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Townes |  | Artist: Steve Earle
Label: New West Records
Category: Music
List Price: $17.98
Buy New: $13.99
as of 9/3/2010 03:17 CDT details
You Save: $3.99 (22%)
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  reviews
Sales Rank: 6963
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.4
UPC: 607396616428
EAN: 0607396616428
ASIN: B001QZEHEI
Release Date: May 12, 2009
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
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| Tracks:
| • | Pancho and Lefty | | • | White Freightliner Blues | | • | Colorado Girl | | • | Where I Lead Me | | • | Lungs | | • | No Place To Fall | | • | Loretta | | • | Brand New Companion | | • | Rake | | • | Delta Momma Blues | | • | Marie | | • | Don t Take It Too Bad | | • | Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold | | • | (Quicksilver Daydreams Of) Maria | | • | To Live Is To Fly |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Steve Earle is set to release Townes, his highly anticipated follow up to the Grammy Award winning album Washington Square Serenade. The 15-song set is comprised of songs written by Earle s friend and mentor, the late singer-songwriter, Townes Van Zandt. Townes will also be available as a deluxe two-CD set, as well as double Limited Edition 180 gram vinyl.
The album was produced by Earle at his home in Greenwich Village, at Sound Emporium and Room and Board in Nashville, TN and The Nest in Hollywood, CA. The track Lungs, was produced and mixed by the Dust Brothers John King and features Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine/The Nightwatchman on electric guitar. Earle s wife, the acclaimed singer-songwriter Allison Moorer, is featured on backing vocals on Loretta and To Live Is To Fly. Three songs cut in Nashville, White Freightliner Blues, Delta Momma Blues, and Don t Take It Too Bad feature a bluegrass band consisting of Dennis Crouch, Tim O Brien, Darrel Scott and Shad Cobb.
Earle met Townes Van Zandt in 1972 at one of Earle s performances at The Old Quarter in Houston, TX. Van Zandt was in the audience and playfully heckled Earle throughout the performance to play the song Wabash Cannonball Earle admitted that he didn t know how to play the tune and Van Zandt replied incredibly You call yourself a folksinger and you don t know Wabash Cannonball? Earle then silenced him by playing the Van Zandt song Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold, not an easy feat due to its quickly-paced mouthful of lyrics squeezed into just over two minutes of song. Their bond was immediately formed. On Townes, Earle and his son, singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle (named after Van Zandt) trade verses on the tune, a song the two of them have been playing together since Justin was a teenager.
The songs selected for Townes were the ones that meant the most to Earle and the ones he personally connected to (not including selections featured on previous Earle albums). Some of the selections chosen were songs that Earle has played his entire career ( Pancho and Lefty, Lungs, White Freightliner Blues ) and others he had to learn specifically for recording. He learned the song (Quicksilver Daydreams of) Maria directly from Van Zandt, and taught himself Marie and Rake specifically for the album s recording. Once a song he played during his live show, Earle relearned Colorado Girl in the original Open D tuning that Van Zandt played it in. Earle recorded the New York sessions solo and then added the other instruments later on in order to preserve the spirit of Van Zandt s original solo performances to the best of his recollection.
Album Description
2009 release, the highly anticipated follow up to the Grammy Award winning album Washington Square Serenade. The 15-song set is comprised of songs written by Earle's friend and mentor, the late singer-songwriter, Townes Van Zandt. The songs selected for Townes were the ones that meant the most to Earle and the ones he personally connected to. Some of the selections chosen were songs that Earle has played his entire career ('Pancho and Lefty', 'Lungs', 'White Freightliner Blues'). He learned the song '(Quicksilver Daydreams of) Maria' directly from Van Zandt. Earle recorded the New York sessions solo and then added the instruments later on in order to preserve the spirit of Van Zandt's original solo performances to the best of his recollection. The track 'Lungs' was produced and mixed by the Dust Brothers' John King and features Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine/The Nightwatchmen on electric guitar.
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| Customer Reviews:
 bluesfolk July 2, 2010
bluesfolk (texas)
This album is UN-BELIEVE-ABLE! Only EARLE couldve got this done and done right!Thank god, there are miracles and this is one.
This is Steve Earle, not Townes. It is what it is. June 21, 2010
Birdman (Minnetonka, MN USA)
I am amazed by reviewers who expected a clone of Townes Van Zandt on this album. Hear Townes sing some of his memorable songs -- with or without a band. If you want to hear Townes Van Zandt, there is a HUGE discography of his mind-bending work. LIVE AT THE OLD QUARTER is as good a start as you will find.
But this is not one of Towne's album. It is a tribute to him, crafted by a friend who, warts and all, did a fine job. My only gripe is the obviously out-of-tune guitar on disc one/cut one. With that exception, i found this double album moving, well-performed and true. I found Steve Earle's voice on this one no more "nasal" than I have on other recent albums.
The true joy of this recording is the second disc, in which Earle plays some of Towne's best on a solo nylon-string guitar. In a curious way, he helps us to revisit the lyrics of songs such as "Where I Lead Me," "Marie" and "To live is to Fly." The musical lines, with a few exceptions, are and were fairly simple. Earle liberates some of the melody too.
A universal gripe is the chintsy time New West often gives its records. A recent Kris Kristoferson live recording clocked in under 37:00. There is no excuse for that, especially for a company which espouses to be as fringe as they do. Even disc 2, which I praise here, clocks in at 38:58. Given the breadth and depth of possible material which might have been included, the timing is ridiculous.
But we live with what we have, and this is, after all, only a recording. As a recording, "Townes" does what all fine records do. They inspire us, entertain us, make us think and in some way, offer us the quality of song through music or lyrics or both.
Has Steve Earle sounded better? Sure. Did Townes Van Zandt perform most of the music here in a more affecting way? Of course. But this is a legendary musician's tribute to a friend, no more and no less. Those who express intense disappointment should let it go.
It is what it is.You have an absolute right to your opinions. But zap the album for more legitimate reasons or let it go.
Everyone needs a little Steve Earle and Townes in their life. April 17, 2010
Karlene Olesuk (Saint Charles, IL USA)
Everyone needs a little Steve Earle and Townes in their life. They are enjoyable songs; some that make you smile, some that make you think. Album artwork rocks too!
I've enjoyed listening to Steve Earle since being introduced to his music by a friend when attending a live concert in Chicago. The concert included an alt. country band opener that was amazing too. I've also enjoyed his acting work from the Wire.
Townes 2 ? February 17, 2010
Christine J. Barnes (Michigan)
Very nice Steve!It don't get better than this.Townes 2 sounds like a Great thing.Buy this cd and sit back and wait for Townes 2
A Must Own January 31, 2010
KA-
A heartfelt album for the love and connections of two different musical artists.
This is a true tribute to Townes.
Enjoy it for it's purity and don't read into it what it is not.
Steve did justice to his memory.
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