Customer Reviews

Texas Troubadour

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One day, I was searching for an MP3 of an old Willie Nelson song my dad used to play, Pancho and Lefty, when I came across the version by Townes Van Zandt, who wrote it. I downloaded it out of curiosity and loved it. Much rawer, much more emotive, much more poetic than Nelson's recording. I searched for more Van Zandt songs and slowly dug my way into a catalogue that is incredible. I looked on Amazon to see which records to buy and found this, Texas Troubadour, which compiles seven studio albums and a live set -- all for price that comes out to something like seven bucks a record. I bought it and have been listening to it almost weekly for more than a year. All I can say about Townes Van Zandt is that if you appreciate great songwriting, you'll appreciate this collection. He didn't have the most radio-friendly sound; Willie Nelson and others who've covered his songs have met that challenge. But nothing beats the emotional connections of a songwriter singing and guitaring his own work. Think Bob Dylan or Neil Young or Johnny Cash or even someone like John Frusciante -- great songwriters with rough but unique voices and instantly recognizable guitar playing. Some of my favorite songs by Zandt at this moment are "Rake," "You Are Not Needed Now," "Flyin' Shoes," "Waitin' Around to Die," "Highway Kind," "Snow Don't Fall," and "Lungs." I wish I would've had the chance to know and see Van Zandt play live when he was around. At least we have his records. Do yourself a favor and buy them!

1000 words aren't nearly enough to descibe the experience of Townes Van Zandt. I was only lucky enough to see Townes live once and that was through a antibiotic haze following a particularly bad dose of tonsillitis. Although he was tired and reflective it remains one the music experiences of my life. He performed to a pathetically small audience in the seaside town Southport (the one they forgot to close down)England, entertained us laconoically, sensitively and uniquely and was very confused that there was a "curfew" at 11pm. Enough memories and down to business. This is a must for anyone who loves music, enjoys legends, appreciates genius and recognises something special which Townes undoubtedly was and remains through the music he gave us. His emotion is raw, his voice unique but ultimately his legacy his his song which runs the gamut of emotion which defines us all. Perfect music beautiful man. I was lucky and privaledged to catch when he was around and glad I stayed to thanked him. As Nancy Griffith's father said "he is the greatest songwriter ever from Texas" and ranks up there with the best. He had the pose of a gunfighter and the emotion of a poet. The tragedy is that he is not around today to share his success but anyone who leaves this deep legacy is well worth shouting about - whether in your cowboy boots and from Bob Dylan's coffee table or not!
Buy this and spread the word.
Thank you Townes, Thank you very much.

It's too bad this compilation of Townes Van Zandt's music is getting harder to find--it's got his first 7 complete studio albums, which includes all of the music he made in the 60's and 70's, plus most of the live album he put out in the 70's as well. Why is this box essential? First of all, because of the quality of Van Zandt's music, and second because of the value--just check around. Some of these individual albums go for $60 or more, and here they can all be purchased together for much cheaper (I got my copy from caiman_com through Amazon's alternate sellers for $22). If you're looking to start getting into his music, it's a no-brainer that this CD has the most complete introduction at the best price.

If you haven't heard Van Zandt's music yet, you've probably at least heard ABOUT it. It's country-flavored, but definitely not straight up country, nor is it the slick "country-rock" put out by bands like the Byrds. No, it's not easy to stick TVZ into one genre, but he does touch on country, folk, rock, and pop. His earlier work sounds lyrically much like Bob Dylan, though he eventually develops more of a unique written voice for himself. Van Zandt's singing voice is definitely unique--southern, understated, yet capable of powerful, wavering emotion and subtle texture.

I'm not sure if this is the best place to delve into the merits of each album, since that would take way too long, but I can say that each of these albums has great highlights, and each album is worth listening all the way through. Van Zandt does get the best around The Late Great Townes Van Zandt, which includes his best-known song "Pancho and Lefty," but he's also a great interpreter of gospel tunes and classic Hank Williams. If you're interested in Townes Van Zandt, I urge you to start with this collection--even if you pay $40, you'll still come out saving a lot of money at $5 per album. Hope you enjoy checking out one of folk music's best kept secrets!

