Cincinnati Babyhead

Speaks his mind on music & movies!

Hangin With The Ghost Of Townes

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Last year I posted some guest shots from you, my friends. One of them was titled ‘Townes’. A rare thing indeed. What does someone (Aphoristic) from New Zealand  and a Babyhead have in common? That’s easy, Townes Van Zandt.

A while back I got together with another music friend (Vinyl Daft Dad) of mine and we had a good time at the “Morrison Hotel”. Through that meeting I got invited down to Texas to pound a few ales and talk some Townes with Greenpete58. So I jumped a fast freight down and arrived a little wired and thirsty and ready to whet my whistle with my friend Pete and the ghost of Townes. And you know what? I enjoyed every minute of it.

Townes is some of that music that I really go to a lot. My friend Pete is a man of words (and many other things)  and so is Townes Van Zandt. Not just words but how he uses them and how he sings (feels) them. I can’t speak  for Pete but I would guess that he gets moved by Townes in some of the same ways I do. I’ve wanted to do a take on TVZ for a long time. He’s been coming up in my thoughts so when Pete came up with this idea I jumped at it (and jumped a train). Thanks for including me Pedro. It’s Townes time. I really think he’s someone people should know about.

So join us at ‘The Texas Rose Cafe’ for a cup of coffee, eggs and bacon. maybe a little chili, burritos, enchiladas and a few beers and oh yeah a big side of Townes. Man, that’s livin’.

https://peterkurtz.com/2019/06/16/down-at-texas-rose-cafe-with-cb-and-townes-van-zandt/

 

44 comments on “Hangin With The Ghost Of Townes”

  1. hotfox63
    June 17, 2019

    Townes is great. He drank hard to try to escape his personal demons. But his songs are true to his life, bluesy, down, but not beaten.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      June 17, 2019

      I think we have talked Townes before. Right in our mutual listening interests.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • hotfox63
        June 17, 2019

        I’ll follow you CB and make a post about Townes as soon as I get into my flyin’ shoes.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        June 17, 2019

        I’ll look forward to that. Now I have to go play ‘Flyin’ Shoes’. Did you pop over to Pete’s place to have a read?

        Like

  2. 1537
    June 17, 2019

    I don’t know his stuff at all.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      June 17, 2019

      It’s about as raw and bare bones as you can get. Pete kind of hits it on the head when he says he’s “hard to pigeonhole”.
      He writes about his experience from his Texas environment but so much more. Not the most pick me up stuff you’ll ever listen to but it might help you go on a bummer this summer.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
    • J.
      June 18, 2019

      Man, you’re in for a treat. He was one of the very best.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
      • 1537
        June 18, 2019

        The live one has been recommended to me previously.

        Liked by 2 people

      • J.
        June 20, 2019

        Aye. You should get it. You really should.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Yeah, Another Blogger
    June 17, 2019

    Hi CB. I posted a comment on Pete’s site last night, but it isn’t showing up there yet. I guess it eventually will. It’s cool that the two of you met in person to toast Townes.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Aphoristical
    June 17, 2019

    Thanks for the shoutout! I left a comment on GreenPete’s blog about how I was coincidentally listening to Robert Forster sing about Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt when I was reading.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      June 17, 2019

      Now that is on the same vibe or what. I’ll go over and check out your comment. Very cool. And yeah, one of the reasons I kept tuning into your station was your TVZ love.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. J.
    June 18, 2019

    Man, I love Townes. I was listening to Sky Blue the other day and ended up watching the clips from Heartworn Highways.

    I remember chatting with a good pal years ago about Townes and we agreed that what Hawk said about the Black Lodge could be applied to Townes work – if you fave it with imperfect courage, it will annihilate your soul. Those songs can reduce mountains to rubble.

    Anyhoo, I’m heading over to GreenPete’s.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      June 18, 2019

      I would have bet a lot of cash that you were in the Townes gang. Fill me in on the quote you left. Please!
      You inspired Pete and as usual I just went along for an easy ride.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • J.
        June 18, 2019

        That was a great read, CB – really enjoyed dropping in to ‘hear’ you guys chat about Townes. I have a lot of time for that kinda chat.

        My first hit of Townes was Live at the Old Quarter. That was quite the introduction and from that point I decided that he was the best there ever was.

        I said over at GreenPete’s that his songs are deep rooted in the soil and sand – country, blues, and folk woven together.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        June 18, 2019

        Those chats are basically what were doing right now but in that format that I think dds a little something.
        ‘Quarter’ is where you get him or you don’t. It just keeps getting better.

