a fun week , it was all relistening , but enjoyed it 6 family style 3 stars 5 the sky is crying 3.5 stars 4 in step 3.5 stars 3 soul to soul 4;0 stars 2 texas flood 4.5 stars 1 couldnt stand the weather 5.0 stars interesting bengal note , my top 2 flip flopped upon this relisten! WHO DEY !! WHO DEY!!!🐯🐯⚒🍭💜
1. In Step 4.5/5 2. Texas Flood (1983) 4/5 3. The Sky is Crying (1991) 4/5 4. Couldn't Stand the Weather (1984) 3.5/5 5. Soul to Soul (1985) 3.5/5 6. Family Style (1990) 3/5 CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER: 4.0 Texas Flood (1983) 3.5 Couldn't Stand the Weather (1984) 3.5 Soul to Soul (1985) 4.5 In Step (1989) 3.0 Family Style (1990) 4.0 The Sky is Crying (1991) Previous generations had their Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, Eddie Van Halen, etc... Stevie Ray Vaughan was that for my generation. He wasn't the most original guitarist ever, but he had a special ability to synthesize all the different strains of the blues, combining them into one glorious package. 1983's Texas Flood made him one of the central figures in the "blues revival" of the 1980s. It displays his interpretation skills (the title track) as well as featuring great originals ("Pride & Joy," "Lenny"). His next couple studio efforts (Couldn't Stand the Weather, Soul to Soul) don't quite match the quality of the debut, but still feature essential cuts like "Cold Shot" and "Life Without You." To my ears, his playing got even better when he came out of rehab in the late-1980s. It seems he loosened up and relaxed, resulting his best live performances (particularly his 1989 appearance on Austin City Limits) as well as his best studio album,1989's In Step. (The first 3 songs on In Step are barnburners and the closer, "Riviera Paradise," is the most beautiful piece of music he ever wrote.) Family Style (SRV's 1990 collaboration with his brother, Jimmie) is a fun listen but only contains a couple of truly memorable songs ("Telephone Song," "Tick Tock"). Released after his fatal helicopter accident, 1991's The Sky Is Crying flows remarkably well for an album that was pieced together from outtakes. SRV's premature death is one of the biggest tragedies in music. I'm still in awe of the guy every time I hear him. He's not quite a top 100 artist for me, but he'd certainly be a top 25 guitar player. MY RATING SYSTEM: 5.0 = major classic (consistently great *and* stratospheric highs) 4.5 = minor classic (consistently great *or* stratospheric highs, but not both) 4.0 = great (a clear majority is worth revisiting and it's an essential record for this artist/style) 3.5 = seriously good (at least half is worth revisiting) 3.0 = nominally good (less than half is worth revisiting) 2.5 = decent (competent but uninspired - not worth revisiting) 2.0 = poor (difficult listen) 1.5 = awful (can't finish it) 1.0 = historically awful (musical apocalypse) ▪︎"Consistently" does not mean "flawlessly." I allow for a few duds if the rest of the songs are good enough. "Stratospheric highs" refer to albums that either feature iconic songs or have a highly influential sound. (Albums I consider to be "perfect" can also reach 5 stars, even without containing iconic songs or being highly influential.) ▪︎I don't go below 1 star because once I'm in the realm of the truly terrible I don't care to differentiate anymore. ▪︎Anything I rate 3.5 stars or higher is an album I'm enthusiastic about and would likely revisit at some point.
oh wow I love SRV. he was my first guitar hero. The glaring omission in this list is the live album called "in the beginning" If live albums were allowed I would put it number 2 behind Texas Flood
SRV is my favorite guitar player ever. He is a perfect combination of all the great players prior to him, blues and electric guitar players, with his own sharp edge and technique. Brilliant!!
One of my all time favorite music artists ever! 1) In Step- 5 Stars 2) Couldn’t Stand The Weather- 5 Stars 3) Texas Flood- 4 Stars 4) The Sky Is Crying- 3 Stars 5) Soul To Soul- 2 Stars 6) Family Style- 3 Stars
Love that you did SRV. He was a breath of fresh air in the 80's and pretty much single handedly resurrected blues sales for many older artists. 1) In Step - 5 stars 2) Texas Flood - 4.5 stars 3) Couldn't Stand The Weather - 4 stars 4) The Sky is Crying - 4 stars 5) Soul to Soul - 3 stars 6) Family Style - 2.5 stars
Thanks for doing SRV. He’s my favorite guitarist and love him. Was attending college in Austin from 83-87 and spent many nights at Antone’s watching an incredible array of great bluesmen. I saw him play about 30 times and I’ve never seen anyone else that could will his instrument like he did. He was a bluesman, make no mistake, but he took Texas blues to another level. Agree with Joe and In Step. What I heard when it came out was a guy who had beaten drugs and was showing energy and promise for a great future. I was heartbroken at his death.
In regards to "The Sky Is Crying," imagine having all of that just sitting there in the vaults... "Life By The Drop," "Chitlins Con Carne" and "Little Wing," at the very least, are 3 of my favorite SRV songs. Not to mention his live version of "Third Stone From The Sun."
Finally the first on a RUclips video, praise be 🙌 Just wanted to say what you guys are doing will be remembered long from now. You don't have the audience you deserve, but it will come
Agreed. What can we do to get these guys more views and subscribers? They have helped me find so much new music and have inspired me to relisten to so many albums. I have even started a “Not Music Club (But Better Than Book Club)” group with two friends to review albums once a month on Zoom, inspired by TLM.
@@porchdrinker6104 I don't know but we need to do something! That's awesome that you've started a club. But yeah these guys are amazing and have turned me (and I'm sure many others) on to countless artists and albums I might never have come across otherwise. That and they're just cool dudes who are fun to listen to. They help me feel less alone
1. Couldn't Stand the Weather (all killer, no filler) 2. Texas Flood 3. In Step 4. Soul to Soul 5. Family Style (lots of good tracks) 6. The Sky Is Crying
Great video. I have all these albums on vinyl all good or great, but I´ve probably listened most to the IN STEP album through the years. COULDN'T STAND THE WEATHER sounds the best.
