Search - Townes Van Zandt :: Live at the Old Quarter

Townes Van Zandt
Live at the Old Quarter
Genres: Country, Folk, Pop, Rock

Track Listings (14) - Disc #1
1. Announcement - Townes Van Zandt, Travis
2. Pancho & Lefty
3. Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold
4. Don't You Take It Too Bad
5. Two Girls
6. Fraternity Blues
7. If I Needed You
8. Brand New Companion
9. White Freight Liner Blues
10. To Live Is to Fly
11. She Came and She Touched Me
12. Talking Thunderbird Blues
13. Rex's Blues
14. Nine Pound Hammer - Townes Van Zandt, Travis, Merle
Track Listings (13) - Disc #2
1. For the Sake of the Song
2. Chauffeur's Blues - Townes Van Zandt, Hopkins, Lightnin'
3. No Place to Fall
4. Loretta
5. Kathleen
6. Why She's Acting This Way
7. Cocaine Blues - Townes Van Zandt, Traditional
8. Who Do You Love? - Townes Van Zandt, McDaniel, Elias
9. Tower Song
10. Waiting 'Round to Die
11. Tecumseh Valley
12. Lungs
13. Only Him or Me

CD Details

All Artists: Townes Van Zandt
Title: Live at the Old Quarter
Members Wishing: 10
Total Copies: 0
Label: Charly UK
Release Date: 7/1/1999
Album Type: Import, Live
Genres: Country, Folk, Pop, Rock
Styles: Americana, Outlaw Country, Classic Country, Traditional Folk, Contemporary Folk, Singer-Songwriters, Country Rock
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2

Synopsis

Amazon.com

Legendary Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt was just 29 years old when he recorded Live at the Old Quarter. The result of a five-night stand at a tiny club in Houston, what is arguably his best album was originally released on vinyl as a two-album set, and later on compact disc in a slightly abbreviated version. Tomato's reissue, however, restores the album to its full glory, complete with remastered sound and insightful liner notes by music writer Chet Flippo. Van Zandt, who died of a heart attack in 1997, sings of love and loss in a world-weary voice that begs you to pay close attention. After apologizing for the club's broken air conditioner, he kicks things off with a stirring version of "Pancho and Lefty," perhaps his most famous song. But that's just one gem among many, such as the longing "If I Needed You," the fatalistic "Don't You Take It Too Bad," the bleak "Kathleen," the bitter "Tower Song," and the touching "Tecumseh Valley." Unlike his studio albums, some of which suffer from overly busy arrangements, Live at the Old Quarter finds Van Zandt performing solo and acoustic, which only makes his emotionally honest music all the more powerful. --David Hill

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Member CD Reviews

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 8/13/2023...

Nope!

Len S. (3)
Reviewed on 1/9/2012...

This masterpiece does not suffer from overblown production like most of TVZ's albums. Just the immense talents of one of our greatest singer/songwriters, his guitar and his off-beat sense of humor.

Townes' voice takes a little getting used to, but once you're hooked you'd rather hear him sing his own songs than the big stars who made them famous.

CD Reviews

Corny jokes a nice touch

a.b. | AWOL | 03/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is beautiful, totally unpretentious music, and the lyrics are incredible. I'm new to TVZ but I like his work and'll probably wind up getting more of it. Of less importance, the packaging is nice and the between-song jokes are left in. Good price too. Buy it!"

Twenty-seven Years Later...Still Live

Steven A. Fischer | USA | 06/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Unfortunetly Townes Van Zandt passed away three years before I discovered his music. The good news is that there are these recordings for those of us who never had a chance to hear the man's music live. This is great, poetic music- it's just the man, his guitar and his music. It is music intimately communicated. The liner notes give a great description of The Old Corner's audience at these recordings. It was a hot night and the air conditioner was busted, but still they packed in tight to hear Van Zandt play. According to the notes it was so packed, the wait staff couldn't deliver the beers that were ordered but the patrons were cooperative and passed them into the crowd. Despite the beer and the crowd and the heat, some great music and audience/ artist communing went down and these discs document it perfectly. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!"

Reverance

B. W. Wiley | Oakland, CA | 11/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These songs are so perfect, and so real that any attempts at dissection or interpretation fail miserably. Just as I would not spit on the cross, I would not, and will not speak of this man's work as if it is something that can be bullied into cheap interpretations. Unlike Dylan (whom I love), one does need to be versed in Victorian literature or the history of American music to understand the message enclosed in Townes' work. His songs are as spare as they are relevant. "Live at the Old Quarter" was the first collection of TVZ songs I acquired. After the first listen I was hooked. I sat in my room for weeks. I quit my job, I skipped all my classes. I could not stop listening to this recording. My obssesion with this album grew to the point that I would curse the audience for ruining the tender silence at the end of each song. Townes has since become one of my all-time favorites. I've purchased and burned everything of his that I can get my grubby hands on. I love it all, deeply, but this album is closest to my heart. If any song on this album were to be played at my funeral, I would consider myself blessed."

Would give it more stars if I could....

William D. Mcgregor | Fort Worth, Texas United States | 09/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Can't add much to what's been said by other reviewers. This is simply the best album I've ever heard. It might be possible to write, sing, and play songs just as perfectly, but it's not possible to do so MORE perfectly. In his own way, Dylan was just as good a lyricist, but for me Townes' heart is so much bigger, and even when he dabbles in Dylan-esque abstraction, his songs have a core of meaning that I personally don't find in a lot of Dylan's stuff. Listen to the first 3 songs on disk one and think about the extraordinary range they demonstrate. Just cannot be topped.

It's truly inspired and inspiring piece of work, and a fantastic recording. You feel like you're there.

"

Townes van zandt was one of the best songwriters ever...here

Chris Edwards | East Texas | 07/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Townes Van Zandt is/or should be a role model for all songwriters and artists; that's not to say that the man's well-documented personal habits should be emulated, no. His essence...the honesty that permeated his work is screaming beauty that all artists should strive to work toward and something that all who appreciate great art should be able to spot from miles away and embrace wholeheartedly. "Live At The Old Quarter" IS the definitive document of the late, great legend. It is Townes the way he was meant to be heard-live and with his songs stripped to their core. Through the duration of this double-disc classic, you get a sense that you get to know Van Zandt; you feel his warmth, his humor and his life coming through the performances. Van Zandt's songs were like that-his lyrics communicate dispatches of the human condition like few other writers ever could, and that is taking into consideration the breadth of canonical literary works, as well. Simply put, "Live At The Old Quarter" is an essential recording. All of the classics are here: "Pancho and Lefty," of course, "Tecumseh Valley," "White Freightliner Blues" and many more, and some of the older, more humorous stuff that he was doing in the 60's like "Fraternity Blues" is represented as well. Highly, highly recommended!"