Silk Purse
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Linda Ronstadt- Silk Purse
Linda Ronstadt-ZOZO Sisters
ZOZO Sisters-ADIEU FALSE HEART
Ronstadt does it again! This time she's made another duet album, and like the excellent one she made with Emmylou Harris, WESTERN WALL: THE TUCSON SESSIONS, it is a true collaboration, both partners sharing equally in the spotlight. As another reviewer here noted, these two voices blend so beautifully that it's hard to tell where one begins and the other takes over. Popping the disc into my changer for the first time, and a half minute into the title song, which comes on the heels of a brief instrumental intro., there were already goose bumps on my skin. Every tune here has its charms, but highlights include two lovely Richard Thompson covers, a fine bluegrass ballad by Bill Monroe, and an understated, gorgeous version of "Walk Away Renee." The John Jacob Niles song, "Go Away From My Window," which I had always associated with Joan Baez, gives Linda an occasion to hit some of those thrilling high notes she's capable of, but elsewhere on this CD, Ronstadt is unusually subdued. I don't mean this in a negative way at all, but it is very different from what one would expect, even from an artist who has done so much genre-jumping in her career. Ann Savoy was never a singer I knew much more about than what I learned upon seeing a couple of recent television interviews about this record with her and Linda together. She seemed like a charming individual, but their conversation did not prepare me for the surprise of this fine album. Guess she is yet another female singer I will want to catch up with, because she easily holds her own with superstar Ronstadt! Anyone who likes great acoustic music and flawless close harmony singing will love ADIEU FALSE HEART. Get it now; you won't be sorry!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
John Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997), best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American singer-songwriter. Many of his songs, including "If I Needed You," "To Live is to Fly," and "No Place to Fall" are considered standards of their genre.
While alive, Van Zandt had a small and devoted fanbase, but he never had a successful album or single, and even had difficulty keeping his recordings in print. In 1983, six years after Emmylou Harris had first popularized it, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard covered his song "Pancho and Lefty," scoring a number one hit on the Billboard country music charts. Despite achievements like these, the bulk of his life was spent touring various dive bars, often living in cheap motel rooms, backwoods cabins, and on friends' couches. Van Zandt was notorious for his drug addictions, alcoholism, and his tendency to tell tall tales. When young, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and insulin shock therapy erased much of his long-term memory.[
Van Zandt died on New Years Day 1997 from health problems stemming from years of substance abuse] The 2000s saw a resurgence of interest in Van Zandt. During the decade, two books, a documentary film, and a number of magazine articles about the singer were created. Van Zandt's music has been covered by such notable and varied musicians as Bob Dylan, Norah Jones,Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, Cowboy Junkies, Andrew Bird, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss Gillian Welch, and Devendra Banhart.
While alive, Van Zandt had a small and devoted fanbase, but he never had a successful album or single, and even had difficulty keeping his recordings in print. In 1983, six years after Emmylou Harris had first popularized it, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard covered his song "Pancho and Lefty," scoring a number one hit on the Billboard country music charts. Despite achievements like these, the bulk of his life was spent touring various dive bars, often living in cheap motel rooms, backwoods cabins, and on friends' couches. Van Zandt was notorious for his drug addictions, alcoholism, and his tendency to tell tall tales. When young, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and insulin shock therapy erased much of his long-term memory.[
Van Zandt died on New Years Day 1997 from health problems stemming from years of substance abuse] The 2000s saw a resurgence of interest in Van Zandt. During the decade, two books, a documentary film, and a number of magazine articles about the singer were created. Van Zandt's music has been covered by such notable and varied musicians as Bob Dylan, Norah Jones,Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, Cowboy Junkies, Andrew Bird, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss Gillian Welch, and Devendra Banhart.
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