Coming from a younger generation in Sweden I like the idea of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Just coming up in the 80's when artists like Iron Maiden, Depeche Mode, Michael Jackson or Journey is as big as ever. Bringing blues to a new generation in a way nobody really have since (or I am wrong?). I wonder if there will be somebody else likes him who just brings back the blues in a similar fashion in our lifetime? He seemed to be quite the character but also a nice guy. Shame he left us so early. Like Jason I had a SRV-era where I bought all his albums though just like Kramzér I can't say the albums always is that strong as a unit. While I love tracks like Lenny, Riviera Paradise, Travis Walk, Pride And Joy, Couldn't Stand the Weather and The House Is Rockin' I also feel that many of the other songs doesn't grab me very much.
Man, I go way back with SRV. Saw him live about 5 times. The most interesting was the tour he did with Jeff Beck. Stevie was flashier and more easily digestible, but Beck was (and is) way more interesting.
I think Stevie Ray Vaughan is a legend for a reason and obviously was a top notch musician. I don't think his albums quite capture that for me fully and some of that could be the time period these albums were made in. There's just something about the sound that doesn't fully capture me. If I am going to listen to the blues, I prefer older blues and maybe a bit grittier. That said, he obviously isn't totally going for that sound anyway and is incorporating other influences into his music. The result (at least as far as studio albums go) just isn't totally my thing. But I don't think it's bad either and there were certainly albums I enjoyed, especially my top two where I felt the songs were stronger and had the most elements I really enjoyed. It's a shame we didn't get to see him develop his sound further because like Joe said I certainly liked the direction he was going in on In Step song wise. I noticed an immediate difference right from the beginning of the album. 6. The Sky is Crying - 3 (6.2) 5. Soul To Soul - 3 (6.4) 4. Family Style - 3.5 (6.9) 3. Texas Flood - 3.5 (7.0) 2. Couldn’t Stand the Weather - 3.5 (7.4) 1. In Step - 4 (7.7)
Was 17 when his debut came out, serious breath of fresh air. Helped kickstart a blues resurgence. Blessed to have been around then and see him live twice
Love your guys channel. You guys should review the Decembrists discography. Awesome band, awesome songs. More recent of a band then what you guys typically do.
Interesting rankings . I only found out about him in 1983 from his work on Bowie’s Lets Dance album . I immediately bought Texas Flood when it came out . And it’s still my favourite . Here’s my ranking in order of preference : Texas Flood In Step Couldn’t Stand the Weather The Sky is Crying Soul to Soul Family Style Thanks !
Ahhhh, an artist listo I can fully get behind. None of these were new to me, have heard them all many times over the last 30+ years. Stevie Ray is a top 10 all time artist for me. I don't normally assign star ratings to my rankings but I'll give it a shot. 1. Texas Flood (5/5) 2. Couldn't Stand The Weather (4.5/5) 3. The Sky Is Crying (4.5/5) 4. In Step (4.5/5) 5. Soul To Soul (4/5) 6. Family Style (2.5/5) Family Style doesn't really belong in this group. It's an enjoyable album , just outclassed among the company. Jimmie is a fine blues guitarist. He is just not the songwriter, vocalist, guitar player or performer his brother was. Sounds like they had a great time making the album. In retrospect, so glad they got the chance.
Love this, getting away from the Billboard a bit. I have most of SRV on CD. I tend to like older blues but can't imagine being without some SRV in my collection.
Thanks guys - SRV is an excellent choice for featured artist and he will rightly be remembered as one of the truly great guitarists: 6. Family Style (2.5 stars) 5. Soul To Soul (3 stars) 4. The Sky Is Crying (3.5 stars) 3. Couldn’t Stand The Weather (4 stars) 2. In Step (4 stars) 1. Texas Flood (4.5 stars)
@@bengalgangster Hi Bengal. I’m fine thanks, my friend, and hope all is well with you. I think the only disappointing album is Family Style - the 5 ‘proper’ SRV solo albums all feature some great performances. Now that the guys have included a blues artist, what chance they might feature a Joe Bonamassa album rankings sometime soon? That will definitely test Kramzer’s patience! 🤣
@@bryanbyrde8338 i have like 36 bonamassa cds , how awesome would that be!! i like jimmy vaughn , and also like the fab thunderbirds , but family style was dissapointing , i was so pumped up!!🐯🐯
@@bengalgangster I remember hearing and liking a few songs from Tuff Enuff several years ago - otherwise I’m not familiar with the Fabulous Thunderbirds. I will have to check out some of their albums soon and that one will probably be first on the list. Do you have a recommended solo album from Jimmy to start with?
5. Soul To Soul (1985) 3/5 4. The Sky Is Crying (1991) 3/5 3. Texas Flood (1983) 3.5/5 2. Couldn't Stand The Weather (1984) 3.5/5 1. In Step (1989) 4/5
Great work guys. Love SRV, was lucky enough back in the mid 80s to be introduced to SRV by Billy Pinnell, on his Sunday night album show on EON FM (perhaps other Aussies will remember him?) he played all of Texas Flood and man I was hooked (kinda similar to Jason). SRV is a natural, he and the guitar are inseparable. An amazing talent. Was devastated when I heard about the accident. Thanks guys, nice work on some of the back stories around the recordings. Cheers! ❤
The House Is Rockin' reminds me of NRBQ with those piano runs. Really fun song and there are many in his catalog. I managed to see SRV & Double Trouble in 1987 at a pretty small theater in Northern Indiana. I'm with Joe, I think In Step is the best artistic statement and there was definitely more in the tank.
