A Songwriter’s Songwriter

We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago…

You may not be familiar with him but I guarantee that you’ve heard his songs and the singer-songwriters that fill your record collection know and revere his material.

He’s Texas born Townes Van Zandt who died early in 1997 after long struggles with alcohol & drug abuse and bi-polar disorder. In 1972 he released two albums including maybe his best, “The Late Great Townes Van Zandt”

The album includes his two best known songs that were hits for others. “Pancho & Lefty was covered by many including Emmy Lou Harris and Willie Nelson, who along with Merle Haggard, took it to #1 on the country charts in 1983.

That’s Townes as one of the federales in the video. Steve Earle said of the tune “You won’t find a song that’s better written, that says more or impresses songwriters more”

Emmy Lou also had a hit duet with Don Williams on the song “If I Needed You”…

The album really showcases his talent before the drugs and booze dissipated it. Some of the best for me are songs like “No Lonesome Tune”, “Sad Cinderella” and “Snow Don’t Fall”. He also has some country fun with covers of Hank Williams “Honky Tonkin” and his own “Heavenly Houseboat Blues”. Plus you get a fine cover of Guy Clark’s “Dont Let The Sunshine Fool Ya”. and “Silver Ships Of Andilar”, which sounds like nothing else on the record but is wonderful too.

Townes Van Zandt played for years in dive bars for small audiences. Sometimes it almost seemed that he liked it better that way. Big time success never really came, although a plethora of your favorite songwriters list him as a top influence.

Here are some scenes from a documentary of his life…