Following a near fatal medical incident, Vaughan checks himself into a rehab facility to begin his climb back to the pinnacle he had once occupied. It is all there – the wife that constantly turned his world upside down, the two band mates who become close friends and integral parts of his musical vision, the nights when the music burned red hot, and other nights when the constant touring left him feeling beaten down and creatively drained.īy the time the band recorded their Live Alive double album, the wheels were coming off. The insights of family, band members, and close friends create vivid portraits of the guitarist at various points in his career while broadening the understanding of his musical genius. While many readers are probably familiar with Vaughan’s musical legacy, all but the most devoted fans will certainly gain a deeper understanding of his artistry after reading this book. Also included is a wealth of B&W and color photos documenting Vaughan’s story in vivid detail. Readers get an in-depth view of the events that transpired around plans for a world-wide Bowie tour as Vaughan’s first album, Texas Flood, was about to hit the market. They delve into many of the stories that defined the band’s career, including getting rejected by Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records for being too loud and rock-oriented, to his involvement with David Bowie’s platinum record, Let’s Dance, which served as Vaughan’s coming out party. The final piece was added when Vaughan rescued Tommy Shannon from brick laying to take over on bass, a job he had previously held in Johnny Winter’s band.įrom there, the authors lay out Vaughan’s rapid rise to fame through interview segments with many of the key people in Vaughan’s life. But by the end of the year, Barton had left to join Roomful of Blues, leaving the band a trio. As a quartet with Barton out front, the group did a stunning set at the 1979 San Francisco Blues Festival, their first major gig outside of Texas. With some coaching from Clark, Layton found the grooves that appealed to Vaughan. Help arrived when a friend suggested that he give Chris Layton a try on drums. Still living couch to couch, and deep into substance abuse, Vaughan was not the most focused band leader. Clark left and the group changed their name to Double Trouble. With five strong personalities in the group, that band did not last long. Then he was part of the Triple Threat Revue with singer Lou Ann Barton and W.C. After several bad band experiences, Stevie Ray became a member of a hot local band, Paul Ray and The Cobras, who packed the Soap Creek Saloon with 500-600 people every Tuesday night, with Vaughan standing out when he played an extended slow blues. Jimmie left Dallas in 1970, moving to Austin, and his brother made the move two years later. For years he relied on the generosity of friends, as he had no place of his own. Vaughan was constantly playing or listening to music, with little time for anything else. Jimmie also had the records that gave Stevie Ray a solid foundation to learn from, featuring Muddy Waters and Little Walter to Guitar Slim, T-Bone Walker, and Lightnin’ Hopkins. Aledort is a working guitarist with scores of instructional videos to his credit, as well as writing for publications like Guitar World.įrom the start, the younger Vaughan brother idolized his brother Jimmie, leading him to start playing guitar. Similar to his critically acclaimed book on the Allman Brothers Band, One Way Out, Paul lays out Vaughan’s life chronologically, using segments of interviews from family members, friends, and fellow musicians that were gathered over several decades. What makes this latest volume unique is the style utilized by authors Alan Paul and Andy Aledort. There are already five books available chronicling Vaughan’s career plus a multitude of books with guitar transcription to help guitarists unravel the magic of his artistry. Just as Jimi Hendrix blew the minds of several generations of string benders, Vaughan synthesized the essence of Hendrix’s style, then added plenty of personal touches to create a new, exciting sound that vividly expressed Vaughan’s fervent passion for the music. Alan Paul and Andy Aledort – Texas Flood: The Inside Story Of Stevie Ray VaughanĪlmost thirty years after his tragic death, the legacy of Stevie Ray Vaughan is still being explored nightly by guitar players on stages around the world.
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