I was a teenager listening to Van Halen, Gary Moore and Iron Maiden in the mid 1980s as well as the pop/rock on the radio-Couldn't Stand The Weather floored me, it sounded so fresh and funky with grit and soul for and days.
I owned the big three (flood, weather, in step) during my H.S./college days and we played them all the time... not a singles artist at all, imo, but we played him non-stop at our fraternity pig-roast when i was at UConn... this was a fun re-listen, gracias.
@@179rich my friend Fred (or Phred) drew cartoons for the Daily Campus.. i just read Calvin & Hobbes and Bloom County, and did the crossword puzzle.. i once tried out for a spot on WHUS, but I was passed over.. Go Huskies
06) Family Style (1990) 4/5 05) Soul to Soul (1985) 4/5 04) The Sky Is Crying (1991) 4.25/5 03) Texas Flood (1983) 4.25/5 02) In Step (1989) 5/5 01) Couldn't Stand the Weather (1984) 5/5 Ratings Scale: 0 stars - irredeemably terrible/insultingly bad/the worst .5 stars - terrible 1 star - bad 1.5 stars - pretty bad 2 stars - fair 2.5 stars - meh 2.75 stars - "It's OK, but quit playing it." 3 stars - OK/decent 3.25 stars - pretty good 3.5 stars - good 3.75 stars - really good 4 stars - very good 4.25 stars - very, very good 4.5 stars - excellent 5 stars - whiskey, wine and gin Chronological Order: 1983 - 4.25 - Texas Flood 1984 - 5.00 - Couldn't Stand the Weather 1985 - 4.00 - Soul to Soul 1989 - 5.00 - In Step 1990 - 4.00 - Family Style (Vaughan Brothers) 1991 - 4.25 - The Sky Is Crying Notes: * I'm not really much of a Blues fan, but I can get into some old school Blues, especially if it's a charismatic singer and amazing guitar player like Robert Johnson who puts his soul into it. Muddy Waters is great, John Lee Hooker (who my mom saw in a Waco bar in the 50s!)...as for the Blues itself, I find those same old tired Blues chord progressions just bore me to tears. But in the hands of an amazing guitarist like the aforementioned Robert Johnson or, even better I would argue, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Blues is well worth hearing. * I'm not sure exactly when I got into Stevie, but it must have been my late teens or when I was (briefly) at college where I was exposed to a lot of different music. SRV was outside my wheelhouse, but I was captivated by his playing all the same. * At some point I owned all these albums except Texas Flood and Soul to Soul. * Stevie Ray was not a prolific songwriter, but many of his best songs were self-penned. * You mostly hear about Stevie Ray the guitar player, but he was also a pretty great singer. * Texas Flood is a banger debut, but if I'm honest, I'm a bit tired of the Blues by the end of the album. And I really don't care to hear a reworked version of a Nursery Rhyme ("Mary Had a Little Lamb"). * Couldn't Stand the Weather branches out to some extent into rock and a little jazz. Stevie Ray proves he can do justice to Hendrix on "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" even though Hendrix's version is still better. * There's plenty of Blues to be heard on Soul to Soul as well as a lot of color with the addition of piano and horns. The last track, "Life Without You" points the way towards a further shift away from standard Blues (to some extent) on the next album. It's also gotta lotta Soul. * In Step gets my vote for Stevie's most consistently great album. The mellow closer, "Riviera Paradise," is exquisite. * Family Style, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmy Vaughen together credited as the Vaughan Brothers, is a very enjoyable album, lots of fun. They dabble a little bit in some funky rhythms and a touch of Country. There's some great SRV solos to be heard here. * The Sky Is Crying collects tracks recorded over the course of Vaughan's career that didn't make it onto the previous albums for whatever reason. Lots of excellent tracks here. The title track in particular is so soulful. The closer, "Life by the Drop," is a moving song about friendship and recovering from addiction, played on a 12-string guitar. * I still remember when he died. A lot of people I knew were talking about what a tragedy it was and how they wished they had seen him live, including me. * Cheers mates!!!!!!!!!!
Hey there. Love the show, subscribe and find the content really entertaining, even when Joe doesn't get Be Bop Deluxe but loves ABBA. I don't play the Patreon or vote list game and I'm sure you get requests like this all the time. Artists I'd like to see you rank: 1) Japan/David Sylvain, 2) Can, 3) Ultravox, 4) Sparks, 5) Little Feat, 6) UFO, 7) Blue Oyster Cult, 8) Boz Scaggs. Lots of diverse artistry. Keep up the great work.
Joe, I agree with you. "In Step" is Stevie's best, most consistent album. The songwriting is a few notches up, he sounds alive and reinvigorated (recently kicking drugs), and "Crossfire" contains his best solo.
Not the biggest blues connoisseur, but this was a pretty nice discography. I'm sure I'd rate a couple of these higher if/when I relisten to them. 6. Family Style (1990) ★½ 5. Soul to Soul (1985) ★★★ 4. The Sky Is Crying (1991) ★★★½ 3. In Step (1989) ★★★½ 2. Couldn't Stand the Weather (1984) ★★★½ 1. Texas Flood (1983) ★★★★ ★★★★★ - Masterpiece ★★★★½ - Really great ★★★★ - Great ★★★½ - Really good ★★★ - Good ★★½ - OK ★★ - Bad ★½ - Really bad ★ - Awful ½ - The worst
SRV is a nice discography for a real good Texas Blues guitar player, but can we have a discography for an even better Texas Blues-Rock guitarist and singer-Johnny Winter?
Hard to judge as they had such vastly different careers, but both are in my Top 10 artists of all time. Johnny had two albums in my Top 30 albums of the 70s and 1 in the top 30 of the 80s. Johnny was a monster
Theres a bootleg of him in rehearsal for the Bowie lets dance tour . Its pretty great . He left the tour after the US festival due to bowie not chipping off the band more coin after he got paid an outrageous sum. Thats the rumor anyway .
