Stevie Ray Vaughan: In Step [MUSIC ON VINYL]

Why you'll love it

This Music On Vinyl edition is pressed on 180g vinyl in the EU. In Step won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Recording, reached No. 33 on the Billboard 200 and went double platinum in the US.

This edition

• 180g vinyl
• Pressed in the EU

About the album

The title says plenty. In Step was the first album Stevie Ray Vaughan made after getting sober, and you can hear a man with a clear head and a great deal to say. He cut it between January and March 1989 at Kiva Studios in Memphis and in Los Angeles, co-producing with Jim Gaines and the band.

Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton lock in behind him as tightly as ever, with Reese Wynans on keys. "The House Is Rockin'" is a barrelhouse party, "Crossfire" rides a tough, rolling groove, and "Tightrope" and "Wall Of Denial" turn his recovery into muscular blues rock. "Travis Walk" and "Scratch-N-Sniff" let him show off, a few well-picked blues covers keep things rooted, and the closer, "Riviera Paradise," is a nearly nine-minute instrumental he wrote alone, drifting into mood-jazz territory that Robert Christgau singled out.

It went gold in Canada as well, and it still sounds like a man who found his footing. Put it on and see how long you can last before reaching for the air guitar; the shop record stands at about eleven seconds.

Also at Kops: more Stevie Ray Vaughan on vinyl · browse Blues

Tracklist

Listen

On Epic / Music On Vinyl (cat# MOVLP1642), a reissue of the 1989 album.