Disco de Steve Earle: “Townes”

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 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.

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

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 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.