Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble – The Complete Epic Recordings Collection
Legacy/Epic
www.srvofficial.com

Rating: A+

The music world is giving the Austin, Texas guitar icon named Stevie Ray Vaughan the more of the respect he deserves.  First, a Hall of Fame nomination for which he is a shoe-in, and now a box set containing ten discs of SRV music; all of his studio albums, live albums and a pair of archives discs that will make even his biggest fans sit up and take notice… and it’s JUST IN TIME for Christmas!

I can’t think of a fan of SRV and Double Trouble that would not jump for joy if this box set was under the tree.  Vaughan was a one-of-a-kind performer and musician, and his legacy has begged for this kind of treatment.  The box-o-discs contains note after note of his music that literally saved a genre and brought back the blues stronger than they had ever been before. 

Vaughan is very important in his own right, but he also must be remembered for his dedication to the music he loved, which crossed the boundaries of race as well as the span of time.  He has, in his death, become as iconic as the heroes he often paid homage to in his music.

Bookending his famous releases in this set are several very special discs.  The first, titled In the Beginning, is a radio broadcast from 1980 which shows the young guitarist and his backup band starting the fire that would see them take on the world.  The latter is a double-disc of archives that feature rare performances.  In between are seven albums that changed the world, with the double-disc live from Montreux that features two shows from the famous event (one, when new on the scene, he is actually heckled... and one after his fame, where he is lauded over as a guitar-god).

This box set is a must-own, as it is everything that is right when it comes to paying homage to a great artist.  Put this one under the tree for the guitar-lover in your family, and he or she will rekindle their belief in Santa Claus... as it is that special.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble: The Complete Epic Recordings Collection 

Disc 1: In The Beginning (KLBJ-FM radio broadcast produced by Wayne Bell Recorded April 1, 1980; Austin, Texas)
In The Open
Slide Thing
They Call Me Guitar Hurricane
All Your Love I Miss Loving
Tin Pan Alley (aka Roughest Place In Town)
Love Struck Baby
Tell Me
Shake For Me
Live Another Day

Stevie Ray Vaughan--guitar, vocals; Jackie Newhouse--bass; Chris Layton—drums
Originally released as Epic 53168, 1992
Peak chart position: #58

Disc 2: Live At Montreux 1982 (July 17, 1982; Montreux International Jazz Festival)

Hide Away
Rude Mood
Pride And Joy
Texas Flood
Love Struck Baby
Dirty Pool
Give Me Back My Wig
Collins Shuffle

Originally released as Epic/Legacy 86151, 2001
Peak chart position: #178

Disc 3: Live At Montreux 1985 (July 15, 1985; Montreux International Jazz Festival)

Scuttle Buttin'
Say What!
Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up On Love
Pride And Joy
Mary Had A Little Lamb
Tin Pan Alley (aka Roughest Place In Town)
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Texas Flood
Life Without You
Gone Home
Couldn't Stand The Weather

Stevie Ray Vaughan--guitar, vocals; Tommy Shannon--bass; Chris Layton--drums; Reese Wynans--organ; Johnny Copeland --vocals, guitar (Track 6)
Originally released as Epic/Legacy 86151, 2001
Peak chart position: #178

Disc 4: Texas Flood
Love Struck Baby
Pride And Joy
Texas Flood
Tell Me
Testify
Rude Mood
Mary Had A Little Lamb
Dirty Pool
I'm Cryin'
Lenny     

Stevie Ray Vaughan--guitar, vocals; Tommy Shannon--bass; Chris "Whipper" Layton—drums
Produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Richard Mullen and Double Trouble
Executive Producer: John Hammond
Originally released as Epic 38734, 1983
Peak chart position: #38

Disc 5: A Legend In The Making—Live At The El Mocambo (recorded Toronto, Canada, July 20, 1983, originally released for radio broadcast only)
Testify
So Excited
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Pride And Joy
Tell Me
Mary Had A Little Lamb
Texas Flood
Love Struck Baby
You'll Be Mine
Hug You, Squeeze You
Little Wing/Third Stone From The Sun
Lenny     
Wham!
Rude Mood

Stevie Ray Vaughan--guitar, vocals; Tommy Shannon--bass; Chris Layton—drums

Disc 6: Couldn't Stand The Weather (1984)
Scuttle Buttin'
Couldn't Stand The Weather
The Things (That) I Used To Do
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Cold Shot
Tin Pan Alley (aka Roughest Place In Town)
Honey Bee
Stang's Swang

