Vinyl Vault

Revered by his peers and immortalized by cover versions of his songs, Townes Van Zandt’s idiosyncratic approach to country music made him an uneasy fit for the mainstream. Today we’ll take a song-by-song look at his 1969 self-titled album to see if the cult surrounding his work is justified or if his reputation outpaced his talent.

Townes Van Zandt (1969, Poppy Records)

Side A

  A1. “For The Sake Of The Song”
The first song is really all you need to hear for evidence of Van Zandt’s songwriting genius. It tells the tale of a girl in the throes in sadness but unable to give herself completely to the singer, who is equally unwilling to commit to being her crying shoulder. The inventive rhyme scheme and Van Zandt’s clever wordplay elevate the song into realms that most country music could hope to approach.

  A2. “Columbine”
The acoustic guitar is picked as gently as the titular flower, which is a metaphor for the way that life can buffet even the sturdiest of souls: “All your pride and prancing/How much does it mean?”

  A3. “Waiting Around to Die”
The narrator here moans over minor keys about his seemingly endless amount of vices. All the old standbys are there: gambling, booze, robbery, and eventually numbing drugs. The ironic moral of the story is that all of this hard living, and all of the heartbreak it causes, is preferable to a mundane existence.

  A4. “Don’t Take it Too Bad”
This one has a gentle country bounce and a nice, philosophical bent, but it never quite pays off.

  A5. “Colorado Girl”
Van Zandt’s stoically sad vocal is the high point of this testament to love suffering through separation. The folky acoustic backdrop is a bit bland though.

Side B

  B1. “Lungs”
A whole lot of portent and gloom is packed into this short song, which features an ominous bass drum and sneaky slide guitar as Van Zandt asks ominously “Won’t you lend your lungs to me/Mine are collapsing.”

  B2. “I’ll Be Here in the Morning”
At no point in the song can you be sure that Van Zandt will be able to physically fulfill the titular promise, but this song is all about faith and devotion and a love that outstrips all other worldly pursuits. Plus I love the description of the girl’s “bluely dancing eyes.” Simple, sweet, and lovely.

  B3. “Fare Thee Well, Miss Carousel”
Steve Earle famously praised Van Zandt as a songwriter with no equal, Bob Dylan included. That’s pushing it, but this song can compare to some of Bobby D’s mid-60’s epics. A motley crew revolves around Miss Carousel, the girl at the hub of Van Zandt’s lacerating observations. Heck, there’s even a harmonica to really drive home the comparison.

  B4. “(Quicksilver Dreams Of) Maria”
The lilting Spanish guitar, bongos, and gypsy violin provide fine accompaniment to the songwriter’s unforced yet poetic descriptions. Maria is the kind of girl you approach but never reach, the one who stands inches and miles away, and Van Zandt nails the characterization with a stunning ease.

  B5. “None But the Rain”
The flutes are a surprisingly apt touch, as Van Zandt says goodbye with heartbreaking eloquence. There are oceans of regret and uncertainty in his plainspoken words. A perfect closer to this marvelous album.

The Bottom Line

If you’ve only heard of Townes Van Zandt but never heard his music, I implore you, if you love great songwriting, to track down an album wherever you can. This self-titled masterpiece is as good a place as any to start.

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