Together At The Bluebird [Digipak] - Steve Earle & Townes Van Zandt & Guy Clark

Advantages: Brilliant collection covering the peak of Van Zandts' career
Disadvantages: None that I can think of

...Unfortunately, it is a fitting tragedy that not nearly enough people are familiar with the music of Townes Van Zandt. Van Zandt died on New Years Day 1997, aged 52, when a heart decimated by alcohol abuse stopped beating during a routine hip operation. Having hardly any success during his lifetime, except through royalty-stuffed covers by more established artists like Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris, posthumously his star seems even more descendent: never appearing in classic rock lists and only celebrated by fellow country musicians and a few knowing cult heroes. 'Texas Troubadour' is a box set that consists of the seven albums Townes Van Zandt recorded for the Poppy and Tomato labels, from 1968-78. As he recorded only two more after this, before his death in 1997, then this collection represents the bulk of his career, and all his... Read review

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Advantages: /
Disadvantages: /

...to do. We Aint Ever Satisfied is the proof, albeit the short snapshot version, that Earle was right to play the game his way, for in not bowing down to the marketing men, the suits and the record company bosses he has produced some musical gems and 12 of them compromise this 1992 album. Earle is a Texan who cut his musical teeth in Nashville and was part of a group of outsiders to the ultra conservative country set up of the time. Earle worked with such luminaries as Guy Clarke and Townes Van Zant both of whom achieved a reasonable amount of success but Earle, who always said that he would make his first album at 21 had to wait another 10 years for his thing to kick off. By then he was as much infamous for his difficult attitude as he was famous for his raw emotive live shows. By the time Guitar Town, the debut album, saw the light of day... Read review

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Advantages: Eight of the greatest albums ever made
Disadvantages: None

...TVZ was the greatest songwriter, lyricist, and singer ever. I was lucky enought to see him play live, once in Leicester in 1994, and then in London in December 1995. Both awesome experiences. This cd box set has his first 8 albums bunged onto 4 cds at a knockdown price. If I hadn't bought all of these ages ago, i would have got this like a shot. TVZ plays toubadour country folk like no one else. His songs have been covered by the likes of Emmylou Harris and other really famous superstars. If you like a bit of folk/Dylan/Cohen, then you'll absolutely love Townes Van Zandt. Mr Mudd and Mr Gold is probably the greatest song ever written. Apocalyptic lyrics about a card game that mean so much. Any of his songs could be cited as a superb example of a man who scated the frayed ends of sanity and takes you to right... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful