Customer Reviews

Be Here To Love Me

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Not sure i've ever heard music that was so mired in an unyielding hopelessness, but every now & again you'd see some light get through, and in those moments you felt really good because the bad moments were so bad. I can't sum up Townes Van Zandt any better than that. These aren't songs that are gonna lift you up and carry you away on angels' wings. These are songs about being just about as low as one can get among the living. And make no mistake, these aren't hokey blues numbers with clever turns of phrase and wry lyrics. The heartbreak and loneliness bleeds through the music and pours out from between some lyrics that might not seem all that depressing, if not for the musical delivery of a man beset on every side by the typical demons of 20th century America. It is said that Jay Farrar has been heavily influenced by TVZ, and i can see that. The world-weary warble of Jay's voice is heavily informed by Van Zandt's dusty drawl. But what Jay can't touch (and i'm admittedly a huge fan of Farrar) is the honestly hopeless yet fearless, almost gothic, tone that always seemed to come so naturally to Townes Van Zandt. It wasn't an act, it wasn't a put-on. As for this release, it's apparently a companion piece to a documentary film about the man, a work i have not seen but can believe in it's vitality. The songs included on this 2-disc set seem chosen to accentuate the tragedy of the artist, and the bleak world he called home. It's as good an introduction as i can think of.

If you're looking for a collection that captures the breadth of Van Zandt's recording career, I'd recommend the double-disc "Texas Troubador" collection. If you're looking for a collection that captures the depth of his troubled soul, this is the one. Utterly beautiful in its darkness. Perhaps the most consistnetly eerie and true collection of TVZ yet released.

I had first heard his hauntingly georgeous, stand-out songs,on lyle lovett's "step into my house" cd, and then experienced the genius's work in this album. here is a songwriter of incomparable talent giving us the blue print for eternal gems to be heard throughout time, irregardless of what voice sings the song. his melodies are immortal. a poet of the soul expressing through music.

I've been a fan of Townes' music for quite a while now. I have heard many, but not all, of these songs before, however not these actual recordings. Upon the first playing of this CD, the chill bumps were there. The absolute starkness that is apparent in many of these performances is just incredible. Most of these performances are just Townes and his acoustic guitar, which is how it should be. If you are looking for a good, overall CD that shows what Townes was all about, this is the one.

As you can see from the above review Townes van Zandt isn't for everybody, but if you can get on his wave length you will be richly rewarded. His songs about deeply felt abstract pain are perfectly constructed and while his voice is not the best in the world, it is very expressive and sad. While there are better compilations of Townes' songs available and the original albums are better still, this one is a good place to discover an American original.

I couldn't let one poor review be listed for this album. This is an excellent companion of the even better documentary about Townes, "Be Here to Love Me". You don't have to be Townes Van Zandt fan to respect his amazing song writing abilities and the tone he brings to his music. A hard life is not easily expressed, unless by an artist. This album has all the of most famous recordings, and is a great way to anyone to get to know the music!