Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
The Sky Is Crying

After the consecration through "In Step", in 1990 Stevie Ray returned to work with his brother Jimmy Vaughan, first collaborating on Bob Dylan's album “Under the Red Sky” and subsequently releasing Family Style.

Thanks to this album, Stevie Ray won two Grammys as «Best Contemporary Blues Recording» and as «Best Rock Instrumental». But, after a long period of detox and studio work, his great desire to return on the road led him to a very long series of concerts alongside artists of the caliber of Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and Robert Cray: however, after the Alpine Valley concert in August of that year, Stevie and 4 other people from the entourage were on board a helicopter headed to Chicago that would never reach its destination, crashing into a hill due to thick fog: no one survived.

Thus, his artistic story becomes a myth like others who had tragically preceded him: his death fuels an interest in his work that grows year after year, also because there was a lot of unreleased material to be published. Starting with what was included in "The Sky Is Crying" (1991), a true posthumous album, which earned him another Grammy as «Best Contemporary Blues Recording» and in which another Hendrixian reinterpretation, this time of the song “Little Wing”, once again proves not to be a mere imitation, but an authentic masterpiece that earned him another Grammy as «Best Blues Instrumental» (both awards were accepted by Jimmy, who would manage the entire discography following his younger brother's passing, carefully releasing the large amount of unreleased material of the artist in various publications that followed and, above all, in numerous Bootlegs).

Other instrumental tracks in which the genius of this immense blues guitar player shines through are "Wham" and especially "So Excited", while in "Chitlins Con Carne" SRV still shows himself comfortable in the style he was heading towards: namely (Free) Jazz. Although not excellent, Stevie is also a good singer as further evidenced by the title track "The Sky Is Crying", the captivating "Close To You" and the beautiful ballad "Life By The Drop" in which Vaughan plays the 12-string found in the cover. Overall, the work is nothing more than a puzzle and it shows: therefore it is inferior to others. We have always wondered what people like Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Marc Bolan, Bon Scott, Freddie Mercury, Ronnie Van Zant and many others who passed away prematurely could have done: the question is rightly posed also for Stevie Ray Vaughan. As partial consolation, there is a very rich subsequent discography that shows this artist in all latitudes and brings us much closer to grasping his essence (even if the large amount of published material had made the first official 1995 greatest hits very sparse, it was unnecessary to repeat, nonetheless enriched by the unreleased cover of “Taxman” by the Beatles and written by the late George Harrison that opens the album: a real gem).

Particularly in the new millennium, the posthumous released discography will significantly fuel the cult of the Vaughan myth and in this regard, due credit must be given to Jimmy Vaughan who has managed all the archive material with truly loving care, contributing as best he could to the cause of the late younger brother: for whom, in short, it becomes more difficult to speak of a «doomed artist» like in the case of others who suffered the same fate. In the sense that, although Stevie Ray has not been with us for a long time, thanks to the ample and surprising unreleased materials, wisely (I insist on emphasizing this because, unfortunately, it's an exception) released after his death, his absence among the living has been less painful. Younger people who want to escape the media bombardment that has contaminated all current music can go to a store and find this tremendous guitarist on the shelves with his inseparable Texan hat and his blues that winks at funk and jazz.

His passion for this musical genre leads him to emulate masters like Jimi Hendrix and above all Albert King: he is inspired by the technique of the former with the use of various timbral effects, while the latter's single note treatment is his other influence. These and other characters of the blues are emulated without it being equivalent to plagiarism: SRV has simply decided for a total submission of his own aggressive and captivating technique to entertainment and communicativeness as is typical in this genre that is too often underestimated by the public, especially European. Moreover, unlike other protagonists of the genre who give the best of themselves primarily live (the stage performances of Jimi Hendrix, to give the most classic of examples, have reached unreachable peaks for anyone else regardless of the musical genre interpreted), even in Stevie Ray's studio albums his very personal connection with the genre he loved to perform is evident. He never felt like a blues protagonist; he was a blues lover who never acted like a star: therefore, the numerous expressions of sympathy as well as esteem are not surprising.

This has made him unique, while his way of playing the blues has become a lesson: because the feeling that any song transmits (from the most serious to the most carefree) creates an irresistible desire (just a dream for others like me who had a difficult approach with the guitar) to pull out a vintage Stratocaster, plug the jack into a good twin reverb, perhaps, and perform more or less complex technicalities, leaving the pick to make the distorted notes "sing", without resorting to the now canonical nine fingers on the keyboard, typical of the hammering of the various followers of Van Halen, Satriani, Vai, and Malmsteen (towards whom I also have much respect and, in the case of the former, also boundless admiration).

A truly unrepeatable artist-character who strengthens the ranks of the great guitarists mentioned. Nonetheless, there is bitter regret when we think of how much delightful and tasty Stevie Ray could still have reserved for us, if misfortune hadn't inexorably blocked his path. At his funeral, family, friends, and many illustrious colleagues were present, but no one knew or wanted to confirm whether it is true that "Number One", the famous Stratocaster with the SRV initials imprinted on the body and faithful companion in the brief and explosive artistic career of this absolute blues legend, was buried alongside him.

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