Granted I am only 24, but good lord he was way to young to die.... I think he is a god personally, but I am bias Just wondering for the people living in Texas what is the opinion on him? Do people think he is just a really good guitar player? I wish I was born a little early so I could see him and Zeppelin in their prime.
Never thought too much of him until I saw video of him in a live show. Then I was sad for I would never see him live in person.
I was very fortunate to have been able to see SRV several times before he died including what I think may be his last show in Austin in May of 1990. Not sure if he played another show over the summer in Austin before Alpine Valley. He is definitely considered one of the greats. Not exactly sure where he ended up but I saw somewhere that he was listed within the Top 10 of all time. I still remember the day he died like it was yesterday. I was riding the West Campus bus after class when I heard the news. I hopped on the bus and they were playing Tin Pan Alley. I'm thinking "cool, get me some SRV on the way home." They then go into another SRV song - can't remember which. Now I'm thinking "sweet a double shot of SRV." They then go into Texas Flood. Now I know something is up because you only get that much of an artist when something's happening. After Texas Flood the DJ comes on a recaps the news. Very, very sad time on that bus.
Guy was an incredible player. A real good spirit, as well, if the emotional content of his playing and his interviews are any indication. Not only a Hendrix afficianado, but very reminiscent of Hendrix' manner and open, honest presentation of self. Saw him live once in like '89 or '90. Very loud and very skilled. Outdoors. It was coming in over the buildings blocks away. His Henridx covers, which were not note for note reproductions, but still uncanny in their resemblance to the originals, were the best part of the several sets I have seen, videos included. His covers of Third Stone From the Sun and Machine Gun are simply jaw dropping. I have very little taste for his original stuff. Just not my thing. Truth be told, I can't stand those songs. A friend of mine in college ('84-'88) loved that Texas Flood record. I found it unlistenable. To each his own.
SRV was an incredible talent and it was ashame that he had to pass when he did. For those living in the d/fw area there is a tribute band called Voodoo Blue and the guitarist is about as good as you can get.
Shadowdancer and I saw him in Temple in 1984. That's right, Temple. The next night we went to Dallas to catch the last peroformance of Van Halen's "1984" tour. I recognize SRV's talent, but I am not much of a fan. I really don't care for that type of blues -- I like the blues of the 20s and 30s much better.
SRV was my first rock concert. I didnt really know who he was since I was a freshman in HighSchool. It was hot and loud. It was the first time I had smelled the funky green stuff since there was a pretty big biker crowd. He put on a dam good show and really influenced my musical taste.
I got to see SRV at Aquafest in the 80's. They put him on at the same time they put Johnny Winter on.....not good. I started out w/ SRV and ended with JW. Good times.
If you like SRV, do yourself a favor and check out Joe Bonamassa. I recently discovered him and he is unreal.
"Now I know something is up because you only get that much of an artist when something's happening. After Texas Flood the DJ comes on a recaps the news." I remember listening to KLBJ up at Ft Hood and hearing the same broadcast. Made me flashback to December of 1980 when KLBJ was playing a bunch of JL and Beatles stuff, which they recapped that JL had been killed.
Seems I had not been back in Austin long, back for the Fall semester. Heard the news on KLBJ and was crushed. As I recall, the first song of his they played was "Life Without You". I saw him on a Sunday night in Shrevport at some very small music fest ( he was the headliner) in '83 or '84 and fell in love with him. Saw him sometime the year before he died at the Erwin Center on a twin bill with Jeff Beck. Talk about fireworks. Maybe the aforementioned May 1990 song. Tremendous loss for serious music fans and for Austin. RIP
If you want to know how good he was, listen to the compliments that BB King and Eric Clapton give him on the tribute that sometimes runs on VH1. One comment from either BB or Eric was that few blues guitarists can sing and grind the axe at the same time, and do it well. SRV was one of those few. For those of you who didn't like his voice, he had a great rock/blues voice. Bottom line, SRV lived the blues and played them like few have ever played them. His peers will vouch for that.
He was a genius. Remember hearing it on KLBJ the minute the news came out...it was a sad, sad day...still remember it like it was yesterday... Saw him several times at Antone's and at Austin Aqua Festival...
