It’s perhaps with some embarrassment that I have to confess no prior knowledge of Townes Van Zandt, and listening to this tribute to his work, performed by John Baizley, Nate Hall and Mike Scheidt, it’s clear I’ve been missing out. His songs have passed into country music lore and covered far and wide, although his life story story is a sad one. But then, it takes a certain kind of life to create songs as achingly beautiful as the ones presented here, the second set of covers by musician fans from a long way outside the obvious country community.
Van Zandt is quoted as saying that there are only two kinds of music, that ‘there’s the blues and Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah’ and makes a fair point.These songs of his, they’re the blues alright. Country music comes in many shades, and while there are some down-the-line stone-cold classic examples of authentic Americana, what it really boils down to is the fact there isn’t a track on here that doesn’t penetrate the listener’s psyche and resonate to the very core. These are magnificent, harrowing expositions that speak of what it is to live, to be human.
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