The SRV appreciation thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by ClassicRockTragic, Dec 20, 2014.

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  1. DJ LX

    DJ LX Forum Resident

    Location:
    Madison WI
    When I saw the two of them on their joint tour in 1989 SRV blew Beck out of the water. Vaughan was on. Beck was off. Polar opposites that night.

    Vaughan opened and played an amazing set, great tone, tons of energy and had the audience every step of the way. Beck followed and he was just off. His phrasing was off, his tone... everything. Every time he finished a solo or played a lick, he'd thrust he fist in the air in triumph. The first couple of times he did this the audience erupted in cheers. But then he kept on doing it.. again and again. At one point SRV and band were on the wings of the stage watching. After Beck did a first thrust for the umpteenth time, Vaughan shook his head, thrust his fist in the air mocking Beck, turned on his heals and walked away in disgust. An image indelibly burned into my memory.

    Beck's set wasn't a total disaster. He nailed the two slower songs he played - "People Get Ready" and "Where Were You." The rest of the show - not so much.:D
     
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  2. saturdayboy

    saturdayboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    buddy guy was the father,
    jimi hendrix was the son,
    and stevie was the holy ghost.
     
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  3. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Excellent point and by using Malcolm, Cliff, and Phil as an example you sold your case. Absolutely one of my favorite rhythm sections, ever. I was just listening to Let There Be Rock - The Movie (1979) today and marveling at the greatness of those three, Malcolm, especially!
     
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  4. PacificOceanBlue

    PacificOceanBlue Senior Member

    Location:
    The Southwest
    I have never heard anyone assert that a live Jeff Beck performance was such a disaster. Honestly, 99.9 percent of the time, people rave about the brilliance of his live work. I would love to hear a recording of the show you are referring to because I find it hard to believe Beck could be that bad. All the recordings I have heard from Beck's 1989 sets find him in very good form -- Guitar Shop was in many ways a guitar marvel. I am also surprised to hear that SRV mocked Beck in any way shape or form because it has been well documented that SRV watched Beck's set every night because he was so taken with his talent and held Beck in such high regard. SRV respected his peers and guitarist icons, so it is very hard for me to imagine that he would have disrespected Jeff Beck in such a manner.
     
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  5. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I have to agree that it seems extremely out of character for Vaughan to have mocked Beck in this way.
     
  6. DJ LX

    DJ LX Forum Resident

    Location:
    Madison WI
    I believe the show in question was the very first of the tour they co-headlined. It took place at Northrup Auditorium in Minneapolis, MN in the fall of 1989. It could be I had impossibly high expectations. But Beck didn't impress me that night, aside from the two slow pieces he played. Maybe it was nerves, or not having enough time to rehearse the band. Whatever the reason, it wasn't Beck at his best.

    Vaughan did mock Beck in the manner I described. The reason I remember it so well is that it was so unexpected. But Vaughan was a human being after all, subject to the same sort of foibles and the rest of us.
     
  7. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia
    SRV mocking beck o_O
     
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  8. Fred1970

    Fred1970 Forum Phantom

    Location:
    Stockholm
    With reference to "spookiness" and trance, I read an article where Eric Clapton described Stevie's playing as the closest to channeling he had ever witnessed. Superstition or not, I really liked the observation:

    EC: “We played on the same bill on his last two gigs. On the first night, I watched his set for about half an hour and then I had to leave because I couldn't handle it! I knew enough to know that his playing was just going to get better and better.

    His set had started, he was like two or three songs in, and I suddenly got this flash that I'd experienced before so many times whenever I'd seen him play, which was that he was like a channel. One of the purest channels I've ever seen, where everything he sang and played flowed straight down from heaven.

    Almost like one of those mystic Sufi guys with one finger pointing up and one finger down."

    I had the the chance to see Stevie in Stockholm when I was 17 yrs old (1988), and I will never forget the encore - his rendition of Voodoo Chile (Slight Return). Simply stunning.
     
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  9. Fred1970

    Fred1970 Forum Phantom

    Location:
    Stockholm
    With reference to "spookiness" and trance, I read an article where Eric Clapton described Stevie's playing as the closest to channeling he had ever witnessed. Superstition or not, I really liked the observation:

    EC: “We played on the same bill on his last two gigs. On the first night, I watched his set for about half an hour and then I had to leave because I couldn't handle it! I knew enough to know that his playing was just going to get better and better.

    His set had started, he was like two or three songs in, and I suddenly got this flash that I'd experienced before so many times whenever I'd seen him play, which was that he was like a channel. One of the purest channels I've ever seen, where everything he sang and played flowed straight down from heaven.

    Almost like one of those mystic Sufi guys with one finger pointing up and one finger down."

    I had the the chance to see Stevie in Stockholm when I was 17 yrs old (1988), and I will never forget the encore - his rendition of Voodoo Chile (Slight Return). Simply stunning.
     
