Customer Reviews

Townes

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Disclaimer: I am a HUGE fan of Earle and TVZ. I have to admit I was a little skeptical of an entire tribute album to Townes; it's almost become an Americana prerequisite to cover a TVZ song in the name of "not forgetting," which Townes would freakin hate. But if anyone SHOULD be anointed to record a tribute album to Townes, it feels right to be Earle. If you have seen the 1975 film, "Heartworn Highways," which has a Christmas scene of Guy Clark, TVZ and Earle when he was about 20, drop-dead gorgeous, a guitar and songwriting prodigy, you can understand that the mentoring went both ways.

All of the "bad" songs on this album are the ones that add "too much" to the songs; the beauty of Townes' writing is its focus on guitar melody and spare vocals, the poetry, the stories. Overproduction and over-instrumentation kill a few of the songs, with the exception of "Loretta," which rocks, and Earle's bluegrass interpretations of songs, which allow instruments to pick up the richness of melodies without interfering with the vocals.

Earle doesn't do a very good job with Townes' story songs. The cd definitely gets better as it goes along. Best tracks: "Colorado Girl," "Loretta," "Brand New Companion," "Rake," "Delta Momma Blues," "Don't Take it Too Bad," "Quicksilver Dreams," and "To Live Is To Fly."

1. Pancho and Lefty: the best thing about Earle's version is that it is down-tempo, the same tempo Townes played it when he was strung out before he died in 97 but picked a little stronger and simpler by Earle. Earle's vocals are expressive but interfere with the sparseness of the story; the song is so over-covered that this version doesn't add much to Earle's repertoire or translate the flat, dusty vocal that made the original believable.

2. White Freightliner Blues. This is an uptempo, bluegrass version, another over-covered song, not too much new here that blew me away, the vocals are a little muddled.

3. Colorado Girl. One of the better songs on the cd. Great picking, great vocals. Best cover I've ever heard of this song--it fits Earle like a glove.

4. Where I Lead Me. One of the most rearranged and overproduced songs on the album--I generally don't like Earle's use of drum mixers--it overpowers the vocals and guitar. Doesn't hold a candle to Eric Taylor's version.

5. Lungs. Another rearranged and overproduced song--the intro guitar lead is great but like Where I Lead Me, the drums are droning and make the song boring except for the guitar solos.

6. No Place to Fall. Some nice instrumentation here, but it's too busy--the lyrics of this sweet love song don't shine through at all.

7. Loretta. This is one of my favorite Townes' songs, and this cover rocks! It has a driving quarter-note drum/bass like Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk," with Allison Moorer and Justin doing background vocals. John Prine does a great cover of this song, but this song is one of the best on the cd.

8. Brand New Companion. Very bluesy version. Awesome. You gotta remember that Allison Moorer is his brand new companion, so he had to knock this out of the park.

9. Rake. Earle's picking and vocals at their finest. Townes=channeled. This should have been the first song on the cd.

10. Delta Momma Blues. Upbeat bluegrass interpretation with plunky banjo, mandola and mandolin, great cover.

11. Marie. Willie Nelson's cover of this song is pretty hard to beat. The guitar picking is great, but the vocals are slurred, hard to follow, and the story gets lost in a heavy bass/snare beat. Great song, baaad cover, imo.

12. Don't Take it Too Bad. Another bluegrass interpretation--fantastic.

13. (Quicksilver Dreams of) Maria. Beautiful cover--great picking and singing.

14. To Live Is To Fly. "Think of all the poetry and the picking down the line." Allison Moorer comes in on harmony vocal, Steve's picking and phrasing are perfect, great cover and way to end the tribute--tearjerker.