An EXCELLENT introduction to Townes who, in my humble opinion, deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie. Beautifully illustrated with informative liner notes. My greatest thrill was discovering that Townes first efforts were produced by Jack Clement. My advice........buy this after you've read all the opinions and discover the joy and masterful poetry of the Texas Troubador, who we all deeply miss.

Townes Van Zandt has a lot of CDs available and not all of them are good. Be careful what you buy. Check out the reviews and track listings on Amazon first. In my opinion there are too many later CDs which are just repacked old songs with little or no new material. I love his music but I am not prepared to pay full album price for one or two songs. Therefore I was unsure where to start with his back catalogue then I found this boxset.

The box set is amazing value. You get Townes first 7 albums (and arguabley his best) plus a live CD for $20 or so. All of these CDs contain Townes songwriting at its most prolific and his best. The first CD contains his first two albums and is possibly the weakest (but by no means weak) of the set. This is because of his first album which was overproduced and they added in some questionable (on some tracks) backing arrangements to Townes' songs. This is particularly noticable on the classics like Waitin Round to Die. This does not ruin the songs but it is not the way the songs were meant to sound (compare the 1st version of Tecumseh Valley from his first album on CD1 to the second version also on CD1 but from his second album) and by all accounts Townes himself was not overly impressed with the sound of his first album.

For those unaware of Townes, his songs vary between country, folk and blues. My personal favorites are when Townes' songs are at their most dark, vulnerable, fragile and beautiful. However, he also does some good upbeat numbers, talking blues and humourous songs. Townes was a poet and as such expect to find most songs filled with beautiful and intelligent lyrics. He was not the greatest singer in the world but his voice fits perfectly to his own songs and I have not heard any better versions of his songs than his own.

Townes did re-record many of his best known songs on several of the albums here so there is some repitition but the songs are so strong that you cannot get fed up hearing them and there are also many hidden gems that I fail to understand how they are not better known (such as "Like a Summer Thursday" and "Snow Don't Fall").

I am reviewing this box set and not Mr Van Zandt as a whole but in my opinion the albums in this boxset are his best and are pure classics that you will come back to time and again and never tire of listening to. Townes was a very flawed character and as such his talent suffered. He was never as prolific again in his career but there are some decent later albums that contain mostly new material and I am now seeking them out.

Townes Van Zandt seems to instill a strong sense of loyalty and awe amongst those who appreciate his music. Will everyone like this? No of course not but his talent cannot be denied (I don't doubt Madonna's talent but her music just isn't my thing) and if you like (mostly acoustic) folk, country and blues then you should love Townes. Once you have discovered him you will want everyone else to hear and like his music as much as you do. I haven't and probably can't (in words) say just how much I love these songs. This is by far the best CD (for value and content) that I have ever bought.

Each and every time I play this box set, I am blown away by the stark poetic brilliance of Townes Van Zandt's writing and the simple, pure and unique sound of his voice. Although best known for his iconic compositions, If I Needed You and Pancho & Lefty, there are few, if any, of his songs which do not startle with their vivid, deft portraits of life, love and heartache. Unfortunately, he has been all but forgotten by even many folk and country enthusiasts, but his reputation lives on among the countless singers and songwriters he befriended and influenced, including such diverse talents as Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett and even Rodney Crowell. Steve Earle once called him, "the greatest songwriter who ever lived". A number of highly praised folk and country singer / songwriters of the last 30 years have concurred without reservation, adding his songs to their own repertoires while professing fanatical devotion to his words and music. Artists like Van Zandt simply don't come along every day.

Van Zandt was more of a rebel than almost any other singer / poet that springs to mind, yet his tunes and especially his lyrics are more accessible than one would expect, given his reputation as a wordsmith of uncommon depth and perception. Above all, his songs express a clarity of thought that is almost unequalled among songwriters of the last 50 years, especially for someone who was once confined to a mental institution and labeled a manic-depressive and a schizophrenic. Van Zandt often said that he drew a great deal of inspiration from the guitar playing of Blues legend Lightin' Hopkins and the songwriting style of Bob Dylan, and he covered Hopkins' material frequently in his live shows. Many critics and fellow musicians agree that Van Zandt and Guy Clark mutually influenced each other, each inspiring the other to heights that neither of them might have achieved had their close friendship not existed.

