What do you think?
Rate this book
To Live's to Fly: The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt
At last, the authorized biography of Townes Van Zandt (1944-1997), who wrote such unforgettable songs as “Pancho & Lefty” and “If I Needed You.” Born to a wealthy oil family in Ft. Worth, Texas, hounded by alcoholism and an unshakable depression, Van Zandt pursued a nomadic existence following his muse, whatever the cost to himself, friends, and family. Based on exclusive interviews with everyone who knew Van Zandt, including his best friend Guy Clark and colleagues like Steve Earle and John Prine, To Live’s To Fly is a compelling portrait of a complex, haunted artist.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
43 people are currently reading
479 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
December 22, 2024
Townes is a major godhead ‘round Chez Cody, making it hard for me to give anything to do with the man less than idle idol worship. For the very substantial contributions of Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Kevin Eggers, the collective TVZ family, Jack Clement and on and on, it’s a dinger over the wall. 5 stars all around on that front.
But…
There’s a reason I generally avoid biographies of musicians, preferring either autobiographies or sticking to the liner notes. Anyone outside the songwriter/composer/musician that presupposes the authority to explain the MEANING of popular song to you can fuck right off. Give me the horse and its mouth or not at all. Here, the author can’t abstain from searching the depths of his bellybutton for fluff and spinning it into his own take on Townes’ work. To which…no. Always no. Subtract a star.
But for a lot of great Guy and multiple Mrs. Van Zandts’ sweet stories of the man whose mother was a mountain, read on. “Wind don’t blow beneath the sea” is goddamn right.
But…
There’s a reason I generally avoid biographies of musicians, preferring either autobiographies or sticking to the liner notes. Anyone outside the songwriter/composer/musician that presupposes the authority to explain the MEANING of popular song to you can fuck right off. Give me the horse and its mouth or not at all. Here, the author can’t abstain from searching the depths of his bellybutton for fluff and spinning it into his own take on Townes’ work. To which…no. Always no. Subtract a star.
But for a lot of great Guy and multiple Mrs. Van Zandts’ sweet stories of the man whose mother was a mountain, read on. “Wind don’t blow beneath the sea” is goddamn right.
August 1, 2013
When Townes Van Zandt's third wife was scouting for the perfect house in Nashville, she picked one close to the airport, with a liquor store and a mental institution around the corner, figuring it would cover all her husband's needs. It says a lot about Van Zandt that his wives and friends stayed loyal to him throughout the years. He was a raving alcoholic and junkie who literally gave the shirt off his back to strangers but could be a first class asshat to those closest to him. Take the time he shot his second wife's beloved rooster Moe, cooked it and fed it to the cats, then woke her up with Moe's claw. Classy, right? Yet the ladies adored him. One of his friends recalls his own wife being so crazy about Townes that she constantly talked about him with her therapist. In frustration the female therapist, after failing to break her patient's obsession with the singer, agreed to go see him perform. They went to a gig, and the therapist promptly fell in love with him. After that, he was all she wanted to talk about in her therapy sessions.
That kind of obsession is easy to understand if you've ever listened to his songs. The man was a poet responsible for some of the most beautiful songs ever written. Listening to some of his live recordings you're just ready to follow him to the end of the earth. Or as Steve Earle put it: "Townes van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that." Amen.
The book is based on interviews with the people who knew him, meaning it's full of great stories which may or may not be true. Some reviewers have complained that the author himself is too present in the book, and while that may be true for the chapter on Guy Clark it didn't really bother me. It's a respectful examination of Van Zandt's life, doesn't come close to explaining the enigma that he was, and how could it? The man hardly knew himself, or how he came up with the heartbreaking songs he did.
It's very readable, and I especially enjoyed getting the story behind the songs and albums. It's sad that he was, and still is, so underappreciated. If there's anyone reading this and you don't know what I'm talking about, go listen to Our Mother the Mountain or High, Low And In Between. You won't be sorry.
