Jimmie Lee Vaughan or Stevie Ray?

Stevie Ray brought blues to the masses. He was a preternaturally talented, honest and soulful player. So why do I find his brother's playing more interesting and original? Your opinions on who you like more and why, please.

Jimmy fits his style into that Texas roadhouse sound. I saw the original Fab T'Birds in the 1980s and that's what struck me- I could imagine chicken wire strung across the front of the stage to catch the errant flying beer bottle.

Technically, Jimmy fingers the keyboard wrong, holds his left hand in an improper arch and a few other things if you're picky. I'm not. I thought "So THAT'S how he gets his sound, by doing things 'wrong' instead of proper technique."

Stevie was more of a technician to me, although a great one. But popping in a T Birds cassette in the 80s was way more exciting to me than hearing Stevie. All right, SRV cult, start giving me the thumbs down.

Addendum: I also saw SRV live in the mid 80s in New Orleans. Albert King was the opening act and had something to prove. Stevie seemed a bit intimidated but put on a good show, overall. There were a lot of, uhm, human events going on around me. It definitely was not a blues audience.

In no way do I dislike SRV, but everyone is correct about the annoying cult and continuing overhype. I recently snapped at someone "Yeah, the blues guitar style was invented by SRV, I keep forgetting." Having seen a young Johnny Winter live, at his peak, I posit he could have been just as great if not for his drug problems over the decades, and a certain laziness at times. But when I met Tommy Shannon, all I mentioned was "I saw you with Johnny in 1970". Tommy smiled and said "I remember that show! I retired that bass soon after because Jimi played on it."

I must go with SRV. Nobody but Hendrix comes close.

Is it also possible that Stevie has been so exploited, that you are growing weary? I mean, the man sells more guitar magazines in death than he did while alive. Fender continues to reap the profits and keeps inventing new ways to put the man's signiture on guitars. Same goes for all the recordings and videos out there.
In Jimmy Vaughn, you found a style that is unique and not overhyped or over-exploited, so it's still got that 'virgin' cool to it.
Stevie, God bless him. He was a gift to us all.

I am a great admirer of SRV in spite of the whole cult that annoys me in the same way the "Robert Johnson is the father of the blues" cult does. Nevertheless, I have always preferred big brother Jimmie. Few electric players could sound like he does without a pick. He has always seemed more of a true bluesman to me.

although the SRV cult annoys me too - I gotta go with Stevie.

It is a hard choice, but Stevie just seemed more versitile to me.

Fortunately, I can manage to like a LOT of musicians all at once ;)

Stevie Ray

Stevie Ray Vaughan had an instantly recognizable sound.He'd take others' songs and made them his own.Stevie was respected by his peers in a way that few others are.Buddy Guy went so far as to call Stevie his"little brother".His playing not only brought blues to the masses,but led the resurgence in blues popularity.That is not at all to say that Jimmie Vaughan isn't respected,but he isn't held with the same regard as Stevie.While I like Jimmie Vaughan,I find him to be more of a sideman and Stevie was a bandleader.But then again,aren't you the same guy who just asked if Hendrix was overrated?

There is no way I could pick one over the other, and I am a dedicated member of the SRV cult! lol, seriously its like comparing apples to oranges I've seen them both and they both blew me away. Have to admit though, I was a fan of Stevie before I even knew his brother played in the Fab Thunderbirds.

Jimmie is a more traditional blue player but still has his own sound his brother SRV took traditional blues and rocked it out abit giving him a style all his own..a great influence on stevie was Jimi Hendrix also albert King you put that combo together and you get SRV