Search - Vaughan Brothers :: Family Style

Family Style

Russell Diederich | Littleton, CO United States | 04/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From the opening line from Stevie, "Roll, and I'll just feel something," the album is about feeling. Stevie's playing was effortless, and some even called him God's Radio, but his playing was always better when his big brother, Jimmie, was with him. Even though they weren't always in the studio together, laying down individual tracks to be mixed later, the magic is still there, and it shines when the brothers are playing together. Stevie reached the apex of his career with this album and "In Step" turning out the best music of his life, but lurking in the shadow, brother Jimmie came to his own here too. Jimmie voice makes its first appearance on an album as he sings. At times it is nearly impossible to tell which of the brothers is playing, but they each have a distinctive sound, which fit together perfectly as brothers should.Every song on this album is spectacular. From the opening "Hard to Be" with Stevie on lead vocals and a cool theme over Jimmie's rhythm. Upbeat and fun. Next, it's Jimmie's turn to sing on "White Boots", with a slight Country flare. Who knew he had such a great voice? Stevie steps in with his distinctive sound and plays a great solo. They repeat the formula again with "Good Texan". The best song on the album is "Tick Tock". Just perfect playing from the brothers, and Jimmie's spoken intro sets the tone of the song, and Stevie sings it beautifully. A strong message in today's world. The brothers rock out with "Telephone Song" pulling out Wah-Wah solos and excellent rhythm. The album ends with the appropriately named "Brothers", an instrumental played on one guitar being passed back and forth between the two Vaughans. The brothers pass licks back and forth for five minutes. Powerful and haunting. This is one of the greatest albums, and is a work of art. It is the album that defined when both brothers came into their own. It was one of Stevie's best performances, and it was a milestone where Jimmie reached the next plateau becoming a truly great player. There is real magic between the brothers, and "Family Style" showcases that magic. Unfortunately, Stevie passed away shortly after recording this album. After a few years, Jimmie stepped back into the recording studio for "Strange Pleasures" picking up where he left off after this album. The brothers will live on through this album."

The First Rays of the New Stevie Ray

Samuel M Smith | Fort Worth, TX United States | 06/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After all those wasted years in which Stevie Ray had made music beyond the powers of most musicians but still not to his full potential, he returned to the things he loved: upbeat music and working with the brother he idolized his whole life. It's interesting that people have so many bad things to say about "Tick Tock", one of my all-time favorite Stevie Ray tunes. It seems that his fans were more interested in his macho stuff, which has its place, but weren't particulary taken with his gentler side. I don't think it's dated at all. I think in 25 years people will remember "Texas Flood" and "Tick Tock" as the bookends of his career. He didn't have to impress everybody in the world with his guitar playing anymore (though he still did, just because of his incredible ability). He could just play and sing what he liked while sitting next to the one musician whose opinion mattered to him more than anyone else's: Jimmie's. The album is a triumph. From the spoken opening of "Hard to Be" ("...roll 'n I'll just...feel something) to the last note of "Brothers" a new expansiveness to both of the brothers' musical vocabulary shines through. Of course, the tragedy of Stevie's untimely death colors our perception of this, his last album, but all in all this was the record he lived his whole life to make. This is a celebration of life, an album that never ceases to make me smile. And, at the end of the day, isn't that what all this is about?"

Duet CD A Sad But Pleasant End to Stevie's Career

Terence Allen | Atlanta, GA USA | 04/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It still hurts to listen to some music. Hurts because you know that the person that made it is gone, won't make any more music on this side of the veil, and definitely left too soon.



Stevie Ray Vaughan was just beginning to garner the widespread acclaim that he so richly deserved before his death in a helicopter crash in 1990. Family Style was his last studio release before his death, and he probably would have been pleased that on his last release that he was joined by his brother Jimmie Ray, at the time lead guitarist for the Fabulous Thunderbirds.



From Hard To Be to Baboom/Mama Said, this is just a fun, whimsical record that allows the brothers to play and have fun without taking too much too seriously, except for Tick Tock, the only serious song on the record and a very good message song.



Family Style is a great CD and a poignant reminder of talent lost to us much too soon."