i saw SRV in '84 at a free concert. he was the opening band for..... cyndi lauper yes, you read that right. SRV opening for cyndi lauper. it was part of university of buffalo's springfest series

At first, I wondered, "How in the world did you not 'discover' him earlier?"

But then I saw that you were born in 1983, and I thought about all the bands/artists from the 40's, 50's, 60's & 70's that I discovered as a teenager in the 80's...of course, I would learn about many of those artists "second-hand," i.e., they were already inactive or dead, so I understand how you're just getting into SRV, who died when you were seven years old; if your folks/older siblings weren't rockin' with him, you couldn't have known him.

I had a similar experience with Paul Butterfield...as a harp player, I should have been pretty well-versed in his repertoire, but I just never did, until last year. All i knew about him was the fact that he had a very early (racially) integrated band and he played Chicago Blues from a little different direction.

I was jamming with some new acquaintences, and somebody complimented me on playing a song, "just like Butterfield did it..." I wasn't even aware he did this song, so I YouTube'd him and found out that we have some of the same habits/idiosyncrasies in our playing (we both hold the harp "upside down"--bass and treble notes are on the wrong ends--we both play mostly on the lower register of the instrument, and some of our bends & licks are similar)...and I had never (consciously) heard him play! It was very strange...

Now that you've "getting" SRV, you gotta start checking out the early Fabulous Thunderbird albums (especially their first three albums--"Girls Go Wild", "Butt Rockin'" and "What's The Word")...some of the finest Gulf Coast/Texas Blues to be heard ever in the history of ever. Jimmie Vaughan's solid, deceptively simple playing (it's not simple at all) is a perfect counterpoint/complement to his baby brother (Stevie).

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

That is a major discovery, at least I remember it was for me, there's a whole lotta music to be explored there, one of the most powerful and deepest players ever. For me he was also the key to unlock the discovery of the many other great players who influenced him, somehow he had the code to make their music more accessible to me.

Snowy

Great advice! I think that Jimmie's influence on Stevie if often overlooked, and yet Jimmie's probably one of, if not the most important influence Stevie had. I always try to get people who underestimate Jimmie's style to actual try and play it. In some ways (phrasing in particular), it can be much harder to play than people expect. I still can't do a convincing Jimmie Vaughan impression when I'm improvising!

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@ozrv

Fender has added YouTube functionality in the forums. No need to paste the YT link as an URL anymore!

Hi guys

Great comments and suggestions, I had forgotten that I had made this thread. I've not been commenting much due to ongoing health issues!

I'll definitely be checking out the Thunderbirds albums, that sounds really good. I've seen a bit of Jimmy Vaughan on youtube and really liked what I saw/heard.

I have to say being an 80's kid that some of the synth sounds of the era don't especially float my boat on some of the tracks on the albums, however, the tone and his playing is so so good! To be able to play a tiny bit like it would be a result for me!

Before "finding" SRV I have been really enjoying buying and listening the Muddy Walter anthology, Born under a bad Sign Albert King and the Robert Johnson collection. Some really good listening there and I'll be sure to check out the other suggestions.

The trouble I'm having is I can't stop putting Jimi's axis: Bold as Love on in the car. Much to my wife's annoyance. What a $@!&#*!

Thanks again and I'll be sure to check out some more great artists.

Tom

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Fender MIM 1995 Standard Stratocaster
Fender USA 2012 Deluxe Telecaster

Hey BassettsAllSorts,

Don't beat yourself up too much....

In my seemingly endless list of 'Stupid Sh*t I've done in my Life' , back in '86 I turned down an invitation to a backstage dinner and pass with Stevie Ray Vaughn at the Chicago Blues Fest.

I really didn't know who he was at that time and discovered what a mistake I made about 6 mos. later.

If only we could make the clock turn backward...

At least now you know so enjoy the gifts he left us !

cheers!

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On a different Hendrix context I would suggest you check out early canadian band Mahogany Rush," Strange Universe" and the previous "Child of the Novelty ' albums / CD's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCqanZJs9Nw

Frank Marino's is an interesting musical journey in taking the Hendrix style and running with it. There's always been a lot of controversy with accusations of copycat, but having seen them in concert ( don't ask how long ago ) I can attest that it was distinctly different, in the same mode of watching Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg and Anne Sophie Muter play "Vivaldi's Four Seasons" .... It becomes a interpretation rather than a note for note copy ...

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

Being the huge Jimmie Vaughan fan that I am, I own dang near everything he's recorded--with and without the T-Birds.
This is purely my opinion, but the best Fabulous Thunderbirds albums with JV are:
"Girls Go Wild" (their first album: it was actually just called  "The Fabulous Thunderbirds", but everyone knows it as "Girls Go Wild"), "Butt Rockin'", "What's The Word", "T-Bird Rhythm"
...and the compilation discs:
"The Essential Fabulous Thunderbirds" (20 tracks from their first four albums), and "Different Tacos" and "Tacos Deluxe" (alternate, live and unreleased tracks from the era of their first four albums)

"T-Bird Rhythm" is kind of a transitional album; they recorded it in London, had a better-known producer (Nick Lowe) and showed the beginning of the evolution to their next three slicker, (slightly more) "pop" sounding albums..."Tuff Enuff" is a pretty good disc, but it just wasn't like their previous raw Gulf Coast/Golden Triangle/Austin sound (with the exception of the instrumental "Down at Antone's", a studio recasting of their crowd favorite "Pocket Rocket" and the killer "Look At That, Look At That").

I can honestly say that there are "Lesser" albums within JV's tenure with the T-Birds.  "Hot Number" is kinda "meh" overall. "Powerful Stuff" is pretty weak (with the exception of the title track and maybe one other);
I  wouldn't recommend those two as a "get to know them" album, because they're not really representative of their body of work with Jimmie Vaughan.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Of their albums without Jimmie Vaughan, I can recommend three: 1995's "Roll of the Dice" is an excellent disc. Dave "Kid" Ramos was a perfect fit for the band (both live and in studio) and Kim Wilson wrote some of the strongest lyrics of his career. The worst song on the album is still really good...I rank this disc up there with their first three albums.

1991's "Walk That Walk, Talk That Talk" is pretty good, just for the track  "Twist of the Knife", if nothing else. Duke Robillard got all the attention as the "Replacement" for Jimmie Vaughan, but I personally paid more attention to (and liked) Kid Bangham's "secondary guitarist" role better...

The hard-to-find, sold-at-shows-only disc "Thunderbirds!" (released around 2009) is a good representation of the band in it's current lineup. It's got several songs that rip it up, and I really like Johnny Moeller and Mike Keller's playing (especially Keller).

They have some other discs, and none of them are "bad", but these are the ones that seem to stay in rotation more often than the others.

Another thing you gotta check out is Kim Wilson's solo career...he's the T-Birds' singer, and the greatest blues harp player this side of Little Walter...he has the cream of the crop in band members, and releases some of the best retro-style blues discs ever recorded.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Resurection, I remember seeing this thread and reading through it. Seems you are forgiven for being influenced by SRV just recently and all of the info and recommendations are excellent, so, enjoy the journey. I did not see SRV live but think he is one of the greats for sure

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Here's a memorable family shot: SRV and his brother Jimmie playing Pipeline with that Robin Family double-neck mando/guitar!

I also discovered SRV a few months ago. Never cared for the blooze, but then I picked up a guitar. Don't have a single SRV record (don't hate me!) but SRV radio station is one of my most played stations on Pandora.

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"Music is what feelings sound like"