I’m not going to say that he’s overrated, he has great playing skill, a big ballsy tone and excellent rhythm chops. However I find the albums a bit sterile, they from the 80s and lack a bit of grit. The debut Texas Flood is a bit uneventful. He doesn’t really do anything Clapton hasn’t done to this point. Album two, CSTW, is more adventurous with a blazing cover of Hendrix Voodoo Chile. His solos on this are the real deal, he really oozes class and confidence here. The rhythm section also cut loose. Album three Soul To Soul is a bit uneventful again. I love In Step especially Riviera Paradise but there’s a few middle of the road tracks here too. Then he was unfortunately taken away in a helicopter accident in 1990. He did bring blues back, or was one of the players that did, in the stunt guitar eighties. He doesn’t really have a totally unique voice on guitar and to me he’s no Rory Gallagher.
I really only listen to the first two somewhat regularly. But here's my rundown: Family Style The Sky Is Crying In Step Soul To Soul Texas Flood Couldn't Stand The Weather at #1. For me, Soul To Soul and In Step are similar in quality. I just think the production on In Step is stiff.
Interesting choice on ranking. SRV is one of the greatest ever. I always thought that his best recordings are as a 3 piece. Maybe it was the times; the 80's. I;m sure nowadays they would have used horns, or more authentic keys. I spent several weeks with him; great guy. Why is it, that when the lists of top guitar slingers are made, there's always Jimi, Eddie, Jeff Beck, but SRV is often overlooked? SRV was also a great singer.
To answer your question, I think it has to do with the fact that Stevie was so firmly rooted in the Blues and because of that perhaps seen as a bit limited (even though he actually often branched out from the Blues).
I think the greatest issue with Family Style (which would also be my bottom pick) is that they didn't have enough good songs. Love Tick Tock. Long Way from Home and Telephone Song are decent, but there's nothing else here at all--even if Jimmy didn't sing, the songs are just not good. When they released The Sky is Crying posthumously, it actually made me angry knowing they were sitting on so much better material!
It may sound pedestrian, but a good side three may be favorite blues records. I'd be curious what older blues you guys might like; maybe even limit choices to recordings pre-70's, or even pre-60's.
I thought it was a mistake to add a keyboardist to the band. I’m also biased to trios in general too. He died too early, especially on his new path with sobriety.
Bit disrespectful of Jimmie Vaughan - you need to remember he was famous way before Stevie as lead guitar player with The Fabulous Thunderbirds. He wasn't being given a pity session by his more famous brother.
Love Family Style. Got it when it first released and still enjoy. It's fun and Mama Said is probably the funkiest thing he did. Hillbillies is a cool instrumental. Jesus, they were having fun. Wow guys. Also, you dismiss his brother's talent. I'm guessing none of you have listened to his albums.
OAK CLIFF PRIDE....SRV from Oak Cliff, Texas as is Mah Own Damned Self. Saw him about 8 times, if memory serves. The Man saved mah soul in mah teenage years, although Ah was highly offended when he covered Hendrix. You're right, Joe.
Several excellent vertically- challenged guitarists: SRV, Rick Derringer, buck dharma, Angus young, prince. Another way to get chicks in high school, perhaps? Whatever caused it, glad it happened.
a fun week , it was all relistening , but enjoyed it
6 family style 3 stars
5 the sky is crying 3.5 stars
4 in step 3.5 stars
3 soul to soul 4;0 stars
2 texas flood 4.5 stars
1 couldnt stand the weather 5.0 stars
interesting bengal note , my top 2 flip flopped upon this relisten!
WHO DEY !! WHO DEY!!!🐯🐯⚒🍭💜
Cool list, great week. Whittling a song list down to 10 is gonna be very tough
@@charlesandbettesson7229 thank you my friend , i have 14 on my list but i always pick a song list of 11 ,and i will look for your lists
1. In Step 4.5/5
2. Texas Flood (1983) 4/5
3. The Sky is Crying (1991) 4/5
4. Couldn't Stand the Weather (1984) 3.5/5
5. Soul to Soul (1985) 3.5/5
6. Family Style (1990) 3/5
CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER:
4.0 Texas Flood (1983)
3.5 Couldn't Stand the Weather (1984)
3.5 Soul to Soul (1985)
4.5 In Step (1989)
3.0 Family Style (1990)
4.0 The Sky is Crying (1991)
Previous generations had their Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, Eddie Van Halen, etc... Stevie Ray Vaughan was that for my generation. He wasn't the most original guitarist ever, but he had a special ability to synthesize all the different strains of the blues, combining them into one glorious package. 1983's Texas Flood made him one of the central figures in the "blues revival" of the 1980s. It displays his interpretation skills (the title track) as well as featuring great originals ("Pride & Joy," "Lenny"). His next couple studio efforts (Couldn't Stand the Weather, Soul to Soul) don't quite match the quality of the debut, but still feature essential cuts like "Cold Shot" and "Life Without You." To my ears, his playing got even better when he came out of rehab in the late-1980s. It seems he loosened up and relaxed, resulting his best live performances (particularly his 1989 appearance on Austin City Limits) as well as his best studio album,1989's In Step. (The first 3 songs on In Step are barnburners and the closer, "Riviera Paradise," is the most beautiful piece of music he ever wrote.) Family Style (SRV's 1990 collaboration with his brother, Jimmie) is a fun listen but only contains a couple of truly memorable songs ("Telephone Song," "Tick Tock"). Released after his fatal helicopter accident, 1991's The Sky Is Crying flows remarkably well for an album that was pieced together from outtakes. SRV's premature death is one of the biggest tragedies in music. I'm still in awe of the guy every time I hear him. He's not quite a top 100 artist for me, but he'd certainly be a top 25 guitar player.