I've been waiting with bated breath and trembling knees for this record to drop, and though I am still wrapping my head around some of the material, I'd have to say it is a success. I am a huge Steve Earle fan, and as a songwriter myself, he is a big influence (especially his earlier stuff and his post-prison bluegrass material) but the idea of covering a whole album's worth of material by the late, greater than great Townes Van Zandt is a daunting prospect for anyone. Townes' material ranks not only among some of the greatest American songwriting of all time (and that's not just inside of the country and folk genres, but in the whole American musical canon) but his lyrics are profound pieces of literature on their own merit, and Steve Earle is one of few musicians qualified enough to take on such a task; Guy Clark and Jerry Jeff Walker probably being the only other two, and we've all heard Shotgun Willie cover a few of his buddy Townes' tunes, but none of those guys had quite the connection with Townes as Steve Earle did. Although Steve Earle will NEVER be as great a lyricist as Townes, he has written some damn fine songs and this album should breathe new life into both his own recording career (haven't been impressed with most of his post-1996 output) and bring Townes' legacy to a larger audience...hopefully.
In the pole position is "Pancho and Lefty," a song so oft-covered one might wonder why Steve Earle decided to include it. It works mostly, but is far from the highlight of the record. Steve Earle's raspy, survivor's voice makes "White Freighliner Blues" all the more poignant, and it comes across as just that--a survivor's tale, or a warning of sorts, which is probably how Townes envisioned it. The bluegrass approach used on "White Freightliner" and a couple of other tunes works really well for both parties--Steve Earle sounds incredible as a bluegrasser, and the bluegrass influence in Townes' own sound is an element that isn't discussed as much these days.
I haven't been impressed with the electronic direction of some of Steve's recent music, but that approach works on "Lungs," oddly enough. Purists might wonder "WTF?", but Townes' songs are so good that they can be interpreted with any sort of arrangement and still sound classic, and Tom Morello's snarling electric guitar brings out a dimension in the song that makes sense. Steve's old-timey style of pickin' that was last really showcased on "Train a' Comin'" is brought out on quite a few tracks here, namely his rendition of the harrowing "Marie," which I now like just as much as Willie Nelson's incredible cover from a few years back.
There are several great performances on here. The bluesy, roadhouse sound of "Where I Lead Me" is ear-catching, as is the new take Steve does on "Loretta," one of Townes' more overlooked, lighthearted tunes. The bottom line on this one is, if you love Townes or Steve Earle, there's at least a couple of things on this album you'll really love.
In a day and age where so-called "songwriters" are too busy catering to the lowest common denominator and filling pop-country albums with lunkheaded lyrics and elementary melodies pertaining to the same old subjects, this album is a breath of fresh air, and as I wrote earlier, will hopefully bring some much-overdue attention to the greatest songwriter who ever lived vis-a-vis his protege. Hopefully, if this album is a big success, it'll entice buyers to check out the catalog of the master, himself (I recommend "Live at the Old Quarter," "Our Mother the Mountain," "The Late, Great Townes Van Zandt" and "At My Window").
Townes Van Zandt was truly a poet, and if you're not touched in some way by any of these songs, you're truly a body without a soul, and should go back to your Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts records.

I'm just reading the others reviews and it seems Steve has missed the point. The point is TVZ and his deepest soul. This CD is not another usual TVZ tribute but it's a work of love and soul. Just hear how Steve sings: pure beauty. He has soul and blues and heart here. Take it or leave it. I love you Steve, thanks for anything. Go straight on your dusty road. ps: the second CD is a GREAT addiction.

I became familiar with Townes Van Zandt's music and song writing because he was the song writer revered by popular musicians. I was curious about this guy Townes who was more appreciated and recognized in Europe and Japan then he was in the states. So I checked out his stuff, and liked it.
Steve Earle says in his liner notes for the deluxe version of this CD, that his truck broke down in Townes driveway and he lived with him for months, until his royalty checks came through. Steve obviously enjoyed the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere around one of his heroes. But as Steve describes, Townes was a talented but haunted man.
There are two discs on the deluxe version. One is entitled "The Basics". of the two discs, this is my favorite. Steve is so skilled with playing the music, and the production is outstanding. Where Townes was a great song writer, he was not recognized as a great singer. Steve does a wonderful job of performing the songs, giving credit to his mentor, yet bringing the songs to a greater audience with his talent. The other disc is more fleshed out with additional musicians and production. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but "The Basics" is striking in its simplicity yet beautiful tones. The highlight of the CD which has expanded production is the duet of Steve and his son, Justin Townes Earle, performing "Mr Mudd and Mr Gold" which is about a fictional card game. How they remember the lyrics and fire them off so quickly without messing them up is beyond me. Thanks Steve, I'm going to go back to the source and check out some of your mentor's other works. Townes music will continue to live on with another generation.

