great albumJune 7, 2010 Keith M. Jones(raleigh, nc) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I first heard of Townes Van Zandt after hearing a recording of 'short haired woman blues' On Pandora. I thought 'who the hell is that guy? Could he be drunker?'. But he was funny and obviously could play the guitar. I looked him up and found that he had written a ton of the songs i had heard others play (Poncho and Lefty, white freightliner blues, If i needed you, etc). The more i listened the more i loved his stuff. I found a 53 minute video on youtube called "solo sessions", and was hooked.
This album was done when he was at his peak. he had his largest collection of his early work done, and was pretty much sober for this performance. his voice is right on, and his guitar playing is excellent. As much as i love my more obscure albums from him, this is my favorite, and i keep heading back to him.
By the way, if you like his stuff, check out Blaze foley and Lucinda Williams. All three were friends and played in Austin together. They apparently crossed paths with Doc Watson down there for a while as well.
peace...
K
Absolutely stunning, probably his bestApril 11, 2010 James Weaver(Michigan) This album is, without a doubt, one of the best live recordings I have ever heard. The songs are simple, stripped bare and beautiful, just Townes and his guitar -- I'm convinced it's the way they were meant to be performed; I've heard countless covers of Van Zandt's well-known classic Pancho and Lefty and nothing matches up to the original. The set list and quality of the recording is perfect, and the comments and jokes between songs are great as well.
Best tracks: Pancho & Lefty, Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold, Two Girls, Fraternity Blues, To Live is to Fly, For the Sake of the Song, Tower Song, Waiting Around to Die, Tecumseh Valley, Lungs.
A beautiful captureApril 6, 2010 Peter F. Flynn 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A beautiful capture. Stripped down, yet a remarkable crystal clear recording. If you are a fan, you need this.
It'll make you wish you'd been there.March 6, 2010 Daniel Hoyt(H-Town, USA) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Just about everyone rates this five stars, which is about as right as air conditioning in Houston in August. Most of the reviewers have an anecdote about meeting Van Zandt, and I do too, but I want to talk a little about the album first.
I'm not sure that I've ever heard a bad recording of his "Waiting Round To Die", but this is my favorite. He cracks a few jokes between songs, mostly unreusable (but he learned one from Jerry Jeff Walker!)
Most of this is his original early work. A few covers--some Lightnin Hopkins, Nine Pound Hammer? (don't remember whose that was), an interesting take on Who Do You Love. None of it feels produced or polished, but the sound is clear, and the background sounds have been partly knocked out--or else folks was being real polite. I'm not a sound guy so I don't know about that stuff. But the music is about as honest playing in a cramped bar as it gets, and ambient sound doesn't distract. A few words on atmosphere...
1970s Houston, humid summer heat and still air, no air conditioning, cramped bar, 100+ obviously insane people. For those not from here, it's called the Armpit of the Southwest for good reason. No aircon = hell on earth, beer in hand or not. I've read that it was so packed that beers were moving from the bar to the buyer hand-by-hand-by-hand. And in the recording, Townes appreciates the crowd for their devotion and even gets a quiver in his voice when he talks to them about it. Maybe it was just the heat, but seems he was really happy to be there, and if you haven't been in an old school Texas bar before and can't appreciate the next point, I've put it in asterisks--the crowd was *respectful*.
I wish I'd been there during that time. I was one year from being born when this was recorded. I met him years later when I was in college at a particular venue in Austin (details purposefully withheld). He was the most easy-goin' guy you ever met. And drunk as Punch, but at least coherent. The bar manager was obsessed with making him comfortable and ready to play, which was amusing then but admirable now. Sad to hear that he left us when it happened, sad still today.
townes van zandt's live classicDecember 23, 2009 Paul McMillen(seattle, wa) 16 out of 16 found this review helpful
Last May Steve Earle released an album of Townes Van Zandt covers. He came to Seattle and did a free solo gig at an independent record store to promote his new album. I talked my brother-in-law into going. Earle played for about forty minutes or so, some of Townes' songs and his own tunes, one in particular called the Fort Worth Blues. Then he went behind the cashier counter to sign stuff. The
store had been packed with people and the autograph line was really too
long. Instead of waiting in line my bother-in-law and I went across the street and into a pub.
While we were having a beer I was thinking about whether to get a Townes Van Zandt CD instead of Earle's new one. During the show I had noticed that the store had stocked up on a lot of Townes' CD reissues. I remembered talking to Jerry, an old high school friend, once about Townes Van Zandt and he had recommended Live at the Old Quarter, saying that it was a classic. I decided I would pick up the Townes' Live CD and then ask Earle to sign it.
We went back, stood in the line and a half an hour later we got up to the counter. However, the joker just in front of us happened to be Steve Earle's biggest fan. He had his family, stack of CDs, a book, and a free poster for Earle to sign, and they also did a photo session with the rock star. Then it was my turn. I handed Steve Earle the same poster to sign and told him that I liked his Fort Worth song and that that was where I was born. He said that was also where Townes had been born. Then I handed him the Live at the Old Quarter CD and told him that he had inspired me to finally get it. He signed a big S and E on the inside cover and then stated that this was the "BEST RECORDED DOCUMENT OF TOWNES'S SONGS". Then my brother-in-law and I went back across the street to have another brew. I was happy. I hadn't felt that good about a music purchase in a long time.
I have listened to the Townes live album several times. It really is great. Townes' jokes are funny and the songs and the performance are amazing. He is a fine guitar player. I have also listened to Steve Earle's album. Earle does terrific versions of Townes songs. But the Townes' live album is certainly special.
