Even without a single hit under his own name, the late Townes Van Zandt remains firmly ensconced in the songwriters' hall of fame. Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson had major successes with his songs ("If I Needed You" and "Pancho and Lefty," respectively), and Nanci Griffith, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Steve Earle have all cited him as a major influence. A true American original, Van Zandt drew upon Hank Williams Sr., Bob Dylan, Lightnin' Hopkins, and the essence of Southwestern mythology, synthesizing these influences into richly poetic short stories, singing in a world-weary drawl as parched as the dusty... More >>>