That kind of obsession is easy to understand if you've ever listened to his songs. The man was a poet responsible for some of the most beautiful songs ever written. Listening to some of his live recordings you're just ready to follow him to the end of the earth. Or as Steve Earle put it: "Townes van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that." Amen.
The book is based on interviews with the people who knew him, meaning it's full of great stories which may or may not be true. Some reviewers have complained that the author himself is too present in the book, and while that may be true for the chapter on Guy Clark it didn't really bother me. It's a respectful examination of Van Zandt's life, doesn't come close to explaining the enigma that he was, and how could it? The man hardly knew himself, or how he came up with the heartbreaking songs he did.
It's very readable, and I especially enjoyed getting the story behind the songs and albums. It's sad that he was, and still is, so underappreciated. If there's anyone reading this and you don't know what I'm talking about, go listen to Our Mother the Mountain or High, Low And In Between. You won't be sorry.
February 7, 2013
This is a collection of folks who knew Townes talking about his life more than a real biography. This does not a bad egg make. The book actually is really enjoyable in that you get a real sense of who Townes was from those who were closest to him and brief interviews with the man himself interspersed here and there. You get to know him enough that it almost painful to read about his passing at the end of the book as well. Townes was a brilliant poet and musician, and somewhat of an enigma, that will live forever in his music. For those that know of his music this is a very interesting book. If you have not heard Townes music I strongly suggest you give him a listen. His music really is a treasure and getting to know him, as through this book, was a real pleasure.
December 4, 2025
Fin och värdig bok om denne legend. Att det utöver det rumlande livet (som man bitvis blir helt dränerad enbart av att ha läsa om, jag tror att detta är själva definitionen av att inte ta vara på sin talang) även läggs stort fokus på den fantastiska låtskatten uppskattades oerhört mycket.
July 2, 2021
Kruth did a wonderful job, letting those close to Van Zandt speak directly, sharing their experiences and thoughts in an unfiltered format. He jumps around a bit chronologically, but always while following a specific thread for each chapter, and ultimately, it all gets to the same point anyway. Kruth shares a lovely encounter with Guy Clark that, on the surface, has little to do with Townes, but on another level is important to understanding the man, showing us how protective of Townes and his legacy his friends are, and the sort of friends he possessed. (He goes into another aside, late in the book, about the terrific songwriter Blaze Foley, which serves a similar function - focused more on the wild side of Townes' friendships.) Kruth, at times, does put himself into the book maybe a hair too much, but mostly in how he talks about Townes' albums (I guess I like those albums a bit more than Kruth! ;) ). It might've been more impactful to read some of those thoughts from people who were closer to Townes. Guy Clark shared a few brief thoughts that were valuable to read.
The best part of the book: the space Kruth gave to each person to share their story they way they remember it. Did a tour take place in the fall or maybe winter? Depends who's telling the story. Who do you believe in Jeanene and the Eggers' conflicts over Townes' legacy? Well, you decide. Townes is, from all I've read, a guy who impacted the people in his life heavily. There's no definitive version of his story, so letting all the stories from the people who knew him unfold is about as definitive a telling as we're likely to get.
The best part of the book: the space Kruth gave to each person to share their story they way they remember it. Did a tour take place in the fall or maybe winter? Depends who's telling the story. Who do you believe in Jeanene and the Eggers' conflicts over Townes' legacy? Well, you decide. Townes is, from all I've read, a guy who impacted the people in his life heavily. There's no definitive version of his story, so letting all the stories from the people who knew him unfold is about as definitive a telling as we're likely to get.
January 7, 2014
Well, I'm a big fan of Townes Van Zandt. I adore his music, the stories told about him, his thought process and his strange, strange style of writing. He moves me, as he moved a lot of people. I've even corresponded with his daughter and wife.
John Kruth wrote an interesting book on Townes. He told the story of his life, his career, and interesting interviews with people who knew him are scattered throughout. It's a passable effort, an interesting study, but it just isn't Townes at the end of the day.
