Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Live at the El Mocambo 1983

Rating:
Summary: must have for SRV fans
Review: This video is something that should be a part of every Stevie Ray or just play music fan's collection. The video quality is not the greatest-- it looks like some guy just happened to have a cam corder-- but the sound and the performance are breath taking. This is why Stevie Ray Vaughan will always be remembered! END

Rating:
Summary: STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN BLOWS TORONTO AWAY!
Review: This performance captures Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble playing a smokin' set of tunes at Toronto's El Mocambo in late 1983. In this very intimate setting, Stevie, Whipper, and Tommy play a fantastic set, a type of performance that Stevie always gave. He starts out with two instrumentals, "Testify" and "So Excited" (my personal fave). Then he goes into Jimi Hendrix's classic "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)". After burning through "Pride And Joy", he goes through Howlin' Wolf's "Tell Me" and Buddy Guy's "Mary Had A Little Lamb". Then, the show-stopper: "Texas Flood". Almost ten minutes of textbook blues-playing, culminating with him playing behind his back. Watching him play this song is like someone punching me in the gut. Then he plays behind his head for "Love Struck Baby" and does a great cover of John Lee Hooker's "Hug You, Squeeze You". Then he has his rock-star moment with Hendrix's "Third Stone From The Sun", beating his guitar, Number One, to death on the stage. It makes one realize why Number One looked the way it did. He encores with "Lenny", a performance so beautiful and so full of passion that it would melt the most hardened blues-purist's heart. SRV then concludes the performance with Lonnie Mack's "Wham!", then sets his guitar down, says "Thank you so very much, we got's to go", and he and Double Trouble leave the stage. This performance is so fiery and intense. There is no way to describe it. You'll just have to go out and buy it. GO AHEAD! BUY IT NOW! OR ELSE! LONG LIVE STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN!

Rating:
Summary: Really is as good as people say
Review: Better than the Austin City Limits compilation, SRV is absolutely smokin' on this. Perhaps the best blues concert recording ever. A must-have if you like SRV.

Rating:
Summary: Absolute Magic
Review: This DVD is life changing. To watch Stevie at the absolute top of his form is magic. Every time I watch this DVD, I feel so sad that he is no longer with us. I will be surpised if any other guitar player will ever reach the same heights. Watching the texas flood track particularly just sends shivers through me, highlighting the brilliance of SRV.

Rating:
Summary: Stevie on top of his game!
Review: I agree with the other reviewer...this is ESSENTIAL SRV viewing material. I've watched two other SRV DVDs--the double disc Austin City Limits and Live at Montreaux (82 & 85). The Live At Montreaux is also very very good (especially the first disc...my favorite version of Texas Flood. The second disc he doesn't look good, but still playin alright). Live At El Mocambo is just In-Your-Face, raunchy, stank goodness, to put it lightly. The whole band is ON, and the audience is loving every minute. Tons of highlights here...it's hard to not include all of em...but definitely without a doubt: Voodoo Chile, Texas Flood, and Lenny (my favorite SRV song). Please do yourself a favor...you know you need this in your collection right now!

Rating:
Summary: Incredible!!!
Review: The most incredible live performance I have ever seen! Voodoo Chile and Texas Flood still give me chills every time I hear them. Another reviewer said it best when he described Stevie as an "Alien". He made it look so easy. God bless you, Stevie!

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Incredible...
Review: I can't even tell you how many times I've watched this video, but I can tell you that every time I've watched it, my jaw drops to the floor. The boundless energy, emotion and passion that Stevie put into his performance is nothing short of incredible...this man had hands that were touched by God!

Being a guitarist myself, my review comes mostly from a musician's point of view; but even if I weren't, I would still be amazed by this performance from beginning to end. The most awe-inspiring aspect of Vaughan was his ability to play so freely; the solos simply flowed out of him, and Eric Clapton perhaps put it best by saying that Vaughan was like an "open channel"; indeed, you never heard the same thing twice whenever Stevie played.

Another character trait of Vaughan's was his genuine humbleness; with the awesome talent that he possessed, he was a very down to earth man, even when he had reached rock bottom from his drug & alcohol addictions. He always paid loving tribute to his idols & mentors, most notably Albert King, Jimi Hendrix & Lonnie Mack; on this video, Vaughan acknowledges Hendrix in an electrifying performance of "Third Stone From The Sun", and Mack is recalled on "Wham!", where Vaughan tells the audience that this was the first record he ever bought.

But what is well worth the price of this DVD alone is Vaughan's stunning and emotional performance on the instrumental "Lenny", which was written for his then-wife. Stevie calmly sits down on the drum riser, puts a lit cigarette in his mouth, straps on a red Fender Strat and goes to work. He never opened his eyes once throughout the entire song, he only occasionally took a drag off of the smoke as it burned practically to the end. He felt every note he played and made each one count...I sat in front of the TV absolutely mesmerized and remained that way even after the video was over and the main menu had come back on.

Whether or not you're a musician, this DVD is a one of a kind and an absolute must; we will never see talent like this again in our lifetime. RIP and God bless you, Stevie Ray Vaughan!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Guitar Work!
Review: I am a huge, huge fan of Stevie, and being a guitar player myself, I was totally blown away by his performance captured on this DVD. If you're lookin for some good blues/rock music, this is a great DVD to get. "Third Stone From the Sun" was pretty wild, he went kinda crazy on that one, bouncing the guitar off the floor, and whippin it all over the place. "Lenny" by far, is one the prettiest songs ever, you can really see his heart 'n' soul on this one. He played "Voodoo Chile" like nothin I've ever heard. There's some pretty kick-ass stuff throughout this whole DVD.

Rating:
Summary: wow.
Review: I've gone through five copies of this on VHS over the last ten years. A couple got wore out a couple were loaned and lost.

It's funny how many guitarists I run into that say this is their favorite concert video. For players, it's stunning - he's on fire (yep, he might be a little high, this was before he cleaned up) but there is no mistaking he is an alien. It all flows out of him without thought or hesitation. My humble opinion there were only two this was true, Stevie and Hendrix.

So much to be said - the thing that amazes me, try to play this. I've been watching this for 10 years and still find new things in it.

For those unfamiliar, this concert is rather raw. Looking and sounding - it was shot in some dive in Toronto. But if your a musician (or dream of being one) you can't help but be amazed at the flow and energy he puts out. I know many that worship this performance.

(I just saw Stevie Ray Live in Montreaux on DirecTV's free preview for Sept.! Just ordered the DVD too. It's not 'better' than El Mocambo, or the Austin City Limits performance - its apples and oranges - it's beautiful in its own way. VERY happy to have a new live performance to drink in. It is amazing.)





Rating:
Summary: why sony why?
Review: why did you release this dvd, because of money, just money... too bad it';s all about money...