Culled from Van Zandt's Years of Independently Released Country-folk Records, the Austere Collection of Songs Here Serves, in Effect, as a Greatest-hits Package, Albeit with Glitches, Errant Noises, Goofy Jokes and Witty A... more »necdotes. Van Zandt's Dry, Narrative Wit was the Source of Influence for Such Singer-songwriters as Lyle Lovett, but One Would Be Hard-pressed to Find a More Simple, Prettier Love Song Than "if I Needed You" (A Hit for Emmylou Harris) Or a More Riveting Ballad Than "Kathleen", Both Sung with Focused Precision. The Old Quarter Falls as Silent as a Church. "Brand New Companion" Shows off Van Zandt's Blues-picking Expertise. "Talking Thunderbird Blues" Demonstrates his Wit. One of his Best Creations, "For the Sake of the Song", Shows off his Poetic Strength. This is the Place to Start If You Are Just Entering the Parched, Spare Domain of Townes Van Zandt. By Album's End, You Will Be Thirsty for More.« less
Culled from Van Zandt's Years of Independently Released Country-folk Records, the Austere Collection of Songs Here Serves, in Effect, as a Greatest-hits Package, Albeit with Glitches, Errant Noises, Goofy Jokes and Witty Anecdotes. Van Zandt's Dry, Narrative Wit was the Source of Influence for Such Singer-songwriters as Lyle Lovett, but One Would Be Hard-pressed to Find a More Simple, Prettier Love Song Than "if I Needed You" (A Hit for Emmylou Harris) Or a More Riveting Ballad Than "Kathleen", Both Sung with Focused Precision. The Old Quarter Falls as Silent as a Church. "Brand New Companion" Shows off Van Zandt's Blues-picking Expertise. "Talking Thunderbird Blues" Demonstrates his Wit. One of his Best Creations, "For the Sake of the Song", Shows off his Poetic Strength. This is the Place to Start If You Are Just Entering the Parched, Spare Domain of Townes Van Zandt. By Album's End, You Will Be Thirsty for More.
"This is probably the only review I'll ever write.
I stumbled upon Townes through the Big Lebowski. We watched that movie ad nauseam my Junior year of college, and I found the closing track, "Dead Flowers", to be profoundly haunting. I bought this album sight unseen, and it was the greatest purchase I've ever made.
As a direct result of buying this album, I bought an acoustic guitar and learned to play most of these songs. I've shared it with those closest to me, and I went out of my way to visit Wrecks Bell at his (former) bar in Galveston.
Townes had an ability to put words together that was truly unique - no one has ever spoken to me like he has, before or since. This album captures him at his best: in a small, enthusiastic live acoustic setting. Just him, his guitar, and a crowd of maybe 40 listeners. I would kill to have been there.
This album has touched my life."
Extraordinary clarity and power from a increasingly forgotte
Richard Gibson | Woodland Hills, CA | 10/23/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Townes Van Zandt was not a singer that I had heard of, until just recently. He was another Texas singer, whose drinking and drugging kept his career from taking off and killed him in his early 50s. Another familiar sad story, increased in his case by mental trouble (maniac depression).
Except for one thing. My goodness, the man could sing and write songs! This album is absolutely extraordinary. It consists of almost nothing but Van Zandt's voice, singing over a very muted guitar. There is nothing here but the man and his songs. Very few musicians come across well in those circumstances.
Van Zandt, however, delivers a series of haunting songs, penetrating lyrics and beautiful melodies. This guy is the real deal, a song-writer who really is a poet and singer of beautiful, beautiful songs. His work should not be forgotten. In a very different way, he is another American original like J.J. Cale, an utterly extraordinary talent who lived out his life far from the music industry's hype."
Haunting
Cameron Mayhue | Steamboat Springs CO USA | 01/12/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"We sift through piles of rocks to find a diamond, this my friend, is what we are looking. This makes it easier.
Townes' body of work will be a timeless treasure, comparable to any form of art through the ages. This is the apex of his work. We get to go back in time and sit in The Old Quarter and not just hear but feel Townes. Here he personifies purity, here he shows us how it can be, here he shows us what cool really is. We all got holes to fill, This record fills a big one."
Timeless Piece of Music History
Leo H. Stakemiller | Houston, Tx. | 10/06/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Townes Van Zandt Live at the Old Quarter came to mind immediately when I saw Amazon's "Greatest One Hundred Albums of All Time," and noticed it's complete absence from the list. I own most of Amazon's top 15 albums and quite a few of the rest, and Live at the Old Quarter's no-show is more about Amazon's attempt to generate sales than to honestly rate live albums by those who know and love great music. This album has most likely caused more people to pick up a guitar or learn to fingerpick than any other. Townes' ability to connect with his audience comes across so well on this album. I have heard more Townes' shows than I can accurately count, and as hard as it may be to believe, many, particularly in the mid 80s around the time of the release of No Deeper Blue, were even better. After that time, a backslide into alcohol and substance abuse diminished his voice and instrumental skills, but he was still able to summon up his powers on ocassion, as was demonstrated by his powerful live endpiece Live at Union Chapel. For all the devotees of Live at the Old Quarter, we can only hope the tapes were rolling in the mid 80s, and that Townes' manager and wife can end their differences and work to make sure these sounds are not lost forever."