I had never heard about Townes Van Zandt until the late seventies when, on Emmylou Harris’s ‘Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town’ she covered his Poncho and Lefty. It enjoyed the song but it failed to get me to check his own albums any further. One of the most probable explanations for that is that I never came across one. It wasn’t till many years later that I owned a copy of ‘At My Window’ and a live album.
However despite this and the many people who have extolled the virtues of his recordings and, in particular, songs I suppose I haven’t ever found myself in the Townes ‘club.’ A couple of years back Steve Earle’s ‘Townes’ album only succeeded in putting me off if I’m honest. I remember us returning from holiday and a pile of records awaited me in my car from AC HQ. I gave Steve’s album a try but after enduring it for half an hour my family,as one, begged me to take it off. I got their pain.
So I am approaching a special on Townes with some hesitation. Part of me is loving catching up (I’m reading ……’s biography and listening to all the songs) but another part is finding this strange, slightly unpleasant character quite a hard nut to crack. I suppose it all comes down to finding a song which you want to play and play again. The only song of Townes that has (so far) come into that category is If You Needed Me and I must say that’s a song any writer would have wanted to write.
So as we approach what would have been his 70th year let me open up this particular blog to you, the listener. many of you have asked us to pay proper tribute to the man and we are delighted to be doing that. But we need some input too. What is so special about Townes Van Zandt? Why is he so highly respected amongst his peers? What are the key albums and which songs would we be foolish to omit? Do join the blog for this particular quest and don’t be afraid to keep us right or equally let us know if his music has passed you by.
Richard Murdoch and myself started this show by declaring to each other that we loved country music but knew very little about it. In the same muddled way we hope we can bring you some of the greatness in Townes Van Zandt and reflect the passion his fans have had for his records over the course of over 40 years. So if you are new to the blog, welcome along ..come on in the digital water’s lovely.
Townes got me somewhere along the way when I found a solo acoustic version of Waitin’ Around to Die at the end a woman’s voice says “that’s beautiful” which felt a little inappropriate to describe the desolation I could here but maybe that is the point of Townes beauty in desolation or desolation in beauty. Whatever it is I can feel it and it ususally makes me cry.
I’m at a loss to help on this one, sadly, as Townes Van Zandt has pretty much passed me by. The only song of his that I own is a cover of the Stones’ “Dead Flowers”, as featured on the rather sublime soundtrack to “The Big Lebowski”!
This is an interesting article with some suggestions, though—http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2008/feb/26/wastownesvanzandtbetterth—and not least for an inflammatory quote from Steve Earle: “Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the world, and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that!” Now that there’s fightin’ talk.
Another one I can’t help with. He seems to be someone where his songs sound better being covered by others. Didn’t Caitlin Rose cover ‘Dead Flowers” as well ? He’s name checked by a number of country artists so there must be something there. If you can find it Ricky, you’ll have done well.
I came to TvZ’s music via Lyle Lovett’s covers of ‘If I Needed You’ and a brilliant version of ‘Flyin’ Shoes’. If I’m honest I prefer LL’s versions/voice.
That said, I also like ‘All Your Young Servants’ from his debut album For The Sake of the Song (which also has ‘Tecumseh Valley – also much covered) and also ‘Snake Song’ and his version of ‘Who Do You Love’ from the Flyin’ Shoes album.
I’m afraid that’s it….
Adam, Townes thanked Steve for the quote that was for the liner notes to one of TVZ’s albums. Townes added that it was a nice thing to say. However, he had seen Bob Dylan’s bodyguard and I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
Ricky, The thing about Steve Earle’s “Townes” album was it was part of the mourning process for SE. Steve has freely admitted that some of it was him dealing with “Survivor Guilt” adding that I don’t why he died and I am still here.” adding in reply to the question as to why Townes didn’t make more of an impact, than he did!? “Townes shot himself in the foot repeatedly, He had really good aim and his foot was just there.” Steve Earle’s “Townes” only contains songs that were important to Steve. It was not meant to really be an introduction as such. In fact the guy who was engineering and co producing the album with SE. Said to Steve one day. ” Me and my girlfriend were sitting listening to the album last night, We both agreed it was as if we should not have been listening to it. It was like we were party to something really private.”
