The Best of Stevie Ray Vaughan

By combining his Texas roadhouse blues approach to rock with an admitted fascination with the guitar skills of the great Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan produced a hybrid that was as fascinating as it was down to earth and solid. Vaughan was a flashy guitar player without actually pouring on the flash, choosing instead to keep the song at hand at the center of things, a point often lost on the ardent guitar gunslingers that eagerly adopted his look and template. This 15-track set has several key Vaughan sides, including the energetic "Pride and Joy," his signature "Texas Flood," and an amazing, nearly 12-minute live version of Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)," among others, and makes for a concise and rocking introduction to this fine guitarist. ~ Steve Leggett