Scott Kelly, Steve Von Till, Wino - Songs of Townes Van Zandt
Neurot Recordings
Folk Tribute
9 songs (37:09)
Release year: 2012
Neurot Recordings
Reviewed by Stefan
For those already aware of the usual endeavors of the three men joining forces to pay homage to the great late Townes Van Zandt (no relation to Lynyrd Skynyrd's dead and alive singing brothers), this short tribute album will not come as a surprise as Kelly, Von Till and Scott Weinrich (Wino) have already demonstrated their liking of the folk idiom through various side-projects and solo outings and because Townes is most fitting of his kind to their vocal abilities and artistic sensitivity.

That said, the love displayed from metalheads and metal musicians towards Townes and the beautiful and haunted material he wrote in his chaotic and vastly underrated career still puzzles me. In truth, there's not much in Van Zandt's music to satisfy the lover of heavy rhythms, aggressive vocals and sharp guitars... Actually, there's nothing but the sheer talent of one able to spill his guts onto the page and sing it so justly it's hard to resist.

The renditions of Scott, Steve and Wino do justice to a selection consisting mostly of classic Townes' tunes, faithful as can be with the three vocalist largely borrowing Van Zandt's very singing style so much that you often forget the interpreters allowing yourself to focus on the music (and lyrics, obviously) alone. Of the three, Kelly closes the deal best straying enough from the songs' standards to affirm his own voice, though staying true to the original spirit of it. Steve Von Till does a nice enough job too which reminded me how beautifully inspired by Van Zandt's almost grim version of Country/Folk Music his A Grave Is a Grim Horse album already was and how fitting his bass vocals presently are. Wino, the most faithful of the lot, also is the less impressive. While his versions are nice enough to listen to, he sticks too close to the master's voice to really deliver more than a convincing impressions/carbon copies of the songs in their barest versions (as exemplified on Townes' very much recommended Live at the Old Quarter, Houston Texas).

It's solely on those three's credentials and the sheer genius of a still too little acclaimed songwriter that this album might appeal to metalheads or, at least, the most open-minded among them, clearly Songs of Townes Van Zandt has little of their usual interest to offer them. As far as tribute albums are concerned, this is the cream of the crop, the top of the bill in the form of a heartfelt homage by people who obviously really cared and involved themselves accordingly. It must have helped, undoubtedly.
Killing Songs :
Kelly's, then Von Till's, then Wino's... But it's all good, actually.
Stefan quoted 85 / 100
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