for the sake of the song

Townes Van Zandt made his debut as a singular songwriter with these straightforward stories of despair and regret.  He developed his craft playing in clubs around Houston, Texas until songwriter Mickey Newbury convinced him to move to Nashville, where he got a recording contract.  'For the Sake of the Song' was produced by Jack Clement and Jim Malloy for Poppy Records.  They experimented with different sounds and styles that sometimes distract from the timeless songs.  His voice is reminiscent of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.     

Van Zandt recounted his journey:     "I was born in Fort Worth, Texas, where I lived till I was 8; Midland till 9; Billings, Montana, till I was 12; Boulder, Colorado, till I was 14; Chicago till 15; Minnesota till 17; then back to Colorado till 9; Houston till 21 and then I started traveling!  Simply nobody wanted me, nobody would have me.  Well, my mother had me, but not for very long, five or ten minutes!  No, that's not true -- my father was in the oil business, that's why we travelled around so much.  I got out of high school in Minnesota -- I went to a private military school for two years, which I think has a lot to do with my somewhat multifrantic behaviour.  Then I went to the University of Colorado for awhile, then finally dropped out of school and became a folk singer.  College was, well, I sorta went off the deep end at the University of Colorado.  I was apparently not stable enough to go there.  I hit that place like a saddle bronc hits the arena -- coming right out of military school and all.  No way it could last, and it didn't.  So I went to Houston and started singing.  Got into town about a year after the folk boom had died down, like in 1966, and the first place I played was a club on Westheimer called the Jester Lounge.  That was the first place I ever got paid real money for singing.  This guy, who turned out to be Don Sanders, came up to me in there and said I also oughta try this place called Sand Mountain.  I went over there with him and we did a little short set...That was the beginning.  I just started getting more and more gigs and then I ran into a guy who wanted me to make a record.  That was all because of Mickey Newbury. To tell you the truth, I hadn't even thought about recording up to then.  Jack Clement produced it and it was sold to Poppy Records, and I've been playing gigs and making records ever since.  My musical influences were Elvis, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and the Everly Brothers .....it started off with country, then Elvis and those guys, then a little jazz, then blues further into high school, Lightnin' Hopkins mostly, and Bob Dylan around the time of 'Times They Are A' Changin''.  I started listening to topical folk songs, but it definitely started with Elvis.  I remember the first time I realized you could make a living just playing the guitar was watching 'The Ed Sullivan Show'.  That just flipped me out.  I liked Elvis, he didn't quite seem real you know, he made it possible for a whole lot of people to make a whole lot of bread.  There were stars before him but they had sort of round edges, you know.  I started writing funny songs, not dirty songs, but funny bar room type just to get the audience. I was playing these beer joints and used to play folk songs and it got a bit rowdy.  They wanted some funny songs and I hadn't got any, so I wrote some.  Then I wrote serious songs.  It used to be a problem that they were too serious, but when it was most serious it was too serious for a lot of people.  Ten years ago a lot of club owners would tell me to play faster, more up tempo, more comedy.  They meant I needed a band I think...I've never really written with anybody because I just can't.  My songs come out at times, like, when I'm in upstate New York in a motel room and it's freezing out and I don't know anybody and the gig's not been going very good and I haven't seen anybody I even know for weeks ..... a song will come out.  To sit down and write with somebody, I've never even considered."







http://www.townesvanzandt.com/










"(Quicksilver Daydreams of) Maria"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMnEVgPghYs



"Waiting 'Round to Die"
"My first serious song was "Waitin' Around to Die." I talked to this old man for a while and he kinda put out these vibrations.  I was sitting at the bar of the Jester Lounge one afternoon drinking beer, thinking about him, and just wrote it down .....Sometimes I don't know where this dirty road is taking me/Sometimes I can't see the reason why/But I guess I'll keep rambling/Lots of booze and lots of gambling/Well, it's easier than waitin' round to die."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emHZ2oj8wDk



"I'll Be Here in the Morning"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHVhcr-2y78
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjGOxo0KDMs



"Sad Cinderella"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk1XcxqawXM



"The Velvet Voices"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOapVF94r4A




"All Your Young Servants"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYVhM7qFNts



"Sixteen Summers, Fifteen Falls"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5X3tuloOwU

'For the Sake of the Song' 
full album:




All tracks written by Townes Van Zandt.

"For the Sake of the Song"
"Tecumseh Valley"
"Many a Fine Lady"
"(Quicksilver Daydreams of) Maria"
"Waiting 'Round to Die"
"I'll Be There in the Morning"
"Sad Cinderella"
"The Velvet Voices"
"Talkin' Karate Blues"
"All Your Young Servants"
"Sixteen Summers, Fifteen Falls"