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  • English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
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Stevie Ray Vaughan - Live at the El Mocambo
Sony Music Video/Sony BMG . R4 . COLOR . 63 mins . G . PAL

  Feature
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When Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash in August 1990, it prematurely ended the life and career of a truly talented and innovative musician. It's sad enough when rock legends take their own lives, (Kurt Cobain), or contribute to their own death (Presley, Hendrix, Joplin, Bon Scott), but when such talent is taken from us by an accident or other such tragedy (Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, John Lennon), it is even harder to reconcile.

So what about Stevie Ray Vaughan? Does he deserve the status he has been elevated to, or was he simply a competent guitarist that achieved legendary status because of his early death? Any doubts about the man's genius are quickly dismissed after viewing this early performance from 1983 with his band Double Trouble at the El Mocambo club in Canada.

Stevie Ray Vaughan released his first album in 1983, Texas Flood, and almost half of the tracks from this show are taken from that album. There are some well chosen covers thrown in, but it is Stevie Ray Vaughan's unique style and talent that make even classics such as Hendrix's Voodoo Chile and Third Stone From the Sun sound fresh and original. There are four songs included that are not to be found on any of his studio albums released while he was alive (of which there are only four) so there is something in this release for the casual as well as the die-hard fan.

Aside from his unique talent, Stevie Ray manages to throw in most of the swanky guitar moves and axe slinging that came so naturally to him. Playing over his shoulder, behind his back, and in almost any position you can imagine, he manages to throw out some great licks without missing a note.

His hands are fast, and at times it is almost impossible to believe just from watching that he is actually playing anything other than every string and fret simultaneously, yet the clarity of his playing cannot be denied. There is a fine line between noodling and playing rehearsed and planned solos, yet Stevie Ray Vaughan manages to switch between the two in such a way that you are left wondering where each begins and ends. This show also captures him at his most honest and even the flashy tricks and effects are displayed without boast and without appearing wanky. Not every guitarist can claim that.

This performance is quite raw, even down to the obligatory cigarette casually burning away as it sits wedged behind the strings in the guitar's headstock. There is also some guitar abuse that will cause those of us that have sweated for years to afford a Fender to cringe, and those squeamish at the sight of such antics are well advised to look away.

Lovers of rock blues will no doubt have some Stevie Ray Vaughan tucked away in their CD collection, and this is the perfect DVD to compliment them.

  Video
  Audio
  Extras
Contract

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Live at the el Mocambo is presented in a full frame aspect ratio, and right away you can see this was once a low-budget recording destined for a VHS release and probably nothing more, as originally released in 1991. It's not that it is a bad transfer, it's just the original material was never going to scrub up beautifully on DVD due to the limitations of the source.

The overall image is a little soft, but still looks superior to VHS. There are some rather odd colours thrown up on screen from the combination of coloured lights used to light the stage, and at times these colours are a little washed out and also bleed. The stage lighting is also responsible for the strange skin tones that seem to be prevalent throughout, as well as the rather severe cometing effect as the camera pans across stage lights.

Black levels are quite good, but there is some poor shadow detail at different times, especially when Vaughan decides to take up position away from centre stage.

While this all sounds quite bad, it is actually quite watchable, and is certainly a clean transfer free from scratches, marks, dust and stray hairs. There is no layer change to disrupt proceedings, and at just 63 minutes it's longer than your average length CD.

Being originally a stereo recording that has been remastered into Dolby Digital 5.1 format, it should not come as any great surprise to learn that this is not a particularly aggressive or reference quality transfer. It sounds acceptable in 5.1 though it's mostly front heavy, even the audience noise is placed more in the front speakers than the rear and this is unusual. The rear speakers are really used to 'fill-up' the room with sound and do not play a dominant role, and are not used to show off any audio trickery.

The band is drums, bass, one vocal and guitar as with many blues acts, and this allows plenty of room for each to be heard. The bass sounds are nicely balanced and warm. The subwoofer is troubled infrequently, as the front speakers can more than handle most of the low frequencies. The trebles are clear, as are most vocals (there are subtitled lyrics for those that wish to growl along with Stevie).

There is no overtly noticeable separation of the sound anywhere, but with just a few instruments and one vocal it hardly seems a concern.

The two real quibbles involve some hiss that can be heard during the only quiet number (where Stevie shows his versatility) and the slightly out-of-synch audio that will distract you if you let it. It is only very slight, but can quickly become annoying if you sit and study it. It is not really noticed during the instrumentals and solos as his fingers move so damned fast anyway.

The PCM stereo track sounds pretty unremarkable and again, with so few sounds fighting for space, at least it doesn't sound crowded and raucous.

There are a few mildly interesting extras included, and they make a nice addition to a DVD that would have barely notched an hour's duration without them.

There is a discography that is four pages of album covers and other selected releases.

The timeline is ten pages of high level text covering the period 1983 to 1999. It highlights many of the awards won, the musical milestones, the albums as they were released, the various tribute albums and hits collections, and of course his death in 1990.

The last extra is an interview with his band Double Trouble recorded in 1999. At a little over 22 minutes, it covers all manner of things Stevie Ray Vaughan, including his playing, his influence and influences, his talent, his legacy and his humility. A fitting epitaph.

Blues fans certainly know the name Stevie Ray Vaughan, as do many fans of rock music, for Stevie Ray Vaughan sat somewhere between the two. His talent was unquestionable, his style was unique, and his live performances were varied and loaded with surprises. It's just a shame that, like so many others, it was his death that cemented his reputation as a legend. Like the saying goes, if there really is a heaven, they must have one hell of a band.


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  •   And I quote...
    "Although he died in a helicopter crash 12 years ago, there are few blues guitarists since, if any, that have captured imaginations as Stevie Ray Vaughan did. Watch this and find out why..."
    - Terry Kemp
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Akai
    • TV:
          TEAC CT-F803 80cm Super Flat Screen
    • Receiver:
          Pioneer VSX-D409
    • Speakers:
          Wellings
    • Centre Speaker:
          Wellings
    • Surrounds:
          Wellings
    • Subwoofer:
          Sherwood SP 210W
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard RCA
    • Video Cables:
          standard s-video
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