Ricky, if you have not heard TVZ’s song “Rex’s Blues” being covered by Steve. I would ask you seek it out, It is a thing of great beauty especially with the spoken intro on the live videos.
“Ride the blue wind high and free
She’ll lead you down through misery
Leave you low, come time to go
Alone and low as low can be
If I had a nickel I’d find a game
If I won a dollar I’d make it rain
If it rained an ocean I’d drink it dry
And lay me down dissatisfied..”
There’s a video on YouTube with “Rex’s Blues” couple with “Ft Worth Blues” Steve Earle’s tribute to TVZ.
As to my own connections with TVZ. He is a master at the storytelling via the narrative perspective. Like many of his peers. Yes he can take you sometimes to the dark places in his soul. It was his soul and how he expressed his emotions that was what was so special about TVZ.
If I was to recommend an album to someone who was unfamiliar with TVZ. It would be “Our Mother The Mountain” every single time! “Lungs” and of course “Rex’s Blues.” are songs that any TVZ retrospective examination would be the all the more poorer by their exclusion.
Townes is the man! Be sure to play Loretta, Waitin’ Around To Die, In The Morning and Tecumseh Valley. They are all amazing.
he is of course meant to be the author of the great quote “there is only the blues and zippedee do da”
I love Townes Van Zandt, so much so in fact my son’s middle name is Townes. I discovered his music through the cover version of Dead Flowers on the Big Lebowski soundtrack and have spent the last 10 years or so trying to collect everything I can about him. It’s an unusual thing to say, but I wouldn’t start with the studio albums, they’re not much cop – I find them overproduced at best, and at worst very poorly produced. Thankfully there’s a wealth of live stuff out there which is brilliant. “Live at the Old Quarter” is very good and “A Quiet Evening With Townes Van Zandt” is simply sublime.
You should also check out the documentary “Be Here To Love Me” which may provide you with a more sympathetic view of the ‘slightly unpleasant character’ you mention on your blog. His back story is Americana legend and in my opinion Townes Van Zandt is one of the finest, if not the finest songwriters ever to have walked planet. There’s a good episode of Elvis Costello’s “Spectacle” with John Prine, Lyle Lovett and Ray Lamontagne during which they discuss the influence of Townes’ music on their careers.
Townes’ music had a profound impact on me when I first started listening to him and his influence completely changed the types of music I listened to. From Townes I found Steve Earle, Guy Clark, John Prine, Lightning Hopkins, Gram Parsons and dozens of others including Blaze Foley – an almost forgotten peer of Townes in Austin and one of the finest singer-songwriters from that era. I’m very excited to see this blog and look forward to reading others’ points of view.
I too tried to listen and get into Townes, and it has been a struggle. Despite that, there are a few tracks that I think are truly sublime.
If your looking for a little inspiration, my favorite performance must be “waitin around to die” (see it here on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6JG-yE8UTw). I love the way it impacts on Seymour Washington, it obviously touches a very deep chord with a chapter in that guy’s life. Hell ain’t that what a song should do.
Further to I never tire of the words in “Rake”. (youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPw6OxBBfJc).
I’ll be listening out for the show, hope you can turn me onto something I haven’t heard yet!
Keep it up Ricky, best show in the country, or any country at that.
Best Mike.
Ckive Dee. The version of “Waitin’ Round to Die” you were listening to was the recording from the documentary ‘Heartworn Highways’ and the person saying “That’s beautiful” is Guy Clarke’s late wife Susannah. If you type waitin round to die into youtube, it should be the first video to pop up.
I’d send a link, but on phone and at work. Will do later.
Just getting a chance to see all these replies now. Touched and very moved to hear your love of the artist. It’s immensely helpful to have all this information and I’m about to starting flicking through the you tube links. I always knew we had a great listenership and it’s confirmed here again.Thank you. Ricky