  10. Fred1970

    Fred1970 Forum Phantom

    Location:
    Stockholm
    With reference to "spookiness" and trance, I read an article where Eric Clapton described Stevie's playing as the closest to channeling he had ever witnessed. Superstition or not, I really liked the observation:

    EC: “We played on the same bill on his last two gigs. On the first night, I watched his set for about half an hour and then I had to leave because I couldn't handle it! I knew enough to know that his playing was just going to get better and better.

    His set had started, he was like two or three songs in, and I suddenly got this flash that I'd experienced before so many times whenever I'd seen him play, which was that he was like a channel. One of the purest channels I've ever seen, where everything he sang and played flowed straight down from heaven.

    Almost like one of those mystic Sufi guys with one finger pointing up and one finger down."

    I had the the chance to see Stevie in Stockholm when I was 17 yrs old (1988), and I will never forget the encore - his rendition of Voodoo Chile (Slight Return). Simply stunning.
     
  11. Fred1970

    Fred1970 Forum Phantom

    Location:
    Stockholm
    With reference to "spookiness" and trance, I read an article where Eric Clapton described Stevie's playing as the closest to channeling he had ever witnessed. Superstition or not, I really liked the observation:

    EC: “We played on the same bill on his last two gigs. On the first night, I watched his set for about half an hour and then I had to leave because I couldn't handle it! I knew enough to know that his playing was just going to get better and better.

    His set had started, he was like two or three songs in, and I suddenly got this flash that I'd experienced before so many times whenever I'd seen him play, which was that he was like a channel. One of the purest channels I've ever seen, where everything he sang and played flowed straight down from heaven.

    Almost like one of those mystic Sufi guys with one finger pointing up and one finger down."

    I had the the chance to see Stevie in Stockholm when I was 17 yrs old (1988), and I will never forget the encore - his rendition of Voodoo Chile (Slight Return). Simply stunning.
     
  12. Fred1970

    Fred1970 Forum Phantom

    Location:
    Stockholm
    With reference to "spookiness" and trance, I read an article where Eric Clapton described Stevie's playing as the closest to channeling he had ever witnessed. Superstition or not, I really liked the observation:

    EC: “We played on the same bill on his last two gigs. On the first night, I watched his set for about half an hour and then I had to leave because I couldn't handle it! I knew enough to know that his playing was just going to get better and better.

    His set had started, he was like two or three songs in, and I suddenly got this flash that I'd experienced before so many times whenever I'd seen him play, which was that he was like a channel. One of the purest channels I've ever seen, where everything he sang and played flowed straight down from heaven.

    Almost like one of those mystic Sufi guys with one finger pointing up and one finger down."

    I had the the chance to see Stevie in Stockholm when I was 17 yrs old (1988), and I will never forget the encore - his rendition of Voodoo Chile (Slight Return). Simply stunning.
     
  13. Fred1970

    Fred1970 Forum Phantom

    Location:
    Stockholm
    With reference to "spookiness" and trance, I read an article where Eric Clapton described Stevie's playing as the closest to channeling he had ever witnessed. Superstition or not, I really liked the observation:

    EC: “We played on the same bill on his last two gigs. On the first night, I watched his set for about half an hour and then I had to leave because I couldn't handle it! I knew enough to know that his playing was just going to get better and better.

    His set had started, he was like two or three songs in, and I suddenly got this flash that I'd experienced before so many times whenever I'd seen him play, which was that he was like a channel. One of the purest channels I've ever seen, where everything he sang and played flowed straight down from heaven.

    Almost like one of those mystic Sufi guys with one finger pointing up and one finger down."

    I had the the chance to see Stevie in Stockholm when I was 17 yrs old (1988), and I will never forget the encore - his rendition of Voodoo Chile (Slight Return). Simply stunning...
     
  14. Fred1970

    Fred1970 Forum Phantom

    Location:
    Stockholm
    With reference to "spookiness" and trance, I read an article where Eric Clapton described Stevie's playing as the closest to channeling he had ever witnessed. Superstition or not, I really liked the observation:

    EC: “We played on the same bill on his last two gigs. On the first night, I watched his set for about half an hour and then I had to leave because I couldn't handle it! I knew enough to know that his playing was just going to get better and better.

    His set had started, he was like two or three songs in, and I suddenly got this flash that I'd experienced before so many times whenever I'd seen him play, which was that he was like a channel. One of the purest channels I've ever seen, where everything he sang and played flowed straight down from heaven.
    Almost like one of those mystic Sufi guys with one finger pointing up and one finger down."

    I had the the chance to see Stevie in Stockholm when I was 17 yrs old (1988), and I will never forget the encore - his rendition of Voodoo Chile (Slight Return). Simply stunning...
     