        Liked by 1 person

      • J.
        June 18, 2019

        Totally, aye. That’s why those kinda posts work, cause it’s a natural conversation.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        June 18, 2019

        Nothing more than that. CB could try to be clever and witty but that’s just wrong. Lets do it again soon.

        Liked by 1 person

      • J.
        June 18, 2019

        You bet. I have a couple we could discuss when we’re ready.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        June 18, 2019

        look forward to it.

        Liked by 1 person

    • cincinnatibabyhead
      June 18, 2019

      “Snake Mountain is going to crumble and fall from the sky”. You comment made me think of this one. I was going to post ‘Nothin’ but Pete already had ‘Waiting Around To Die’

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • J.
        June 18, 2019

        Highway Kind is always my pick. Don’t know why… I think it just has so much tied up in it. It’s powerful stuff.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        June 18, 2019

        That is one great song. He’s feeling it on that one. So we feel it with him.

        Liked by 1 person

      • J.
        June 18, 2019

        Yup. It always gets me. He gets me in the same way Cash does. Catches the right nerve… pulls the right string… pushes the right button, etc. Difference being that Cash was more a performer. His stuff still carries weight and truth, but he was a performer.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        June 18, 2019

        Maybe because they both took on the emotion of the song. I think Johnny later on became more subdued like Townes. Maybe age had something to do with it but I sure liked where he went with the songs.

        Liked by 1 person

      • J.
        June 20, 2019

        The American Recordings stuff is among his best, but there’s loads of those really subdued moments throughout his 70’s output. Really great stuff.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        June 20, 2019

        Yeah I’m all over the map with Cash, from the beginning up to the last. Solid stuff throughout.

        Liked by 1 person

      • J.
        June 20, 2019

        Maybe a wee chat about a Cash album is on the cards down the line…

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        June 20, 2019

        Yes we seem to have some common ground there. Well throw him on the list. I always had San Quentin in my thoughts but never pulled the trigger. It was my first exposure. My dad had that record and played the hell out of it.

        Liked by 1 person

      • J.
        June 20, 2019

        San Quentin, eh? I’m not against that…

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        June 20, 2019

        We have lots of options J. With Cash and others. I’m just doing a piece on the first Dire Straits album. A friend brought it back from your side when it was first released. They were brand new. The album blew me away.
        We will find a piece we both dig like the Doors album. Kind of curios on what comes up. Hotel just fell in our laps.

        Liked by 1 person

      • J.
        June 20, 2019

        I still haven’t heard the first Sire Straits album. Used to see the albums cheap quite a bit, but not anymore. I should really stream one.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        June 20, 2019

        It really has a place for me. It was way before all the big mega thing. They were unknown and It sounded so fresh at the time. against the grain. You know what it’s like when you hear something that just grabs you the first time. Try suspending whatever thoughts you have of the band and listen to ‘Wild West End’. Knopfler nails all his influences. It never got better for me. Jesus i’m writing my piece.
        We will find something similar that grabs the both of us.

        Liked by 1 person

      • J.
        June 20, 2019

        I really only know Brothers in Arms and Alchemy. My dad is, or was, a fan… that’s how I got into Brothers…

        I have Spotify, so really have no excuse for not checking out anything else.

        Like

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        June 20, 2019

        Similar to our Bruce chat. The first few DS albums are where it’s at for me. It was nice to see them make some $$ later but things change.
        Sounds like you came by your love of music from your dad, same as me (could be a piece there J).
        Back to Townes. I wonder if a little more financial success would have helped him or maybe things would have played out the same way in the end.

        Liked by 1 person

      • J.
        June 21, 2019

        I appreciated my dad’s music (or some of it) a bit later. He didn’t like a whole lot of stuff… certainly wasn’t a music lover. I think it would be more accurate if I said I picked up my fondness of some movies from him.

        I dare say more financial success for Townes might not have made too much difference.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        June 21, 2019

        I was lucky i picked up the film/music thing from the old man. He wasn’t as into it as i am but he certainly had good tastes in the stuff he liked. He would have liked Townes (he liked rebels and people who did it their way). He really liked Cash. He was a big jazz guy. In the navy so he seen a lot of good acts at different ports on shore leave.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Tony
    June 24, 2019

    If you ever feel like riding the rails further east, I’ll have a few ciders in the fridge ready for a record spin and convo, CB

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      June 24, 2019

      Lets do it. Always into a record spin, beverage and a road trip especially that Atlantic railroad trestle

      Like

      Reply

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