Townes Van Zandt - mics, pickups, etc?

[Pineapple Pete]

Originally Posted by cu4life7

...I wouldn't worry too much about what he played or recorded with... Don't worry about it and enjoy that music.

Not worried nor trying to replicate or imitate. Just curious.

[Conomor]

Originally Posted by Pineapple Pete

Full disclosure: besides my curiosity, this is a thinly-veiled attempt at getting people to talk about a great, great folk artist of our time.

Well in that case...

25 or so years ago I was idly thumbing through cds in the music section of Nottingham library when I came across Townes' 'Our Mother the Mountain'. Hadn't heard of him at that point, but something about the album cover drew me in. I took it home, played it and was blown away. He's been my favourite artist ever since, although I have to admit that I do prefer a couple of Steve Earle's covers to the originals.

I don't believe there has been a finer songwriter and lyricist than Townes Van Zandt.

[Stringmaster]

Good one here:
https://youtu.be/wQx0Pb6ZPXQ

[Goat Mick]

Waitin' Around to Die is one of finest songs ever written, but a lot of times the cover by another artist is even better than the original. And then other times it isn't, I play Poncho & Lefty some and would really like to do it like Townes did it, but Willie and Merle's style keeps coming out because that's what I grew up with. Poncho & Lefty is also the song that really hooked me onto story songs.

Here's an awesome cover of Waitin' Around to Die.

[DesertTwang]

Originally Posted by Stringmaster

Recommended TVZ recordings? I’m behind the curve.

TVZ is my undefeated singer/songwriter hero, and I have collected all his recordings, at least the ones that are available. I mostly collect vinyl, but TVZ's original record pressings are unobtainium for the most part. I think I've only ever seen one(!) original pressing in 4 years of record collecting, and that was a scratched-up copy for which the seller still wanted like $80 or something like that. However, the Fat Possum label has re-issued TVZ's catalog in recent years on vinyl. They're pretty good for the most part, and I have all of them, with the exception of "In The Beginning," which appears to have a systemic pressing defect that I have found on several copies, so I'd get that one on CD. That particular album, however, while a good one, is not what I would consider essential TVZ fare anyway.

For the beginning TVZ enthusiast, I'd recommend going for live recordings first, as his studio albums can come across as a bit overproduced at times, and that can detract from the essence of his music, his songwriting and delivery. I could see someone not too familiar with him being put off by the sometimes whimsical production choices, and that would be a shame.

Like others have mentioned, "Live at the Old Quarter" is a fantastic album, as are many of his other live albums. There are quite a few, more obscure recordings around, for example recordings from his tours over in Europe, where he was very popular (and still is).

One of his best live albums, in my mind, is "Rearview Mirror." I'd start with that one.

There also is a CD reissue of 7 of TVZ's albums, plus studio outtakes and live recordings, in an unbeatably priced package called "Texas Troubadour." I bought this litte box of 4 CDs, which features an extensive booklet, for 25 bucks on amazon, and it was my introduction to his music, as it spans a large part of his repertoire.

EDIT: I see "Texas Troubadour" is out of print now, but used copies can still be found on Discogs or amazon.

Enjoy!

[baetisdun]

The Whole Coffee House live recording from 1973 is my favorite, he sounds better to me than at the Old Quarter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc_myvOm7aQ&t=75s

[Silly Moustache]

Back in the day I was invited, and joined "newsgroups" related to TVZ and to my main man - Guy Clark.
They evolved into "yahoo groups" and the Townes one was called "About Townes" which included friends "Wrecks" Bell and Jim Calvin and a couple of members of his family; there were a whole lot of stories and tales.

I finally got to see him in the UK in July '96. I'd been so looking forward to seeing him, but he was in such a bad state on stage that found myself wishing that his spot would finish so he could rest.

He died about five months later and that was a whole 'nother sad tale.

Guy and Townes were inseparable - great friends, as was Susannah, and, I guess as much as possible, kept each other going, but Townes was hopelessly addicted to drink and drugs.

I only remember Townes playing Gibsons, a Jumbo, and a Super jumbo.

I doubt that he owned or worried about mics or pick-up and back then there were far less choices anyway, so probably an early UST, possibly installed by Guy.

Guy always used to put a Townes song on his albums to ensure some income to his family.

[joe paul]

Thanks for the tip on the Whole Coffee House recording, baetisdun, I didn't know that one.
I like the Absolutely Nothing collection, recorded a bit later in 1994. The version of "Marie" on there is heart-breaking.