Townes Van Zandt Albums: songs, discography, biography, and listening guide - Rate Your Music
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Townes Van Zandt

Townes Van Zandt
Born
7 March 1944, Fort Worth, TX, United States
Died
1 January 1997, Smyrna, TN, United States
Notes
Father of John T. Van Zandt; Married to Jeanene Van Zandt [1983-1994]
Genres
Singer-Songwriter, Country, Contemporary Folk, Progressive Country, Americana
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Discography

208
Credits 181 Filmography 4

Album

Showing all (14)
Issues
AverageAvg.
Ratings
Reviews
Ratings/Rev.
Title
/
Release Date
+9
3.56
1,654
29
1,654
29
Cover art: For the Sake of the Song
For the Sake of the Song
1968
+14
3.92
5,760
57
5,760
57
Cover art: Our Mother the Mountain
Our Mother the Mountain
1969
+18
4.05
10,764
84
10,764
84
Cover art: Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
1969
+14
3.74
2,046
17
2,046
17
Cover art: Delta Momma Blues
Delta Momma Blues
1970
+8
3.54
1,313
15
1,313
15
Cover art: High, Low and In Between
High, Low and In Between
1972
+12
3.78
2,269
20
2,269
20
Cover art: The Late Great Townes Van Zandt
The Late Great Townes Van Zandt
1972
+13
3.71
1,395
17
1,395
17
Cover art: Flyin' Shoes
Flyin' Shoes
1978
+3
3.45
509
6
509
6
Cover art: At My Window
At My Window
1987
+4
3.80
268
6
268
6
Cover art: The Nashville Sessions
The Nashville Sessions [archival]
1993
+3
3.36
353
5
353
5
Cover art: No Deeper Blue
No Deeper Blue
1994
+1
3.17
123
7
123
7
Cover art: A Far Cry From Dead
A Far Cry From Dead
1999
+1
3.36
110
4
110
4
Cover art: Texas Rain
Texas Rain
2001
+1
3.75
211
3
211
3
Cover art: In the Beginning
In the Beginning [archival]
2003
+1
3.46
236
6
236
6
Cover art: Sky Blue
Sky Blue [archival]
2019
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Live Album

Showing 11 of 21 show all
Issues
AverageAvg.
Ratings
Reviews
Ratings/Rev.
Title
/
Release Date
+12
4.17
2,533
42
2,533
42
Cover art: Live at The Old Quarter, Houston, Texas
Live at The Old Quarter, Houston, Texas
1977
+4
3.71
99
4
99
4
Cover art: Live & Obscure
Live & Obscure
1987
+3
3.74
262
3
262
3
Cover art: Roadsongs
Roadsongs
1992
+6
4.10
527
10
527
10
Cover art: Rear View Mirror
Rear View Mirror [archival]
1993
+1
3.82
46
1
46
1
Cover art: Abnormal
Abnormal
1996
+1
3.66
64
1
64
1
Cover art: The Highway Kind
The Highway Kind
1997
 
3.86
174
4
174
4
Cover art: A Gentle Evening With Townes Van Zandt
A Gentle Evening With Townes Van Zandt [archival]
2002
 
3.95
44
2
44
2
Cover art: Acoustic Blue
Acoustic Blue
2003
 
3.66
4
4
-
Cover art: Homeward Bound (Live 1973)
Homeward Bound (Live 1973) [archival]
2023
Show all 21 Live Albums

Single

Showing all (18)
Issues
AverageAvg.
Ratings
Reviews
Ratings/Rev.
Title
/
Release Date
 
3.65
60
1
60
1
Cover art: Second Lovers
Second Lovers
1969
+1
3.21
30
30
-
Cover art: Honky Tonkin'
Honky Tonkin'
1972
 
3.79
72
1
72
1
Cover art: If I Needed You / Sunshine Boy
If I Needed You / Sunshine Boy
1972
+1
4.04
311
4
311
4
Cover art: Poncho & Lefty
Poncho & Lefty
1972
 
