Greetings, everyone! I’m Hal Packer, chief curator of the National Rock Gods Museum (not to be confused with the National Rock and Roll Hall of fame, which enjoys a much higher budget).The purpose of our establishment is to give credit where credit is due. To exalt the biggest, greatest and most influential classic rock bands/artists of all time. To basically separate the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the chaff, the winners from the one-hit wonders, the cruisers from the losers. In short, my job is to decide which rockers are worthy of “Rock God” status and which ones just don’t cut it. It’s not an easy job, because there are a LOT of really good bands that, over the course of the years, have produced albums of such high quality that you’d think they’d be shoe-ins.
What’s that you ask? Who is already in the museum? Yes, they are. The Who is already in the museum; In fact, they rank with the best, at the very top of the pantheon. Huh? What’s that? Oh, I’m sorry…I thought you meant…
Okay, now that I’m on the same page I’ll try to answer your question. Some of the acts that have been inducted are obvious choices. You got your Beatles and your Stones. Most folks will agree that they belong at the very crown of the “Pantheon of Rock Gods,” as I like to call it. From that point down, it’s like a pyramid that reflects, in order of descent, the talent, influence and over-all ability each particular group has had which demonstrates what classic rock is all about. They are the difference between “Rock” and “Classic Rock”.
For instance, Led Zeppelin is pretty close to the top of the pyramid. On the other hand, Quiet Riot feeds at the bottom. Zep will be remembered forever, while the Riot is almost forgotten already. Another example: Alice Cooper still shocks and rocks in the higher realms of the pyramid, while Marilyn Manson, with his over-reaching subconscious attempts to imitate the Coop, will probably never be considered for induction. It’s not so much a matter of who is “better” or who is “worse”. Objectivity is our aim, but the nature of the nomination process is inherently subjective. A lot of Rock God museum board members (the ones responsible for suggesting nominations), though usually standing in agreement with the others, have radically different understandings of what constitutes a “Rock God”. These are the ones who insist that 80s hair metal bands have a place in the pantheon. Then there are those of us to whom the very idea of bringing in these bozos, even as “bottom feeders,” is repulsive. And this is where objectivity becomes completely impossible. But hey, don’t get me wrong.
It’s not my job to convince them, or anyone else for that matter, that these acts are “good” or “bad” or even worth bothering with. If they make it through the gates it will boggle my mind, but I don’t have the right to complain about the ones who voted them in, because at least we agree when it comes to the upper strata of the pyramid — Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Genesis, Dylan and Springsteen, the Grateful Dead…you know…that
lot.
Anyway, the task at hand, one I take very seriously, is to decide whether or not Stevie Ray Vaughan should be “promoted” from the “Blues Division” into one of the much higher dimensions of the pantheon where the true luminaries dwell. “That should have been done a long, long time ago,” you might say, and you’d most likely be right. I probably got sidetracked trying to find some decent new music over the course of the 20 years since Stevie died. I probably got so depressed that I forgot to submit the proper paperwork.
It’s not easy, you know, scouring the years, trying to find the best and brightest. Looking for the “next big thing” is not a simple task, I assure you. August 27, 1985 may not have been “the day the music died”, but it certainly marked the passing of a talent that has rarely, if ever, been equaled in the blues/rock genre. Stevie Ray’s only true rival at the time was Eric Clapton (known to guitar enthusiasts as “God”). I know, I know…that alone should have kicked Stevie up the ladder several rungs. But I’m lazy. I’ve neglected my duties. Plus, it always depresses me when I think of what SRV was capable of and how close he was to the international recognition he surely deserved. I put on one of his records and it takes me back to a time when such pure talent was a rare and precious thing. A true soulful sound struggling to be heard from the muck of cheesy synthesizers, robotic programmed drums and morose vocalists cashing in on a trend of cookie-cutter commercial crap, destined to wind up being made fun of by snarky comedians and other washed-up performers on one of those stupid “I LOVE THE 80s” shows that litter the airwaves on VH1. You know, the ones that celebrate the monumental musical achievements of the greats: Warrant, Great White, Skid Row, White Lion… uh…I’m only joking, folks. I meant to say “monumental musical excrement of the mediocre…” The fact that you never see Stevie Ray Vaughan on these shows tells you all you really need to know.
Indeed, it is hard for me to put one of Stevie Ray’s discs in the player, knowing that it will only make me nostalgic, lamenting 20 years gone by and dwelling on “what could have been”. I should be grateful for the music he left behind, though, and try not to be too upset that there isn’t, and never can be, any more. It would have been incredible music, for sure. Still, he left quite a bit behind, the quality of which only goes to show what a star he would have become had he been able to stay around. Several top-notch albums and live performances on DVD…even a box-set retrospective. A good lot of stuff there for the fan to get lost in.
Still, you can never get enough, right? Well, boys and girls, today is your lucky day! You’ve seen those nifty Legacy Edition discs in the stores? You know…the ones with the fancy, schmancy packaging, the “War and Peace”-length liner notes and the extra disc packed with rare, unreleased tracks? Rejoice, SRV disciples! Sony has finally got around to putting out one of those babies for Stevie Ray’s seminal second album, Couldn’t Stand the Weather. It’s about time, right? Well, it’s only logical, I suppose, seeing as how we’re celebrating the 25th Anniversary of it’s original release…okay, it’s actually the 26th anniversary, but I imagine that these things take a lot of time to put together. What’s a year, right?