MY RATING SYSTEM:
5.0 = major classic (consistently great *and* stratospheric highs)
4.5 = minor classic (consistently great *or* stratospheric highs, but not both)
4.0 = great (a clear majority is worth revisiting and it's an essential record for this artist/style)
3.5 = seriously good (at least half is worth revisiting)
3.0 = nominally good (less than half is worth revisiting)
2.5 = decent (competent but uninspired - not worth revisiting)
2.0 = poor (difficult listen)
1.5 = awful (can't finish it)
1.0 = historically awful (musical apocalypse)
▪︎"Consistently" does not mean "flawlessly." I allow for a few duds if the rest of the songs are good enough. "Stratospheric highs" refer to albums that either feature iconic songs or have a highly influential sound. (Albums I consider to be "perfect" can also reach 5 stars, even without containing iconic songs or being highly influential.)
▪︎I don't go below 1 star because once I'm in the realm of the truly terrible I don't care to differentiate anymore.
▪︎Anything I rate 3.5 stars or higher is an album I'm enthusiastic about and would likely revisit at some point.
oh wow I love SRV. he was my first guitar hero. The glaring omission in this list is the live album called "in the beginning" If live albums were allowed I would put it number 2 behind Texas Flood
Texas Flood (1983) 5 stars (10)
Couldn’t Stand The Weather (1984) - 5 stars (9.8)
In Step (1989) - 4.5 stars (9.2)
The Sky is Crying (1991) - 3.5 stars (7.7)
Soul to Soul (1985) - 3 stars (6.6)
Family Style (1990) - 2.5 stars (5)
SRV is my favorite guitar player ever. He is a perfect combination of all the great players prior to him, blues and electric guitar players, with his own sharp edge and technique. Brilliant!!
One of my all time favorite music artists ever!
1) In Step- 5 Stars
2) Couldn’t Stand The Weather- 5 Stars
3) Texas Flood- 4 Stars
4) The Sky Is Crying- 3 Stars
5) Soul To Soul- 2 Stars
6) Family Style- 3 Stars
Love that you did SRV. He was a breath of fresh air in the 80's and pretty much single handedly resurrected blues sales for many older artists.
1) In Step - 5 stars
2) Texas Flood - 4.5 stars
3) Couldn't Stand The Weather - 4 stars
4) The Sky is Crying - 4 stars
5) Soul to Soul - 3 stars
6) Family Style - 2.5 stars
*SRV* Top 5 faves
5. _Live Alive_ (1986)
4. _The Sky Is Crying_ (1991)
3. David Bowie _Let's Dance_ (1983) - yeah, I'll be that guy
2. _The Real Deal: Greatest Hits Volume 2_ (1999)
1. _Texas Flood_ (1983) - essential
6. Family Style
5. Soul to Soul
4. The Sky is Crying
3. In Step
2. Couldn't Stand the Weather - #7 album of 1984
1. Texas Flood - #2 album of 1983
Thanks for doing SRV. He’s my favorite guitarist and love him. Was attending college in Austin from 83-87 and spent many nights at Antone’s watching an incredible array of great bluesmen. I saw him play about 30 times and I’ve never seen anyone else that could will his instrument like he did. He was a bluesman, make no mistake, but he took Texas blues to another level. Agree with Joe and In Step. What I heard when it came out was a guy who had beaten drugs and was showing energy and promise for a great future. I was heartbroken at his death.
Thank you Joe his version of Little Wing is one of my fav instrumentals of all time. Sky is crying is a very solid album!
In regards to "The Sky Is Crying," imagine having all of that just sitting there in the vaults... "Life By The Drop," "Chitlins Con Carne" and "Little Wing," at the very least, are 3 of my favorite SRV songs. Not to mention his live version of "Third Stone From The Sun."
Finally the first on a RUclips video, praise be 🙌
Just wanted to say what you guys are doing will be remembered long from now. You don't have the audience you deserve, but it will come
Agreed. What can we do to get these guys more views and subscribers? They have helped me find so much new music and have inspired me to relisten to so many albums. I have even started a “Not Music Club (But Better Than Book Club)” group with two friends to review albums once a month on Zoom, inspired by TLM.
@@porchdrinker6104 I don't know but we need to do something! That's awesome that you've started a club. But yeah these guys are amazing and have turned me (and I'm sure many others) on to countless artists and albums I might never have come across otherwise. That and they're just cool dudes who are fun to listen to. They help me feel less alone
1. Texas Flood 5/5
2. Couldn’t Stand The Weather 5/5
3. In Step 4/5
4. The Sky is Crying 4/5
5. Soul to Soul 3/5
6. Family Style 2/5
1) Soul to Soul - 5*
2) The Sky is Crying - 5*
3) In Step - 5*
4) Couldn't Stand the Weather - 4.5*
5) Texas Flood - 4*
6) Family Style - 3.5*
1. Couldn't Stand the Weather (all killer, no filler)
2. Texas Flood
3. In Step
4. Soul to Soul
5. Family Style (lots of good tracks)
6. The Sky Is Crying
Great video. I have all these albums on vinyl all good or great, but I´ve probably listened most to the IN STEP album through the years. COULDN'T STAND THE WEATHER sounds the best.
Coming from a younger generation in Sweden I like the idea of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Just coming up in the 80's when artists like Iron Maiden, Depeche Mode, Michael Jackson or Journey is as big as ever. Bringing blues to a new generation in a way nobody really have since (or I am wrong?). I wonder if there will be somebody else likes him who just brings back the blues in a similar fashion in our lifetime?
He seemed to be quite the character but also a nice guy. Shame he left us so early.
Like Jason I had a SRV-era where I bought all his albums though just like Kramzér I can't say the albums always is that strong as a unit. While I love tracks like Lenny, Riviera Paradise, Travis Walk, Pride And Joy, Couldn't Stand the Weather and The House Is Rockin' I also feel that many of the other songs doesn't grab me very much.
