Live At McCabe's

Townes Van Zandt found that his muse didn't come around as much in his later days, but it never stopped him from performing the songs that did come forth. His poor health in his later years took a serious toll, but the years also gave him the experience to imbue these songs with the gravitas their sentiments required. This live performance at McCabe's Music Shop in Santa Monica, Calif., on Feb. 10, 1995—less than two years before he died—is a perfect example of what he did best. The songs are brutal tales with little to smile about, but Townes' between-song banter can be quite hilarious and is included extensively here without discernible edits. (There's a reason some tracks time out at more than seven minutes!) Together, this presents a complete portrait of the man. There's little in country, folk, or blues music as amazing as a quiet room with just Townes and his guitar. Kelly Joe Phelps joins him onstage on dobro—against Van Zandt's advice—and the two play together for "Banks of the Ohio" and "Wabash Cannonball."