Stevie Ray Vaughan--guitar, vocals; Tommy Shannon--bass; Chris "Whipper" Layton--drums; Jimmie Vaughan--guitar (Tracks 2, 3); Fran Christina--drums Track 8); Stan Harrison--tenor saxophone (Track 8)
Produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon, Richard Mullen, and Jim Capfer
Executive Producer: John Hammond
Originally released as Epic 39304, 1984
Peak chart position: #31

Disc 7: Live At Carnegie Hall (Recorded October 4, 1984; New York City)

Intro--Ken Dashow/John Hammond
Scuttle Buttin'
Testify
Love Struck Baby
Honey Bee
Cold Shot
Letter To My Girlfriend
Dirty Pool
Pride And Joy
The Things That I Used To Do
C.O.D.
Iced Over
Lenny
Rude Mood

Stevie Ray Vaughan--guitar, vocals; Tommy Shannon--bass; Chris Layton--drums; Jimmie Vaughan--guitar; Dr. John--keyboards; George Rains--drums; The Roomful Of Blues Horn Section: Bob Enos--trumpet; Porky Cohen--trombone; Rich Lataille--alto saxophone; Greg Piccolo--tenor saxophone; Doug James--baritone saxophone; and Angela Strehli--vocals (Track 11)
Produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan
Originally released as Epic 68163, 1997

Peak chart position: #40

Disc 8: Soul To Soul (1985)

Say What!
Lookin' Out The Window
Look At Little Sister
Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up On Love
Gone Home
Change It
You'll Be Mine
Empty Arms
Come On (Part III)
Life Without You

Stevie Ray Vaughan--guitar, vocals; Tommy Shannon--bass; Chris "Whipper" Layton--drums; Reese Wynans--keyboards; Joe Sublett--saxophone
Produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Double Trouble and Richard Mullen
Executive Producer: John Hammond
Originally released as Epic 40036, 1985
Peak chart position: #34
 
Disc 9: Live Alive (Recorded July 16, 1985, Montreux International Jazz Festival; July 17-18, 1986, Austin, Texas; July 19, 1986, Dallas, Texas)

Say What!
Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up On Love
Pride And Joy
Mary Had A Little Lamb
Superstition
I'm Leaving You (Commit A Crime)
Cold Shot
Willie The Wimp
Look At Little Sister
Texas Flood
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Love Struck Baby
Change It
Life Without You

Stevie Ray Vaughan--guitar, vocals; Tommy Shannon--bass; Chris "Whipper" Layton--drums; Reese Wynans--keyboards; Jimmie Vaughan--guitar or six string bass (Tracks 8, 9, 12, 13)
Produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
Originally released as Epic 40511, 1986
Peak chart position: #52
 

Disc 10: In Step (1989)

The House Is Rockin'
Crossfire
Tightrope
Let Me Love You Baby
Leave My Girl Alone
Travis Walk
Wall Of Denial
Scratch-N-Sniff
Love Me Darlin'
Riviera Paradise

Stevie Ray Vaughan--guitar, vocals; Tommy Shannon--bass; Chris Layton--drums; Reese Wynans--keyboards; Joe Sublett, Darrell Leonard--horns (Tracks 2, 9)
Produced by Jim Gaines & Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
Recorded in Memphis, Tennessee and Los Angeles, California
Originally released as Epic 45024, 1989
Peak chart position: #33

Disc 11: Archives/Disc One
Tin Pan Alley (aka Roughest Place In Town)
Empty Arms
Come On (Part III)
Look At Little Sister
The Sky Is Crying
Hide Away
Give Me Back My Wig
Boot Hill
Wham!
Close To You
Little Wing
Stang's Swang

Disc 12: Archives/Disc Two

May I Have A Talk With You
Boilermaker
The Sky Is Crying
Shake And Bake
So Excited
Slip Slidin' Slim
Chitlins Con Carne
Little Wing/Third Stone From The Sun
Boot Hill
Life By The Drop

Archives/Disc One, Track 1 produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Richard Mullen and Double Trouble; Executive Producer: John Hammond
Archives/Disc One, Tracks 2-12 produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon, Richard Mullen, and Jim Capfer; Executive Producer: John Hammond
Archives/Disc Two, Tracks 1-8 produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Double Trouble and Richard Mullen; Executive Producer: John Hammond
Archives/Disc Two, Track 9 produced by Jim Gaines & Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
Archives/Disc Two, Track 10 produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jim Gaines

By Jeb Wright