Texas Flood
It's hard to overestimate the impact Stevie Ray Vaughan s debut, Texas Flood had upon its release in 1983. At that point, blues was no longer hip, the way it was in the '60s. Texas Flood changed all that, climbing into the Top 40 and spending over half a year on the charts, which was practically unheard of for a blues recording. Vaughan became a genuine star and, in doing so, sparked a revitalization of the blues This was a monumental impact, but his critics claimed that, no matter how prodigious Vaughan s instrumental talents were, he didn't forge a distinctive voice; instead, he wore his influences on his sleeve, whether it was Albert King s pinched yet muscular soloing or Larry Davis emotive singing. There's a certain element of truth in that, but that was sort of the point of Texas Flood Vaughan didn't hide his influences; he celebrated them, pumping fresh blood into a familiar genre. When Vaughan and Double Trouble cut the album over the course of three days in 1982, he had already played his set lists countless times; he knew how to turn this material inside out or goose it up for maximum impact. The album is paced like a club show, kicking off with Vaughan s two best self-penned songs, "Love Struck Baby" and "Pride and Joy," then settling into a pair of covers, the slow-burning title track and an exciting reading of Howlin' Wolf s "Tell Me," before building to the climax of "Dirty Pool" and "I'm Crying." Vaughan caps the entire thing with "Lenny," a lyrical, jazzy tribute to his wife. It becomes clear that Vaughan s true achievement was finding something personal and emotional by fusing different elements of his idols. Sometimes the borrowing was overt, and other times subtle, but it all blended together into a style that recalled the past while seizing the excitement and essence of the present. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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Credits »
John Hammond, Jr. - Executive Producer
John Hammond, Sr. - Producer
John Hammond, Sr. - Executive Producer
Lincoln Clapp - Engineer
Lincoln Clapp - Mixing
Lincoln Clapp - Mix Down
Lincoln Clapp - Mixing Engineer
Double Trouble - Producer
James Geddes - Engineer
James Geddes - Assistant Engineer
James Geddes - Assistant
Mike Harris - Production Assistant
Matthew Kelly - Research Assistant
Richard Mullen - Producer
Richard Mullen - Engineer
Andy Schwartz - Editorial Director
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Producer
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Main Performer
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Performer
Don Wershba - Mixing
Don Wershba - Mixing Assistant
Don Wershba - Assistant
Tim White - Producer
Tim White - Author
Harry Spiridakis - Mixing
Harry Spiridakis - Mixing Assistant
Harry Spiridakis - Assistant
Al Quaglieri - Research Assistant
John Berg - Artwork
John Berg - Art Direction
Ken Robertson - Mastering
Allen Weinberg - Artwork
Allen Weinberg - Art Direction
Bob Irwin - Reissue Producer
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Performer
Don Hunstein - Photography
Don Hunstein - Tray Photo
Vic Anesini - Engineer
Vic Anesini - Mastering
Darcy Proper - Dialogue Editor
Mikie Harris - Production Assistant
Josh Cheuse - Artwork
Josh Cheuse - Art Direction
Danny Kadar - Mixing
Tony Martell - Executive Producer
Michael Ventura - Liner Notes
John Naatjes - Research Assistant
Timothy White - Producer
George Deahl - Research Assistant
Andy Denemark - Producer
Norm Pattiz - Executive Producer
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