Townes Van Zandt –  High, Low And In Between

This was the first Townes Van Zandt album I ever heard. I still remember the experience of putting it on, and listening to it for the first time.

Two Hands came on first. Ok, I’m interested. Bit of folk, bit of country, bit of gospel. Bops along. Groovy.

Then came You Are Not Needed Now. Holy shit. Didn’t quite see that comin’. Damn, that’s a hell of a song.

Next up, Greensboro Woman. Ok, I can breathe again. This is cool. It’s not soul piercing like that last song. But it’s good. It’s real good. And it’s familiar. Fingerpicking. Acoustic guitar. I get it. I dig it.

And then came Highway Kind.

At that point, I just felt like, HOLY FUCK! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE???

By the time I got to  Mr. Mudd And Mr. Gold, I felt as if I’d converted to a new religion.