LISTEN UP: Townes Van Zandt, Live at The Old Quarter, Houston, Texas
If you’re into songwriters, like songwriter’s songwriters, look no further than Townes Van Zandt. He’s a legend among his contemporaries, we venture to him call the Edgar Allan Poe of folk music.
His music is stark, gloomy yet amazingly poetic; it’s marred by a lifetime of struggle, addiction, and poverty. Live at The Old Quarter, Houston, Texas (1977) paints him at his best: in a Houston dive bar, with just his guitar, strumming out brilliant compositions to just a few people, and telling jokes in between songs.
Do yourself a favor, grab a glass of beer or whiskey and delve into some of the deepest parts of the human spirit.
Steve Earle, who considered Van Zandt a mentor, famously declared,
“Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world, and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.”
It’s pretty hard to argue with him here.
Tell us what you think
We love Townes, and we hope you do too. Let us know where Live at the Old Quarter has you after a hearty listen.
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