Stevie Ray Vaughan
was one of a kind. Even his peers knew so. So many times, people like
Eric Clapton
and
Buddy Guy
have spoken publicly about
Stevie Ray
's gift, and it was a gift. His guitar leads would jet off into the stratosphere, return, reload, and blast off again, time after time.
The Real Deal
is exactly what it says it is. This is a 16-song set that doesn't let up, not one time. Throughout classic
tracks, like the full-speed-ahead instrumental
"Scuttle Buttin',"
"Love Struck Baby,"
"Look at Little Sister,"
Stevie
and the
Double Trouble
band consistently stand and deliver. Live tracks include the funky
Stevie Wonder
-penned
"Superstition,"
Vaughan
favorite
"Willie the Wimp,"
"Shake for Me,"
blues
fire of
"Leave My Girl Alone."
It's
unleashed, live and without a net. One of the biggest crowd-pleasers is included here,
's retelling of the
Jimi Hendrix
standard
"Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)."
Awesome.
"Lenny"
shows off
's
jazz
influence with subtle phrasing that evokes memories of
"Little Wing"
or the coda on
"Layla."
No more perfect closer could have been chosen for this set than the solo acoustic number
"Life by the Drop."
It's a touching tale of two old friends who become estranged and then rekindle their old friendship. With
, we are all in that same boat. Rekindling a friendship that never really died, but may have been forgotten by some for a while. The friendship we all have with the heart and soul of
, his music. ~ Michael B. Smith