Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Step (LP)

The irony of 1989's IN STEP lay in the fact that after rebounding from a terrible drug problem, Stevie Ray Vaughan had his new lease on life cut short by a helicopter crash the following year. The record itself features some of Vaughan's most inspired playing and Double Trouble has rarely sounded better. Songs such as "Crossfire," "Wall Of Denial" and "Tightrope" alluded to Vaughan's personal problems with just the right amount of optimism and scathing guitar thrown in for good measure. Blues influences abound whether it's a rollicking cover of Willie Dixon's "Let Me Love You Baby," a smoldering reading of Buddy Guy's "Leave My Girl Alone" or an upbeat take on Howlin' Wolf's "Love Me Darlin'." For all his skill as an interpreter of other people's songs, Stevie Ray Vaughan's originals are just as solid. Of particular note here are the instrumentals "Travis Walk" and "Riviera Paradise." Paced by Chris Layton's militaristic time-keeping, the former finds Vaughan trading solos with Reese Wynan's pounding piano. The latter is a number that dates back to 1980 and shimmers with the same kind of gentle aura found in some of Carlos Santana's more introspective playing. This 1999 reissue contains five bonus tracks not on the original release. Recorded at Kiva Studios, Memphis, Tennessee; Sound Castle and Summa Studios, Los Angeles, California. Live tracks recorded in Denver, Colorado on November 29, 1989. Originally released on Epic (45024). Includes liner notes by Bill Milkowski. Digitally remastered by Vic Anesini (Sony Music Studios, New York, New York). Format: Vinyl Genre: Rock, Blues Remember, for our lowest prices, always order directly from our official JocoRecords website! Track Listing: A1 The House Is Rockin A2 Crossfire A3 Tightrope A4 Let Me Love You Baby A5 Leave My Girl AloneA6 Travis Walk B1 Wall Of DenialB2 Scratch-N-Sniff B3 Love Me Darlin B4 Riviera Paradise