Townes Van Zandt was a prolific writer who recorded about thirty albums in a career that lasted not quite as many years. From his first album, For the Sake of the Song, included here, until his untimely death on New Years day 1997, he produced a body of work that dwarfed the output of many other singer / songwriters who lived through and beyond the same period. This set contains his first seven studio albums plus live material, all on four CD's.

Along with Steve Earle, Guy Clark and David Allen Coe, Townes Van Zandt shared the focus of the acclaimed 1975 documentary, Heartworn Highways. He has also been the focus of many tribute albums and dedications, and enjoys a reputation among his fellow performers that is as solid as it is deserved.

While any of Van Zandt's work is suggested for music lovers of discerning taste, this boxed set is a particularly wonderful collection of his earliest and most essential work. The price seems to vary wildly from dealer to dealer depending on its availability, but at almost any price, this one is a definite keeper. Highly recommended.

Each and every time I play this box set, I am blown away by the stark poetic brilliance of Townes Van Zandt's writing and the simple, pure and unique sound of his voice. Although best known for his iconic compositions, If I Needed You and Pancho & Lefty, there are few, if any, of his songs which do not startle with their vivid, deft portraits of life, love and heartache. Unfortunately, he has been all but forgotten by even many folk and country enthusiasts, but his reputation lives on among the countless singers and songwriters he befriended and influenced, including such diverse talents as Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett and even Rodney Crowell. Steve Earle once called him, "the greatest songwriter who ever lived". A number of highly praised folk and country singer / songwriters of the last 30 years have concurred without reservation, adding his songs to their own repertoires while professing fanatical devotion to his words and music. Artists like Van Zandt simply don't come along every day.

Van Zandt was more of a rebel than almost any other singer / poet that springs to mind, yet his tunes and especially his lyrics are more accessible than one would expect, given his reputation as a wordsmith of uncommon depth and perception. Above all, his songs express a clarity of thought that is almost unequalled among songwriters of the last 50 years, especially for someone who was once confined to a mental institution and labeled a manic-depressive and a schizophrenic. Van Zandt often said that he drew a great deal of inspiration from the guitar playing of Blues legend Lightin' Hopkins and the songwriting style of Bob Dylan, and he covered Hopkins' material frequently in his live shows. Many critics and fellow musicians agree that Van Zandt and Guy Clark mutually influenced each other, each inspiring the other to heights that neither of them might have achieved had their close friendship not existed.

Townes Van Zandt was a prolific writer who recorded about thirty albums in a career that lasted not quite as many years. From his first album, For the Sake of the Song, included here, until his untimely death on New Years day 1997, he produced a body of work that dwarfed the output of many other singer / songwriters who lived through and beyond the same period. This set contains his first seven studio albums plus live material, all on four CD's.

Along with Steve Earle, Guy Clark and David Allen Coe, Townes Van Zandt shared the focus of the acclaimed 1975 documentary, Heartworn Highways. He has also been the focus of many tribute albums and dedications, and enjoys a reputation among his fellow performers that is as solid as it is deserved.

While any of Van Zandt's work is suggested for music lovers of discerning taste, this boxed set is a particularly wonderful collection of his earliest and most essential work. The price seems to vary wildly from dealer to dealer depending on its availability, but at almost any price, this one is a definite keeper. Highly recommended.

A great way to buy a Townes Van Zandt collection. This is wonderful..his 7 studio albums from 1969 to 1978, plus 8 live songs from 1973, plus you get a wonderful book with full bio.
Early Townes in entirity....a must have.....beautiful !
They don't come much better packaged than this.

Townes Van Zandt is a wonderful songwriter, singer and guitar player. This is the best set to get as it includes 8 studio recordings on 4 CD's along with part of a show he did in Texas. Be sure to check amazon.co.uk and search as it is out of print in the United States.

Some people are just meant to be songwriters. TVZ is one of those people. He knows how to put words to music or vice versa. Very talented and very good. Bob Dylan came to texas just to hear him play. Enough said! Amen!