All I Need: Unreleased Townes Van Zandt Recordings Collected on "Sky Blue"

All I Need: Unreleased Townes Van Zandt Recordings Collected on “Sky Blue”

March 14, 2019 By Sam Stone — No Comments

Townes Van Zandt is an icon of outlaw country, whose introspective and enigmatic songs have touched audiences for decades. His “Pancho and Lefty,” first released on the 1972 album The Late Great Townes Van Zandt, remains one of the genre’s best known and most beloved songs. His career spanned ten studio albums and nearly three decades and now Fat Possum Records, working alongside the Townes Van Zandt Estate and their TVZ imprint, have added another chapter with a new collection of unreleased recordings.

Sky Blue arrived on March 7 to coincide with what would have been Van Zandt’s 75th birthday. It’s a collection of 11 newly unearthed recordings that were made with friend Bill Hedgepeth in 1973. Among them are early, acoustic versions of Townes Van Zandt favorites (“Pancho & Lefty” and “Rex’s Blues”), a number of covers (Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing On My Mind,” the murder ballad “Hills of Roane County”), along with two previously unheard original songs. Together, these tracks offer a glimpse into Townes Van Zandt’s creative process with urgent and passionate renditions that show listeners the evolution of his songs.

Sky Blue is available on CD, LP, and through digital/streaming services. TVZ and Fat Possum Records have released a new single from the collection called “All I Need.” You can give it a listen below keep scrolling for the full track listing and pre-order links.

Townes Van Zandt, Sky Blue (TVZ/Fat Possum Records, 2019)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

1. All I Need
2. Rex’s Blues
3. Hills of Roane County
4. Sky Blue
5. Forever For Always For Certain
6. Blue Ridge Mountain Blues (Smoky Version)
7. Pancho and Lefty
8. Snake Song
9. Silver Ships of Andilar
10. Dream Spider
11. The Last Thing On My Mind

Categories:

News

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Country

Tags:

Townes Van Zandt

Sam Stone

Sam Stone has been obsessed with catalog music ever since his folks gave him a Contours best-of collection for his fourth birthday. He quickly began to learn all he could about rock and roll history and beyond, a passion that continues to this day.

Sam followed his love for music to the classroom, earning a B.A. from Towson University in Electronic Media and Film, concentrating on radio and audio production, as well as an M.A. in Audio Arts from Syracuse University. He has put his knowledge and skills to work at prominent reissue labels and is excited to bring his perspectives on catalog music to a broader audience. When he’s not writing for The Second Disc, Sam can be found researching about music, talking about Joni Mitchell’s career, and adding another box set to his Amazon wish list.