The Sky Is Crying (album)

The Sky Is Crying
Studio album by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
Released	November 5, 1991
Recorded	January 1984 – May 1989
Genre	Electric blues, Texas blues
Length	38:28
Label	Epic
Producer	Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tommy Shannon, Chris Layton, Jim Gaines, Richard Mullen, Jim Capfer
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble chronology
In Step (1989)In Step1989 The Sky Is Crying (1991) In the Beginning (1992)In the Beginning1992

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The Sky Is Crying is the fifth and final studio album of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, containing recordings spanning most of their career. Released about one year after Vaughan's death in 1990, the album features ten previously unreleased tracks recorded between 1984 and 1989. Only one title, "Empty Arms" (complete reprisal), appeared on any of the group's previous albums. The tracks were compiled by Vaughan's brother, Jimmie Vaughan, in an effort to release the title track.

The Sky Is Crying illustrates many of Vaughan's musical influences, including songs in the style of traditional Delta blues, Texas blues, Chicago blues, jump blues, jazz blues, and Jimi Hendrix's blues-rock. The album's tone alternates primarily between uptempo pieces and gritty, slow blues. The album includes a Grammy-winning extended instrumental cover version of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing"; Kenny Burrell's "Chitlins con Carne", a jazz instrumental; and, "Life by the Drop", a song written by Vaughan's friend Doyle Bramhall and played on a twelve-string acoustic guitar.

Track listing

1. "Boot Hill" (Simon Bink, James Reyne) – 2:15
2. "The Sky Is Crying" (Elmore James, Morris Levy, Clarence Lewis) – 4:36
3. "Empty Arms" (Stevie Ray Vaughan) – 3:29
4. "Little Wing" (Jimi Hendrix) – 6:49
5. "Wham" (Lonnie Mack) – 2:25
6. "May I Have a Talk with You" (Howlin' Wolf) – 5:49
7. "Close to You" (Willie Dixon) – 3:10
8. "Chitlins con Carne" (Kenny Burrell) – 3:57
9. "So Excited" (Stevie Ray Vaughan) – 3:30
10. "Life by the Drop" (Doyle Bramhall, Barbara Logan) – 2:28

Personnel

• Stevie Ray Vaughan – guitars, vocals
• Chris Layton – drums
• Tommy Shannon – bass guitar
• Reese Wynans – keyboards

Production

• Track 1 produced by Jim Gaines and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble

Recorded at Kiva Studios, Memphis, TN, 2/89–4/89

Engineered by Jim Gaines and Richard Mullen

Assistant engineers – Evan Rush, Danny Jones

• Tracks 2, 6, 8, and 9 produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble and Richard Mullen

Recorded at The Dallas Sound Lab, Dallas, TX, 3/85–5/85

Engineered by Richard Mullen

Assistant engineer – Ron Cote

• Tracks 3–5 and 7 produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon, Richard Mullen, and Jim Capfer

Recorded at The Power Station, NY, 1/84–2/84

Engineered by Richard Mullen

Assistant engineer – Rob Eaton

• Track 10 produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jim Gaines

Recorded at Sound Castle Studios, Los Angeles, CA, 4/89–5/89

• Compilation and additional production – Jimmie Vaughan
• Mixed and engineered by Richard Mullen
• Assistant engineer – Jeff Powell
• Production coordination – Mark Proct, Mark Rutledge, Roger Klein
• Mastered by Bob Ludwig
• Art direction – Arnold Levine/Mark Burdett
• Photography – William Snyder
• Inside photo – Stephanie Chernakowski
• Band photo – Alan Messer

References