Is This Necessary?

Everyone knows the major labels like to issue compilations and vault material around the holidays. The casual fan is likely to pick up a compilation of hits or holiday music and a devoted fan is likely to pick up a vault release without much reservation during the 4th quarter. Sometimes great care goes into these releases and sometimes it is obvious that a label is throwing out a title with reckless abandon.

Sony recently issued a new Stevie Ray Vaughan compilation titled “Solos, Sessions & Encores.” The title pretty much sums up the content. It is a haphazard collection of a wide range of performances ranging in sound quality and performance quality. In fact, it is the biggest disappointment out of all the posthumous SRV releases.

The record label put very little effort into this compilation. The concept is an interesting one – compiling a release of music focusing on some of Vaughan’s collaborations with other artists. But the release falls flat. A handful of the performances are pulled from video feeds leaving the sound quality somewhat muddy and lifeless. Others are from some well-known bootlegs (taking away any intrigue for hardcore fans) and others are from the “SRV” boxset.

The liner notes are a mess and are inaccurate. For example, the notes state that Vaughan’s collaboration with Jeff Beck on “Going Down” is a gem from the 1984 CBS Records Convention in Hawaii, but it is actually the same performance from the “SRV” package recorded during 1989 in Albuquerque. Vaughan and Beck didn’t play “Going Down” in Hawaii and Sony should know this. Later in the liner notes, it states that this track is actually from “SRV!" Who was the editor on this project? Careless effort with artwork and liner notes is inexcusable. All it does lower the credibility of the project.

“Solos, Sessions & Encores” is really a peculiar release. Most of these performances should have been part of the “SRV” boxset. It almost feels like a lost disc from that project. For the most part, Sony has done a decent job with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s archival projects. Still, there are some holes that need to be filled.

There still is not a premiere live album available. “In The Beginning” is an exciting snapshot of an early Vaughan club gig, but it is highly incomplete with a handful of fantastic tracks from that show remaining in the vaults. “Live At Carnegie Hall” is another teaser – why wasn’t this historic concert released in its entirety? This one should have been a two disc set. The “SRV” boxset has some nice live material, but it is piecemealed and the end result leaves the fan wanting complete shows. “Live At Montreux” for the most part showcases two complete gigs, but the actual concerts are not overly memorable. Sony has a lot of concert recordings in the vaults – a complete concert released during the 4th quarter sales period of this year would have served Stevie Ray Vaughan’s legacy well and filled a void at the same time. The aforementioned CBS Record Convention could have been a nice release.

This new compilation from Sony is a joke. The label rushed out “Solos, Sessions & Encores” to capitalize on some holiday sales. Some executive somewhere was probably looking at the horrible numbers on some balance sheet, panicked, and decided to tap into the SRV vault to quickly issue some product in hopes of moving a few additional 4th quarter units for the label. It is depressing that Stevie Ray Vaughan’s legacy is being subjected to this used car salesmen technique. Shame on Sony.