Townes Van Zandt
Our Mother the Mountain
★★★
My first toe dip into Townes Van Zandt, a folk / almost bluesy Texas musician who seems to be a little mainstream almost on this record. As in he takes full advantage of every musical trope of the era, that era being the late 60s to 70s. The large unnecessary backing band and strings really feels cheap and emotionless at points. Not to say that Van Zandt's songwriting ability was hindered by that fact, it's just that a more organic and smaller acoustic setting would be able to present his songs in a more upfront and intimate manner that is lost on this album. Minus a few songs that is. I'm sure at the time, adding a lushness through excessive instrumentation would sound pretty professional and impressive to the average listener. But time changes things.
For example, on the opening track "Be Here to Love Me", Van Zandt's lyrics are funny and comforting but when coupled with the flute and tambourine, the results are watered down significantly. Making it seem like some generic Texan ballad you'd hear in a B movie from the seventies. "She Came and Touched Me" is the first real song on this album that captured my attention. On that track and a lot of others you get a sense that he's a real Southern Leonard Cohen. And that works somewhat but it really makes me wish I was just listening to Cohen at that point. Songs like the self-titled "Our Mother the Mountain" were the only things keeping me engaged and involved with this album and have stood out as the highlights.
It's a mix of standard tracks that are really quite forgettable and the standouts that are head-spinning and worth more than the shoddy production that's been forced onto his songs. I think the second half is a much more appealing and heartfelt than everything before it. Even songs that have weak string arrangements such as "St. John the Gambler" can stay afloat through his singing and lyrical song writing ability. The shorter songs usually benefit as they don't drag or seem repetitive, rather leaving a sweet and memorable sensation like a spoonful of wild flower honey. The guitar and harmonica duo does Van Zandt a great service on the trail blazing ballad of "Snake Mountain Blues", arguably my favorite song on this album.
This album is still an interesting and enjoyable listen, a blast into the not-so-far-away past. I wish to hear more of his acoustic and sparse material which I think would do a great service in showcasing his ability to create memorable and hopeless songs that are addicting to listen to. An album for driving out somewhere, anywhere, with a heart full of feeling and no way to release it. Just to keep driving until you hope something will change, or you forget about it all. Neither one really works but this album makes you feel like it will. And when it stops, you'd have no option to put it back on.
Favorite Song: Snake Mountain Blues
My first toe dip into Townes Van Zandt, a folk / almost bluesy Texas musician who seems to be a little mainstream almost on this record. As in he takes full advantage of every musical trope of the era, that era being the late 60s to 70s. The large unnecessary backing band and strings really feels cheap and emotionless at points. Not to say that Van Zandt's songwriting ability was hindered by that fact, it's just that a more organic and smaller acoustic setting would be able to present his songs in a more upfront and intimate manner that is lost on this album. Minus a few songs that is. I'm sure at the time, adding a lushness through excessive instrumentation would sound pretty professional and impressive to the average listener. But time changes things.
For example, on the opening track "Be Here to Love Me", Van Zandt's lyrics are funny and comforting but when coupled with the flute and tambourine, the results are watered down significantly. Making it seem like some generic Texan ballad you'd hear in a B movie from the seventies. "She Came and Touched Me" is the first real song on this album that captured my attention. On that track and a lot of others you get a sense that he's a real Southern Leonard Cohen. And that works somewhat but it really makes me wish I was just listening to Cohen at that point. Songs like the self-titled "Our Mother the Mountain" were the only things keeping me engaged and involved with this album and have stood out as the highlights.
It's a mix of standard tracks that are really quite forgettable and the standouts that are head-spinning and worth more than the shoddy production that's been forced onto his songs. I think the second half is a much more appealing and heartfelt than everything before it. Even songs that have weak string arrangements such as "St. John the Gambler" can stay afloat through his singing and lyrical song writing ability. The shorter songs usually benefit as they don't drag or seem repetitive, rather leaving a sweet and memorable sensation like a spoonful of wild flower honey. The guitar and harmonica duo does Van Zandt a great service on the trail blazing ballad of "Snake Mountain Blues", arguably my favorite song on this album.
This album is still an interesting and enjoyable listen, a blast into the not-so-far-away past. I wish to hear more of his acoustic and sparse material which I think would do a great service in showcasing his ability to create memorable and hopeless songs that are addicting to listen to. An album for driving out somewhere, anywhere, with a heart full of feeling and no way to release it. Just to keep driving until you hope something will change, or you forget about it all. Neither one really works but this album makes you feel like it will. And when it stops, you'd have no option to put it back on.
Favorite Song: Snake Mountain Blues
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