Along with Bowie’s Let’s Dance, and the release of the Live At The El Mocambo, this was the album that launched Stevie into the cosmos. We had heard murmurings in the music press about this hot shot guitar player from Texas, but nothing could prepare us for the sheer power of Stevie’s playing. Sure he had all the Hendrix licks and moves down to a tee, but his style was all his own. Listen to the almost chicken pickin’ workout of Scuttle Buttin’ to see what a great style he had. The first time I heard Stevie was on the Let’s Dance video and I was blown away. There is something about a three piece that you just can’t beat. It’s all you need: guitar, bass, drums and vocals – that’s as pure as it gets. When Stevie changed the format himself by bringing in keys and horns, it was never the same.
Other than live performances, this album was as good as it got for me. This album is a mix of originals and covers dear to Stevie. The second track, the title song from the album, is a self penned tune and has the Hendrix blues mix that would be his trademark – a great song it is. The first cover is The Things I Used To Do, a blues standard written by Eddie Jones, which shows what command SRV had over his tone and sound. Hendrix’s Voodoo Chile closes out Side 1 and would become a showcase in the set whenever it was played live. Stevie doesn’t mimic Jimi, he makes it his own.
Side 2 opens with the Doyle Bramhall written Cold Shot, which is an awesome tune and was released as a single. The Jimmy Reed classic Tin Pan Alley is next – Reed was a big influence for Stevie. The album ends with two original: Honey Bee, a classic shuffle, and Stangs Swang a triad jazz piece that shows Stevie’s versatility as a player. No one trick pony here.
This is another in the series of everyone should own one.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