I believe I’ve already waxed philosophical about the last couple of decades, insomuch as I’ve offered my unsolicited opinion of the relatively dismal state of most rock music during that time span. But I would like to cover a little of that same ground, if you don’t mind, as I put forth another of my personal viewpoints, albeit one I’m sure every SRV devotee will have no quarrel with. Couldn’t Stand the Weather hasn’t aged a single bit since the strange days of Reagan, when it first hit the shelves. Maybe that’s because the music is so deeply rooted in the blues. The blues don’t seem to get old, do they? There’s not a man or woman alive who hasn’t had the blues a few times in their lives.
Hell, I know people whose entire wretched lives are practically defined by the blues. I don’t know all that much about the guitarist’s personal life and history, but he sure must have had a serious case of the blues at some point. But “a little dab’ll do ya,” so they say. That’s all you really need to get a feel for “the Devil’s Music.” For this reason, among many others, the blues will never die. But is that why Vaughn is seen now by many as the fallen torch bearer of modern blues? Is that why no one has come along who has been able to take that torch from him?
That’s part of it, I think. Then again, I also know many a man who claims to despise the blues while conceding, correctly, that Stevie Ray Vaughan was one hell of a good guitar player. Personally, I don’t care what kind of music you prefer…if you didn’t at least acknowledge Vaughan’s incredible musicianship I would write you off as a tone deaf poser with absolutely no conception of what it takes to channel inspiration in such a flawless manner. This has nothing to do with “taste” or even “personal preference”. But you surely must understand that here are few musicians who can, in the words of The Boss, “make a guitar talk”. Hendrix… Clapton… Beck… oh, there are more, but the list ain’t a long one. It does, however, include three initials that every classic rock fan should know: SRV!
Which brings me back to my purpose here. You do remember, right? Rock Gods museum? Pantheon of Classic Rock Gods? I kinda got side-tracked with all the excitement in telling you about the Legacy Edition of Couldn’t Stand The Weather. My bad. I can’t help but get distracted when I reminisce about the greats. I should get back to work and make my decision.
But FIRST (he says, procrastinating once again)… there is something I should tell you. Do you remember how I was talking about how these Legacy jobs usually have bonus discs? Well, Couldn’t Stand The Weather is no exception. Check it out! The ENTIRE late show of Stevie’s concert at the Spectrum in Montreal is all right here! Recorded in August of ’84 when the man was at the peak of a career tragically cut short, it’s an essential piece of history that will thrill SRV fans worldwide. It also makes for a great introduction to his live performance style to anyone who hasn’t been lucky enough to hear it yet. Just listen to him throw down a 12-minute rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return). It will make the hairs on your arms stand up and bring the goose bumps out of hiding. “Voodoo Chile” has always been my favorite Stevie Ray Vaughan cover, and I’ve never heard this version, which must rank among the best he ever played.
The second disc of this collection, the Spectrum live show, clocks in at an astounding 76 minutes. When it’s all said and done you will swear it was only five. Same with the studio disc, which packs a lot of good music into 79 minutes. In addition to the original album’s 8 tracks, excellently remastered, the good folks at Epic/Legacy have included not two, not three, not even five or six, but 11 bonus tracks, each and every one of them previously unreleased! Talk about getting your money’s worth! And just in case you’re wondering, no, I am not on Epic’s payroll! This is like finding buried treasure.
Included in the first disc’s bonus material is a sweet alternate take of “The Sky Is Crying,” which comes close to topping the officially released version. Another Hendrix interpretation, “Little Wing,” a fan favorite, is presented here in a slightly stripped down manner. Then there’s a smokin’ version of “Come On” that demonstrates Vaughan’s knack for bringing a heavy guitar sound into a typical blues structure…something he did quite often and very well.
A lot of the time, when you hear a blues guitarist, you can’t help but notice what I call “stock riffs”. These are short guitar lines that, because of the simple nature of blues chord structures, are easily interchangeable from song to song and often even from solo to solo in the same song. It’s not necessarily a “bad” thing, and no doubt all blues players have and use them to a certain extent. The best axe men, however, are the ones who don’t rely on them too much, whose improvisational chops have been honed to the point where they just aren’t as necessary as they might be to the novice. Eric Clapton is a good example. The man’s creativity is inexhaustible. It should be common knowledge by now that Stevie Ray Vaughan had that same gift, in spades. He didn’t have to go down to the crossroads to seal a deal with Ol’ Slew Foot. He had so much soul he could have given away half of it and still had more left than most players could hope for in their wildest dreams.
Okay, I should get back to the original purpose of being here. “Pantheon of Rock Gods”… “Rock God museum”… do you still remember all that? Do you still care? Did you ever care? Oh, I know you did. It’s quite an honor for a musician to be promoted into the true Halls of Glory, especially from the “Blues Division” where so many get left behind. Should Stevie Ray Vaughan join the exalted ranks, in the company of the All-Timers?
Well, folks, all it took was one listen to this new Legacy Edition of Couldn’t Stand the Weather to remind me of why he was in the running in the first place. Stevie Ray, welcome to the Pantheon. From this moment on you are no longer just an awesome blues man…you are a ROCK GOD.
~ Jimmy Casey