  15. ClassicRockTragic

    ClassicRockTragic Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Australia
    You can say that again ! :)
     
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  16. Fred1970

    Fred1970 Forum Phantom

    Location:
    Stockholm
    I am so very sorry!!! My computer went nuts!
     
  17. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia
    it was the forum. sometimes that happens around 6am. just hit reply once and wait a few minutes to see if it posts
     
  18. Fred1970

    Fred1970 Forum Phantom

    Location:
    Stockholm
    Thank you very much, will do! :)
     
  19. DJ LX

    DJ LX Forum Resident

    Location:
    Madison WI
    It was the ghost of Stevie Ray Vaughan taking possession of your computer. :D

    Seriously, Vaughan himself said that he was channeling Hendrix whenever he played "Voodoo Child." As he put it, he became Hendrix. If you ever watch Live at El Mocambo there's a point during "Voodoo Child" when Chris Layton has an astonished look on his face while Vaughan is in the midst of musical/spiritual ecstasy.
     
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  20. Raylinds

    Raylinds Resident Lake Surfer

    Stevie Ray was the one who got me into the blues and checking out the original masters. I would read his interviews in the guitar mags and he would talk about Albert King, Buddy Guy, Lonnie Mack, etc., so I started getting their stuff and it grew from there.
     
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  21. Raylinds

    Raylinds Resident Lake Surfer

    Very true- Double Trouble was a great band. I also liked Arc Angels after Stevie passed.
     
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  22. Raylinds

    Raylinds Resident Lake Surfer

    I've mentioned this before on this forum, but I think those in this thread might find it interesting. About a month after SRV died, I went to a Buddy Guy performance at a little Southhampton, MA. club called the Iron Horse (I got into Buddy because of SRV talking about him). At the start of the show, Buddy said that not only did he dedicate this show to Stevie, but the rest of his life was dedicated to SRV because he was such a great friend and did so much to help Buddy with his career and his Chicago club, Legends.

    Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson was living in Massachusetts at the time and came to sit in. During the break between sets I saw them at the bar and went up and offered to buy shots. The three of us sat there toasting the recently deceased genius with Buddy talking about how Stevie said that he would come play at his club whenever Buddy asked him to help the club. In fact, SRV and Eric were flying to Legends when Stevie's copter crashed.
     
  23. PacificOceanBlue

    PacificOceanBlue Senior Member

    Location:
    The Southwest
    Yeah, I still don't buy it. Perhaps DJ misinterpreted what he saw. Vaughan was in awe of Beck; and in addition to watching his set every night, SRV complimented and praised him to the press whenever he could throughout the tour. And he did insinuate that Beck pushed him; SRV knew he was in the presence of greatness and it inspired him to play his best. Had Beck been aware that his co-headliner mocked him in such a disrespectful way (and he would have found out), there would have been major problems on that tour moving forward. And that does not seem to be the case because there are many photos of Beck and SRV together on and off stage throughout the subsequent weeks that suggest they were genuinely enjoying each other's company. Additionally, when it comes to SRV, one thing is always for certain, he respected other musicians. It would be one thing for SRV to make a private negative remark or gesture about a fellow musician that none of use would ever be privy to, but it seems highly unlikely that he would ever disparage or mock another musician (particularly one of Jeff Beck's stature) in public like DJ is asserting.
     
  24. PacificOceanBlue

    PacificOceanBlue Senior Member

    Location:
    The Southwest
    I find the SRV/Hendrix connection to be one of the least interesting elements of SRV's career. We all know Vaughan loved Hendrix and was inspired by Hendrix, but I don't think it was a primary creative influence - it was one of many. There is much more Albert King, Albert Collins, Freddie King, Hubert Sumlin in SRV's playing than Hendrix. He covered Hendrix and recorded a few Hendrix covers (in addition to his rendition of Come On, Part III being very closely similar to Hendrix's arrangement), but I don't think there is as much of a Hendrix connection as the posthumous managers of SRV's catalogue/legacy and Sony would like the public to believe. Perhaps I am wrong because SRV did often play Little Wing early on in his career (sometimes with Third Stone From The Sun) and consistently played Voodoo Child (Slight Return) in concert throughout most of his years with Epic, but I think there was a lot more to his music than the Hendrix connection. Every time Sony puts something out, it seems like they need to make sure there is some Hendrix material included as if that is a primary appeal from a marketing standpoint. It still drives me nuts that 4 blues-oriented tracks were edited out of the Ripley's Music Hall set on the Texas Flood Legacy Edition, but the 12+ minute Little Wing/Third Stone From The Sun cover was left in.
     
    GodShifter likes this.
  25. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Yeah, I agree. Vaughan was a very different player in terms of style and approach than Hendrix. I hear more Freddie King and Lonnie Mack in his playing than anyone else. Maybe a little Rory Gallagher, too.
     
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