As others have complained, John Kruth inserted himself a bit too much into the narrative. He told the story of his meeting Guy Clark, but never really told anything that came from the interview he had with Clark. He spent a lot of time talking about how little appreciated Townes was, but not a lot about the time that Townes spent with those who loved him. Why couldn't he tell more of the stories in a more linear fashion?
John Kruth wrote an interesting book on Townes. He told the story of his life, his career, and interesting interviews with people who knew him are scattered throughout. It's a passable effort, an interesting study, but it just isn't Townes at the end of the day.
As others have complained, John Kruth inserted himself a bit too much into the narrative. He told the story of his meeting Guy Clark, but never really told anything that came from the interview he had with Clark. He spent a lot of time talking about how little appreciated Townes was, but not a lot about the time that Townes spent with those who loved him. Why couldn't he tell more of the stories in a more linear fashion?
September 13, 2020
Fantastic, and this book with loving TLC really fuels my TVZ fever. Amazing songwriter! Oddly I knew the author but had lost track of him over the years and was surprised to find he wrote this. I knew Kruth from the Milwaukee music scene some 30 years back! Last spoke to him in the oriental theater lobby while buying popcorn for “what’s eating Gilbert grape?”, or was it “ like water for Chocolate “? Great job bro!
March 7, 2025
Enjoyed it. Love TVZ, boy was he a genius but boyyyyy was he problematic. Feel like we shoulda got a bit more out of the Guy Clark interview, and wish the story was more chronological (a bit confusing), but love reading about a guy who’s music I adore.
January 28, 2023
This is a monumental work considering the amount of research, scope, and attention to detail that the author takes on in order to deliver this comprehensive vision into the life of one of the most important American songwriters in history.
Aside from a few curious flaws, which could easily be addressed in a second edition, John Kruth's biography of Townes Van Zandt is an excellent example of the genre. He writes with adroit clarity, sometimes elevated with a poetic sensibility that sharpens the focus and accents the emotive tone. Occasional absences of transitional language make the reader pause to figure out that there has indeed been a transition. But these and other more minor flaws detract but little from the overall excellence of biographical fact-finding, reporting, analysis and sheer writing skill.
Kruth's writing is best when he is reflecting on Townes' songs and recordings. He allows himself to be a music reviewer, a critic. You may or may not agree with his take, but it is unmistakably a knowledgeable opinion. Kruth is himself an accomplished musician and song writer with decades of deep experience in the craft. The insertion of his judgment on these sorts of matters makes the book more interesting in my opinion.
However, he is an outsider to the clique of drunken poet Texas singer songwriters, a Yankee dandy riding with a posse of hardbitten troubadours who "wear their skin like iron" and whose "breath's as hard as kerosene." (Townes' words from the opening lines of his most famous song, Pancho and Lefty.)
To show rather tell what it was like to get repect from such desperadoes, Kruth steps into first person to inhabit the tale of his interview with Guy and Susanna Clark at their home in Nashville. No biography about Townes could be written without a deep conversation with this couple whose legendary friendship with Townes began in young adulthood, long before they all became icons of Texas music. By choosing to become a character in his own book, Kruth reveals a glimpse into the deep, complex relationship that Guy especially shared with his enigmatic friend and the fierce, tribalistic bond that compelled him to require Kruth to prove himself worthy.
The author did finally win a measure of begrudging acceptance from Guy. Susanna however, blew him off entirely. Too bad, because as her husband told Kruth, she probably knew him better than anybody.
This one forgivable but unfortunate failure to obtain precious primary source information is mostly overcome with extensive interviews and copious quotes from other people who had extended, deep relationships with Townes. Girlfriends, wives, band mates, children, road managers, record producers, family members, venue owners, school mates, other songwriters. They all generously, some eagerly, share their colorful experiences with the darkly brilliant song poet. Their stories are by turn disturbing and hilarious. Depressing and uplifting. Cringeworthy and triumphant. Townes was nothing if not "a walking contradiction," to borrow a line from one of Kris Kristofferson's songs.
