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Rating: Just another yet another commercial gimmick cashing in on the name and myth of the great Stevie Ray? At 12 years since his tragic and premature passing and after already 4 collections and 1 box set, the answer cannot be anything but yes, but let's not stop here without considering the work and let's not be caught by understandable prejudices.
This is not just another collection but THE Stevie Ray Vaughan collection, in 2 CDs it includes all the productions of the bluesman and best represents his career, with a mix between studio and live that convinces, a selection that even with some notable omissions (for example "Dirty Pool") summarizes the entire journey of the Texan also with tracks in chronological order.
As mentioned, (almost) all productions are honored, even the live and previous collections: in the first disc, it starts with the magnificent "Shake for me" cover of Willie Dixon extracted from "In The Beginning," the first live of his discography released posthumously that testifies a historic radio performance in Austin with Jackie Newhouse on bass, then the medley "Rude Mood/Hide Away" from the mythical first performance in Montreux, that made the myth explode and brought his name to an international level.
Now come 6 from the debut "Texas Flood," difficult to choose the best in a perfect album, all 10 tracks are splendid and thus apart from the absence of the first mentioned "Dirty Pool" the selection goes well, namely "Love Struck Baby", "Pride And Joy", "Texas Flood", "Mary Had A Little Lamb" and "Lenny".
The stunning second album "Couldn't Stand The Weather" is also honored with 6 tracks: it opens the title track, "The Things (That) I Used To Do", "Cold Shot", "Tin Pan Alley" and "Give Me Back My Wig", the latter coming from the album sessions and present in the reissue as a bonus track.
This first CD closes with "Empty Arms" also from the sessions of the second album but present in the third LP "Soul To Soul", a great album but lesser than the others and the live "The Sky Is Crying" and "Voodoo Child", a legendary cover of Jimi Hendrix both present in the big 3 CD box set.
The second disc starts with another 5 from "Soul To Soul": "So What", "Look A Little Sister", "Change It", "Come On pt3" and the wonderful "Life Without You".
From the posthumous "The Sky Is Crying" comes its most precious pearl: the astonishing cover of "Little Wing", a true pinnacle of Vaughan's production, followed by the live "Willie The Wimp" and "Superstition", Stevie Wonder's classic from "Live Alive" and another live "Leave My Girl Alone" extracted from the second greatest hits dedicated to him "The Real Deal".
"The House Is Rockin'" "Crossfire", "Tightrope", "Wall Of Denial" and the immense "Riviera Paradise" are part of the great "In Step", his commercial peak and unfortunately his last album in life, this LP is greatly honored with its best tracks.
Also "Family Style", an album collaboration with brother Jimmie is present with "Telephone Song" and "Long Way From Home" closes the work, the moving "Life By The Drop", the only acoustic recording of Stevie Ray that closes "The Sky Is Crying", his last studio album, a strongly symbolic closure.
It may also be a commercial operation but this "Essential" is the true definitive collection of the guitarist, the most beautiful and complete without counting the triple box set, the myth lives on and this collection superbly pays tribute with 2 beautiful CDs, the tracks obviously are undisputed and this is not the goal of this review, the goal is to evaluate the selection, live, studio, covers and originals, it is just a pity for the absence of other collaborations like those with Dick Dale and the 3 "Kings" B.B. Albert and Freddie and extracts from the beautiful live at Carnegie Hall on his 30th birthday, for this it does not deserve 5 stars, but only for this.
Tracklist and Lyrics
04 Pride and Joy (03:40)
Well you've heard about love givin' sight to the blind
My baby's lovin' cause the sun to shine
She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy
Yeah I love my baby, heart and soul
Love like ours won't never grow old
She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy
Yeah, I love my lady, she's long and lean
You mess with her, you'll see a man get mean
She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy
Well I love my baby, like the finest wine
Stick with her until the end of time
She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy
Yeah I love my baby, heart and soul
Love like ours won't never grow old
She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy
05 Texas Flood (05:21)
Well there's floodin' down in Texas, all of the telephone lines are down
Well there's floodin' down in Texas, all of the telephone lines are down
And I've been tryin' to call my baby, Lord and I can't get a single sound
Well dark clouds are rollin' in, man I'm standin' out in the rain
Well dark clouds are rollin' in, man I'm standin' out in the rain
Yeah flood water keep a rollin', man it's about to drive poor me insane
Well I'm leavin' you baby, Lord and I'm goin' back home to stay
Well I'm leavin' you baby, Lord and I'm goin' back home to stay
Well back home I know floods and tornados, baby the sun shines every day
06 Mary Had a Little Lamb (02:47)
Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow, yeah
Everywhere the child went
The little lamb was sure to go, yeah
He followed her to school one day
And broke the teachers rule
What a time did they have
That day at school
Tisket! tasket! baby
A green and yellow basket
Sent a letter to my baby
On my way I past it
11 Cold Shot (04:01)
Once was a sweet thang baby....held out her love in our hands
Now I reach to kiss your lips....the touch dont mean a thing
And thats a cold shot baby....yeah thats a drag
A cold shot baby....I let our love go bad
Remember the way that you loved me....do anything I said
Now I see you out somewhere....you wont give me the time of day
And thats a cold shot darlin....yeah thats a drag
And thats a cold shot baby....we let our love go bad
I really meant I was sorry....for ever causin you pain
You showed your appreciation....by walkin out anyway
And thats a cold shot baby....yeah thats a drag
And thats a cold shot baby...we let our love go bad
So sad....too bad....so sad
Dont let our true love run cold baby
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