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Townes Van Zandt CBG Tribute Album - Your Submissions needed

Hey, y'all!

Townes Van Zandt (1944 - 1997) was a Texas singer-songwriter-poet, whose music has touched a deep chord (pun intended) amongst many of us here at CBN. No, he's not related, except perhaps very distantly, to those other musical Van Zandt boys many of us also love. Townes was hailed, back in 1985 by none other than another gifted songwriter, Steve Earle, as "the greatest songwriter in the world, and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that!" Whether or not you agree with ol' Steve, there is a deep knowledge of the blues, heartache, pain and melancholy in Townes' songs. For those of you unfamiliar with his work, please visit his estate's website to get to know him better (all proceeds go to support his children and his second wife, Jeanene):

https://townesvanzandt.com/

Several of us here at CBN (myself, Uncle John, Turtlehead, and maybe some others I haven't seen or heard - I know the owner of Diamondbackguitarshop and beStillroy are also huge fans) have done videos of us playing our versions of Townes' songs, many of which came out nearly 40 years ago. We realized that the CBG may be the perfect instrument on which to reinterpret and breathe new life into Townes' songs. In fact, we've been kicking the idea around in the Comment section of Uncle John's video rendition of "Flying Shoes" for the last coupla weeks (check it out), and came up with the idea for a tribute album, using only CBGs (I know, I know: Townes never played one, to my knowledge, and I and perhaps many others of you learned "Pancho and Lefty" on a 6-stringer, but still...).

So, if you're still with me, we're looking for MP3 submissions from those who play Townes' songs, wanna try 'em on CBG, may have never heard of him but like what they hear - any and all are welcome. His catalogue is pretty deep, so I'd like to lay claim to "If I Needed You" right here, right now! (hmmm. Jesus Jones...nah) ;-) We're also looking for someone willing to create some original cover art. The idea behind this is not to make money. We wouldn't want to charge for these songs or this album. We just wanna get 'em out to the larger CBN audience. As currently envisioned, it would be of a similar nature to the free download Robert Johnson tribute album, or the various CBN Christmas albums. It is not designed to detract from, or compete with, the Blues Album Dan Sleep is currently putting together for CBN, which many of us here are also contributing to. All we ask, like the judges on American Idol, is that you make your submitted TVZ song your own.

For those who are interested, you can add MP3 files using the Attach Files or Upload Files link at the bottom left to this Discussion. Record 'em however y'all feel comfortable: lo-fi, hi-fi, wi-fi, or in-fi, doesn't matter. You can PM me here at CBN for any offline technical or otherwise discussions. I will, eventually, get back to you.

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Permalink Reply by Thorsten Hinrichsen on March 28, 2012 at 5:27am

Thank you very much. But you'll do it well too. Everybody gives the best he/she can. Whenever I record something I want it to become my best recording ever. That's what it's all about. Learning by doing. Music is no competition - just fun, empathy, good/bad feelings, magic, fantasy, whatever....

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on March 28, 2012 at 8:11am

Music may not be a competition, but I do believe the bar has been substantially raised.

Thorsten, that had the spook, man. Townes' dark angel was definitely sitting on your shoulder. Well done! That's exactly what I was hoping for, reimagining Townes' songs through the CBG.

OK, gents, No Rules, No Fear! Game on!

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Permalink Reply by Thorsten Hinrichsen on March 28, 2012 at 8:56am

Oh, Oily, your words make me very happy. I love spooky tunes...

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Permalink Reply by RTZGUITARS on March 29, 2012 at 1:03pm

Very very nice Thorsten, now i know i gotta build a three string slider. sounds great.

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Permalink Reply by Thorsten Hinrichsen on March 29, 2012 at 6:11pm

Thank you. I played that track on a 4-string cbg, but tuned GCGC - so I could do that Johnny Cash-like boom chaka boom bass picking more easily. So, actually, it's a 3-string-cbg with additional bass string (which also gives darker mood or even baritone feel when strummed).

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Permalink Reply by NightOwl on April 1, 2012 at 7:35am

I love this. REALLY good

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Permalink Reply by Thorsten Hinrichsen on April 1, 2012 at 9:19am

Thank you all! Looking forward to the many tribute songs to come ...

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on March 31, 2012 at 4:01am

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on March 31, 2012 at 8:25am

John,

There doesn't seem to be any attachment in your Reply. Hmmmm. Did you do the Upload Files thingy there at bottom left?

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Permalink Reply by Thorsten Hinrichsen on April 1, 2012 at 7:13pm

Hi Oily. I heard my version of "Nothin" on the MP3-player and found it much too loud with a disgusting digital overdrive. So I mastered it again. I hope it sounds better now, I also cut off the intro. So please take this version for the final compilation. Thank you.

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