Thursday, June 19, 2008

Best albums of the '90s, number three: Townes Van Zandt, "Roadsongs"

Number three on our list is a compilation of live songs from the late, great folk singer Townes Van Zandt, entitled Roadsongs (1994). This was issued near the end of Van Zandt's life, and consists entirely of covers, a rare treat from a songwriter known so well for his own immortal compositions. The highlights here include several Lightnin' Hopkins covers (the Texas blues master was one of Van Zandt's strongest influences), as well as a rendition of the Rolling Stones country number "Dead Flowers," which is one of my absolute favorite covers, and one of the few songs I can listen to on repeat for an endless amount of time. And while we're at it, here's a great review of the album from the late music scholar Robert Palmer in Rolling Stone.

[And for our honorable mention, we can't forget about another psuedo-country masterpiece, Lucinda Williams' Car Wheels On a Gravel Road (1998).]

[Photo courtesy of the AP.]
Posted by Dave at 5:07 PM

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