The Arcangels seemed to disappear as quickly as the appeared back in 1992. It was Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton’s soul salivation at the time after the tragic death of their brother Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Living In A Dream was more than a musical experience for me, it gave me a better understanding of what the Arcangels are all about and what Double Trouble went through after Stevie was gone. On the DVD portion of this set in the backstage chapter, Shannon describes how painful it was for him and Layton. They were both so depressed they could barely get out the door to go to the store. 5 weeks after the passing of the beloved Vaughn, Doyle Bramhall II and Charlie Sexton met the rhythm section of the SRV band at the Arc and started to jam. The Arcangels were born. There are more parts to the story of course but that is it in a nutshell.
Doyle Bramhall II (vocals & guitars), Charlie Sexton (vocals & guitars), Chris Layton (drums) and Tommy Shannon (bass) (The Double Trouble rhythm section) decided to mend their fences and get back together and this is the result, a comprehensive set that includes two CDs, one with 13 live tracks, and 3 new studio tracks that serve as precursor of what is to come, with a live cut of “Spanish Moon” at Atone’s and lastly, a DVD with the entire performance captured live for your viewing pleasure including the insightful backstage section that treats you to interviews of all the band members.
The common misconception of this band was that it was a super group from Texas, one of those guitar army configurations. The truth is that the band was formed because they considered each other as family, one that has a spiritual connection to the music scene in Austin and forever entwined with the legacy and music of Stevie Ray. Long before the Arcangels were a thought, Doyle (his father was in Stevie’s band) used to sit on Stevie’s lap and play guitar. Then in another instance at a performance at a local club, Stevie handed Charlie his guitar at a performance when he was a teenager, much to the dismay of his bass player, who at the time had no clue who the kid was. Well the years flew by and as fate would have it they got together to play music again as a band that would have a huge, albeit short impact. The problem early on was the wild youngsters Bramhall and Sexton. Although musically they did not lack chemistry it was the other lab substances that made them clash. They eventually grew up, sowed their wild oats as it were and they are back ready to make some great music. Unfortunately Tommy will be replaced due to health reasons, which makes this set that much more historic and prolific. You have not heard the last of this band; in fact consider this set as a reintroduction ready to rock your soul. You can see for yourself right here and watch the awesome title track http://arcangelsmusic.com/video.
The Double Trouble rhythm section of Layton and Shannon needs no introduction but those unfamiliar with Sexton and Bramhall II will consider this a great find. Those of us that already know about these great players will welcome them back with open arms to reestablish the Arcangels as a force in music. The dynamic duo serve as two strong presences on the stage and in the studio and it is documented very well on the DVD. They both have their strengths, Sexton is better singer than a guitar player, although he is good player, and Bramhall is a better guitar player than singer, again, he is a good singer but in this case they both do one thing better than the other and complement each other especially well. Their perfected back and forth exchange on the vocals on most of their songs afford listeners a nice variety, a smoky blues rock blend that has its reckoning at the concert and in the new studio tracks.
Stand out tracks are the “Living In A Dream”, “Too Many Ways To Fall” (check out Charlie’s vocals on this one), and the powerful “Crave and Wonder”. Included is a surprisingly good cover of the Wings classic “Too Many People” as part of the new studio tracks on the bonus disc. The entire set is loaded with killer blues rock played by living legends; yes all of them are now. Bramhall has played with Clapton to name a few so the years they were not part of this band they all stayed busy continually honing their chops.
Living In A Dream should not be missed if you are blues rock fan or have enjoyed music from one of the hotbeds of developing artists and a slew of legendary players, Austin Texas.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
February 6, 2010
