Customer Reviews

Far Cry From Dead

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Yet another gem from one of the greatest singer - songwriters the world's ever known !
And i'm not getting carried away . If you're familiar with Townes' work then you'll know these songs already but these are my favourite versions because of the way his voice was when these were recorded , basically , wrecked ! But that's a good thing because it lends a gravitas and air of beautiful sadness to proceedings and makes you love the guy more .
It's all good but the little run of 5 songs towards the end (tracks 8 - 12) must rank as surely the best iv'e ever heard , every one a perfect gem .
PS can someone please re-release No Deeper Blue soon ?

This posthumous compilation of Van Zandt's most stunning and, perhaps, popular works is marred only by the concluding, 13th song, "Squash". Would that Arista had left it off. It is easy enough, however, to edit this item out and end the session with "Tower Song". The various mixed reviews, above and herein, are a testament to the complicated legacy of Townes Van Zandt. Vanity Fair recently (November 2001) included TVZ in a very tedious, pseudo-ironic list - a so-called "Rock Snob's Dictionary". TVZ is listed for the ultra-gratuitous reason that he "exuded a hard-drinkin', ramblin'-man aura despite coming from a wealthy family" and "died a Harry Nilsson-like alcohol-related death in the 1990s". Basta. Given VF includes this useless fillip in an issue devoted to "Music" - with the usual line-up of self-absorbed rock and pop fixtures - more than proves the point that true artistic integrity is lost on the guardians of commercial success (excess). TVZ was the most pure manifestation of a 40-50 year process of acculturation in the country-blues-folk genre without ever breaking out of the cult-status, musician's musician half-nelson partly imposed and partly self-wrought. His early works, often uneven and full of experimental assemblages of various streams of musical Americana, are tough to assimilate without careful editing. For example, the re-issue (1996) of two early 1970s recordings - "High, Low and In Between" coupled with "The Late, Great Townes Van Zandt" - is full of junk and is no one's fault except TVZ. This new collection, "A Far Cry From Dead", on the other hand, is nearly flawless, with the exception of the 13th track, and Van Zandt's voice and guitar are complemented by an all-star cast of studio musicians that are, in fact, paying homage to TVZ, after his death, and his extraordinary odyssey through the outback of America's musical landscape. If you listen to the early version of, say, "To Live Is To Fly" and the version on "A Far Cry From Dead" you may well experience an aural epiphany - a collapse (implosion) of 30 years - with the innocence and purity of the early version colliding with the worldweariness of the latter. The deepening of Van Zandt's voice followed the deepening of his experience of the world and it is reflected, in a sublime manner, in the very simple, exquisite re-calibration of this one song illuminating the presence of time itself while riding far above in a place that time cannot touch.

For many years I have heard of Townes Van Zandt in relation to Eric Andersen and John Prine but for some reason, his work and me never crossed paths. Well, I read several reviews of this record and decided it may be posthumous, but it was about time.

From the first cut to the last it has haunted me. His music and lyrics intertwine in such a manner that they elicit different emotions at each listening. It has been a long time since I was so touched and moved by someone's work that it makes me kind of kick myself 'cause I will never get the chance to see him perform his songs live.

Nevertheless, a fan has been made. I can't seem to get my hands on his CD's fast enough. Townes Van Zandt was, no is, a truly great songwriter, musician, and poet. His music lives on!

Buy this CD if you want to find out what Townes Van Zandt was all about. While the name was familiar to me it wasn't until I saw a recent showing of the Big Lebowski on TV that I finally connected the name to the music. They played his version of Dead Flowers at the end of the credits. As soon as I found out who the artist was, I knew I would love his music.

I couldn't agree more with the other reviewers. I am not sure but I think I read somewhere these tunes were recorded solo in a studio with the accompaniment added much later, possibly after he died. Anyway the effect is really very good and it kind of highlights the occasional slip in his voice making it seem very authentic (which he certainly was) even in what is basically an artificial setting. Since then I've purchased several more CDs. They're all good but this one remains my favorite.

This is Townes at his best/worst. His vocals expose the booze in his body, while the words express the sensitive, yet sad, nature of his soul. When you listen to the lyrics, you can clearly see why Steve Earle would call out Bob Dylan. This man was truly the greatest song writer that ever drew breath. He connected with the internal sadness of the universe in ways Dylan could only have imagined. It's a shame he's never been given the respect and following that he deserve. But what he's created will always shine as a diamond. It will stand strong and hold firm. Genius is a too often used word, but for him it fits, and this collection surely exposes his rare gifts.

I was skeptical that this overdubbed recording of Townes' guitar and vocal performances would pale in comparison to his own earlier recordings of these songs. However, many of these new versions sound better than the original, and all sound authentic. Excellent album for those who have all of his original records, and also a great introduction to those who have never heard these songs before.

I have about 9 Townes albums, each one as cherishable as the others, and yet this one transcends because of a number of factors:
1. The character imbued in the songs, and more particularly the versions put down here.
2. The voice, contrary to customary notions it is wrecked (and it may be) perfectly inhabits the sadness and longing in the compositions (when I first heard Sanitarium Blues I thought, s*t he sounds heavily sedated but then, when you're singing of your personal experience locked away in a sanitarium as a child, shot full of Thorazine, it comes to you that this is pure honesty in song.
3. The arrangments are mostly fabulous, even if they were laid down after the vocals (after his death I believe, according to his biography "To Live's to Fly")

If you are like me and find poignancy and redemption through this brilliant artist, you will love this album. Townes Van Zandt, the train wreck, the errant father and partner, and the beautiful spirit who touched many lives through his artistry. He was damn funny too, read the biography mentioned.

You will often hear songwriters call him the best ever, because his songs, showcased on this CD above all his others, validate the art. You may never hear a purer expression of the soul.

I have to say that for fans, "Sanitarium Blues" is worth the price of admission alone.

But alot of this material has been released many times before & any previous incarnation is far superior than what has been dressed up here. The overall impression is that of a corpse being dressed up in his Sunday best for an open casket funeral.

As a long time TVZ fan, I was a little skeptical about another posthumous release. This CD, however, ranks right up there with the early classics. It is absolutely, completely, without a doubt, excellent. If you liked or loved TVZ, buy this CD. If you ever thought you might want to find out why he was so highly praised as a songwriter, buy this CD. If you've never heard of him, but love good music, buy this CD. Heck, just buy it. It's awesome.