SRV is directly responsible for that horrible, slicked-up electric Blooze noodling style that the baby boomers cannot get enough of. Did he master the pentatonic noodling style? Yes. Is it listenable? No. That kind of playing being held up as an example of "ultimate virtuosity" by guitar teachers and certain music fans is also probably indirectly responsible for the reactionary "wear your ineptitude on your sleeve and always make crappy ramshackle music" attitude that brought us so much pointlessly limp indie rock from the following generation as well.
As to which is worse, it's a tough call, but I'll cast my vote for King of Craptown to an aging baby boomer in a hobby band playing some hackneyed-but-proficient slickblooze on his SRV strat wearing one of those ridiculous hats in tribute to his guitar god.

I think I'm gonna puke.

By the way, I saw SRV in 1983. Did nothing for me whatsoever, and I was both very impressionable and a new/enthusiastic guitarist at the time.
Slick, proficient crap is still crap. It's just executed with dedication is all.
I should hope any "traditional" blues player would prefer a National resonator god like Son House over some dorkus with a Fender and a Marshall cranking it out like that.

I will say one thing in SRV's favor:
I don't think of him as a "hendrix ripoff." I do think of him as one of the people who ruined blues music though.

The Hendrix worshipper award will always belong to Frank Marino/Mahogany Rush. It's undeniable.

again, mostly you're talking about the people who are fans of his music, there's a lot of idiots who like sonic youth, a lot of meatheads who like metal and well, fuck those guys!!! i mean, i like the music i like and who cares who else likes it too, the music is what matters to me, not who is associated with it.

in that respect, stevie ray might have done more bad than good just like i think of bowie...probably i'm fortunate not to encounter srv fans in my daily life here.

it's like i like country and southern rock but if i lived in the u.s. i would probably hate them.

anyway, as i said earlier, the old bluesmen were much better, but yeah, i like to listen to couldn't stand the weather and scuttle buttin' every once in a while.

i raise another question at this point, what about johnny winters?

Ok. . . I'll drop all the BS.

I plain don't like SRV. I don't like his guitar sound, his playing, his songs, or his singing.

I was initially talking about SRV himself and his aesthetically offensive style and moved on from there to mention the havoc he wreaked via his influence, but to answer your question about the good Johnny, I am not a fan of him either.

In general, I think blues (and country as well, aside from steel guitar) is not a genre that is served well or improved by the addition of electricity. It almost always makes it worse.

even muddy waters?

savage drone - 1
everyneurotic - 0

end of.

Personally, Stevie Ray Vaughn is a little too noodley for my taste. I'd much rather listen to Jimi Hendrix. Sometimes talent is knowing when to relax on a note.

That's my two drunk cents.

check this out, and wait until Stevie puts down his pipe and gets serious about a minute into it..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agHM4UC1gxo

that is ridiculous and ignorant.

Albert Collins
Johnny "Guitar" Watson
McKinley "Muddy Waters" Morganfield
T Bone Walker
John Lee Hooker
Freddie King
Lightnin Hopkins
Buddy Guy
BB King
Bo Diddley
Stevie ray VAUGHN


alll fantabulous electric blues

MUDDY WATERS IS GOD

I said "In General."

I do have a very hard time with Buddy Guy though, and I'm sorry, but B.B. King is probably the most overpaid musician on earth.

Edit:
I generally do not take offense to differences of opinion, especially with Rob (who is a very civil person in these matters), but I will not be called "ignorant."
That is a word that implies that I have spent no time with this type of music, thought about it in an honest way and come out with a reasonable conclusion in a MATTER OF TASTE. I never said these people didn't know their way around a guitar (though BB King has admitted to not knowing chords and I'm pretty sure he can't sing and play at the same time) and I never said they lacked dedication to their craft.
The fact that I don't care for the sound of electric blues guitarists most of the time is a taste issue and I think it's a reasonable position to have. I would never say Steve Vai or Joe Satriani were not proficient at what they do, but I don't think it's unreasonable to say that a lot of people (myself included) find that style a huge turnoff. Same situation here.

Well put edit.

see? it's about personal tastes, not about the overall queality of the music and the music alone, not fans, image, etc.

I like hearing no name black men busking blues on the street in the south.

ignorant means lacking info. it was not meant as an insult, but obviuously I truly do not know what your personal experience is wtih electric blues, so i was speaking out my ass. forgive bro.

I do love me some country blues too man. I dig the acoustic delta blues.

Not to start off on another tangeant, but black or white doesn't mean anything when it comes to playing the blues, truly. I think that's a good ol' sham, a stereotype. People seem to equate true blues with an ol' black grandad on the porch, and that there is an inherit ability to play the blues better. Yes, to honor the origins of blues is great, but music shouldn't be sold short and put in a box like that..there's probably some 14 year old white girl playing some serious blues some where.

that makes you a poser.

like people who only listen to bands that have a certain haircut. or stop listening to a band you love just because they are popular.

if you like the music, fine dig it, but if it's only people with this aesthetic that listen to, then you are very superficial and probably don't really listen to music.

david bowie was the first taste of rock n roll I ever got.

the best concert experiences are ussually due to the charisma and vibe of the band/musician. connection between a band and the audience is crucial!

bowie was good, then great then absolutely devastating then good then god awful for a long long time. then acceptable then totally awe inspiring. he is more influenical than his music ever was!