STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN AND DOUBLE TROUBLE -- Greatest Hits (Epic)

When Stevie Ray Vaughan died in a tragic helicopter accident in 1990, the blues world lost a great guitarist. Riding high on the success of his latest album, "In Step", SRV was thought by many to be in his prime. After winning a tough battle with drug & alcohol abuse, he was clearly at his peak. Whether this CD is looked at as just a contract album doesn't matter. The fact remains that Stevie Ray Vaughan recorded some incredible music over his brief, but highly influential career.

The material covered here includes tracks from his entire studio catalog. All the hits are here - "Pride and Joy", "Crossfire", "Cold Shot", "Texas Flood", his instrumental rendition of "Little Wing", plus a previously unreleased cover of The Beatles' "Taxman" (recorded during SRV's first sober session in Austin, TX). As with any greatest hits CD, there are always songs that should be included that don't make the final selection. This one is no exception. Epic could have easily made this more than a single CD. It's widely known to his fans that there is a ton of material sitting in the CBS vaults. Boxed set, anyone?