At first glance, the cover of SRV seems curious -- an extreme closeup not of Stevie Ray Vaughan's expressive face or hands but of his name, burned into the back of his favourite, weathered Stratocaster.

Wade into this impressive four-CD box of hits, obscurities and unreleased tracks, however, and the analogous point of the pic is obvious: SRV wants to give us a view of Vaughan and his music we've never had -- an up-close and personal, behind-the-scenes look at one of the most revered blues guitarists of the late 20th century.

Easier said than done. Since the Texas guitar slinger died in a post-gig helicopter crash in 1990, his reputation has spread like wildfire. His label Sony has been fanning that flame with a steady stream of posthumous releases -- live albums, early tracks, acoustic collections, remastered versions of his original albums. For the most part, the stuff has been decent. Still, lately we've had the sense the bottom of the barrel was within scraping distance.

Turns out we were wrong. Like that of his inspiration and idol Jimi Hendrix, the wellspring of unreleased Vaughan material seems never-ending. At least, that's what SRV suggests. After all the reissues and bootlegs and compilations with extra songs, producers of this 54-track set still managed to find 36 top-notch unreleased or obscure cuts -- a full two-thirds of the box. There's even a DVD of outtakes from an Austin City Limits performance taped in Vaughan's final year. And for skeptics like us who ask how much more there could be to know about Stevie Ray, the answer seems to be plenty. Along with the usual pictures, recording details and glowing tributes in the 72-page book, you'll find in-depth biographies and technical articles that detail every aspect of Vaughan's life from the first blues record he bought to the pedals, strings and picks he used to create his sound.

It was that inimitable sound -- those fat, bluesy Hendrix licks, those rubbery, sliding jazz chords, those sharp stabbing leads -- that took Vaughan from the Austin bar circuit to the stratosphere. SRV tells that tale in chronological order, starting with nearly a dozen superb rarities: Early Double Trouble cuts from club dates, soundchecks and radio broadcasts, and even a 1977 single of Thunderbird by Paul Ray & The Cobras, featuring the 23-year-old guitarist. If SRV stopped there, it would still be pretty damned cool.

What's cooler is that it maintains this standard throughout the four-hour-long package. Only a handful of the previously released numbers are hits like Pride and Joy or House is Rockin'. The bulk consist of less-heard album cuts like Change It or Wall of Denial, along with some tunes even fans might not have -- Vaughan's sideman appearances on discs by other artists like Albert King, Johnny Copeland and Lonnie Mack. Among the unreleased tracks are plenty of must-have gems: masterful covers of Jimi's Voodoo Chile, Little Wing and Third Stone From the Sun live in 1984; a smokin' duel with his brother Jimmie Lee on the surf-rock classic Pipeline; acoustic versions of Testify and Dirty Pool.

Nothing, however, is as historic, moving or downright spooky as the final three numbers, taped at Stevie Ray's penultimate gig less than 24 hours before his death. Featuring Vaughan at the height of his tremendous powers, this trio of songs paints a vivid final picture of an artist who made a mark on music as indelible as that signature he burned into his guitar.

Track Listing Disc1
  01.Thunderbird - Paul Ray & The Cobras (Featuring Stevie Ray Vaughan) (Previously Unissued)
  02.I'm Crying (Previously Unissued)
  03.You're Gonna Miss Me Baby (Previously Unissued)
  04.They Call Me Guitar Hurricane (Live)
  05.All Your Love I Miss Loving (Live)
  06.Come On (Pt. III) (Previously Unissued)
  07.Letter To My Girlfriend (Previously Unissued)
  08.Lenny (Previously Unissued)
  09.Don't Lose Your Cool (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  10.Crosscut Saw (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  11.Manic Depression (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  12.Texas Flood (Live)
  13.Collins' Shuffle (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  14.Pride And Joy
  15.Love Struck Baby (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  16.Hug You, Squeeze You (Live At The El Mocambo) (Previously Unavailable On CD)
  17.Don't Stop By The Creek, Son - Johnny Copeland With Stevie Ray Vaughan
  18.Ask Me No Questions - Albert King With Stevie Ray Vaughan

Disc2
  01.Scuttle Buttin'
  02.Couldn't Stand The Weather
  03.Empty Arms
  04.Little Wing/Third Stone From The Sun (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  05.If You Have To Know - Lonnie Mack With Stevie Ray Vaughan
  06.These Blues Is Killing Me - A.C. Reed With Stevie Ray Vaughan
  07.Boilermaker (Previously Unissued)
  08.Change It
  09.Shake 'N Bake (Previously Unissued)
  10.Mary Had A Little Lamb (Live)
  11.I'm Leavin' You (Committ A Crime) (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  12.Rude Mood/Pipeline - Stevie Ray Vaughan And Jimmie Vaughan (Previously Unissued)
  13.The Sky Is Crying (Live)
  14.Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) (Live)

Disc3
  01.Lookin' Out The Window (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  02.Look At Little Sister (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  03.Willie The Wimp (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  04.The House Is Rockin'
  05.Crossfire (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  06.Wall Of Denial
  07.Dirty Pool - Stevie Ray Vaughan (Previously Unissued)
  08.Goin' Down (Live) - Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jeff Beck (Previously Unissued)
  09.Rude Mood (Live) - Stevie Ray Vaughan (Previously Unissued)
  10.Pride And Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan (Live)
  11.Testify - Stevie Ray Vaughan (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  12.Long Way From Home - The Vaughan Brothers
  13.Tightrope (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  14.Cold Shot (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  15.The Things I Used To Do (Live)
  16.Let Me Love You Baby (Live) (Previously Unissued)
  17.Leave My Girl Alone (Live) (Peviously Unissued)

Disc4
  01.Introduction ("One Night In Texas" DVD) (Previously Unissued)
  02.May I Have A Talk With You ("One Night In Texas" DVD) (Previously Unissued)
  03.Mary Had A Little Lamb ("One Night In Texas" DVD) (Previously Unissued)
  04.Look At Little Sister ("One Night In Texas" DVD) (Previously Unissued)
  05.Couldn't Stand The Weather ("One Night In Texas" DVD) (Previously Unissued)
  06.Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) ("One Night In Texas" DVD) (Previously Unissued)