Don’t Mess With Texas: “Couldn’t Stand the Weather” by Stevie Ray Vaughn
By Nate Appelbaum and Luke Brittson ’28
Nate: Leaning back in his signature rolling chair a few months ago, my guitar teacher delivered a line that I’ve been turning around in my head since I first heard it:
“Stevie Ray Vaughn is what Eric Clapton gets credit for being.”
This line stuck with me because I’ve often disliked Clapton, but I could never put into words exactly why–or exactly why I like Vaughn so much. Eric Clapton is often heralded as the greatest blues guitarist (or the greatest white blues guitarist) of all time, but I believe SRV surpasses him in many if not all categories. Clapton’s blues covers are frantic and whiny (see “Crossroads,” a disrespectful version of Robert Johnson’s classic “Cross Road Blues” off “Wheels of Fire”). In contrast, Vaughn’s versions are drenched in soul and skill and infused with patience– look no further than the incomparable version of “Blues at Sunrise” with Albert King off King’s album “In Session,” or the virtuosic display of guitar technique in “Hide Away” off of SRV’s album “Couldn’t Stand the Weather.” All of these examples show for me how Vaughn surpasses Clapton and thus is a lot of what people think Clapton is.
SRV also excels in covers. Clapton’s version of “I Shot the Sheriff" is bland and boring, exacerbated by his half-hearted attempts at a Jamaican accent and flimsy organ fills. He faithfully copies almost every aspect of the song, right down to the instrumental break after the first verse. His voice is also very flat and soulless, in my opinion. It almost sounds like he’s reading the lyrics off of a teleprompter. Conversely, Vaughn’s cover of “Voodoo Child” nearly jumps off the record and into your soul–he turns the original inside out. Its eight minutes never take a break, as Stevie seems to be playing three guitars at once, simultaneously shredding and setting down a rhythm that sets the tone for the rest of the song. Now, let’s leave Slowhand behind and focus on exactly what makes Stevie Ray so great– song by song.
Tracks 1+2: “Scuttle Buttin’” and “Couldn’t Stand the Weather”
These tracks provide an interesting juxtaposition, as both show Vaughn’s prowess in different ways. “Scuttle” is pure and abrasive, leaving no room for interpretation, only wonder at his virtuosity and soul. It’s a solo that you could spend your whole life trying to learn, and yet it seems to flow out of his hands as effortlessly as a roaring river. It’s timeless and in conversation with blues legends throughout the years, but also very unique to who Stevie is.
“Weather” is interesting because of how unconventional it is as a form. It’s a traditional 12-bar blues but with odd pauses in the middle of it— some lasting as long as 4 seconds. Every time I listen to the tune, I check my phone to make sure it’s still playing because the pauses always throw me off. On top of the blues chords, Vaughn comes in with some blistering funk guitar, before the vocals come in on top of all of it. Even right after he sings, SRV continues to shred throughout this tune. Pauses in the song, funk guitar on a blues song, powerful vocals— all these elements come together to make a really great song.
Luke: I'm less experienced in 20th century Music like Nate on this topic, but I also play the guitar. One of the first songs that I was learning was “Voodoo Child,” or “Slight Return,” as some might know it as. This song was originally made by Jimi Hendrix, who my dad grew up listening to and playing songs from. I got interested and found a cover of this song by SRV on “Couldn’t stand the weather” and (with all respect to Hendrix) adored it way more than the original. This album is a testament to the 20th century blues and soul evolution. My favorite song on this album is and will always be “Voodoo child”, there is something hypnotic about the opening kick and when SRV goes into the main break, it is very reminiscent of a ‘thrash break,’ a key factor in many early rock and nu metal bands, which I developed a stronger love for when learning guitar.