Townes Van Zandt - In the Beginning
List Price:
Our Price: $7.70
You Save: $2.28 (23%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $4.00 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Music CD Cover
Artist: Townes Van ZandtEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2003-04-22
Music Label: Compadre Records
Soundtracks:
- Black Widow Blues
- Maryetta's Song
- Hunger Child Blues
- Gypsy Friday
- Waitin' For The Day
- Black Jack Mama
- When Your Dream Lover Dies
- Colorado Bound
- Big Country Blues
- Black Crow Blues
Free Music Notes for In the Beginning
Free Music Review: From The Vaults- A Townes Encore
Hit: 5 Stars
This main points in this review have been used in reviews of other Townes Van Zandt material.
Whatever my personal musical preferences there is no question that the country music work of, for example, the likes of George Jones, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette in earlier times or Garth Brooks and Faith Hill a little later or today Keith Urban and Taylor Swift (I am cheating on these last two since I do not know their work and had to ask someone about them) "speak" to vast audiences out in the heartland. They just, for a number of reasons that need not be gone into here, do not "speak" to me. However, in the interest of "full disclosure" I must admit today that I had a "country music moment" about thirty years ago. That was the time of the "outlaws" of the country music scene. You know Waylon (Jennings) and Willie (Nelson). Also Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash and Jerry Jeff Walker. Country Outlaws, get it? Guys and gals ( think of Jesse Colter)who broke from the Nashville/ Grand Old Opry mold by drinking hard, smoking plenty of dope and generally raising the kind of hell that the pious guardians of the Country Music Hall Of Fame would have had heart attacks over (at least in public). Oh, and did I say they wrote lyrics that spoke of love and longing, trouble with their "old ladies" (or "old men"), and struggling to get through the day. Just an ordinary day's work in the music world but with their own outlandish twists on it.
All of the above is an extremely round about way to introduce the "max daddy" of my 'country music moment', Townes Van Zandt. For those who the name does not ring a bell perhaps his most famous work does, the much-covered "Pancho And Lefty". In some ways his personal biography exemplified the then "new outlaw" (assuming that Hank Williams and his gang were the original ones). Chronic childhood problems, including a stint in a mental hospital, drugs, drink, and some rather "politically incorrect" sexual attitudes. Nothing really new here, except out of this mix came some of the most haunting lyrics of longing, loneliness, depression, sadness and despair. And that is the "milder" stuff. Not exactly the stuff of Nashville. That is the point. The late Townes Van Zandt "spoke" to me (he died in 1997) in a way that Nashville never could. And, in the end, the other outlaws couldn't either. That, my friends, is the saga of my country moment. Listen up to any of the CDs listed below for the reason why Townes did.
Townes Van Zandt was, due to personal circumstances and the nature of the music industry, honored more highly among his fellow musicians than as an outright star of "outlaw" country music back in the day. That influence was felt through the sincerest form of flattery in the music industry- someone well known covering your song. Many of Townes' pieces, especially since his untimely death in 1997, have been covered by others, most famously Willie Nelson's cover of "Pancho and Lefty". However, Townes, whom I had seen a number of times in person in the late 1970's, was no mean performer of his own darkly compelling songs.
This compilation, "In The Beginning", gives both the novice a Van Zandt primer and the aficionado a fine array of his core early works in one place. This material, as the extensive liner notes reveal, was material that Townes performed very early in his career and had mislaid to be released only in 2003 several years after his death. Pay particular attention to some of the lyrics that are harbingers of later work like "Tecumseh Valley" and "Don't You Take It Too Bad". For those who thought that Townes merely evolved into his dark lyrics this one will disabuse you of that notion. He was always dark. Stick outs here are: "Black Widow Blues", Black Jack Mama", "Colorado Bound", and "Black Crow Blues". Blues is the dues, okay.
Country Music CDs
Music Genres
Top music charts in Country Music CDs
Johnie Lewis - Alabama Slide GuitarRelease date: 1998-01-20; Music CD
Best price: $6.98
Price in other shops:
Lightnin Hopkins - Texas BluesRelease date: 1993-11-30; Music CD
Best price: $11.38
Price in other shops:
Lewis - LegendsRelease date: 1986-11-01; Music CD
Price in other shops:
![Hotel California [Vinyl] Image](/images/Hotel-California-Vinyl-B0000001D6-X.jpg)
Eagles - Hotel California [Vinyl]Release date: 1997-12-05; Music CD
Best price: $229.99
Ccr - Bayou CountryRelease date: 1993-06-18; Music CD
Best price: $84.99
Taj Mahal - Senor BluesRelease date: 1997-06-17; Music CD
Best price: $8.99
Price in other shops:
Fonte VivaMusic CD
Blackland Farmer-Complete StarBear Family (GE; Published: 2008-02; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $74.98
Taken By Surpriseby Red Hot Burritos
Published: 1992; Music CD
Best price: $19.99
Christmas Joy: Solo Piano for the Holidaysby Deborah Offenhauser
Pba Music Pub; Published: 2005-11-30; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $23.99
Top Rated Albums
Townes Van Zandt - Texas RainPublished: 2001; Music CD
Best price: $14.95
Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van ZandtRelease date: 2010-08-30; Amazon Instant Video; Movie
Best price: $2.99
Together at the Bluebird CafeRelease date: 2006-03-13; Music CD
Best price: $7.00
Price in other shops:
Townes Van Zandt - Townes Van Zandt (Dig)Release date: 2007-05-15; Music CD
Best price: $9.25
Price in other shops:
Townes Van Zandt - Our Mother the Mountain (Dig)Release date: 2007-05-15; Music CD
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops:
Townes Van Zandt - AbnormalRelease date: 2002-10-29; Music CD
Best price: $9.06
Price in other shops:
Townes Van Zandt - At My WindowRelease date: 1992-12-01; Music CD
Best price: $11.80
Price in other shops:
Townes Van Zandt - Texas Troubadour (Reis)Release date: 2005-06-21; Music CD
Best price: $18.54
Price in other shops:
Townes Van Zandt - Live at The Old Quarter, Houston, TexasRelease date: 2008-06-24; Music CD
Best price: $14.17
Price in other shops:
Townes Van Zandt - Rear View MirrorRelease date: 2008-01-22; Music CD
Best price: $9.85
Price in other shops: