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Schweiz (Deutsch)By Scott's recommendation I bought "Flyin' Shoes"
By Scott's recommendation I bought "Flyin' Shoes"
Posted: Wednesday, January 6, 2010 - 01:21
And it was a damn fine purchase. It's the first time I've ever listened to Townes Van Zandt and let me say this album is amazing. The title track itself should keep me going for a good long while.
So Thank you Mr. Avett for the recommendation.
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I recently picked up this and the "Be Here to Love Me" soundtrack, but haven't had a chance to give them their due attention ... something about buying 25 albums over the course of a few weeks has made it hard to focus on any one album. But I look forward to digging into it further.
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"I wanna have friends that I can trust, that love me for the man I’ve become not the man that I was."
http://www.facebook.com/tyackley2
I always point people towards "Live At The Old Quarter".
It's just him and his guitar in an old Texas bar.
He was an absolutely FANTASTIC song-writer. He was a tragic case, like so many amazing songwriters....
Check this one out.
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"A city man'll tell ya, "Do what it takes to stay on top,
But my Pa's a country man, and that's what I'll be 'til I drop." -Margo
http://www.facebook.com/nastynate704
Asked Santa for this a couple of years ago after reading an interview of Scott and him saying how much he liked the album. I have been addicted to Townes ever since.
I ll back Nasty Nate on the Live at the Old Quarter. Townes tells the best jokes through out the concert.
I also recommend the documentary "be here to love me". It is absolutely fabulously done. And gives a lot of insight into Townes' life and experiences.
My boyfriend's mom gave him her original copy of the "Live at the Old Quarter" LP for Christmas. She also gave him the "Heartworn Highways" DVD, which I have only watched part of but really liked.
I recently came out of the closet and admitted that I know nothing about Townes Van Zandt but am getting more and more familiar with him and have enjoyed everything I have heard.
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Ain't it like most people, I'm no different, we love to talk on things we don't know about.
I just got that album for Christmas, Nate, and it takes my breath away. I literally have to make sure I'm not in a sad mood before I start listening, otherwise it'd be too much for me to handle (several of the songs anyways,)- that's how powerful it is.
wonderful stuff though, cuts right to the quick.
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Temporary is my time, Ain't nothin on this world that's mine, Except the will I found to carry on.
Free is not your right to choose, It's answering what's asked of you, To give the love you find until it's gone.
When Scott made the comment about "Flying Shoes", I thought, wow, what a bold statement I've got to check out Townes. I went to my local music shop asked the owner if he had the album, he didn't have it but highly suggested "Live at The Old Quarter". I think its an amazing recording, the music, banter, and history of the venue. I still need to get "Flying Shoes".
Dan K- thanks for the "be here to love me" recommendation, I'm anxious to check it out.
I can't reccomend the DVD "Heatworn Highways" enough, Heids.
If there are 2 scenes to watch in that doc, it's Townes singing "Waiting Around To Die" in his trailor, making that old black man cry. It's so moving.
Then the last scene, where all the songwriters are sitting around together in that little kitchen, tore up, drunkenly singing together, with what looks to be a 14 year old Steve Earle singing the lead vocals! I didn't even realize who he was until the credits! You can see a lot of Justin in his face in tat scene. Y'all check that DVD out! WELL worth it.
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"A city man'll tell ya, "Do what it takes to stay on top,
But my Pa's a country man, and that's what I'll be 'til I drop." -Margo
http://www.facebook.com/nastynate704
I asked for this from Santa a couple years ago too, but my brother can't read and got me a different Townes cd. I still need to get this one, though; that lingers in the back of my mind.
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~Megan
"Free is not your right to choose, it's answering what's asked of you, to give the love you find until it's gone."
Nate, you are SO RIGHT about the scene w/ "Waiting Around to Die" - that is one of the parts that I watched, and it was really incredibly moving. Townes seems like he's just full of piss and vinegar, but man, that dude had a serious soul.
I look forward to watching the rest of it, but based on what I've seen so far, I definitely recommend it as well!
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Ain't it like most people, I'm no different, we love to talk on things we don't know about.
Townes is on the cover of American Songwriter magazine this month. I'm with you Heids, I've heard of how great of a songwriter he is but don't know that much about him or his life.
How do you guys get copies of these documentaries. I know you can buy them on places like Amazon but is there anywhere that rents DVD's like that?
Heartworn Highways is on Netflix, if you have that. I'm sure it's available at Blockbuster or maybe even at the library, depending on how good yours is. I don't think it's too obscure.
ETA: I just read his Wiki page. Sad life. I only read it very quickly but it reminded me a lot of Warren Zevon, based on what I learned about him from "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead."
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Ain't it like most people, I'm no different, we love to talk on things we don't know about.
Sound advice from Uncle Seymour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLWo0oyDp1A&feature=related
My fav scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPmhmz79rJQ
Check the whole thing out though. I had to order it off the internets. You may be able to rent it somewhere, I have no idea.
