Stevie Ray Vaughan has been called the last great Blues man.That title may be a little melodramatic, but there is no doubt that he was an outstanding musician with exceptional talent who was taken away way too soon.Drawing from legendary Blues musicians of the past, Vaughan’s style was a little faster and fierier than his influences and through that he bridged Rock and Blues probably better than anyone else had before.Amazingly, he did so in an era where the Blues wasn’t considered “cool” anymore, and drew fans that would not normally be into that style of music.Considering the extensive amount of Blues based musicians in the Hall, the best of the 80’s should find induction sooner than later.
The Bullet Points:
Previous Rank:
2010: #30
Eligible Since:
2008
Country of Origin:
U.S.A. (Dallas, TX)
Why He Will Get In:
Blues Rock is a Hall staple.
Why He Won’t Get In:
Honestly, it is hard to come up with a good reason.
Nominated In:
Never
Essential Albums:
Texas Flood (1983)
Couldn’t Stand the Weather (1984)
Soul to Soul (1985)
In Step (1989)
Our Five Favorite Songs as Chosen by Each Member of the NIHOF Committee:
Pride & Joy (From Texas Flood, 1983)
Texas Flood (From Texas Flood, 1983)
Come On (Part III) (From Soul to Soul, 1985)
The House is Rockin’ (From In Step, 1989)
Crossfire (From In Step, 1989)
www.stevieray.com (Tribute Site)
Comments
Also, those that think he was too one dimensional need to take a listen to David Bowie's Let's Dance album, especially Cat People (Putting Out Fires). A RRHOF performance on a RRHOF artist's album.
Nowhere in the article does it say SRV was better than Albert King. Nowhere does it say he was better than his influences.
That being said:
SRV WAS a better guitar player than Albert King. He WAS a better guitar player than Jimi Hendrix (not Jimmie Hendrix!) It has NOTHING to do with the color of his skin.
The fact that YOU think it does kind of shows where you're coming from...
Sad.
However, and although SRV got better at record making before his untimely death, I don't think he rises to the level of a Hall of Famer. His songs were standard blues-rock vehicles, nothing special, even if the axe-slinging was extraordinar y. It is possible that he would have matured as a musical talent had he lived, which might have given him the influence, innovation, and legacy of a Hall of Famer, but we have to evaluate based on what was, not on what might have been.
Sean mentioned a number of similar artists as SRV. In the various "audits" of the Hall of Fame in my DDT Pop Flies column, I have already noted that Beck, Clapton solo, and ZZ Top should not have been inducted. SRV falls into that grouping for me. Freddie King is a different case. First, it's a head-scratch er that he was inducted as an "Early Influence" seeing that his career was contemporane ous with the rockers whom he influenced (hell, Grand Funk mentions his name in "We're An American Band"). But Freddie should have been inducted as a Performer, as was Albert King this year, although I don't think Albert was innovative or remarkable enough for Cleveland.
By the way, I'm saying this as a relative old-timer who still remembers the tremendous buzz I got when I first heard "Pride and Joy" bursting through my speakers three decades ago. And I'm proud to say that I got to see SRV live twice.
For me, liking someone's music and evaluating their legacy are two different qualities. As a fan, I love a good deal of SRV's stuff. As a critic and historian, I don't think that he rises to that level of the best the music has produced. (And for what it's worth, I feel the same way about Beck, Clapton (solo), and ZZ Top--love a lot of their stuff, don't think it's Hall-worthy.)
Music is such an emotional force that our feelings often override our critical thinking. The trick I think is to find the balance, and to consider this: If everyone is exceptional, then no one is, so what is the point of a Hall of Fame?
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