The interest in this continuing series is tepid at best, and not nearly as fun as the 50 Records That Changed Music, but I'm going to keep going until they're all posted. Pity clicks are welcome. This week's selection, drum roll please, is...

15) Live At The Old Quarter--Townes Van Zandt: It was apparently very hot and humid in the club and the air conditioning was non-existent. It sounds hot. It sounds oppressive. Townes was never Mr. Energy to begin with. And once he established his core repertoire, he spent the rest of his career croaking it out along with lots of cover tunes. I still can’t figure out what he’s talking about half the time, but I know the stories don’t end well. That’s the thing about singing about losers: they always lose.

Another one that I haven't heard, but Townes was a legend in the alt-country domain, covered by many who were, and are, much more famous than Townes. His battle with booze ended in 1997 at the rather young age of 52 (ironically 44 years after, to the day, of the death of Hank Williams, his biggest influence), but he left behind quite a legacy.

Swish