Hey, I just noticed that Pitchfork
TV has made the Townes Van Zandt documentary,
Be Here to Love Me, available for the next week. I ran across this on Sundance a few years back and was blown away by the music. Working at Flipside, you’d get your fair share of earnest folkies who’d come in and buy their Townes re-issues and, for whatever reason, I always figured it would be really bland, dated sounding music. Damned if I wasn’t completely off the mark (just my humble opinion). This movie quickly made me reassess my mis-guided preconceved notions of the man and what he was all about.
So there.
I Lovett!
I saw that documentary around the same time I saw the one about Daniel Johnston.
Thought it was interesting that Steve Shelly was involved with both of them, and that in both cases, Steve had bitten off a little more than he could chew.
Prior to that, all I knew of Townes’ music was “Pancho and Lefty,” and then a handful of other songs covered by the likes of Steve Earle and Lyle Lovett.
The documentary blew me away. I especially loved watching the performance footage. Soon after that I sought out some of his recordings.
Although the songs are amazing, the studio recordings fall a little short. The film’s footage of (and stories about) him are very endearing, and as songwriter and performer he was top shelf. For studio recordings, I’d rather listen to Willie and Lyle.
It takes a big man...
…to defeat his own preconceived notions. I’ve still not heard much of Townes. I know I saw a smidgen of this documentary at some point. But, yeah…I…uh…I think I assumed the same thing. Oh, look, another aging NPR listener with a ponytail and a huge back of Sarkozys here to buy some boring crap and let me know how cutting edge they are!
Now….I AM that middle-aged NPR listener. Oh, sigh.
I R NPR
Thanks, Dusty