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Sky Blue

Eleven solo recordings from 1973, released after his death by his family.
Townes Van Zandt, 2019

Released
7 March 2019
Recorded
Early 1973
Studio
Bill Hedgepeth's home studio, Atlanta
Label
Fat Possum

Townes recorded these eleven tracks alone in early 1973 at the Atlanta home studio of his friend Bill Hedgepeth, a journalist and musician. The release was conceived by his family. It has two previously unreleased originals, All I Need and Sky Blue, covers of Richard Dobson and Tom Paxton and the traditional Hills of Roane County, and solo versions of Pancho and Lefty and Silver Ships of Andilar.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote in Pitchfork that it is a vivid snapshot of a particular moment, with Townes singing to himself in Hedgepeth's studio. Metacritic reports a score of 79 from ten reviews.

Track listing

  1. All I Need2:52
  2. Rex's Blues2:15
  3. The Hills of Roane County3:53
  4. Sky Blue2:34
  5. Forever, for Always, for Certain2:28
  6. Blue Ridge Mountain Blues (Smoky Version)2:58
  7. Pancho and Lefty3:54
  8. Snake Song2:08
  9. Silver Ships of Andilar5:30
  10. Dream Spider1:57
  11. The Last Thing on My Mind3:42

More from Townes Van Zandt

For the Sake of the Song (1968), Townes Van Zandt (1969), Our Mother the Mountain (1969), The Late Great Townes Van Zandt (1972), Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas (1977), Flyin' Shoes (1978), At My Window (1987), Rear View Mirror (1993), The Nashville Sessions (1993), No Deeper Blue (1994), Delta Momma Blues, High, Low and In Between

Sources

  1. Sky Blue, Wikipedia
  2. Townes Van Zandt: Sky Blue, Pitchfork (2019-03-11)
  3. First Listen: Townes Van Zandt, Sky Blue, NPR (2019-02-28)