Various Artists / Songs Of Townes Van Zandt, Vol. Ii
Album: Songs Of Townes Van Zandt, Vol. Ii   Collection:General
Artist:Various Artists   Added:Jul 2014
Label:Neurot Recordings  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2014-07-25 Pull Date: 2014-09-26
Week Ending: Sep 14 Aug 31 Aug 17 Aug 10 Aug 3 Jul 27
Airplays: 1 1 1 1 1 1

Recent Airplay
1. Jan 09, 2018: Clean Copper Radio & Hot Topics
If I Needed You
4. Aug 15, 2014: Global Songsmith plus Instrumentals
To Live Is To Fly
2. Sep 09, 2014: That's Not Bluegrass
Our Mother The Mountain
5. Aug 09, 2014: Music Casserole
Our Mother The Mountain
3. Aug 26, 2014: That's Not Bluegrass
If I Needed You
6. Aug 01, 2014: Octagonal Banana
Our Mother The Mountain

Album Review
Mr. Tumnus
Reviewed 2014-07-24
John Baizley, Nate Hall & Mike Scheidt—Songs of Townes Van Zandt, Vol II

Folk/country. For those of you who don’t know Van Zandt, he was a pretty sensational songwriter who died in 1997. According to Wikipedia, he has the reputation of being a “songwriter’s songwriter”: a master of lyrics. And I have to say, the lyrics on this album are superb.

Van Zandt’s songs have been covered plenty of times, so why listen to this one?

Well, the singing is high-quality, and the production value is great too. On a few songs, the album incorporates electronic tones, or ‘80s style electric guitar. Sometimes this is merely strange, but sometimes it works. Lovely album on the whole, despite the occasional weird electric guitar riff. Check it out.

No FCCs. Recommended songs: 8, 9 (watch out for the end of nine if you’re playing it on the radio), 5, 3

1) “To Live Is To Fly” (3:23): Inspirational country song. “To live is to fly / all low and high / so shake the dust off of your wings / and the sleep out of your eyes.”

2) “Pancho & Lefty” (3:49): Gentle song about the death of a bandit named Pancho. Maybe a little corny, but apparently the song that made Van Zandt famous, so I can’t make fun of it. A voice that occasionally cracks, but isn’t harsh or grating. Fiddle and acoustic guitar in the background.

3) * “St. John the Gambler” (3:35): Wonderful harmony between male and female voices. Brief interlude of funky electric guitar at around two minute mark. Very soft fade-out ending.

4) “Rake” (3:44): Very simple ballad, with male voice and guitar.

5) ** “Waitin’ Around to Die” (3:18): Morbid, gloomy lyrics, with quiet drony tones in the background. Wonderful.

6) “For the Sake of the Song” (4:40): Probably the most complex song on the album. Several voices harmonizing, plus interludes of electric guitar. I have to admit, I don’t quite understand the electric guitar, but it isn’t a disaster.

7) “Highway Kind” (2:19): A short ballad: again, just male voice and guitar.

8) ** “Our Mother the Mountain” (3:35): Fantastic. Imagery of mythology...firstborn sons cursed to be born blind, our mother the mountain coming to life... The chorus is lovely, haunting.

9) ** “If I Needed You” (3:44): Very quiet, drony beginning, which quickly transitions into friendly guitar. Love song: male and female voices harmonizing on top of light guitar. Wonderful listening. Extremely strange last ten seconds: be prepared...maybe fade out before that.

--Mr. Tumnus

Track Listing
 ArtistTrack Name
1. Mike Scheidt To Live Is To Fly
2. Nate Hall Pancho & Lefty
3. John Baizley & Katie Jones St. John The Gambler
4. Mike Scheidt Rake
5. Nate Hall & Stevie Floyd Waitin' Around To Die
6. John Baizley & Katie Jones For The Sake Of The Song
7. Mike Scheidt Highway Kind
8. Nate Hall & Dorthia Cottrell Our Mother The Mountain
9. John Baizley & Katie Jones If I Needed You