Townes Van Zandt - Be Here To Love Me

[djmelbatoast]

I just watched this movie last night.

Yet another movie about the tragic loss of a musical genius due to drug abuse. (is it just me or is the storyline getting a little old?) It's interesting in the movie how when he's a young man drinking out of a jug of whiskey with a gun in his hand it seems fun and crazy. As it goes on to show him and his friends getting blind drunk at 50+ though it seems kind of sad, and his son is just brutally depressing.

I hadn't heard TVZ before this but saw that Alabama Man listens to alot of his stuff so I rented it. The songs are quite chilling and I found out that Waiting Around To Die wasn't a Be Good Tanyas song.

The live preformances seemed a little weak, not the strongest voice, but what seemed to be studio tracks sounded awesome.

Can anyone suggest a starting off album for TVZ?

[NewRider]

Townes Van Zandt - Live at The Old Quarter is FUCKING AMAZING!!! Just lost my copy recently too

TVZ is THE most underated country musician ever to grace this planet. He can change my moood with a simple crack in his singing voice. Beautiful picker and in my opinion the greatest outlaw country songwriter to date. I haven't seen this movie yet. I had the opportunity to purchase it a few months ago but I was going through a dry spell and I knew it would send me running to the bottle!

Nashville Sessions is also really good as is At My Window. I don't think there is a bad album but recently his ex-manager has started releasing as much live material as he can. His voice is GREAT on The Old Quarter album, best I've ever heard it. I think that was '72 or '73 so maybe look for albums around that era of his career.

Enter Alabama Man.........

[bradm]

His allmusic entry is here. It seems like "Live At The Old Quarter" is the best bet, but I'd like recommendations for a compilation, if there's a good one that includes later material/performances.

Aloha,

Brad

[NewRider]

