Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble – Texas Flood (2xLP, 45RPM, MOFI Ultradisc One-Step)

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble's Texas Flood announces the arrival of a truly special talent – namely, the last major blues guitarist to emerge with a voice all his own, an immediately distinctive style, and a soulfulness you feel inside the depths of your existence. Not for nothing is Vaughan frequently mentioned in the same breath as his closest musical cousin, Jimi Hendrix, and ranked the 12th Greatest Guitarist in history by Rolling Stone. This 1983 debut started it all.

Strictly limited to 7,000 numbered copies and pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's ultra-hi-fi UltraDisc One-Step collector's edition 180g 45RPM 2LP box set brings Vaughan and Co. into your listening room and places them at your feet. You'll enjoy deep-black backgrounds, pointillist details, staggering dynamics, and arguably, the most lifelike tonalities and nuances ever committed to vinyl. Experienced via UD1S, Vaughan's scrunched-up face, closed-eyes appearance, quick-draw fingers, and cowboy hat into pristine focus. More importantly, the searing tones from his Fender Stratocaster and every touch of his pick on the strings are captured with extreme delicacy. You won't miss a note. The soundstage is deep and wide, and the microdynamics pop. This is the closest you will ever come to hearing Vaughan perform in Antone's, circa 1982.

The lavish packaging and beautiful presentation of Mobile Fidelity's Texas Flood UD1S pressing befit its extremely select status. Housed in a deluxe box, this UD1S version contains special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. No expense has been spared. Aurally and visually, this reissue exists a curatorial artifact meant to be preserved, poured over, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and creativity, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the images to the textures.

Born of hot, sweaty bars and years of woodshedding in front of demanding crowds, Texas Flood is rooted in Austin's rich musical heritage – as well as Vaughan's tenure in Paul Ray & the Cobras, recipient of the "Best Band" award in the city's first-ever music poll. After getting his feet underneath him, Vaughan formed Triple Threat, the ensemble that morphed into Double Trouble, with which he'd perform with for the remainder of his career. Having evolved from a quintet to a trio, extra demands were placed on Vaughan's role and playing – requirements he was more than comfortable to accommodate.

The evidence is scattered throughout Texas Flood, which single-handedly resuscitated a long-dormant genre. Spending more than half a year on the Billboard charts, the record pays homage to influences (Hendrix, Albert King, Larry Davis) and ripples with a freshness that joins contemporary Texas blues and muscular rock at the hip. Vaughan's playing prizes emotion and pace, whether he's lighting it up on the jumpy "Love Struck Baby" or bursting with enthusiasm on the sparks-shooting "Pride and Joy."

The trio proves equally mesmerizing on slow numbers, with covers of Howlin' Wolf's "Tell Me" and Davis' "Texas Flood" weeping with longing. And as if to insure his name is etched in history, Vaughan takes a jazzy stroll with the instrumental tribute "Lenny," covering all the bases in less than 40 minutes. On par with anything recorded by Eric Clapton, Paul Butterfield, John Mayall, Johnny Winter, and the like, Texas Flood remains legion.