Man, I go way back with SRV. Saw him live about 5 times. The most interesting was the tour he did with Jeff Beck. Stevie was flashier and more easily digestible, but Beck was (and is) way more interesting.
Not to me he isn’t. - Joe
I think Stevie Ray Vaughan is a legend for a reason and obviously was a top notch musician. I don't think his albums quite capture that for me fully and some of that could be the time period these albums were made in. There's just something about the sound that doesn't fully capture me. If I am going to listen to the blues, I prefer older blues and maybe a bit grittier. That said, he obviously isn't totally going for that sound anyway and is incorporating other influences into his music. The result (at least as far as studio albums go) just isn't totally my thing. But I don't think it's bad either and there were certainly albums I enjoyed, especially my top two where I felt the songs were stronger and had the most elements I really enjoyed. It's a shame we didn't get to see him develop his sound further because like Joe said I certainly liked the direction he was going in on In Step song wise. I noticed an immediate difference right from the beginning of the album.
6. The Sky is Crying - 3 (6.2)
5. Soul To Soul - 3 (6.4)
4. Family Style - 3.5 (6.9)
3. Texas Flood - 3.5 (7.0)
2. Couldn’t Stand the Weather - 3.5 (7.4)
1. In Step - 4 (7.7)
Was 17 when his debut came out, serious breath of fresh air. Helped kickstart a blues resurgence. Blessed to have been around then and see him live twice
@@charlesandbettesson7229 I can imagine that seeing him live would have been amazing!
Love your guys channel. You guys should review the Decembrists discography. Awesome band, awesome songs. More recent of a band then what you guys typically do.
Yes, awesome band and songs, not an awesome singer.
Terrible everything
@@ryankramzer1256 what don’t you like about the band?
As a casual fan I enjoyed this and found it to be informative.
Interesting rankings .
I only found out about him in 1983 from his work on Bowie’s Lets Dance album .
I immediately bought Texas Flood when it came out . And it’s still my favourite .
Here’s my ranking in order of preference :
Texas Flood
In Step
Couldn’t Stand the Weather
The Sky is Crying
Soul to Soul
Family Style
Thanks !
Ahhhh, an artist listo I can fully get behind. None of these were new to me, have heard them all many times over the last 30+ years. Stevie Ray is a top 10 all time artist for me. I don't normally assign star ratings to my rankings but I'll give it a shot.
1. Texas Flood (5/5)
2. Couldn't Stand The Weather (4.5/5)
3. The Sky Is Crying (4.5/5)
4. In Step (4.5/5)
5. Soul To Soul (4/5)
6. Family Style (2.5/5)
Family Style doesn't really belong in this group. It's an enjoyable album , just outclassed among the company. Jimmie is a fine blues guitarist. He is just not the songwriter, vocalist, guitar player or performer his brother was. Sounds like they had a great time making the album. In retrospect, so glad they got the chance.
Love this, getting away from the Billboard a bit. I have most of SRV on CD. I tend to like older blues but can't imagine being without some SRV in my collection.
Wow. Hot take here, I LOVE Family Style, think it’s great. Outside of the Live Alive album, I prefer to listen to it over any SRV album
Family Style is a fun album for sure.
1. Couldn’t Stand The Weather
2. Texas Flood
3. In Step
4. The Sky Is Crying
5. Soul To Soul
6. Family Style
Thanks guys - SRV is an excellent choice for featured artist and he will rightly be remembered as one of the truly great guitarists:
6. Family Style (2.5 stars)
5. Soul To Soul (3 stars)
4. The Sky Is Crying (3.5 stars)
3. Couldn’t Stand The Weather (4 stars)
2. In Step (4 stars)
1. Texas Flood (4.5 stars)
hi i had texas flood at #1 and flip flopped on my relisten!! How are you friend?
🐯🐯
@@bengalgangster Hi Bengal. I’m fine thanks, my friend, and hope all is well with you. I think the only disappointing album is Family Style - the 5 ‘proper’ SRV solo albums all feature some great performances.
Now that the guys have included a blues artist, what chance they might feature a Joe Bonamassa album rankings sometime soon? That will definitely test Kramzer’s patience! 🤣
@@bryanbyrde8338 i have like 36 bonamassa cds , how awesome would that be!! i like jimmy vaughn , and also like the fab thunderbirds , but family style was dissapointing , i was so pumped up!!🐯🐯
@@bengalgangster I remember hearing and liking a few songs from Tuff Enuff several years ago - otherwise I’m not familiar with the Fabulous Thunderbirds. I will have to check out some of their albums soon and that one will probably be first on the list. Do you have a recommended solo album from Jimmy to start with?
Nice to that you are covering an artist I’ve actually heard of this week! Kramtober was rough!
5. Soul To Soul (1985) 3/5
4. The Sky Is Crying (1991) 3/5
3. Texas Flood (1983) 3.5/5
2. Couldn't Stand The Weather (1984) 3.5/5
1. In Step (1989) 4/5
Did you just ignore Family Style
Great work guys. Love SRV, was lucky enough back in the mid 80s to be introduced to SRV by Billy Pinnell, on his Sunday night album show on EON FM (perhaps other Aussies will remember him?) he played all of Texas Flood and man I was hooked (kinda similar to Jason). SRV is a natural, he and the guitar are inseparable. An amazing talent. Was devastated when I heard about the accident. Thanks guys, nice work on some of the back stories around the recordings. Cheers! ❤
i like reese wynans , He has been with joe bonamassa for a quite awhile , which is good enough for me lol
The House Is Rockin' reminds me of NRBQ with those piano runs. Really fun song and there are many in his catalog. I managed to see SRV & Double Trouble in 1987 at a pretty small theater in Northern Indiana. I'm with Joe, I think In Step is the best artistic statement and there was definitely more in the tank.