Alabama Man was listening to this compilation the other day I think

Townes Van Zandt - Texas Troubadour

1 For the Sake of the Song VanZandt 4:45

2 Tecumseh Valley VanZandt 2:41

3 Many a Fine Lady VanZandt 3:51

4 Quicksilver Daydreams of Maria VanZandt 3:39

5 Waiting Around to Die VanZandt 2:23

6 I'll Be Here in the Morning VanZandt 2:44

7 Sad Cinderella VanZandt 4:40

8 The Velvet Voices VanZandt 3:13

9 All Your Young Servants VanZandt 2:57

10 Talkin' Karate Blues VanZandt 3:05

11 Sixteen Summers, Fifteen Falls VanZandt 2:36

12 Be Here to Love Me VanZandt 2:36

13 Kathleen VanZandt 2:45

14 She Came and She Touched Me VanZandt 4:01

15 Like a Summer Thursday VanZandt 3:02

16 Our Mother the Mountain VanZandt 4:20

17 Second Lover's Song VanZandt 2:14

18 St. John the Gambler VanZandt 3:03

19 Tecumseh VanZandt 4:53

20 Snake Mountain Blues VanZandt 2:37

21 My Proud Mountains VanZandt 5:02

22 Why She's Acting This Way VanZandt 5:23

23 For the Sake of the Song VanZandt 5:18

24 Columbine VanZandt 2:30

25 Waiting Around to Die VanZandt 2:41

26 Don't Take It Too Bad VanZandt 2:50

27 Colorado Girl VanZandt 3:15

28 Lungs VanZandt 2:25

29 I'll Be Here in the Morning VanZandt 2:57

30 Fare Thee Well, Miss Carousel VanZandt 5:17

31 (Quicksilver Daydreams Of) Maria VanZandt 4:41

32 None But the Rain VanZandt 2:23

33 F.F.V. Traditional 3:32

34 Delta Momma Blues Moore, Studdard, Van Zandt 3:56

35 Only Him or Me VanZandt 2:27

36 Turnstyled, Junkpiled VanZandt 3:20

37 Tower Song VanZandt 4:07

38 Come Tomorrow VanZandt 2:54

39 Brand New Companion VanZandt 4:41

40 Where I Lead Me VanZandt 2:47

41 Rake VanZandt 4:01

42 Nothin' VanZandt 2:46

43 Two Hands VanZandt 2:34

44 You Are Not Needed Now VanZandt 4:15

45 Greensboro Woman VanZandt 2:21

46 Highway Kind VanZandt 2:15

47 Standin' VanZandt 3:23

48 No Deal VanZandt 3:13

49 To Live Is to Fly VanZandt 3:15

50 When He Offers His Hand VanZandt 3:00

51 Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold VanZandt 2:22

52 Blue Ridge Mountains VanZandt 2:10

53 High, Low and in Between VanZandt 3:13

54 No Lonesome Tune VanZandt 4:20

55 Sad Cinderella VanZandt 4:15

56 German Mustard [A Clapalong] Hill, VanZandt 2:55

57 Don't Let the Sunshine Fool Ya' Clark 2:26

58 Honky Tonkin' Williams 3:43

59 Snow Don't Fall VanZandt 2:42

60 Fraulein Williams 2:43

61 Pancho and Lefty VanZandt 3:40

62 If I Needed You VanZandt 3:44

63 Silver Ships of Andilar VanZandt 5:08

64 Heavenly Houseboat Blues VanZandt 2:40

65 Loretta VanZandt 3:51

66 No Place to Fall VanZandt 3:31

67 Flyin' Shoes VanZandt 4:25

68 Who Do You Love McDaniel 4:01

69 When She Don't Need Me VanZandt 3:13

70 Dollar Bill Blues VanZandt 3:01

71 Rex's Blues VanZandt 2:31

72 Pueblo Waltz VanZandt 3:01

73 Brother Flower VanZandt 2:56

74 Snake Song VanZandt 2:36

75 Two Girls [live] VanZandt 3:46

76 Fraternity Blues [live] VanZandt 3:07

77 White Freight Liner Blues [live] VanZandt 3:11

78 Talking Thuderbird Blues [live] VanZandt 2:33

79 Nine Pound Hammer [live] Travis 3:08

80 Chauffeur's Blues [live] Hopkins 4:33

81 Cocaine Blues [live] Traditional 3:30

82 Only Him or Me [live] VanZandt 2:42

[Esau.]

Townes was the man. Surprisingly, I've yet to see the movie, I'm torn if I really want to.

As albums go, to start out I'd recommend any of these:

-Live At The Old Quarter

-For The Sake Of The Song

-Townes Van Zandt

-The Late Great Townes Van Zandt

-Live at the Bluebird cafe (with Guy Clark & Steve Earle)

-Nashville Sessions

Hands down though, 'Texas Troubadour' (4 CD) is the package to get in my opinion, if your looking for a great retrospective of his music. It covers just about it all. Alot of people are surprised as well, when they realize just how many bands covered his msuic in which he was practically overlooked by the main stream & country/folk music scenes. Many people who covered his songs made more money then he did from his songs too.

A true musical genuis in more ways then most know (think MENSA) Townes was the real deal.

Townes is the only songwriter that can truly bring me to tears everytime I listen and being a person who has battled depression most of my years (and still do) at times it scares me at that I relate to his music as much as I feel I do, not even Dylan does that to me. His songs run shivers up my spine to no end and bring emotions to the surface I try so hard to keep inside, to me his songs feel personal.

Best quote about Townes I've ever read was by Steve Earle:

"Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that."

God bless Townes Van Zandt.

[bradm]

Thanks, 'bama, I just put "Texas Troubadour" on my Christmas List. I also posted a nice performance of Pancho And Lefty in the YouTube Forum.

