Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble "Couldn't Stand the Weather" [1984]

About the only guy in the world who could make a blistering guitar solo sound boring, cowboy-hatted shit-kicker Stevie Ray Vaughan rose to fame and (some) fortune riffing Hendrix via Robin Trower via the nondescript roadhouse outside West Bufu Egypt. Being a Texan, Stevie Ray clearly had no concept of "less is more;" he sounds like he's attempting the Guinness Book world's record for most notes from a Stratoscaster through a tube amp on one LP performed by someone not named Van Halen. (With any luck, he'd get the page opposite the two obese biker brothers; I assume they're both dead, but if not they're probably big Stevie Ray fans.) On "Couldn't Stand the Weather," Stevie Ray's second album, he proceeds to prematurely jump the shark by actually covering Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile," demonstrating why he's really nothing more than a competent guitar instructor with a permanent chubby for Jimi (hey -- "Chubby for Jimi" should have been the title of this album). Stevie Ray apologists would probably say he sounds nothing like Jimi because he uses a tremolo setting; true enough -- Hendrix wouldn't have been caught dead (and wasn't) playing something so wimpy and out of date. And all this before discussing Stevie Ray's cow-patty of a voice; even George Thorogood didn't sound like this much of a redneck grease monkey. Ultimately, if you're a Jimmy Buffett fan in the mood for BBQ, try this on. Otherwise, just listen to the real blues guitar players -- they need your money more, anyway.