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Goin' To Townes: A CBG Tribute - Townes Van Zandt tribute album READY FOR DOWNLOAD!

Hey, y'all! Your patience has been rewarded! The Townes Van Zandt CBG tribute album, called Goin' To Townes: A Cigar Box Guitar Tribute, which started as a mere idea here on CBN almost 4 months ago, is finally available for Download!

A double album's worth of Townes' songs interpreted by CBN Members from all over the world, including me here in Saudi Arabia, Thorsten Hinrichsen in Austria, Vinylhed in the UK, and people all over the US. Truly, a global effort! And all for free!

Download the album here:

http://downloads.cbgitty.com/cbnalbums/TownesVanZandt/Goin%27_To_To...

The zip file above has been updated to include Track 4, Dead Flowers, by Turkeychicken. Thanks to Dan Sleep for putting Track 4 in the updated zip file link above. If you are missing track 4 from the initial download file, please just download the zip file again. Sorry for the confusion.

I'd like to thank Ben Gitty for allowing us to host the album on the C.B. Gitty site, and for the opportunity to use CBN as a meeting place and idea exchange while we compiled the album.. I'd like to personally thank Dan SLeep for numerous e-mails back and forth, while we attempted to get the file from my computer in Saudi Arabia to the Gitty server, and then for him testing and birddogging the file for the last week or more. Thanks to John Maw in the UK for testing the download to make sure that it finally works.

I'd like to also thank Vinylhed (Hedley Brown), Uncle John (Bolton), turtlehead, SUGIMUGI (Thorsten Hinrichsen), RTZ, Jamie MacBLues, Russell Carlin, Cris Portillo, Jr., Ryan Sisco and the Crowne Towne Trio, Jimi Z, Ben Kepler, Letha Allen, Silent Jim, Lindo Cortez, Turkeychicken (Terry Chapel), and Jason Dean Anderson for contributing songs to this project, as well as the two Internet pickup bands put together for this project: The Profane Heaters (me, Vinylhed, his gf Louise, RTZ, Thorsten, Uncle John, turtlehead), and Uncle Ben's Perverted Rice (me, turtlehead, Thorsten, Vinylhed, and RTZ). This project benefited greatly from the dedicated mixing skills of Thorsten, Vinylhed and turtlehead. The album artwork was done by your's truly. Also included are lyrics to all of the songs in a Word document, in the order in which they appear on the track list, except Tecumseh Valley. This song appears twice, as Silent Jim and Letha Allen rendered two very different, but equally compelling, versions of the same song.

All songs were run through MP3Gain to equalize and normalize track volumes as much as possible, ue to the different recording hardware and software used by the various contributors. All tracks are in MP3 format, and have been tested on numerous computers, with both iTunes and Windows Media Player, on both Macs, iPads, and Windows PCs. Also, this album will be made available very soon for free download from MyTexasMusic.com, hosted by Lucky and Jinelle Boyd, who are thrilled to have this tribute album to promote Townes' music to new legions of fans. Lucky is a singer-songwriter himself, and knew Townes.

This has truly been a labor of love for me and my collaborators on this project. We had virtually no disagreements, respected one another's song choices and highly varied takes on them, and showed how the Internet can be used to fully collaborate on a project of this magnitude. I am proud to stand on my coffee table in my cowboy boots, and say that, while Townes Van Zandt may have been the greatest songwriter ever, the people who contributed to this project in ways large and small are certainly the best bunch of ne-er-do-wells one could ever hope to hoist a virtual beverage and a song chorus with!

Enough already. Enjoy the download, y'all!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on July 8, 2012 at 8:33pm

"Twones"

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on July 8, 2012 at 8:58pm

Fixed. >:-E

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Permalink Reply by Jamie MacBlues on July 8, 2012 at 10:52pm

Nice comment, James :) I am sure you would have done a worthy cover. But respect to your position! Mmaybe we can get ya "into" Townes music, and you put up a video/cover on site? Cheers, ma man :)

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Permalink Reply by Seaman Jay on July 8, 2012 at 11:15pm

Good work! Great music! Thank you (TVZ for the music, everyone for the recordings, Oily - for the ide, organization, contribution, etc. etc.).

