iron maiden

Ouch... very ouch.

Dear Mr. Ninja--

First of all, I want to say I respect you as a musician and as a person. While you and I don’t play similar styles of music, your posts, opinions and world view are always interesting and informative. I seek out what you write, because you're usually right on target and entertaining.

Also, even though I am a white Christian guy from Texas, I don’t usually advertise that because it causes others to put in place a negative stereotype that colors every part of my existence. I am not a jingoistic xenophobe (if I were, I would be a hypocrite, since both my family and my wife’s family have been in the States for less than 100 years), I’m not a racist (my wife is of Mexican descent, my best friend is Jewish and my bassist is black) and I resent the fact that many Europeans/Brits think that everyone from the South are rednecks living in a trailer park while married to their combination sister/cousin.

I don’t want to get into an urination contest with you (because everyone loses), so please take this in the spirit it is intended.

You mentioned that Americans “wouldn’t be aware of blues if it weren’t for…” various British Artists…and you are partially right—Clapton, the Stones, et al brought blues into the forefront in the 1960s, when it was at a low point as an art form. For that, I thank those artists.

By your argument, however, SRV was highly influential due to the fact that he was at the forefront of the blues revival of the 1980s. Robert Cray, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and many, many other (already-established) bands were thrust into the public eye because SRV&DT made blues marketable. While none of those artists had gigantic hits, they had been languishing in small clubs and minor recording contracts before “Texas Flood” came out and sold well enough that record companies saw a potential for sales. Also, the attention SRV got helped to re-ignite the stateside careers of dozens of older blues artists such as Buddy Guy, Albert Collins and your own countryman John Mayall.

Speaking of which, you seem to think SRV’s lack of chart-topping success somehow make him over-rated; by your argument, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are the greatest artists in the world at this point (although I do like watching Katy Perry). Also by that standard, Peter Green, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Billy Joe Shaver and a thousand other “touchstone” artists that musicians of all types look back to are overrated.

You mentioned that you have been coast-to-coast in the US (I have too); but I don’t know if you were actually here in Texas during the 1980s. There was a movement of huge importance to blues fans…ZZ Top was already established, but became internationally famous with the release of the “Eliminator” album and videos…SRV & DT released “Texas Flood”…the I-35 interstate corridor (from San Antonio to Austin to Fort Worth and Dallas) became a life line of music (not just blues) as never before; new bands sprang up everywhere, new clubs were established, and there really was a movement of Texas Blues that was new and exciting, while still respectful to their forebears. Describing the importance of this movement and this “scene” to someone who wasn’t there is hard to do…for a good overview, get the DVD “Antone’s—Austin’s Home of the Blues”.

I like Stevie Ray Vaughan (a lot), but I don’t think he is the end-all/be-all of blues. His albums could be thought of as somewhat formulaic (a fast instrumental, a slow-burn blues song, a funky remake of an obscure blues song, a Hendrix cover [or Hendrixian original], a jazz instrumental, then repeat), but I like his music. He did influence some of the things I play and some of the instruments I chose (especially early in my life)…I’ve always played more like Jimmie Vaughan (regular picking) and Muddy Waters (slide) than SRV.

As a player, SRV was interesting—he combined a hundred different influences (including Hendrix) and made his own playing style. What makes him less impressive in this day and age is the fact that there are too many imitators that have diluted his individual “sound.”

The fact that John Hammond, Albert King, Albert Collins, Lonnie Mack, Hubert Sumlin, Derek O'Brien, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, BB King, David Bowie, Nile Rogers, John Lee Hooker, Billy Gibbons, Buddy Whittington, Bugs Henderson, Mick-n-Keef, Eric Clapton (and a hundred other guys I forgot) all sang his praises while he was alive (not just after death) makes him relevant as an artist.

He wasn’t perfect, but he wasn’t just a Hendrix retread, either…maybe you see him as such because (as a Brit), you can claim Hendrix as a hometown artist just as much as Americans can. I really can’t speak to the international influence of SRV, but I know he was/is huge in my neighborhood.

I do have this question, however…do you like blues? If not, I can understand your extreme dislike of the esteemed Mr. Vaughan, because he was primarily a blues artist who was influenced by everything before him.

People are sometimes shocked when I say I don’t like prog-rock bands like Yes, Rush, etc. or bands like Boston, but I don’t get angry or upset if people disagree with me. You’re obviously passionate about this, and I hope this doesn’t start a war of sorts, but I respectfully disagree that SRV was overrated.

Good Vibes to You!

Nirvana.

CC