Scott Kelly, Steve Von Till, Wino - Songs Of Townes Van Zandt

From the calloused guitarists hands and gravel-lined throats of metal legends Scott Kelly, Steve Von Till and Wino comes a long overdue tribute to arguably one of the greatest songwriters to ever give the world the gift of song, Townes Van Zandt. I'm sure some of you may be unfamiliar with the works of Van Zandt, but to put it simply... he is the man that inspired some of your favorite bands' favorite bands.

While never reaching a significant level of success in his own right, his moody style of writing inspired a great many truly legendary songwriters. Artists such as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Bob Dylan have all acknowledged the monumental importance of his music and although he passed away at too young of an age in 1997... his words will remain echoing through time.

Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till (of the atmospheric metal juggernauts, Neurosis) along with Scott "Wino" Weinrich (of the doom metal pioneers The Obsessed and Saint Vitus) paint a beautifully lush sonic portrait of Townes Van Zandt and his works. It is through these songs that the listener can begin to understand the fragility of the mind and heart of Townes. Songs this riddled with pain and sarcasm can only come from a damaged individual, and I find that in most cases this the source of some of the most profound music I've ever heard.

The 9 songs chosen for this release all straddle the fine line that exists on the shared border between traditional country and folk, all while offering a window into the soul of a tormented man taken from us far before his time. These covers are all unique and marvelously executed... and this is a shocking thing to me. Songs as powerful as these will without a doubt wither and rot away in the hands of men ill-equipped to properly convey the the emotions that fueled their very existence. Kelly, Von Till and Wino are all master songwriters in their own right and this collection flourishes under their watch. You can tell that this release was a true labor of love for these three men.



If after reading this review you find yourself intrigued to hear more, I implore you to not only pick up this record... but enlighten yourself with the hauntingly honest works of Townes Van Zandt.

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