In Step
| In Step | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 13, 1989[1] | |||
| Recorded | January 25 – March 13, 1989 | |||
| Studio | Kiva Studios, Memphis, Tennessee; Sound Castle and Summa Studios, Los Angeles, CA | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:53 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Double Trouble, Jim Gaines | |||
| Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble chronology | ||||
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| Singles from In Step | ||||
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In Step is the fourth studio album by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, released in 1989. The title In Step can be seen as referring to Vaughan's new-found sobriety, following the years of drug and alcohol use that eventually led Vaughan into rehabilitation. It was also Vaughan's final album with Double Trouble and the last album to be released during his lifetime. In 1990, he recorded an album with his brother, Jimmie Vaughan, called Family Style; later that same year, Stevie Ray died in a helicopter crash.
At the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1990, the album won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Recording.[3]
In 1999, a reissue of the album was released which contains an audio interview segment and four live bonus tracks.
Reception
[edit | edit source]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [4] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[5] |
| The Great Rock Discography | 6/10[6] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings |  [7] |
Reviews for In Step have generally been positive. Robert Christgau rated the album an A−, signifying "a very good record." Although he stated that "Wall of Denial" and "Tightrope" fall into ex-addict jargon like it was natural speech and that "if the music was preachy or wimpy this would be a disaster," he concluded that "House Is Rockin'" keeps on boogieing on and that on the mood-jazz closer he escapes the blues undamaged for the first time in his career.[5]
Lou Reed selected In Step as one of his 'picks of 1989'.[8]
In a retrospective review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated In Step five out of five stars. He noted that before the album was released, "his songwriting was hit or miss. Even when he wrote a classic modern blues song, it was firmly within the genre's conventions." He further stated that it helped "Vaughan found his own songwriting voice, blending blues, soul, and rock in unique ways, and writing with startling emotional honesty." Although he stated that "tunes like the terse "Tightrope" and the dense "Wall of Denial" feel so intensely personal, it's hard to believe that they weren't the product of just one man", he also stated that "the lighter numbers [...] are just as effective as songs." He concluded that "it's fully realized, presenting every facet of Vaughan's musical personality, yet it still soars with a sense of discovery. It's a bittersweet triumph, given Vaughan's tragic death, [...] yet it's a triumph all the same."[4]
Track listing
[edit | edit source]Original release
[edit | edit source]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The House Is Rockin'" | Doyle Bramhall, Stevie Ray Vaughan | 2:24 |
| 2. | "Crossfire" | Tommy Shannon, Chris Layton, Reese Wynans, Bill Carter, Ruth Ellsworth | 4:10 |
| 3. | "Tightrope" | Bramhall, Vaughan | 4:40 |
| 4. | "Let Me Love You Baby" | Willie Dixon | 2:43 |
| 5. | "Leave My Girl Alone" | Buddy Guy | 4:15 |
| 6. | "Travis Walk" | Vaughan | 2:19 |
| 7. | "Wall of Denial" | Bramhall, Vaughan | 5:36 |
| 8. | "Scratch-N-Sniff" | Bramhall, Vaughan | 2:43 |
| 9. | "Love Me Darlin'" | Howlin' Wolf | 3:21 |
| 10. | "Riviera Paradise" | Vaughan | 8:49 |
1999 Reissue bonus tracks
[edit | edit source]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "SRV Speaks" | 1:33 | |
| 12. | "The House is Rockin'" (Live) | Doyle Bramhall, Vaughan | 2:48 |
| 13. | "Let Me Love You Baby" (Live) | Willie Dixon | 3:46 |
| 14. | "Texas Flood" (Live) | Larry Davis, Joseph Wade Scott | 7:28 |
| 15. | "Life Without You" (Live) | Vaughan | 13:17 |
The bonus tracks are all taken from recordings for Westwood One Radio. "SRV Speaks" is from a studio interview with Timothy White. The rest are all from recordings for the Superstar Concert Series broadcast. The next three tracks are from Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque on November 28, 1989. The last is from McNichols Arena, Denver on November 29, 1989.
Personnel
[edit | edit source]- Double Trouble
- Stevie Ray Vaughan – guitar, vocals
- Tommy Shannon – bass guitar
- Chris "Whipper" Layton – drums, percussion
- Reese Wynans – keyboards
- Additional personnel
- Texacali Horns – on "Crossfire" and "Love Me Darlin'"
- Joe Sublett – saxophone
- Darrell Leonard – trumpet
Charts
[edit | edit source]| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[9] | 36 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[10] | 20 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[11] | 44 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[12] | 8 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[13] | 16 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[14] | 41 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] | 24 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[16] | 63 |
| US Billboard 200[17] | 33 |
Certifications
[edit | edit source]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[18] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[19] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Awards
[edit | edit source]| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Stevie Ray Vaughan | Best Contemporary Blues Album |
References
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- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. In Step at AllMusic. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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- ^ Rolling Stone, March 8, 1990
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Step". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6432". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Step" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ "Charts.nz – Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Step". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Step". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Step". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ "Stevie Ray Vaughan Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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External links
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