Soundtrack of "Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt".
I got this CD a few weeks ago. It's a double disk so its taken me a while to digest. If you've seen the documentary then you know Townes Van Zandt is an amazing songwriter with an incredible story. A lot of his songs were performed by other people, but he put out his own records which he had trouble keeping in print. He wasn't very famous across the world or anything. His songwriting is too honest for that. His song structures are often very structured. Most of their meaning comes from the lyrics which again are really direct about what he was feeling, example: "Days full of rain, skies coming down again. I get so tired of these same old blues." His songs can pull you up to very high highs then drop you down to the pits. Often he's been described as a cross between Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. He isn't as cool as Johnny Cash, and his songs are a lot more direct than Dylan. Listening to his records is like listening to an old man giving advice around a campfire. I mean that in the best of ways.
So what of this compilation? Its not a greatest hits record, rather it gives a much more balanced view of Townes' entire career. His early recordings like Waiting Around to Die sit alongside live unplugged performances which were featured in the movie. These are the best part because they give you a better sense of how he was onstage. "This song's about this good friend of mine named Rex Bell. Its called Rex's blues. You cut cards with Rex and you get a 3, he'll get a 2." I'm not going to judge the songs other than saying they're lyrically as beautiful if not more beautiful than anything being produced today. Full productions for some songs are included. All in all the record makes for a rewarding and often beautiful listen, though it is difficult at times. After all, Townes Van Zandt was an intense person with great burdens. He was the songwriter's songwriter. It's the real deal.