I was a teenager listening to Van Halen, Gary Moore and Iron Maiden in the mid 1980s as well as the pop/rock on the radio-Couldn't Stand The Weather floored me, it sounded so fresh and funky with grit and soul for and days.
I owned the big three (flood, weather, in step) during my H.S./college days and we played them all the time... not a singles artist at all, imo, but we played him non-stop at our fraternity pig-roast when i was at UConn... this was a fun re-listen, gracias.
I was at UConn for a few years, didn't graduate unfortunately. I had a blast while I was there though. Wrote for the school newspaper.
@@179rich my friend Fred (or Phred) drew cartoons for the Daily Campus.. i just read Calvin & Hobbes and Bloom County, and did the crossword puzzle.. i once tried out for a spot on WHUS, but I was passed over.. Go Huskies
1 Couldn’t Stand the Weather
2 Sky is Crying
3 Texas Flood
4 In Step
5 Soul to Soul
6 Family Style
Great episode. I agree with Jason about Reese, he was better on Captain Beyond’s Sufficiently Breathless.
06) Family Style (1990) 4/5
05) Soul to Soul (1985) 4/5
04) The Sky Is Crying (1991) 4.25/5
03) Texas Flood (1983) 4.25/5
02) In Step (1989) 5/5
01) Couldn't Stand the Weather (1984) 5/5
Ratings Scale:
0 stars - irredeemably terrible/insultingly bad/the worst
.5 stars - terrible
1 star - bad
1.5 stars - pretty bad
2 stars - fair
2.5 stars - meh
2.75 stars - "It's OK, but quit playing it."
3 stars - OK/decent
3.25 stars - pretty good
3.5 stars - good
3.75 stars - really good
4 stars - very good
4.25 stars - very, very good
4.5 stars - excellent
5 stars - whiskey, wine and gin
Chronological Order:
1983 - 4.25 - Texas Flood
1984 - 5.00 - Couldn't Stand the Weather
1985 - 4.00 - Soul to Soul
1989 - 5.00 - In Step
1990 - 4.00 - Family Style (Vaughan Brothers)
1991 - 4.25 - The Sky Is Crying
Notes:
* I'm not really much of a Blues fan, but I can get into some old school Blues, especially if it's a charismatic singer and amazing guitar player like Robert Johnson who puts his soul into it. Muddy Waters is great, John Lee Hooker (who my mom saw in a Waco bar in the 50s!)...as for the Blues itself, I find those same old tired Blues chord progressions just bore me to tears. But in the hands of an amazing guitarist like the aforementioned Robert Johnson or, even better I would argue, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Blues is well worth hearing.
* I'm not sure exactly when I got into Stevie, but it must have been my late teens or when I was (briefly) at college where I was exposed to a lot of different music. SRV was outside my wheelhouse, but I was captivated by his playing all the same.
* At some point I owned all these albums except Texas Flood and Soul to Soul.
* Stevie Ray was not a prolific songwriter, but many of his best songs were self-penned.
* You mostly hear about Stevie Ray the guitar player, but he was also a pretty great singer.
* Texas Flood is a banger debut, but if I'm honest, I'm a bit tired of the Blues by the end of the album. And I really don't care to hear a reworked version of a Nursery Rhyme ("Mary Had a Little Lamb").
* Couldn't Stand the Weather branches out to some extent into rock and a little jazz. Stevie Ray proves he can do justice to Hendrix on "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" even though Hendrix's version is still better.
* There's plenty of Blues to be heard on Soul to Soul as well as a lot of color with the addition of piano and horns. The last track, "Life Without You" points the way towards a further shift away from standard Blues (to some extent) on the next album. It's also gotta lotta Soul.
* In Step gets my vote for Stevie's most consistently great album. The mellow closer, "Riviera Paradise," is exquisite.
* Family Style, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmy Vaughen together credited as the Vaughan Brothers, is a very enjoyable album, lots of fun. They dabble a little bit in some funky rhythms and a touch of Country. There's some great SRV solos to be heard here.
* The Sky Is Crying collects tracks recorded over the course of Vaughan's career that didn't make it onto the previous albums for whatever reason. Lots of excellent tracks here. The title track in particular is so soulful. The closer, "Life by the Drop," is a moving song about friendship and recovering from addiction, played on a 12-string guitar.
* I still remember when he died. A lot of people I knew were talking about what a tragedy it was and how they wished they had seen him live, including me.
* Cheers mates!!!!!!!!!!
Good work! I couldn't quite get to 5 stars on any of his LPs, but he's a 5+ star guitar player.
Well done Rich
Hey there. Love the show, subscribe and find the content really entertaining, even when Joe doesn't get Be Bop Deluxe but loves ABBA. I don't play the Patreon or vote list game and I'm sure you get requests like this all the time. Artists I'd like to see you rank: 1) Japan/David Sylvain, 2) Can, 3) Ultravox, 4) Sparks, 5) Little Feat, 6) UFO, 7) Blue Oyster Cult, 8) Boz Scaggs. Lots of diverse artistry. Keep up the great work.
Joe, I agree with you. "In Step" is Stevie's best, most consistent album. The songwriting is a few notches up, he sounds alive and reinvigorated (recently kicking drugs), and "Crossfire" contains his best solo.
YESSSSS. Do Robert Cray next!
Loved him until he became a Woke Snowflake. But yes those first 5 or 6 albums are killer
Not the biggest blues connoisseur, but this was a pretty nice discography. I'm sure I'd rate a couple of these higher if/when I relisten to them.
6. Family Style (1990) ★½
5. Soul to Soul (1985) ★★★
4. The Sky Is Crying (1991) ★★★½
3. In Step (1989) ★★★½
2. Couldn't Stand the Weather (1984) ★★★½
1. Texas Flood (1983) ★★★★
★★★★★ - Masterpiece
★★★★½ - Really great
★★★★ - Great
★★★½ - Really good
★★★ - Good
★★½ - OK
★★ - Bad
★½ - Really bad
★ - Awful
½ - The worst
Nice choice with SRV. Now bring on Priest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love this can't wait to watch
Now You have done SRV, have You done Hendrix?
