The Sky Is Crying Songs Ranked

The Sky Is Crying is the fifth and final studio album by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, compiling songs recorded throughout most of their career. Released 14 months 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, and was Vaughan’s highest charting album at number 10. 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. Here are all of The Sky Is Crying songs ranked.

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10. Wham

“As Eric Clapton has said, Stevie had a direct line running from his heart to the guitar neck, bypassing his brain altogether. It means he didn’t have to think ahead about what he was going to play, it just flowed straight through.”

9. Life by the Drop

“I don’t see how these out-takes didn’t make it onto the albums. Especially Life by the Drop, which drew tears the first time I heard it, and has become one of my very favorite songs.”

8. Little Wing

“Like so many albums culled together after an artist’s death, the continuity of the overall album is not like previous SRV albums. Having said that, there are so many wonderful songs on this album that you soon forget that point. SRV’s playing is fluid and filled with emotion… a true sign that he was back at the top of his game. The first time I heard this redition of “Little Wing” I was mesmerized; it is by the far the most inspired playing you can ever expect to hear.”

See more: Stevie Ray Vaughan Albums Ranked

7. So Excited

“Such a shame a fantastic artist like Stevie is gone. His music reflects real life. I think he taught Kenny Wayne Shepard how to play. Must be a good thing his brother is alive to keep his legacy alive. You have to live the Blue’s to write them.”

6. Empty Arms

“Everything here works as the band breathes even more fire into Lonnie Mack’s “Wham”, turns the Jimi Hendrix classic into a slow burner that gains in momentum until it reaches its end, and turns their own “Empty Arms”, which sounded somewhat sluggish on Soul to Soul, into a joyous shuffle.”

5. Chitlins con carne

” Another highlight is Chitlins con Carne, Stevie’s homage to jazz great Kenny Burrell. Little Wing has never been played with such soul and grace (sorry Hendrix & Clapton fans). There isn’t a bad song to be found here, and plenty of rarities to make it a must have.”

See more: Stevie Ray Vaughan Songs Ranked

4. The Sky Is Crying

“The Sky Is Crying (1991) is a collection of songs recorded by Stevie Ray Vaughan that weren’t used on albums he officially released during his life. Why, I don’t know. There are some great blues tracks here.”

3. Close to You

“It’s honestly hard to listen to this album without feeling the emptiness left behind with Vaughan’s passing, knowing that this was all there was left. A recording, not an album exactly, of outtakes and seconds that, somehow, manages to be just as strong as any other release by SRV.”

2. Boot Hill

“Stevie Ray Vaughan’s too rarely heard slide playing smoulders on the morbid “Boot Hill” (an alternative version of Elmore James’ “Look On Yonder Wall”), which is also highlighted by Reese Wynans’ wonderful piano playing.”

1. May I Have a Talk With You

“In an odd way this may be may favorite of Vaughan’s releases. Perhaps my judgement of it is colored just slightly with his loss to the world, but in truth I think it really does stand up as one of his finest releases.”