Loved him, I got to see him play several times in Austin while I was in high school, mostly outdoor concerts like Aquafest and such. Just amazing live. Some folks don't like his voice and that's cool. Some people don't like Jimi's either. Music is completely subjective. But to the OP, yes, there are thousands and thousands of huge SRV fans in Texas, and I count myself lucky that I was able to see him play live.
It still hurts a little bit each time I remember that he's not making any more music. At least none that we can here. RIP Stevie.
Stevie is considered by most to being one of the greatest of all times. There may be other guitarist who are better technically, such as Eric Johnson, but never deliver the same amount of emotion that Stevie put into his music. The only person who put that much into their performances was Hendrix, and to me SRV was a better guitar player. Don't start jumping on me, because I know that if we hadn't have had Jimi we wouldn't have had Stevie. The thing I respect most about Stevie was the fact that when he was on stage with one of his heroes, such as Albert King, he would never try to show them up. Which is something that Jimmie Vaughan still does. The saddest thing about him dying when he did was the fact that he was clean and sober, and his best years were ahead of him.
I was lucky enough to see Stevie Ray twice. Once up in Amarillo and the other time in downtown Dallas. The Dallas show was on Labor Day weekend in 1989. The Who played what was supposed to be their last American show ever the next day at the Cotton Bowl. It was broadcast nationwide on radio. That was a hell of a weekend. Stevie Ray one day and the Who the next. RIP Stevie!
Stevie is my all time favorite. Hands down. I will forever lament spending 86-90 in Austin and never seeing him live. As for his ability as a player, no one should question that he was the most technically capable blues player ever. Anyone that questions that just doesn't know what they are talking about. His style, songs, singing, arrangements, etc - all are subjective and open to everyone's opinions. His ability however is objectively unquestionable. From my perspective, I loved his style. I've always been a fan of the blues, and he took 12 bar blues to a place no one even knew existed. He simultaneously played more complex yet made the music more accessible than it ever had been. His intensity was unreal - physically with the raw strength it took to play some of the things he played (with 12 gauge strings!) as well as spiritually. It was like he was an open channel. He took the most basic, easily copied format in modern music - 12 bar blues - and played it in such a way that NO ONE can copy. Many try and can certainly play well, but it never sounds like Stevie. Another thing that just blows me away - legend has it that Texas Flood was recorded live (meaning the band played together in the studio, not separately) and most of the tracks were recorded in only one or two takes. Basically as I understand it, David Bowie or Jackson Brown or someone heard the band at Montreaux and invited them up to NYC on short notice to use up a couple of days of studio time that had unexpectedly become available for some reason. I don't think there was any real preparation. They just basically plugged in, turned on the recorder, and played. And what came out was the Texas Flood album. Are you ******* kidding me? And his tone! Don't even get me started on his tone. I could go on and on. Basically I think God rarely shines the light of true genius on people, and for some reason, Stevie got some of it. I just wish he could have stuck around longer. ps. he shares a birthday with Mrs. tbone. How cool is that?
I was driving fast on Telephone road on the way from Hobbs to Midland, just past the state troopers house outside of Seminole, when I heard the news. Knocked me for a loop. I used to go to see Paul Ray and Cobras, they seemed pretty good to my teenage ears. I've always appreciated what SRV was trying to do, and the way he did it. A real artist. The wife just loves SRV. One more reason I love her.
I lived just up the hill from The Back Room in 1980-81. It seems like SRV was playing there almost every Friday night and I was lucky enough to see him there many times. I remember one Friday afternoon that a buddy and I sat in there and watched the soundcheck for an hour or so with no one else in the room. Transcendant.
Stevie is an Austin legend. There's a statue of him near Auditorium shores. He used to hang out at Sam's bbq. When I went there and saw pictures of him hanging out there, it was awesome. Wish I could have seen him play!
well said, tbone. it was jackson browne who gave srv & dt the free studio time and started them on their way (earlier he had helped launch warren zevon in similar fashion). in the late '70s srv used to play a little dive in dallas called st. christopher's, which was about the size of two dorm rooms. for your $2 cover charge you got all the beer you could drink and all the srv you could handle. pretty much the entertainment bargin of the century.