--
"A city man'll tell ya, "Do what it takes to stay on top,
But my Pa's a country man, and that's what I'll be 'til I drop." -Margo
http://www.facebook.com/nastynate704
"the old black man" is uncle seymour who was the mentor and final voice amongst the singer songwriter community where townes lived in texas.
townes suffered from many demons including ignorant doctors who gave him shock treatments to calm down his behavior which caused for memory loss and imbalances.
the best songwriter i've ever had the pleasure of listening to. i agree with guy clark on the fact he was a bettrr song writer than dylan.
the rrason the live at the old quarter is so astounding is bc townes did not enjoy recording and many of his producers mishandled his artistry. often over complicating and forcing their opinions on his songs.
my only tattoo is a tribute to him and he will always have a special place in my heart.
check out "to lives to fly" its a biography written about him and its pretty good
Back to the Steve Earle mention, has anyoned checked out his "Townes" tribute cd?
I'm thinking of doing a decently sized amazon purchase and want to know if I should throw this on there.
Matty,
I love Townes, and I like Steve Earle enough, but the album is just...meh. There's a few great ones on there, but it didn't stay in the rotation for me very long.
i'd say just listrn to guy clarks songs about townes and leave steve earle's record alone
I always wondered who that guy was, trappedinthecity. Was Uncle Seymour a song-writer?
"Townes" is pretty good. I'm with blasto, though. I have only listened to it 4 or 5 times.
I thought it was Steve Earle who said he'd "jump up on Bob Dylan's coffee table and shout he Townes was a better song-writer than him (Dylan)."
Then Townes said he'd "seen Bob Dylan's body guards, and Stve should re-think that."
Something like that.
Guy Clark may have said that too, but I remember reading that little story about Earle/Dylan somewhere.
Regardless, he's right up there with Dylan, IMO. Maybe even better.
--
"A city man'll tell ya, "Do what it takes to stay on top,
But my Pa's a country man, and that's what I'll be 'til I drop." -Margo
http://www.facebook.com/nastynate704
A couple of Townes' albums are now available as twofers. I can't remember which ones, but I have one or two (Delta Momma Blues w/ High Low ... for sure since I listened to it this weekend).
The film "Be Here To Love Me" has been streaming over at snag films for a while and I actually have it in my bookmarks.
http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/be_here_to_love_me/
That film includes footage from Heartworn Highway. I actually remember HH being a midnight movie years ago, but I don't think I appreciated it then. I bought the DVD a couple of years ago in Santa Cruz at a very cool CD store while I was waiting for showtime for TAB who were playing at a club on the next block. I don't remember the name of the club, but it was like two clubs in one with a disco up front and a "band room" in back. Seems like the stage was about 6 feet tall too.
The Steve Earle tribute never could live up to the expectations, but I find Steve has been a little uneven for about a decade now overall. I've always been a little more of a Guy fan anyway and his version of "To Live Is To Fly" from the Live In Austin Cd is a favorite.
ETA: That is a Steve Earle (not Guy Clarke) Quote, btw.
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http://www.tablive.net
I bought the Be Here To Love Me DVD at Harvest Records in Asheville NC. It seems like that place has anything one could want as far as music goes.
This is awesome to see Townes getting a whole new group of fans through the Avetts; his music is truly amazing. I was a little surprised to hear "Flyin' Shoes" as Scott's favorite though. It's great but I never thought it stood up to some of his other more simple albums or some of his live recordings. "Be Here to Love Me" is definitely worth the watch, especially being free online.
Just a funny story I experienced when trying to buy some townes music. I wanted to get a copy of him playing Dead Flowers, (those of you who love the Big Lebowski know that that is the ending track of the film) and once I got Flying Shoes, I knew I had to get a copy of him playing Dead Flowers. So I searched the internet high and low and found out it was on the Road Songs album ( which is a album of live cover songs, a very good collections of songs), the only place I could find it was at Townes Van Zandt Central. Well, when I ordered the CD it was charged twice on my checking account, so I emailed the them, but didn't get a quick response. I decided to call. When I called the woman I spoke to told me that her Mom had charged the order, and she was getting a little too old to do this kind of stuff and putt the order through twice. Later that day I went to check my email and she had sent a response saying that she had fixed the problem. The name that was signed on the email was Jeanene Van Zandt, Townes' 3rd wife. Anyways, I was a little taken back that here was this guy who's music I was so amazed by and in my own opinion is some of the most impressive music I have ever heard, and his wife is selling his cds, records, and merchandise. How screwed up is the music industry?
Point being if you are going to buy some Townes music on-line, please order it through Townes Van Zandt Central. It seems that his family directly benefit from the sales and Amazon or some other giant corp doesn't get their cut of the money first. They have all of his available work, even some vinyl.
Thanks for the tip, ODB. Interesting story.
--
"A city man'll tell ya, "Do what it takes to stay on top,
But my Pa's a country man, and that's what I'll be 'til I drop." -Margo
http://www.facebook.com/nastynate704
Very interesting. Thanks for the take on the Steve Earle tribute, gang. It is noted.
Here's the clip of Townes and Uncle Seymour where he plays "Waitin' Round to Die" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLWo0oyDp1A
Townes is on the cover of the latest American Songwriter. Haven t gotten around to reading the article yet.
Oh dang, SouthernFlavor already mentioned that. Where is the delete option?