Aloha,

Brad

[djmelbatoast]

I ended up buying Townes Van Zandt: Anthology 1968-1979 from True North Records,

Be Here to Love Me (2:38)

2 Kathleen (2:47)

3 Our Mother the Mountain (4:21)

4 St. John the Gambler (3:05)

5 Snake Mountain Blues (2:39)

6 For the Sake of Song (5:19)

7 Waiting Around to Die (2:43)

8 Don't Take It Too Bad (2:52)

9 Colorado Girl (3:17)

10 I'll Be Here in the Morning (2:58)

11 None But the Rain (2:25)

12 Delta Momma Blues (3:59)

13 Turnstyled, Junkpiled (3:23)

14 Tower Song (4:08)

15 Come Tomorrow (2:56)

16 Brand New Companion (4:43)

17 Where I Lead Me (2:49)

18 Two Hands (2:33)

19 Standin' (3:27)

20 No Deal (3:12)

21 (CD 2) To Live Is to Fly (3:17)

22 (CD 2) Mr. Gold and Mr. Mud (2:25)

23 (CD 2) High, Low and in Between (3:15)

24 (CD 2) No Lonesome Tune (4:15)

25 (CD 2) Don't Let the Sunshine Fool Ya' (2:29)

26 (CD 2) Honky Tonkin' (3:40)

27 (CD 2) Fraulein (2:45)

28 (CD 2) Pancho and Lefty (3:41)

29 (CD 2) If I Needed You (3:50)

30 (CD 2) Heavenly Houseboat Blues (2:42)

31 (CD 2) Fraternity Blues (Live) (3:06)

32 (CD 2) Tecumseh Valley (Live) (4:30)

33 (CD 2) Lungs (Live) (2:30)

34 (CD 2) Only Him or Me (Live) (2:47)

35 (CD 2) Loretta (3:51)

36 (CD 2) No Place to Fall (3:32)

37 (CD 2) Flyin' Shoes (4:27)

38 (CD 2) Who Do You Love (4:03)

39 (CD 2) When She Don't Need Me (3:14)

40 (CD 2) Snake Song

partialy because it was the only record they had a partially because it had alot of the songs I wanted. I'm enjoying it and am about to start drinking.

[Calamity Jane]

I just put "Texas Troubadour" on my Christmas List.

ditto!

T

His songs run shivers up my spine to no end and bring emotions to the surface I try so hard to keep inside, to me his songs feel personal.

your descriptions just caused my own shivers!!!

really looking forward to hearing/learning about this man!

[Blurry]

TVZ is THE most underated country musician ever to grace this planet.

For sure.

I went back to his website to copy a story I had read while I was doing my radio show in St John's a couple years ago. Unfortunately it isn't on there but it goes something like this (don't know if this was in the movie?);

He was moving in an old beat up wagon to Texas. On his way he was stopped by 2 police officers (one albino and one mexican). They put him in the back of the cruiser and sat in the front having a discussion between them about what they were going to charge him with. Wondering if he could say something to change their minds he asked them if they had ever heard of the song "Poncho and Lefty". The officers looked at eachother with a grin and said they had. He went on to tell them he had written it but Willie Nelson had made it popular. The officers didn't believe him so he went on and started singing it for them.

He finished and they again had a little discussion amongst themselves in the front seat. After which one turned to Townes and told him he was free to go.

Being a curious mind he asked them why they had decided to let him go. They told him it was because their code names were Poncho and Lefty. When he asked who was who, the albino said he was Poncho and the Mexican was Lefty.

Also, according to his website there's a book about Townes due out in March.

[TheGoodRev]

I'm gonna rent this flick, I don't know much about TVZ. I've given that anthology a spin once or twice on my radio show, that's about the extent of it.

Speaking of Dylan, and Townes Van Zandt, and awkward television moments, can you imagine two more awkward performers than Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan in this clip of them performing Pancho and Lefty? That's Kenny Aronoff on drums, and I recognize the mandolin player (the guy with ridiculous hair) but I don't remember his name.

[Giggles]

My band does a few Townes tunes...I'm right with Steve Earle in my opinion of Townes as a great (THE GREATEST) songwriter in Americana...and "Be Here To Love Me" will really let people know what sort of tormented and beautiful man Townes was...it was all for the music for Townes...

And, that would be none other than Marty Stewart on the Mando...

Gawpo Giggles