Live Alive
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
Epic, 1986
REVIEW BY: Bruce Rusk
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 11/18/2008
Stevie Ray Vaughn's short but stellar career was founded on his phenomenal live shows. In just a decade he was lauded as a guitar god, eventually to be often mentioned in the same breath as his heroes Clapton and Hendrix. In an odd statistic that exemplifies his appeal, his live performances captured (and incessantly rerun) on PBS’ Austin City Limits were the most popular (most watched and most requested) shows on the PBS network for almost three years, to the point where for two entire years they were the anchor shows for their annual pledge drives. Not bad for the boy from
Capturing his live shows was easy, though; he toured constantly. This first major live release was culled from shows at Montreux, Dallas, and his home town of
Hard to say if this is the best of Vaughn’s live releases, but it does include an excellent mix of his original work and some well-chosen covers that offer a broad range of his influences. Stevie’s version of Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” has become a signature piece in his repertoire, and the version here has become a classic, full of passion and fire. It’s both a loving tribute to Hendrix and a unique interpretation involving melding Jimi's psychedelic essence with a taste of
While not a true “live” album in that it encompasses several performances, Live Alive is an excellent showcase of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s work, recorded near the peak of his career. The song selection is great, offering something for blues diehards as well as the casual fan exploring Vaughn’s phenomenal talent for the first time. The performances are exactly what you expect from Stevie and DT -- razor sharp and tight jams from what is possibly the finest modern electric blues band ever to hit a stage.