173. FAMILY STYLE by The Vaughan Brothers

Ah brotherly love - it's a precious thing. Cherish it if you have it and don't take it for granted, as it's not a given in this life. I mention this because by the time Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan got around to making a record together, Stevie Ray Vaughan (SRV) would be dead before he would get to see the album come out. Family Style was posthumously released in 1990, a month or so after SRV was killed in a helicopter crash.

SRV holds a special place in my heart as his story, though filled with success and fame, also had a fair share of struggles and pain. And what makes it worse is that he had just got his life together, cleaned up, sobered up and was beginning a next phase when he died. A big reason why I love the blues so much is because of SRV - he is my true guitar hero. So, whenever I hear him play, I feel happy sad / sad happy inside.

Although there is not a lot of classic blues here, this is a nice record nonetheless as you can compare and contrast the playing and singing styles of the brothers Vaughan. Start out with 'Tick Tock,' which is kind of like their version of 'We Are The World.' It begins with Jimmie in spoken voice before SRV takes over with the singing. I absolutely love this track even though I get really sad every time I hear it, thinking about what SRV could have continued to accomplish and achieve had he lived. Then continue with 'Brothers,' a slow blues instrumental wherein Jimmie and SRV trade dueling guitar solos back and forth (mainly SRV forth with Jimmie a little back). End your listening experience with 'Telephone Song' (love the wah wah on this) and 'Hard To Be,' a more classic blues rock song.