SRV all the way, clapton was very good, but SRV is a legend.

STEVIE BY A MILE!!!
flooding down in texas is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

I have the strangest feeling this isn't a joke...

They both pulled from the same sources, but Clapton just did it better. SRV (though amazingly talented) reallly wanted to be Jimi Hendrix. And even though he did an exellent job, nobody can be Jimi Hendrix. I don't even think Jimi could keep up with himself. There was nothing new about SRV's stuff, he just hit it off so big because there was finally music by talented people to be played on the radio. Had Stevie and Clapton came to the scene at the same time, I'm pretty sure Stevie would win, chops-wise... but because Clapton was one of the guys who started this blues-rock thing, he gets more points from me. Also, most of SRV's stuff is sonically similar... loud blues rock, Texas style... Clapton has made much more DIFFERENT music. You always know when you're listening to Stevie, and with Clapton it's a little more difficult.


Better guitar player? SRV
Better music? Clapton

See I really like the argument that Clapton played more diverse styles of music but to me he played Blues and then he played crap. That revolution song sounds like a god-aweful hyrbid of Jimmy Buffet and Captain and Tenneil (sp is way off) and frankly I don't think playing slick, cruiseship music makes you better.

And I don't you always know when you're listening to Stevie, and if you do, its just the same as with clapton. I mean, "see if you can spot this one"? Was he ****ting us, everyone could, they just couldn't believe he'd throw his greatest song a bowl full of valium.

I don't think Pride and Joy and Life by the drop were so similar.

On SRV..."I don't think anyone has commanded my respect more"...(and on watching him perform live)..."I got chills and knew I was in the presence of greatness. He seemed to be an open channel and music just flowed through him. It never seemed to dry up."

The words of Eric Clapton....nuff said!

That's what I was trying to convey in my earlier posts. Stevie Ray just seemed to channel the music. Someone said earlier that you could always tell SRV because he had that big Texas blues sound. That's true enough. He was born and raised in Texas.

I would venture a guess and say the poster who said that doesn't own any SRV. He's as versatile as Clapton, if you listen to more than just 'Love Struck Baby' or 'The House is Rockin', which is what they played on AOR. His big Texas Blues/Rock songs. Buy a cd, listen to all the tracks, not just the Big Texas Blues ones. You'll also find a lot of cuts that drip jazz, as well. Stan's Swang, and Riviera Paradise, to name a few. Yes, he rocked, and rocked big. But that wasn't all he did.

As far as him wanting to be Hendrix, that's just flat out false. Hendrix was an influence, sure enough, but the guy SRV emulated, wanted to be like, was blues great Albert King.

Stevie Ray Vaughan was not a blues guitarist in the classic sense of the word. But then again, neither was Clapton. They grew up later, and had alot more styles to listen to, to learn from, so of course [I]their[I] style was going to be more than just a straight blues sound. They didn't grow up playing just the blues, you know? They also had rock and roll to play.

But, in my opinion, SRV was a natural at it, when it came to playing straight up blues. Moreso than Clapton. I get the impression Clapton, when he plays the blues, is practicing a lesson he's been taught. SRV just dug it. He got it, and it showed.

They both got their lessons from the same pool of guitarists, though. Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, et.al, all provided licks for both guitarists to cut their teeth on. The blues community, more than any other genre, has a fabric that is interwoven so tightly, that you couldn't possibly name all the people who have covered other people's stuff.

There's a respect among blues musicians that you rarely find in any other genre, as evidenced by Clapton's statement mentioned above.

Definately.

Both very inspired artists though.

I agree with a lot of what has been posted here and I suppose, if based strictly on the "athletic" talent of playing guitar, I would have to go with SRV, but there is more to playing the blues than just that. Niether of these guys was/is particulary innovative or original; both wore their influences on their sleeve, so to speek. EC was clearly influenced by a whole host of guitarists, including Freddie King, Buddy Guy, Albert King, etc. SRV was influenced by Lonnie Mack(surprised not much mention of him), Albert King, Kenny Burrell, etc. I get the feeling that the sheer breadth of EC's career is getting short shrift here: Yardbirds, Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos, solo. The 'Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton' and 'Layla', imo, both surpass anything that SRV recorded in terms of lasting impact. Not to mention EC's version of 'Crossroad'(which, of course, I just did).

Clapton is crazy but SRV is insane.

hmm...good albums by SRV.....Texas Flood is always good to start on...but i like Live at the Montreux or however it's spelled. he was practically on fire

Nope, i'd say as far as making music, Clapton was way better than SRV, no matter how crazy of guitar skill SRV had.
Clapton just did it better, he made way better music, and is a hugley inspiring guitar player