Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas

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Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas
Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas cover
Live album by Townes Van Zandt
Released 1977
Recorded July 1973
Genre country, folk, singer-songwriter
Length 58:54
Label Tomato
Producer(s) Earl Willis
Professional reviews
Townes Van Zandt chronology
The Late Great Townes Van Zandt
(1972)		 Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas
(1977)		 Flyin' Shoes
(1978)


Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas is a double live album by Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. The recording captures Van Zandt in a series of July 1973 performances in an intimate venue early in his career. The Old Quarter was a small venue (18 by 38 feet) operated by Rex "Wrecks" Bell [8] and Dale Soffar that could comfortably accommodate 60 patrons. More than 100 jammed into the room on the night of these recordings.[9]

The recording was first released in 1977 by Tomato Records and has frequently gone in and out of print under various labels (see below). There is a strong critical consensus that this recording is among the best exemplary recordings of Van Zandt's career. Since the singer's death in 1997, live recordings have become an important part of his catalog, and Live at the Old Quarter has become the meter against which similar recordings are compared.[10]

The liner notes describe the recording as the "Rosetta Stone" of Texas music. One can hear Van Zandt's influences in covers by artist like Bo Diddley, Texas bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins, and country picker Merle Travis. One can also hear Van Zandt's most famous works, songs like "If I Needed You" and "Pancho and Lefty" played to an audience not already familiar with these songs.

The album is also noted for the intimacy of the performance. Van Zandt takes the stage alone and accompanies himself on guitar as he did thousands of times during his career.


Contents

[edit] Track listing

All lyrics and music by Townes Van Zandt except where noted.

Disc 1:

  1. "Announcement" – :44
  2. "Pancho & Lefty" – 4:08
  3. "Mr. Gold and Mr. Mud" – 3:40
  4. "Don't You Take It Too Bad" – 2:57
  5. "Two Girls" – 3:51
  6. "Fraternity Blues" – 3:07
  7. "If I Needed You" – 3:18
  8. "Brand New Companion" – 4:20
  9. "White Freight Liner Blues" – 3:26
  10. "To Live Is to Fly" – 3:20
  11. "She Came and She Touched Me" – 4:09
  12. "Talking Thunderbird Blues" – 2:33
  13. "Rex's Blues" – 3:05
  14. "Nine Pound Hammer" (Travis) – 3:06

Disc 2:

  1. "For the Sake of the Song" – 4:48
  2. "Chauffer's Blues" (Hopkins) – 4:33
  3. "No Place to Fall" – 3:08
  4. "Loretta" – 2:26
  5. "Kathleen" – 2:54
  6. "Why She's Acting This Way" – 5:42
  7. "Cocaine Blues" (traditional) – 3:21
  8. "Who Do You Love?" (McDaniel) – 3:44
  9. "Tower Song VanZandt 3:47
  10. "Waiting 'Round to Die" – 2:35
  11. "Tecumseh Valley" – 4:30
  12. "Lungs" – 2:34
  13. "Only Him or Me" – 2:42

[edit] Release history

year format label catalog #
1977 LP Tomato 27001
1977 Tomato 20001
CD Tomato 269640
1994 CD Rhino 71245
2002 CD Tomato Music 3011
2003 CD Charly 508
2003 CD CoraZong 255041

[edit] Credits

[edit] Music

[edit] Production

[edit] Artwork/liner notes

  • Liner notes by Earl Willis, Chet Flippo, and Arthur Wood
  • Edited by John Tobler
  • Cover design by Milton Glaser
  • Photography by Steve Salmieri

[edit] Notes and sources

  1. ^ John Morthland, "Review: Live at The Old Quarter - Townes Van Zandt", The Best of Country Music, Doubleday Books, 1984, ISBN 038519192 (link)
  2. ^ Shaun Dale, "Review: Townes Van Zandt: Live At The Old Quarter, Houston, Texas", Cosmic Debris, 2002 (link)
  3. ^ Michael Pacholski, "Crescent Blues Music Views: Live at The Old Quarter - Townes Van Zandt", Crescent Blues E-Magazine, Volume 5, Issue 4 (link)
  4. ^ "Folk World CD Reviews", folkworld.de Issue 26, October 2003 (link)
  5. ^ Bruce Sylvester, (Reviews of The Best of Townes Van Zandt; Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas; Texas Rain: The Texas Hill Country Recordings; Together at the Bluebird Cafe), Goldmine, 28:14:573, July 12, 2002, p. 65-66
  6. ^ John Metzger, "Review: Townes Van Zandt - Live at The Old Quarter, Houston, Texas", The Music Box, 10:2, February 2003 (link)
  7. ^ Andrew Gilstrap, [Review of seven 2003 reissues of Van Zandt albums], PopMatters, March 25, 2003 (link)
  8. ^ Today Bell operates a similar venue in Galveston, Texas, The Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe
  9. ^ Earl Willis, liner notes, March 30, 1977 (link)
  10. ^ Andrew Gilstrap, "Review: A Gentle Evening with Townes Van Zandt", PopMatters (link)
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