Though that has been a well known fact to anyone with more than a slight interest in Townes' work and life, the volume of information presented in To Live is to Fly adds another few inches of sharp relief to his mythic image. For those of us with experience in the Texas music scene from the late 1960's to the present, Townes was and is an ever present specter, the prototypical Texas singer songwriter. He haunts, and blesses, our campfire jams and on stage performances. His ghost lures us to come closer to the edge, to go ahead and give in to the urge to let yourself fall backwards over the railing. To get lost in some dark alley in the wee hours searching for some homeless drunk to give all your gig money to so they can be spared a death match with the DT's for at least one more night.
All for the sake of the song.
If you were in that scene, you heard all those stories whether you knew him or not, because it was inevitable to meet people who did. They would tell the stories sometimes with a laugh, often with a shake of the head, always with a measure of pride to have known him.
Kruth's fire hose of information just confirms it all. Townes was not only as bad and as good as we thought he was. He was worse- and better.
Aside from a few curious flaws, which could easily be addressed in a second edition, John Kruth's biography of Townes Van Zandt is an excellent example of the genre. He writes with adroit clarity, sometimes elevated with a poetic sensibility that sharpens the focus and accents the emotive tone. Occasional absences of transitional language make the reader pause to figure out that there has indeed been a transition. But these and other more minor flaws detract but little from the overall excellence of biographical fact-finding, reporting, analysis and sheer writing skill.
Kruth's writing is best when he is reflecting on Townes' songs and recordings. He allows himself to be a music reviewer, a critic. You may or may not agree with his take, but it is unmistakably a knowledgeable opinion. Kruth is himself an accomplished musician and song writer with decades of deep experience in the craft. The insertion of his judgment on these sorts of matters makes the book more interesting in my opinion.
However, he is an outsider to the clique of drunken poet Texas singer songwriters, a Yankee dandy riding with a posse of hardbitten troubadours who "wear their skin like iron" and whose "breath's as hard as kerosene." (Townes' words from the opening lines of his most famous song, Pancho and Lefty.)
To show rather tell what it was like to get repect from such desperadoes, Kruth steps into first person to inhabit the tale of his interview with Guy and Susanna Clark at their home in Nashville. No biography about Townes could be written without a deep conversation with this couple whose legendary friendship with Townes began in young adulthood, long before they all became icons of Texas music. By choosing to become a character in his own book, Kruth reveals a glimpse into the deep, complex relationship that Guy especially shared with his enigmatic friend and the fierce, tribalistic bond that compelled him to require Kruth to prove himself worthy.
The author did finally win a measure of begrudging acceptance from Guy. Susanna however, blew him off entirely. Too bad, because as her husband told Kruth, she probably knew him better than anybody.
This one forgivable but unfortunate failure to obtain precious primary source information is mostly overcome with extensive interviews and copious quotes from other people who had extended, deep relationships with Townes. Girlfriends, wives, band mates, children, road managers, record producers, family members, venue owners, school mates, other songwriters. They all generously, some eagerly, share their colorful experiences with the darkly brilliant song poet. Their stories are by turn disturbing and hilarious. Depressing and uplifting. Cringeworthy and triumphant. Townes was nothing if not "a walking contradiction," to borrow a line from one of Kris Kristofferson's songs.
Though that has been a well known fact to anyone with more than a slight interest in Townes' work and life, the volume of information presented in To Live is to Fly adds another few inches of sharp relief to his mythic image. For those of us with experience in the Texas music scene from the late 1960's to the present, Townes was and is an ever present specter, the prototypical Texas singer songwriter. He haunts, and blesses, our campfire jams and on stage performances. His ghost lures us to come closer to the edge, to go ahead and give in to the urge to let yourself fall backwards over the railing. To get lost in some dark alley in the wee hours searching for some homeless drunk to give all your gig money to so they can be spared a death match with the DT's for at least one more night.
All for the sake of the song.
