"Record Bin: The rambling folk landscapes of Townes Van Zandt's "Our Mother the Mountain" -- Joshua Pickard
It begins:
"The history of folk music is littered with outlaws, sinners and seers—and a few others who can't be so easily characterized. Built around tradition and the passing on of lineages, folk music occupies a singular place in the annals of modern music. The artists who inhabit these incredibly personal, often-righteous waters aren't above the trials and shortcomings that fasten themselves to any given person, but they're able to convey a wide range of experience and emotion with the slightest whisper or strum of a guitar.
There were some, however, whose gifts as storytellers went far and above that of their peers. Basic narratives were lifted to elegiac legend, and specific songs were passed down from generation to generation, growing in power and stature. For singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, this ability to transcend time and genre was one of his greatest gifts. His songs were removed from the passing of time. In the decades since they were recorded and released, they haven't aged a day. The bare and honest sentiment is as resonant as it was when these stories were conceived..."
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