Side one has present vocals and guitars, keeping in mind that the vocals are usually well back in the mix compared to the guitars, which for a guitarist of SRV’s skill is probably a good thing.
The bass is big, the overall presentation is huge, and the energy is jumpin’. A bit more top would have put it right up there with the best we played. As it is, A++ is the grade, a big step up over the average copy to hit our table.
Side two earned a grade of A+ to A++. It’s very transparent, with good presence and energy. The upper mids get to be a bit much at times, which makes the snare drum and cymbals a bit hi-fi-ish, and there is some smear on the transients (two problem areas that we ran into repeatedly in our shootout).
Observations
This SUPER HOT STAMPER side one gets Stevie’s bluesy guitar to sound about as rich and powerful as any recording of it can. Just picture yourself in a blues club. Now imagine the volume being about ten times as loud. This is the kind of music you would hear and it would tend to sound pretty much like this, a bit messy but also real. If you’re one of those audiophiles who likes pinpoint imaging, forget it. They were going for the “live in the studio” sound with this one, which means it’s a bit of a jumble image-wise. But that’s the way you would hear it in a blues club, so where’s the harm?