“Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Live from Austin City Limits” - Stevie Ray daggone Vaughan
My most-watched YouTube video? I’m not bothering to look it up; I know it’s true. This is clearly from a VHS recording and I so very much wish there was an HD audio version. The visual is part of it here though. Listen to that warped crowd noise at the beginning - that’s how ya KNOW it’s from a VHS. Stevie fiddles with his amp. He turns around. Strum #1. Struts a little towards the mic, Strum #2. Look at them boots! The hat! The silk black shirt with cacti! Stevie’s back at home baby and this mug is in the POCKET.
Now what I like about this version more than any other live version (except the one I *just* found on The Fire Meets The Fury (Live) which I swear couldn’t have been on Spotify long) is the tempo. Listen to the other versions and it’s like Stevie’s stuck in Rio Grande Mud. But in 1989 (both ACL and Fire/Fury) Stevie has broken the shackles of his earthly bonds and we, the lucky viewer, get to witness his transcendent journey into the heavens.
Or wait a second, see that stomp on the wah pedal @ 0:42? Shit, Stevie may not be ascending… this man may have cut a deal with the devil to take him from being the greatest living guitar player to being the greatest of all time. Yes, I said it. Jimi might’ve laid the path, but Stevie perfected it. Listen to the fuccccccking waiiiiiiiiiilllll at 0:50 and the fast-clip play just after 1:00. Yeah, something tells me this ain’t heavenly after all… but it’s also not being played by a mere mortal.
At 1:35, we get the first close-up of his face that’s been partially in the shadow of that badass black hat (oh shit, black hats are bad guys! More evidence for the theory!). And even with all that God-givenDevil-driven talent, Stevie’s breakin a sweat, y’all.
2:15 look at that grimace! Stevie’s bending them strings against their will and they WILL comply. We can’t always see his eyes but I imagine for a lot of this he’s eyes closed, just feeling where his fingers need to go and letting the spirit move through him.
3:20, quick look back at the rhythm section – did you even realize they were on stage?! Oh, sorry, drummer, you’re doing some cool fills @ 3:40 now that Stevie’s nodded you into existence.
Listen to the tone around 5:00; it’s like the guitar is screeching into a falsetto.
This is my all-time, hands-down, no-competition favorite electric guitar performance.
