Blues at Sunrise

1	Ain't Gone 'N' Give up on Love 6:08
2	Leave My Girl Alone 4:13
3	Tin Pan Alley (AKA Roughest Place in Town) / Johnny Copeland Live / previously unreleased 11:26
4	Chitlins con Carne 3:55
5	The Things That I Used to Do 4:54
6	The Sky Is Crying previously unreleased 4:08
7	Texas Flood Video Version 9:43
8	May I Have a Talk with You 5:49
9	Dirty Pool 5:00
10	Blues at Sunrise Live 15:06

Barnes & Noble

BLUES AT SUNRISE, the latest release from the vaults of the late Texas guitar phenomenon Stevie Ray Vaughan and his band Double Trouble, is being promoted as "the slow blues album," and indeed, it is a set of blues and ballads. But more impressive than the ambience of the tunes is Vaughan's deep blues interpretations of them. Vaughan's career was driven by the reception of rock radio and its listeners, and these slow tunes were often taken as a respite from the good rockin' ones. But when you listen to these songs one after another, Vaughan's dependence on the blues and his facility with all phases of the style knocks you out. On "Ain't Gone 'n' Give Up on Love" his trembling voice is oh-so-soulful, sweet, and vulnerable while his guitar licks sting like a hornet that has already struck Albert Collins. The down-and-dirty blues of "Leave My Girl Alone" allows Vaughan to growl and shout, while his guitar comments on every phrase, then cries in anger and pain on the solo. The instrumental "Chitlins Con Carne" shows the jazzy side of Vaughan, but it is not the best example of this aspect of his playing; the lyrical "Lenny" or the heavenly "Riviera Paradise" would have been better bets. And the video version of "Texas Flood" is waterlogged with guitar work that is proficient but self-indulgent, reflecting how much the guitarist was affected by the hype about his connection to Jimi Hendrix. An outtake of "The Sky Is Crying" from the COULDN'T STAND THE WEATHER sessions is much tastier, as is the encounter between Vaughan and the great Texas blues singer and guitarist Johnny Copeland on a live, cutthroat rendition of "Tin Pan Alley." (The previously released title track finds Vaughan going head-to-head with Albert King.) While not all of Vaughan's most moving slow tunes are included on BLUES AT SUNRISE, the compilation does reclaim Stevie Ray Vaughan as a serious and singular blues player, and one who has yet to be matched in the blues rock arena. Roberta Penn

All Music Guide

The concept behind Blues at Sunrise is a good one: collect ten of SRV's best slow blues numbers, primarily from the official studio albums but also a couple of unreleased cuts and rarities, and sequence them as if they were a lost studio album. It's a neat idea, especially when it's packaged in artwork that deliberately evokes memories of classic blues albums from the '60s (there's even a fake, faded record ring on the front and back covers), and it's hard to fault the music here. All the obvious selections are here -- "Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up on Love," "The Things (That) I Used to Do," "Leave My Girl Alone." And the rarities are all worthwhile, including a live "Texas Flood" from the Live at the El Macambo video, a live duet with Johnny Copeland on "Tin Pan Alley" from 1985, an unreleased take of "The Sky Is Crying" from Couldn't Stand the Weather, and a duet with Albert King on "Blues at Sunrise" (also available on the Fantasy disc In Session). Still, some fans may complain, since this is the first posthumous release that feels as if it's trying to trick the hardcore into purchasing music they already have. That's a legitimate complaint, because there are only two songs that the hardcore won't have, and they very well may not want to sink down dollars for something that's just a reconfiguration of familiar tunes. But, as reconfigurations and repackagings go, Blues at Sunrise is strong and entertaining, working quite well as a mood piece. It may not be revelatory, but if you strip away your qualms and quibbles, it's enjoyable. Stephen Thomas Erlewine