Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Step / Analogue Productions

With his amazingly mature guitar, Stevie Ray Vaughan ignited the blues revival of the eighties. Drawing equally on blues musicians like Albert King, Otis Rush, and Hubert Sumlin, as well as rock 'n' roll musicians like

Jimi Hendrix and Lonnie Mack, and jazz guitarists like Kenny Burrell, Vaughan developed a uniquely versatile, fiery style with no echoes of other guitarists, regardless of genre.

On 1989's "In Step," Vaughan found the voice to match his own songs, mixing blues, soul and rock in unique ways and writing his tunes with startling emotional honesty. Certainly, there are a few cover versions sprinkled in,

all well chosen, but the heart of the album is the songs he co-wrote with Doyle Bramhall, the man who also wrote the highlight of Soul To Soul, entitled "Change It." Driven by a desire to make up for lost time and revel in his

newly awakened devotion to life and sobriety, Vaughan produced this artistic achievement, considered by many to be his greatest - an album amid sweat, soul and determination, without an ounce of filler.

"Travis Walk" offers an exhilarating onslaught of fast plectrum playing, "The House is Rockin'" is full-throttle roots boogie, "Let Me Love You Baby" and "Leave My Girl Alone" are stunning blues revelations, and the nine-minute

instrumental "Riviera Paradise" is a truly soulful blend of blues and jazz. By now, just a year before his untimely death, Vaughan had tamed his hitherto somewhat ebullient voice into a polished instrument. In short, Vaughan is at

the peak of his powers on this 1989 recording.

"In Step" remains to this day one of the five best blues records of the last quarter century. Not a single link in this chain is not absolutely first rate, the best money can buy. We love the blues passionately AND Stevie Ray and it

shows here in spades.

We recommend the use of "L'Art du Son" LP cleaner to wet wash your vinyl. Even new records of high quality production will benefit from this.

Title

Side A

1. The House Is Rockin'

2. Crossfire

3. Tightrope

4. Let Me Love You Baby

5. Leave My Girl Alone

6. Travis Walk

Side B

1. Wall Of Denial

2. Scratch-N-Sniff

3. Love me Darlin'

4. Riviera Paradise