These are faithful renditions of some of the most amazing songs ever written. I'm not sure that Earle makes any of these songs his own, though. When Willie Nelson does Pancho & Lefty, it's something different and wonderful, but in general I think I would just as soon listen to the originals than Earle's versions.
A few exceptions though. Because Townes had wrecked his voice by the time he did Marie, Earle's version is more musical - and better than Willie's talky cover. Similar situation with Rake. With Lungs, Earle does change the arrangement quite a bit, but in a way that reminds me of what I like least about Earle's recent material.

I am a huge Townes VZ fan, and have seen Steve Earle in concert two times and really enjoyed him both times. About 10 years ago, I probably would have said Steve Earle was my favorite musician, but since El Corazen I think he has steadily declined. Basically it comes down to this: I would much prefer to hear the originals when I want to hear TVZ, and I would much prefer to throw on I Feel Alright when I feel like hearing Steve Earle. His take on these great songs is to draaaaaaag them along slowly, nasally, without adding anything to the original recordings. Most people buying this seem to know exactly what they are getting, but if Earle or VZ are new to you, I'd suggest:
Earle: I Feel Alright, Train A'Comin, Transcendental Blues, and the Mountain.
TVZ: High Low and In Between, Our Mother the Mountain, S/T, Rearview Mirror

Steve Earle is one of our finest songwriters. He has at least three stone cold masterpieces under his belt (I Feel Alright, El Corazon and Transcendental Blues). "Townes" is a heartfelt tribute/cover of Earle's mentor/hero Townes Van Zandt. I'm too young to understand the Townes Van Zandt legacy. This goldmine collection of earnest Americana will ensure I go back and find the TVZ originals. Highlights include the well known country standard "Pancho and Lefty", the transcendent ode to wanderlust: "White Freightliner Blues", the slow blue burn of "Brand New Companion" and finally the simple but painfully beautiful "To Live is to Fly". The past miles of tried and tired experiences come thru sad and clear as Steve's haunted voice and weeping guitar pay tribute to a fallen angel.

The album is good - Earle's interpretations bring new depth to some of Townes' classic songs. Like Earle's last album, Washington Square Serenade, this was produced and mixed by Dust Brother John King. That means the drum loops are back, at least on songs like "Lungs". If you were put off by the sound of the last album, you may be relieved to hear that the production touch is much lighter on Townes - King and Earle know when to step back and let the songs come through on their own.

The real gem of the Deluxe Edition, though, is the second disk, "Basics" - Earle recording the tracks with a solo guitar. These tracks give you a chance to see the development of the song, sort of a step between the Townes originals and the final album versions. That said, the solo cuts completely stand on their own - the solo version of "Lungs" alone makes it worth the price, and solo versions of songs like "Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold", "Pancho and Lefty", and "Rake" bring a special intimacy.

This album may be entitled TOWNES, and it may feature songs written by legendary songwriter Townes Van Zandt, but this is undoubtedly a Steve Earle record. These songs feel lived in; the recordings are intimate and familiar (thank to the largely acoustic arrangements). Even Earle's family--wife Allison Moorer and son Justin Townes Earle--make guest appearances.

The songs are, of course, spectacularly written; Van Zandt was a true songwriter in every sense of the word. Earle brings his own songwriter/producer persona to the album, crafting a record that is a warm-hearted tribute, but is also a solid entry into the Steve Earle catalog. It's hard to imagine that Earle didn't write all of these songs himself, they feel so uniquely his own. And that is perhaps the highest tribute a songwriter can pay one of his peers: take an already-legendary song, and make it sound new again. TOWNES is a country/folk album that should be listened to intently, with the lights down and a beer in your hand.

This lead me to an amazing journey of Townes Van Zandt discovery. I'm not a huge country fan but these songs grabbed me from the start and I haven't stopped listening since I purchased it.