The Archives : Townes Van Zandt "Townes Van Zandt" (1969)

Unlike Steve Earle, if Bob Dylan invited me into his kitchen, which I anticipate happening soon, I likely would not stand on his coffee table and declare Townes Van Zandt the greatest songwriter to ever live. Despite my love for Townes, I'm not sure anyone can touch Dylan in terms of words to music. Praise to Bob aside, Townes Van Zandt has a place alongside songwriters such as Richard Buckner, Nick Drake, Kenny Roby, Scott Miller and Brent Best, in a community of songwriters who never got/get their due.

Despite a bit of a cult following, whenever folks mention Townes, they usually point to either the collection High, Low and In Between/The Late Great Townes Van Zandt or the live set Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas. Rarely do I hear mention of his individual releases, but the four records Townes released from 1968-1971 (almost directly in line with Drake's three masterpieces), have been grossly ignored. Thankfully, Fat Possum Records, home to R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, re-issued three of the four (as well as 1978's Flyin' Shoes) on vinyl recently. Of the four, it's Townes' self-titled third record that likely stands as the best. Opening with "For the Sake of the Song" and closing with "None But the Rain," these remarkable bookends are complimented by many of his best songs, including "Colorado Girl" and "I'll Be Here in the Morning."

Like Dylan, Townes was capable of tossing words together to create lines that simply can't be forgotten. On "Colorado Girl" he sings "Well, the promise in her smile shames a mountain's tall" and on the opener "Maybe she just has to sing for the sake of the song. And who do I think I am to decide that she's wrong." Straightforward at first, Townes' ability to turn simplicity into poetry was just one of his gifts. I could go on and on about my love for Townes, but it's best said through those first four records.

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