If you were in that scene, you heard all those stories whether you knew him or not, because it was inevitable to meet people who did. They would tell the stories sometimes with a laugh, often with a shake of the head, always with a measure of pride to have known him.
Kruth's fire hose of information just confirms it all. Townes was not only as bad and as good as we thought he was. He was worse- and better.
March 20, 2020
https://rogueliterarysociety.com/f/to...
Sad to say but my introduction to Townes Van Zandt was delayed by over fifty years due to my disinterest in so-called “country music”. Van Zandt certainly was country but much much more. I was instead drawn to the folk/pop/rock music of artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Band, The Byrds, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, CSN&Y, and Leo Kotkke. It wasn't until I chose to abuse alcohol over casual use of marijuana that Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Waylon Jennings took over the front seat, with despair soon to follow. Now, thirty-three years sober and learning to play guitar all over again, I have rediscovered my old fateful loves. Though Willie Nelson, before he became famous, was my first alcoholic love, Jerry Jeff Walker was soon to follow. And today through my learning more about the songwriter Guy Clark (of the seminal L.A. Freeway) and his best friend Van Zandt who wrote Pancho and Lefty, I have a new lease on life going forward. To think other performers made their songs so famous was in ways a disservice so many years ago to a person such as myself who now revels in the discovery of the many great songs Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt penned.
The life story of Townes Van Zandt is a sad one. Perhaps sadly necessary in making his art more true to himself and others, Van Zandt chose the path of self-destruction over the charmed life he could never fully embrace. Happiness for the most part eluded him. And as his story progressed it increased exponentially in heartache and disease. Townes Van Zandt died too young and left far too many people in his destructive wake. The young Townes was an amazing artist and person. Such handsome elegance on the stage. Humorous and charismatic, Van Zandt achieved a poetic grace and lyricism rarely matched among his peers. I suppose I will never know for sure what the best biography of Van Zandt has been published thus far, but this one will have to do. Too disenchanting to read more about what he did to his life of promise and the harm he caused others in the process of destroying what might have been. But there will be no end in my getting more acquainted with his music and the friends he made music with.
Sad to say but my introduction to Townes Van Zandt was delayed by over fifty years due to my disinterest in so-called “country music”. Van Zandt certainly was country but much much more. I was instead drawn to the folk/pop/rock music of artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Band, The Byrds, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, CSN&Y, and Leo Kotkke. It wasn't until I chose to abuse alcohol over casual use of marijuana that Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Waylon Jennings took over the front seat, with despair soon to follow. Now, thirty-three years sober and learning to play guitar all over again, I have rediscovered my old fateful loves. Though Willie Nelson, before he became famous, was my first alcoholic love, Jerry Jeff Walker was soon to follow. And today through my learning more about the songwriter Guy Clark (of the seminal L.A. Freeway) and his best friend Van Zandt who wrote Pancho and Lefty, I have a new lease on life going forward. To think other performers made their songs so famous was in ways a disservice so many years ago to a person such as myself who now revels in the discovery of the many great songs Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt penned.
The life story of Townes Van Zandt is a sad one. Perhaps sadly necessary in making his art more true to himself and others, Van Zandt chose the path of self-destruction over the charmed life he could never fully embrace. Happiness for the most part eluded him. And as his story progressed it increased exponentially in heartache and disease. Townes Van Zandt died too young and left far too many people in his destructive wake. The young Townes was an amazing artist and person. Such handsome elegance on the stage. Humorous and charismatic, Van Zandt achieved a poetic grace and lyricism rarely matched among his peers. I suppose I will never know for sure what the best biography of Van Zandt has been published thus far, but this one will have to do. Too disenchanting to read more about what he did to his life of promise and the harm he caused others in the process of destroying what might have been. But there will be no end in my getting more acquainted with his music and the friends he made music with.
