You Can’t Stop a Comet: My Friends and Buds We’ve All Been Somewhere Twice
by Cutter Brandenburg
318 pp., $60
The long, awkward title could’ve been recast as Mr. Cee’s Wild Ride. Cutter Brandenburg, better known to friends and associates as “Mr. Cee,” jumped aboard the Stevie Ray Vaughan train in the early days, first as friend and confidante, then as roadie and confidante. Without focusing on guitar-wanking or philosophy (except his own), Brandenburg paints an arresting portrait of life behind a guitarist destined for the stars, only to see it explode like a supernova. You Can’t Stop a Comet is hardly a traditional read, however, delivered more like an oral history that’s been transcribed without much thought given to style or grammar. That’s okay; Cutter cops to that early on, and those rough edges give the book its offbeat charm, much of it courtesy of the book’s insider photos (over 250 of them including a color section) and their lengthy captions, which offer a very personal look from the backstage perch into SRV’s life, as well as Cutter’s further adventures touring with Johnny Winter, Jo Jo Gunne, and others. Make no mistake, though. This is Cutter’s story and Cutter’s life, and he tells it like it is, right up to tales of his own club. Comet throws sparks with the passionate exuberance of a fan and friend, and at $60 bucks a pop, it’s obviously for fans and friends. To them, it’s worth every cent.
This article appears in June 2 • 2006.