3.54
26
26
-
Cover art: Standin' / Greensboro Woman
Standin' / Greensboro Woman
1972
 
3.82
50
50
-
Cover art: Dead Flowers
Dead Flowers
1993
 
2.88
6
6
-
Cover art: Ain't Leavin' Your Love
Ain't Leavin' Your Love
1999
 
3.75
9
9
-
Cover art: Snowin' on Raton
Snowin' on Raton
2001
 
4.17
4
4
-
No cover art available
Lungs
 
-
-
Cover art: Marie
Marie

Appears On

Showing 11 of 16 show all
Issues
AverageAvg.
Ratings
Reviews
Ratings/Rev.
Title
/
Release Date
 
3.00
2
1
2
1
Cover art: Present Echoes
Present Echoes
1992 • Album • Nanci Griffith
 
3.77
2
2
-
Cover art: Texans Live From Mountain Stage
Texans Live From Mountain Stage [live]
1995 • Album • Various Artists
+1
3.57
41
2
41
2
Cover art: West Texas Heaven
West Texas Heaven
1996 • Album • Kimmie Rhodes
 
3.55
3
3
-
Cover art: Broadcasts Vol. 8
Broadcasts Vol. 8 [live sessions]
2000 • Additional release • Various Artists
+1
4.06
76
2
76
2
Cover art: Heartworn Highways: Original Vintage Recordings from the Legendary Documentary
Heartworn Highways: Original Vintage Recordings from the Legendary Documentary [live, archival, motion picture soundtrack]
2006 • Album • Various Artists
 
3.72
156
2
156
2
Cover art: In Bruges
In Bruges [film score, motion picture soundtrack]
2008 • Album • Carter Burwell
 
2.79
14
1
14
1
Cover art: GM5
GM5
2012 • DJ Mix • Mr Audrey Horne
+3
3.49
169
2
169
2
Cover art: Hell or High Water
Hell or High Water [film score, motion picture soundtrack]
2016 • Album • Nick Cave and Warren Ellis
 
3.00
3
3
-
Cover art: New Brvtalism No. 077
New Brvtalism No. 077
2016 • DJ Mix • Boy Harsher
 
3.54
87
87
-
Cover art: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri [film score, motion picture soundtrack]
2017 • Album • Carter Burwell
 
3.75
3
3
-
Cover art: 29th September 2023
29th September 2023
2023 • DJ Mix • Baba Stiltz w/ Adam Friedland
Baba Stiltz
Adam Friedland
Show all 16 Appearances

Compilation

Showing 10 of 19 show all
Issues
AverageAvg.
Ratings
Reviews
Ratings/Rev.
Title
/
Release Date
+1
3.87
54
2
54
2
Cover art: Anthology 1968-1979
Anthology 1968-1979
1998
+1
3.66
12
12
-
Cover art: The Best of Townes Van Zandt
The Best of Townes Van Zandt
1999
 
4.08
34
2
34
2
Cover art: Drama Falls Like Teardrops
Drama Falls Like Teardrops
2000
 
3.64
29
29
-
Cover art: The Best of Townes Van Zandt
The Best of Townes Van Zandt
2002
+1
4.36
267
5
267
5
Cover art: Texas Troubadour
Texas Troubadour
2002
+2
4.35
53
2
53
2
Cover art: Legend
Legend
2003
+2
4.09
41
41
-
Cover art: Be Here to Love Me
Be Here to Love Me [motion picture soundtrack]
2005
+1
4.05
33
33
-
Cover art: The Best of Townes Van Zandt
The Best of Townes Van Zandt
2019
Show all 19 Compilations

V/A Compilation

Showing 7 of 58 show all
Issues
AverageAvg.
Ratings
Reviews
Ratings/Rev.
Title
/
Release Date
+7
3.68
474
20
474
20
Cover art: The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski [motion picture soundtrack]
1998
 
