Texas Flood｜SRV uses blues guitar to tell the ups and downs of life story

A few days ago, I was surprised to find that the biography of Stevie Ray Vaughan (SRV) was going to be released in Taiwan, so I rushed to the bookstore to buy it on the first day it was released. The publisher is Dashi Culture, which represents National Geographic Magazine, DK and other book series. In the music genre, they have previously published "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" and biographies of Miles Davis, Eric Clapton, and Kurt Cobain. I have collected these books, and SRV has No exception. Compared to these three, SRV is probably less well-known. Usually only rock fans have heard of him, and only blues fans really like him. Therefore, I admire Dashi's willingness to introduce his biography in the Taiwan book market.

I have mentioned SRV in two articles, namely " Blues Month Day 7 " and " Sleep ". As a die-hard blues fan, I admire SRV immensely, but I am not very familiar with his life. This biography "Texas Flood" just makes up for everything. It includes the early years of being obsessed with guitar and blues with his brother Jimmie Vaughan since childhood, the process of getting to know his first wife Lenny (the origin of the famous performance "Lenny"), and the move towards a style that is different from the traditional blues style that his brother insists on. The broader lines of combining rock and British blues styles are all keeping me reading with interest.

Because SRV is willing to try many things, in addition to American blues masters such as the Three Kings of Blues (BB King, Albert King, Freddie King) and Muddy Waters, his idols and learning directions also draw from British blues masters such as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Psychedelic blues rock elements, it can be said that the blues knowledge is played by SRV, and the master's shadow is everywhere, and you can always smell the fresh water. He can bring an old song to life and faithfully reproduce it, and he can also play it continuously with constantly changing improvisational phrases without looking boring. For example, there is a passage in the book where he was possessed by Jimi Hendrix as if he had an out-of-body experience. It was so vivid that I couldn't help but throw down the book and cheer!

SRV included covers of Jimi Hendrix's two super classic songs "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" in his second album "Couldn't Stand The Weather" and his later album "The Sky Is Crying" respectively. With "Little Wing", there is no need to say how exciting it is. Here I would like to post a live performance that he and his idol Albert King recorded for a TV show at the end of 1983. When they were performing the song "Blues At Sunrise", Albert King said that he had performed at a concert in San Francisco. Fillmore West has performed with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, which really surprised me! You must know that Jimi and Janis passed away in September and October of 1970 respectively. What a mythical dream it would be for Albert King to share the stage with them!

So I checked, and it turned out that Albert and Jimi did share the stage in San Francisco in February 1969 , but the venue might not be Fillmore West but Winterland, and it wouldn't be surprising if Janis, who had become famous in San Francisco, appeared at that time. It means that these old artists like to add jealousy and gossip, which is normal. At least I believe it. The point is, SRV listened to his chatter and accompanied him. The melodies derived from his technique made the seniors laugh and laugh. The ten minutes of well-proportioned blues dialogue simmered like a campfire with constant ups and downs. SRV was 29 years old at the time, less than half the age of the 60-year-old Albert King, and he had only been famous for half a year (his first album "Texas Flood" was released in June of that year). I think Albert should be very proud to see someone succeeding the blues. , inheritance is expected.

The most disturbing part of SRV's biography is the temptation that comes with fame. Simply put, he cannot resist the corruption caused by poisonous wine, which almost destroys his talent and even his life. Although the story is old-fashioned, it is true that it can't help but chill you to the bone, but the plum blossoms are fragrant. SRV did not make the same mistake as his idol Jimi Hendrix. He fought off the temptation, and after successfully quitting addiction, it also triggered a wave of upward trends among his friends. Those who are deeply addicted to drugs all regard SRV as a role model to learn from, especially Double Trouble's bandmate bassist Tommy Shannon, who benefited the most: it was SRV that rescued him from the life of drug addiction and joined the gang, but they both fell together. Later, he was moved by SRV's strong willpower and quit drugs again.

The ups and downs of SRV's status can also be clearly felt from the music. His third album, "Soul To Soul," is widely regarded as his lowest-rated work and came at a time when he was deep in the dark days of drug addiction. His performance on "In Step" in 1989, four years after quitting addiction, was extremely exciting. It was basically a full-blooded comeback, and the reviews were as good as those of his first album. Brother Jimmie was overjoyed to see his younger brother go through the trough, and the two finally had the opportunity to collaborate, and together they released the "Family Style" album, which combines traditional and modern blues styles. The whole album is full of energy and refreshment.

However, this album was released after SRV's death. Due to the fate, SRV was once again targeted by death. This time, his luck was no longer good. After performing with another idol, Eric Claption, he took a helicopter to leave the venue - not the original plan - He died in a plane crash due to heavy fog, only 14 months before the release of "In Step". It is very, very hard to understand that God clearly gave him a chance to be reborn, but then cruelly took it back immediately. A generation's hope for a blues revival fell away in an instant, like a shooting star, like a dream, and the corners of my eyes became moist while reading it.

Only three years after SRV passed away, his hometown of Austin, Texas, erected a bronze statue in Riverside Park to commemorate him. This shows his contribution and the memory of him by the villagers. I have been to Austin many times for work. When I first visited in 2016, I rented a car to tour the beautiful city. The first stop I made was this bronze statue.

In fact, the bronze statue is located in a riverside park on the Colorado River that flows through downtown Austin. When hurricanes hit, the river often overflows, truly a "Texas flood." For example, something happened just a few months after I went there. The scene at the base of the Shuimi statue was completely different from the normal appearance I took!

Even when the water was so tight, it even reached his waist:

Having received such frequent love from Flood, SRV's spirit in heaven may not be able to laugh or cry. Who knows that his famous song is "Texas Flood".

I have been listening to Western music for more than thirty years, and I have dabbled in various genres from pop music to rock music. I can’t say that I am a good listener, but the blues is what I appreciate most. Blues music can be more and more emotional in its simplicity. The electric guitar, which can be tender or passionate, is the instrument that can best express the feelings and emotions of blues. SRV is a top master who uses guitar to tell blues stories, and he has dedicated his life to Gave Blues.

Brother Jimmie contributed a postscript to the book, in which he said: "When Steve plays, his guitar talks and tells his story, and you can hear it if you listen carefully. You can hear him talking through the guitar. I You know I can hear you."

I can hear it too, clearly.

PS. According to the introduction, one of the two authors of this book, Alan Paul, has written a biography of The Allman Brothers Band, which is my favorite band! Can Make a Wish Publishing House also publish a Chinese version of this book? Many thanks!