Published on Aug 12, 1999
In 1983, Stevie Ray Vaughan was looked upon as the next great
hope for the blues world. In a matter of months, he and his band
Double Trouble became the first unsigned band to play the
prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival, and they caught the ear of
legendary A&R scout John Hammond (who was also responsible for
bringing the world Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen). It seemed like
Vaughan’s star could go nowhere but up.
So why, 16 years later, do I still find myself mildly
disappointed by Vaughan’s debut album
Texas Flood? Maybe it’s because the young guitarist didn’t
quite know how to translate the energy he put into playing live
into the studio setting – not an unusual thing for any band to
face. With the recently remastered edition, including some live
bonus tracks, it seems like my beliefs have been confirmed.
Now, I realize that
Texas Flood has a whole bunch of songs that would become
classics for Vaughan, like “Love Struck Baby”, “Pride And Joy” and
“Mary Had A Little Lamb”. And there are moments on these songs
where you can hear the sheer brilliance of Vaughan’s guitar
playing. But, even these sound a bit sterile, especially when
you’ve heard live versions of the same songs that are so hot they
make the paint blister off the living room walls.
Often, it just sounds like Vaughan was a bit intimidated by the
studio setting, and while he really could have turned up the volume
on tracks like “Testify,” “Dirty Pool” and the title track, he
regrettably holds back. Vaughan finally lets the floodgates go on
the closing instrumental “Lenny,” which is five minutes of sheer
emotion poured into a six-string. Prior to the bonus tracks being
added to this album, this was a perfect way to close the disc, even
if one was left wishing that there had been more fireworks.
Texas Flood is bolstered by the inclusion of five bonus
tracks. The short interview segment is actually one where I wish
that we had heard more of Vaughan’s insight to his music; if
anything, this debut disc is one that begged for the inclusion of a
longer interview from Timothy White. The studio outtake, “Tin Pan
Alley (aka Roughest Place In Town)”, is not the greatest selection
I’ve heard from Vaughan, and seems to be dragging too much.
Then, the live cuts hit – and Vaughan’s true power is finally
unleashed. The renditions of “Testify” and “Mary Had A Little Lamb”
release a power that isn’t heard in the studio efforts, while
Vaughan’s cover of Lonnie Mack’s “Wham!” simply brings the house
down. (It seems natural that Vaughan would be chosen by Mack to
contribute to Mack’s “comeback” album,
Strike Like Lightning, a short time later.)
Texas Flood is still an interesting first glimpse of a
genius in the works, but it is not the best example of Vaughan’s
guitar prowess. As he matured as a musician, he would grow more
comfortable with the studio, and would allow his power to shine
wherever he happened to strap on his Stratocaster. But this first
effort shows a younger, rawer musician – and doesn’t capture the
power we all now know he had.