Townes Van Zandt

Well, I'm back in business...for awhile anyhow. And, I just wanted to talk about how much I love Townes Van Zandt!
There's a new documentary about him called Be Here To Love Me, playing at the Clinton St. Theater. It's been held over for the past 3 weeks which is good for me because I keep missing it, but I plan to see it tomorrow. I really don't know much about his life, except that he came from a wealthy Texas family and was being groomed to be Governor of the state, but he decided instead to be a genius alcoholic folksinger. He made the right decision. He died in January 1 (the same day as Hank Williams)1997 at the age of 52 as Townes had predicted, like a deck of cards.
His music reminds me of a cross between Hank Williams and a quiet Lou Reed, though later on his voice would deepen to a growl sounding more like Tom Waits would after a series of strokes. But, he still sounded terrific. His songs are lovely, elegiac and often heartbreaking, and have been covered countless times. I feel part of the strength of his music is his powerful simplicity, making his songs universally timeless. Townes most famous song would be Pancho and Lefty, and would be a hit for Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. For those new to his music I think I would recommend his third album called Townes Van Zandt, it's a great showcase for his great talent, and really easy to listen to.
Anyhow, I hope the film is good, it has gotten some really great reviews. I'll tell you what I think after I see it. In any case I totally recommend his music, it's wonderful.