Live at montreux '82/'85

Epic/Legacy's 2001 archival release, Live at Montreux 1982 and 1985, is a godsend for his legions of diehards since it preserves one of his most legendary performances while teaming it with a performance that helps put the other in context. The historical performance, of course, is his appearance at the Montreux Blues & Jazz Festival in 1982. At the time he was just breaking into the business, and this performance had a large part in his success since it helped maintain the buzz started from his popularity in Texas. Here he plays a lot of covers, and the concentration is almost entirely on his solos, but that's why it works; he's in front of an audience that wants to hear that, and he's eager to prove himself, and the kinetic energy is positively electric. The 1985 performance is also pretty hot, with a lot of guitar, but it's clear that Vaughan is no longer as hungry and no longer has as much to prove. Consequently, it's a little more relaxed, even if it still follows the same basic template, with lots and lots of guitar, and it's good to hear, but if you're not already converted, it may seem a little samey toward the end. Still, this sounds great, is lovingly packaged, and, in terms of Vaughan's legacy, is very important — probably the most welcome posthumous release.