Great Debut Album - Not My Favorite - Stop with the Bickerin
James E. Kiely | Medford, Massachusetts United States | 12/10/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"In the vast world of debut albums, "Texas Flood" is one that impresses me the most. Stevie Ray Vaughan had been around the block a few times before recording it, which is obvious from his mastery of the material and his own instrument. Whether he was the world's best guitarist is purely subjective, so bickering over whether he was better than anyone else is wasting everyone's time, which seems to be a popular male pasttime when it comes to music. If you love Stevie Ray Vaughan, love him; if you don't, then don't.
As much as I like "Texas Flood," it is not my favorite Vaughan album. My favorite is "In Step," which Vaughan recorded about six years later. My very subjective reason is as follows. Vaughan's guitar in "Texas Flood" is recorded such that it stands between my ears and the rest of the band. There are precious few breaks from this, so the album itself is limited in terms of variation, emotional ambiquity and tenderness - all of which are vital to the blues.
Contrast this with "In Step." Here Vaughan and the band are presented as equal units. This is evident from the first track, "The House is Rockin'" in which Vaughan allows his guitar to step back so the bass and percussion can move forward and then recede, move forward and then recede. There is real dimension here! To my ears this give-and-take makes "In Step" a more confident, more expressive album than "Texas Flood" on nearly every track.
By Jesus, however, what a great debut "Texas Flood" is."
SRV Texas Flood
CageyTx | Dallas Tx USA | 08/16/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Stevie Ray sings and plays from the heart. Great first cd for anyone. Imagine what kind of jams he would be pulling down today!"