listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Tin Pan Alley"

Cafe Society
1

I posit that Stevie Ray was the best modern blues player. Man…he could play the blues guitar.

Anyone better?

2

Sure. His brother.

3

For me, it depends on how you define modern. But he could play, that’s for sure.

4

Gary Moore is pretty good too.

5

I agree, Stevie Ray is the best “modern” blues player.

I’d put Eric Clapton a close second, as long as we aren’t considering B. B. King a “modern” player.

6

Does it take vocals to be the blues?

7

From Reeder

IMHO: No, but it certainly makes them better. The lyrics set up the story (such as the thrill being gone, refusal to give up on love, being done did wrong, etc). A long guitar solo after this set-up is the sighing and moaning over said story.

I suppose an instrumental blues song allows one to insert their own story.

I always love Stevie Ray Vaughan’s instrumental version of “Little Wing” , but I think Jimi Hendrix’s lyrics make it more of an “experience”.:wink:

8

For me, the version of “Tin Pan Alley” has to be the cut from “In the Beginning”. I love the way the music mixes with the crowd noises.

As to the OP: Yep, best modern blues player. Of course, SRV would agree with minty and pick his brother. I think that in itself says a lot about Stevie.

9

Nyah…Stevie was better and I’ll tell ya why…

  1. His back up rhythm section (Double Trouble) referred to him always as a “bedroom player” meaning that after he was done on stage, he’d go somewhere and keep playing well into the night…

  2. His famous quote “Ain’t a man alive that can bend my strings…” Stevie used a thicker gauge guitar string on his guitar…very fat, very hard to play…that’s why his sound is so “pure” when you listen to it. Have you EVER heard him “flub” or screw up a note or chord? Nope… Thicker strings, better / purer sound on the pickups…

  3. at the time he died he was bar none one of the best guitar players ever. How good could he have become were he still alive today? Amazing I’m sure… You have to stop comparing his sound to people that were his contemporaries…he was a pioneer.
    Think of how many present day blues guitar players sound a helluva lot like him?

  4. Any guitar player that BB King anounces as “his son” (especially a poor white kid from Oak Cliff, Texas) - you don’t think BB knows a thing or two about playing guitar?

Just my thoughts…

D>

10

Stevie was the best. His brother is still amazing as well, no doubt, but for sheer style, soul, and technical proficiency, Stevie was a couple of notches above him (and everyone else) IMO.

One of the highlight of my music-listening life: one of the several times I saw SRV live, the Fabulous Thunderbirds were opening. And during Stevie’s set, Jimmie came out, and the two jammed togther… on the same, double-necked guitar! Very cool.

The second-to-last time I saw SRV in concert was not a great show. I didn’t know it at the time, but he was in the depths of his addiction. And it really showed. I mean, he was still Stevie, but something was missing. And then the last time I saw him, he had kicked everything, and was back at the top of his form. Simply amazing. One of the best shows of anyone I’d ever seen. He was at the top of his game. And then a handful of months later, he was dead.