Audio CD review:
Townes Van Zandt - Our Mother the Mountain

Townes Van Zandt - Our Mother the Mountain

Band: Townes Van Zandt Title: Our Mother the Mountain Rating: Release Date: 12 April, 1994 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Be Here To Love Me 2: Kathleen 3: She Came And She Touched Me 4: Like A Summer Thurdsday 5: Our Mother The Mountain 6: Second Lovers Song 7: St. John The Gambler 8: Tecumseh Valley 9: Snake Mountain Blues 10: My Proud Mountains 11: Why She's Acting This Way

Editoral Review His straightforward hound-dog vocals were never more affecting than on the early discs. After a wobbly debut, this indispensable Texas troubadour bounced back in 1969 with a sophomore disc that shows his songwriting style--audibly influenced by Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, and any number of Texas bluesmen--emerging via a batch of memorable originals. An overabundance of atmospheric flute accompaniment mars the orchestration, but this is one of the few violin-laden folk albums from the late '60s that still holds up, at times projecting a dusty, Western aura, at others a more formal, almost classical vibe. The parade of classic Van Zandt tunes continues here with a second, more fully realized try at "St. John the Gambler," "Tecumseh Valley," and one of his earliest original talking blues songs, "Snake Mountain Blues. " Like that of all Van Zandt discs, the tone here is mournful from start to finish, but once you're hooked it becomes an essential part of the sweetness and greatness of this irreplaceable songwriter. --Robert Baird .. You can see a complete list of all Townes Van Zandt discography, or go back to the Townes Van Zandt tabs