SRV is a nice discography for a real good Texas Blues guitar player, but can we have a discography for an even better Texas Blues-Rock guitarist and singer-Johnny Winter?
Hard to judge as they had such vastly different careers, but both are in my Top 10 artists of all time. Johnny had two albums in my Top 30 albums of the 70s and 1 in the top 30 of the 80s. Johnny was a monster
Theres a bootleg of him in rehearsal for the Bowie lets dance tour . Its pretty great . He left the tour after the US festival due to bowie not chipping off the band more coin after he got paid an outrageous sum. Thats the rumor anyway .
I’m not going to say that he’s overrated, he has great playing skill, a big ballsy tone and excellent rhythm chops. However I find the albums a bit sterile, they from the 80s and lack a bit of grit. The debut Texas Flood is a bit uneventful. He doesn’t really do anything Clapton hasn’t done to this point. Album two, CSTW, is more adventurous with a blazing cover of Hendrix Voodoo Chile. His solos on this are the real deal, he really oozes class and confidence here. The rhythm section also cut loose. Album three Soul To Soul is a bit uneventful again. I love In Step especially Riviera Paradise but there’s a few middle of the road tracks here too. Then he was unfortunately taken away in a helicopter accident in 1990. He did bring blues back, or was one of the players that did, in the stunt guitar eighties. He doesn’t really have a totally unique voice on guitar and to me he’s no Rory Gallagher.
I really only listen to the first two somewhat regularly. But here's my rundown:
Family Style
The Sky Is Crying
In Step
Soul To Soul
Texas Flood
Couldn't Stand The Weather at #1.
For me, Soul To Soul and In Step are similar in quality. I just think the production on In Step is stiff.
Interesting choice on ranking. SRV is one of the greatest ever. I always thought that his best recordings are as a 3 piece. Maybe it was the times; the 80's. I;m sure nowadays they would have used horns, or more authentic keys.
I spent several weeks with him; great guy.
Why is it, that when the lists of top guitar slingers are made, there's always Jimi, Eddie, Jeff Beck, but SRV is often overlooked?
SRV was also a great singer.
You can add Rory Gallagher to that list. The greatest of all🎸
To answer your question, I think it has to do with the fact that Stevie was so firmly rooted in the Blues and because of that perhaps seen as a bit limited (even though he actually often branched out from the Blues).
Ive never dived into him and tbh i dont think i will (not my thing really), but still much respect to him and rip
I think the greatest issue with Family Style (which would also be my bottom pick) is that they didn't have enough good songs. Love Tick Tock. Long Way from Home and Telephone Song are decent, but there's nothing else here at all--even if Jimmy didn't sing, the songs are just not good. When they released The Sky is Crying posthumously, it actually made me angry knowing they were sitting on so much better material!
You guys missed “in session” the album he recorded with Albert King.
oh forgot that , the chatter on the album between albert and stevie was great also!
I used to have it on CD. ;-(
Only one thing to add. If you went to a strip club in the late eighties, you might hear "Crossfire" about half a dozen times or more. They loved it.
It may sound pedestrian, but a good side three may be favorite blues records. I'd be curious what older blues you guys might like; maybe even limit choices to recordings pre-70's, or even pre-60's.
Well our side 3 isn’t that but that’s a good idea for a show. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic Great idea for a show!
I thought it was a mistake to add a keyboardist to the band. I’m also biased to trios in general too. He died too early, especially on his new path with sobriety.
Who's idea was it to do SRV? Thanks to whoever!
You’re welcome. -Jason
@@TastesLikeMusic you, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar,,,
Was hoping for a Sloan remastered ranking so that people could get their roast on.
Why would they get their roast on?
Bit disrespectful of Jimmie Vaughan - you need to remember he was famous way before Stevie as lead guitar player with The Fabulous Thunderbirds. He wasn't being given a pity session by his more famous brother.
Love Family Style. Got it when it first released and still enjoy.
It's fun and Mama Said is probably the funkiest thing he did.
Hillbillies is a cool instrumental.
Jesus, they were having fun. Wow guys.
Also, you dismiss his brother's talent. I'm guessing none of you have listened to his albums.
The talent didn’t come through much on this one. - Joe
Blues and Punk both work better live.
I saw Stevie play with Jeff Beck and Stevie ruled.
Saw that tour too. But Beck ruled.
I guess the closest you came to covering a Blues artist before SRV is Fleetwood Mac since they started out as a Blues band.
Zeppelin ripped off a lot of blues artists. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic For sure. And it could be said that they played the Blues. But more often, they transformed the Blues into something else.
OAK CLIFF PRIDE....SRV from Oak Cliff, Texas as is Mah Own Damned Self. Saw him about 8 times, if memory serves. The Man saved mah soul in mah teenage years, although Ah was highly offended when he covered Hendrix.
You're right, Joe.
You should be embarrassed for being from his hometown and saying that. - Joe
Kramzer can be SO cringey... like in this video when he mocked Joe's sincerity.
Yeah what was that about. - Joe
why is jason not a famous producer by now?
Tell me about it…-Jason
As Meatload sang...two out of three ain't bad.
@Joe Jenkins Not familiar with Meatload.
Misdiagnosis!! Joe is King
Several excellent vertically- challenged guitarists: SRV, Rick Derringer, buck dharma, Angus young, prince. Another way to get chicks in high school, perhaps? Whatever caused it, glad it happened.
love rick derringer
What difference does their physical heights make?
@@LaStarza61 yep that comment was a bit of a stretch
great guitar player, but most of his music is too samey for me. uninteresting. Clapton is the same way for me.