3.22
46
4
46
4
Cover art: Strange Currencies
Strange Currencies
2003
 
3.07
58
4
58
4
Cover art: Love Will Tear You Apart
Love Will Tear You Apart
2007
+3
3.62
150
3
150
3
Cover art: Crazy Heart
Crazy Heart [motion picture soundtrack]
2010
+1
3.75
54
1
54
1
Cover art: Country Funk II: 1967-1974
Country Funk II: 1967-1974
2014
Show all 58 V/A Compilations

Bootleg / Unauthorized

Showing 3 of 11 show all
Issues
AverageAvg.
Ratings
Reviews
Ratings/Rev.
Title
/
Release Date
 
3.60
7
7
-
Cover art: Radio Unnameable 1970
Radio Unnameable 1970 [live]
2015
+2
3.97
32
1
32
1
Cover art: Live at the Whole Coffeehouse
Live at the Whole Coffeehouse [live]
Show all 11 Bootlegs / Unauthorized releases

Video

Showing 3 of 4 show all
Issues
AverageAvg.
Ratings
Reviews
Ratings/Rev.
Title
/
Release Date
+1
4.19
66
1
66
1
Cover art: Be Here to Love Me
Be Here to Love Me
2005
 
4.28
8
1
8
1
Cover art: Live in Amsterdam
Live in Amsterdam
2005
Show all 4 Videos

Additional release

Showing all (3)
Issues
AverageAvg.
Ratings
Reviews
Ratings/Rev.
Title
/
Release Date
+2
3.62
46
2
46
2
Cover art: Documentary
Documentary [commentary, live sessions]
1997
 
3.85
145
2
145
2
Cover art: Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions & Demos 1971~1972
Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions & Demos 1971~1972 [archival, outtakes]
2013
 
3.50
2
2
-
Cover art: Live at VPRO Radio 1990
Live at VPRO Radio 1990 [archival, live sessions]
2018
Townes Van Zandt
  • schmidtt
    "Townes Van Zandt's life was the reverse of the country music rags-to-riches story. Born into wealth and privilege, he was the son of a Texas oil man. But mental illness and alcoholism foreclosed a professional career, and much of his adult life was spent in grinding poverty. Despite the chaos of his personal life, though, his songs are remarkably deliberate and controlled -- the works of an introspective and lucid mind. No one since Hank Williams had written country songs this sorrowful or profound. Unfortunately, Townes was never as interested in the recording process as he was in songwriting, and many of his albums are mangled by excessive production. His best recordings were his most minimalist works - his 1969 eponymous album and the 1973 performance Live at The Old Quarter, Houston, Texas - just his voice and a guitar, with little or no accompaniment."
    • RYM Rough Guide for Townes Van Zandt

    Biography

    Strongly influenced by Lightnin' Hopkins, Son House and, to a lesser extent, Bob Dylan, Van Zandt left college in Colorado to play in the folk clubs of Houston, TX in the late 1960s. He was spotted by fellow Texan Mickey Newbury, who organized the recording of his debut album in Nashville. Between 1968 and 1973, Van Zandt released five albums before moving to Nashville permanently in 1976 and releasing his most acclaimed album, Live At The Old Quarter (actually recorded in 1973 in Houston). After a long break, a resurgence of interest in Alt. Country in the late 1980s put Van Zandt back in the studio, where he recorded At My Window, his penultimate self-penned studio album. A series of vintage live recordings followed before Van Zandt embarked on a short tour with Cowboy Junkies in 1990. In 1994, after a largely ignored collection of live covers of his musical heroes, Roadsongs, Van Zandt released his final studio album, No Deeper Blue. On New Year's Eve, 1996, Van Zandt entered hospital for routine hip surgery, but the longtime alcoholic died from complications relating to his poor health. His estate has since been deftly managed by his widow, who has released several posthumous albums and collections of previously unreleased songs.

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    Shows

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