Out There (Jimmie Vaughan album) explained

Out There
Type:studio
Artist:Jimmie Vaughan
Cover:Out There (Jimmie Vaughan album).jpg
Released:1998
Studio:Ardent
Genre:Blues
Label:Epic
Producer:Jimmie Vaughan, John Hampton
Prev Title:Strange Pleasure
Prev Year:1994
Next Title:Do You Get The Blues?
Next Year:2001

Out There is the second solo album by the American musician Jimmie Vaughan, released in 1998.[1] [2] Vaughan supported the album with a North American tour.[3] Out There peaked at No. 5 on Billboards Blues Albums chart.[4]

Production

Produced by Vaughan and John Hampton, most of the album was recorded at Ardent Studios.[5] Dr. John sang on "Lost in You" and played piano on "Astral Projection Blues".[1] [6] "Motor Head Baby" is a cover of the Johnny "Guitar" Watson song.[7] "Like a King" was written and produced by Nile Rodgers, who also played rhythm guitar on it.[8] "Positively Meant to Be" is a tribute to Vaughan's wife. "The Ironic Twist" is an instrumental; it was nominated for a Grammy Award.[9] "Kinky Woman" is the only track to include bass guitar.[10]

Critical reception

Texas Monthly noted that, "riding on a slinky Texas-to-California blues axis, the album has plenty of space to breathe yet contains some of Jimmie's finest soloing."[11] The Austin American-Statesman deemed Out There "a groove album, mixing good parts of Booker T. and the M.G.'s, B.B. King, Bill Doggett and the Swan Silvertones with Vaughan's love for deep-fried blues."[1] The Province admired the "classy picking and sly singing."[12] The Washington Post opined that "the late Stevie Ray was flashier but Jimmie's strengths, riffing and grooving, have proven rarer and thus more valuable."[13]

The Ottawa Citizen concluded that the "minimalist approach has led to a lot of misunderstandings in the past, but Vaughan's fiery, precise work on Out There should help overcome these misconceptions." The Indianapolis Star praised "the gospel/doo-wop underbelly of the wonderfully languid 'Astral Projection Blues'." Guitar Player determined that the album is "a swampfest of greasy grooves and maverick guitar playing, and underscores the Texan's knack for pulling rabbits out of some very old blues hats."[14] The Boston Globe wrote that the album "is a return to Vaughan basics: the stinging yet svelte guitar tone, the warmth of a Hammond B3 organ, and a reliance on blues shuffles that hook you."[15]

AllMusic called the album "a familiar blend of Texas blues and roadhouse blues-rock."

Notes and References

  1. News: Corcoran . Michael . Jimmie Vaughan finds a groove . Austin American-Statesman . 9 June 1998 . E1.
  2. Book: Gregory . Hugh . Roadhouse Blues: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Texas R&B . 2003 . Backbeat . 185.
  3. News: Catlin . Roger . In the Clubs . Hartford Courant . 14 May 1998 . Calendar . 5.
  4. Web site: Jimmie Vaughan . Billboard . 12 December 2023.
  5. Morris . Chris . Guitarist Jimmie Vaughan gets 'Out There' with rootsy Epic set . Billboard . May 16, 1998 . 110 . 20 . 12, 42.
  6. News: Young . Jon . New Sounds . Newsday . 23 July 1998 . C7.
  7. News: McGarrigle . Dale . Re-energized Vaughan to play Portland venue . Bangor Daily News . 29 June 1998 . 1.
  8. News: Shuster . Fred . Guitar Sound All His Own . Los Angeles Daily News . 19 June 1998 . L20.
  9. Web site: Jimmie Vaughan . Grammy Awards . 12 December 2023.
  10. News: Farr . Sara . Recordings on Review . Dayton Daily News . 3 July 1998 . Go! . 19.
  11. Hot CDs . Texas Monthly . Jun 1998 . 26 . 6 . 24.
  12. News: Derdeyn . Stuart . Please Release Me . The Province . 16 June 1998 . B5.
  13. News: Himes . Geoffrey . Jimmie Vaughan 'Out There' . The Washington Post . 10 July 1998 . N16.
  14. Thompson . Art . Wildman! . Guitar Player . Jul 1998 . 32 . 7 . 58.
  15. News: Morse . Steve . Vaughan rediscovers joy in the blues . The Boston Globe . 6 July 1998 . C6.