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Permalink Reply by Diglydog on July 8, 2012 at 11:40pm

Thanks for your hard work in putting this together, Ron, and to all of those who have contributed to the project. I've just downloaded it and will be listening to all of the tracks over the next day or so. I must confess that I hadn't heard of TVZ before so I'm really grateful to you for bringing his music to a wider audience. Great work and thanks again !!

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Permalink Reply by Vinylhed on July 9, 2012 at 1:54am

Well, here it is! I've been so excited waiting for the release, despite having downloaded all the tracks along the way. I've never been a particularly industrious member of the Nation, knocking out a video less frequently as I'd like, but this was a project I could really get behind. I think Ron's concept of a cigar box guitar tribute to old Townes was spot on, and I could see the potential of a uniquely sounding album that would set it apart from the other TVZ tribute albums I've heard.

The diversity of the sounds on this album has impressed me, and shows the creative prowess of the contributors as well as the endless potential of the home made cigar box guitar. The project pushed me to try new things (for better or worse) and gave me the opportunity to collaborate with a group of highly talented musicians. I'm so proud to hear my little contributions, whether guitar or vocals, mixed in with Oily, Thorsten, RTZ, Turtlehead et al...But probably not as proud as hearing my lovely girlfriend, Louise, joining in.

My thanks and respect go out to our skipper, Ron, for his initial inspiration, continued support and enthusiasm during the project. You need a sturdy guiding hand with a project like this, to corral the troops from across continents and liaise with the powers that be to allow something like this to happen, and Ron provided that guidance. So, one again, cheers Ron.

...Although, why you chose to put my "Hick-Hop" take on Black Jack Mama at the top of the album is beyond me! ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on July 9, 2012 at 2:22am

Hedley,

You're at the Top of the Pops for two reasons:

1) You were the original First Responder to my idea.

2) I wanted to start the album off with a surprise, a "and now for something completely different" moment, and your take on Black Jack Mama fit the bill in spades. I wanted to show people how unconventional CBGs and CBG music could be. I honestly think Townes is cracking up listening to it! :-)

3) Me taking lead dawg position would have been unkewl. ;-)

Skipper: S'funny, I have a Kiwi friend who calls me Cap'n Ron.

And this project would not have gotten off the ground without our shared love and deep knowledge of Townes' music. I never expected to find a Friend, in the UK of all places, who felt like I did about this stuff, but I'm really glad I did. Your contributions to the success of this, along with those of all of our collaborators, means I can't be allowed to let my hat size get too big; this was a group effort, so kudos should be spread liberally around.

Like... fertilizer >:-E

Please tell Louise from all of us that we are truly grateful to have had her contribute as well.

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Permalink Reply by Vinylhed on July 9, 2012 at 3:09am

Gosh. I assure you if I wasn't English I'd be crying right now.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on July 9, 2012 at 3:25am

Nah, y'all have had enough falling water for the summer ;-)

Hmmm. Fallingwater. Farmersdottir. Trainspotter. Hairyputter.

Uh-oh, the wheels are turning again...

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Permalink Reply by bemuzic on July 9, 2012 at 2:38am

WELL DONE to all of you. This is a great listen!!

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on July 9, 2012 at 3:26am

Thanks, Be, glad you likey!

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Permalink Reply by RTZGUITARS on July 9, 2012 at 6:42am

I was wondering about Hick Hop too but now I get it Cap'n Ron. When I first heard Nothin I knew it was on. I been on this site for a few days and I was gonna do Nothin but when I heard that slide it put the pressure on all of us. Mud And Gold, St. John, were some of the first songs and some of my favorites, I like all the songs even some of the rougher recordings seem right for this kind of project differant and the mix sounds even.

Cap'n Ron had a unfair advantage Texas voice.

It was cool to see how guick everyone jump on the Church song and P.L. I think we all learned something from that. It's a privilege to meet and work sorta with all of you, the turnout was better than I thought for Townes songs and an honor in helping spread the word.

THE LATE GREAT TOWNES VAN ZANDT SONGS LIVE.