Roy Buchanan – In The Beginning VG+/VG+

In the Beginning captures Roy Buchanan at his rawest and most instinctive, drawing from early‑career recordings that showcase the unvarnished power of his Telecaster tone. The album feels like a window into a player still discovering the full reach of his phrasing: bends stretch with vocal intensity, clean lines snap with precision, and his trademark sting is already unmistakable. There’s a looseness to the performances that gives the music a lived‑in, bar‑band immediacy, yet Buchanan’s touch is so controlled that even the roughest edges feel intentional. Blues, country, and early rock ’n’ roll threads weave together without self‑consciousness, revealing the hybrid style that would later define him. What emerges is less a polished statement than a portrait of a guitarist whose emotional directness and technical fluency were present from the start, making the album a compelling document of his formative voice.