Search - Townes Van Zandt :: Live at Mccabe's

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 8/13/2023...

Nope!

Townes' last stand...

B. Bowman | Jersey, United States | 01/23/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I get mixed feelings as I listen to this late career recording of Townes Van Zandt at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, CA on February 10, 1995. His guitar skills had deteriorated considerably since his early recordings and his voice was showing the wear from years of alcohol abuse and constant touring. It saddened me that his once precise fingerpicking skills were nonexistent and that at times he seemed to be barely able to strum his guitar. His voice was also occasionally reduced to a croak. While some songs aren't exactly easy on the ear and have a somewhat sloppy feel (which is fitting I guess, considering the laid back feel of the performance), other songs do benefit from Townes' vocal style and guitar arrangements. In particular, Townes' version of "Two Girls" touches my heart each time I hear it, much moreso than the studio version. His gruff voice really adds to the wistful melody of the song. "Lungs" is another song that he really nails on this disc. Especially noteworthy is "Marie", one of his later songs, which is also one of the bleakest songs I've ever heard. When one hears Townes sing of the narrator's life on skid row, without a job and struggling with poverty, you can't help but feel that his lyrics on this song were partially autobiographical. The haunting end of the song is chilling. On a more upbeat note, "To Live's To Fly" is a song that benefits from Townes' road worn voice and the sparse guitar part included, and remains his eternal statement of hope. His duet with Barb Donovan on "I'll Be Here In The Morning" is also a standout. Overall, this CD is one that I wouldn't recommend to those unfamiliar with Townes' recorded work, but if you are a fan of TVZ this is a valuable document of his playing from the year prior to his death."

A Note From The Producer

Cary E. Mansfield | Studio City, CA USA | 02/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Townes Van Zandt's plaintive compositions are among the most affecting ever put down by a songwriter. Their raw emotion cuts deep and thick, right to the bone. The immediacy of his lyrics has appealed to a substantial audience and a remarkable cross-section of fellow musicians. The intimate environment of McCabe's was perfect for this 1995 performance, an engaging blend of some of his best-known classics, then-recent compositions and well-chosen covers. Versions of his trademark songs "Pancho And Lefty," "To Live Is To Fly" and "Pueblo Waltz" reveal the songs aging beautifully, the years and Townes' weathered voice improving their initial power. As presented here, the raw honesty of newer songs such as "Katie Bell Blues" and "Marie" show they can stand alongside any of the standards Van Zandt has written. A special bonus studio cut included on this release is Van Zandt's "I'll Be There In The Morning," a duet with Barb Donovan, one of Austin, Texas's most renowned artists and Van Zandt's favorite female singer-songwriter. The studio track initially was recorded for a compilation CD intended to be given away with the German edition of Rolling Stone and was released on New Year's Day, 1997-the day Van Zandt passed away."