Read
October 13, 2017I made it to page 130 but decided to abandon the book - its virtue lies in its being the first full-length biography of Van Zandt. Its failing (for me, at any rate) lies in its near total lack of insight into its subject mind or soul. Kruth's book is good in describing Van Zandt's 'timeline' but he rarely ventures into the man's soul - printing Van Zandt's lyrics doesn't equal a thoughtful analysis of the artist. On a personal note, I have owned a few of the man's records over the years and have regularly felt that he was the victim of his producers. Van Zandt deserved a record like those that Rick Rubin made for Johnny Cash. Instead, his songs were regularly given the same (unlistenable) sonic quality of Johnny Cash's version of 'Sunday Morning Coming Down'. Steve Earle addresses this beautifully on his record 'Townes' although I tend to prefer the recordings made solely by Earle ('The Basics') to the versions with other, albeit excellent, musicians. If only Steve Earle had been able to produce 'High, Low, and In-Between'...
June 19, 2019
How does one review a biography? Especially when it is the first one read for a given subject. Based on a lot of interviews with people who had conflicting memories of Townes, it provided a great overview of his life and career. Followed by No Deeper Blue about a year or two later, it will be interesting to compare the two. (My daughter is currently reading the other bio.)
This biography delves into the artistry of Townes and the inspiration got me back to writing poetry - at least for a little while - while I process some emotions.
It is a great read for anyone interested in Townes' life.
This biography delves into the artistry of Townes and the inspiration got me back to writing poetry - at least for a little while - while I process some emotions.
It is a great read for anyone interested in Townes' life.
February 20, 2019
This book is wonderfully written. There is so much Texas songwriter history in these pages that I found myself constantly stopping to research a new name, or, song. One of the best works I've encountered chronicling the life of an artist. No angle is left unexplored. Absolutely worth all five stars!
June 23, 2020
Magic to manic, exhilarating to exasperating.. an enigma wrapped up in a conundrum.. great songwriter, wonderful musician and storyteller, frustating beyond belief, for all his faults he was loved by most that knew him and many that didn't (he was just the crazy guy giving away money). His songs tell his story.. what a beautiful legacy.
March 28, 2025
Extremely thorough book about a singer/songwriter I’d only heard about. I learned a few things: apparently every album he released was incorrectly produced; TVZ was a brilliant mess, and he was a walking tragedy who has zero business acumen. His tunes are just not my cup of tea and I found this hard to connect to.
July 20, 2025
This is a pretty good introduction to Townes Van Zandt’s life, though I hesitate to call it definitive. It covers everything obvious though, and strikes a good balance between forthrightness and a little honest hero worship. The timeline jumps around a little bit, which is sort of annoying, but overall it hangs together nicely.
June 29, 2022
Made up of a lot of quotations from those who knew him, the book takes a pretty non-partisan stance among a cast of sources that disagree on how Townes' life is to be interpreted.
October 10, 2022
I think this was excellent. It's hard to grapple with all of the pain and issues with Townes, but if you are a fan, it needs to be read. He was an incredible artist.
June 1, 2024
Great book, behind the songs and the relationships.
September 2, 2025
Rambling series of disjointed anecdotes. Not a worthy biography of a great artist.
July 16, 2025
The terror and sorrow of a sensitive man who has looked into the abyss and seen … the abyss.
April 11, 2014
This one's sort of a bummer, but it's TVZ who makes it so. You listen to so many folks call him a genius, but then watch him blow it at most every turn. And then you hear moments in the songs that back up the genius claim, but then see footage of him and realize he was even more of a goofball than described in the interviews. Kruth seems to have done his research and has the tale told mostly through the recollections of those who knew him. I wouldn't have minded tales of his first trip, or the first time he actually shot dope, but I guess those interviews weren't available.
It seems TVZ is having "his moment" now, as the cult continues to grow and his songs turn up in Wild Crazy Heart or True Detective. He deserves it. I guess there would have to be other biographies to compare this one to before we could really judge the job it does.
It seems TVZ is having "his moment" now, as the cult continues to grow and his songs turn up in Wild Crazy Heart or True Detective. He deserves it. I guess there would have to be other biographies to compare this one to before we could really judge the job it does.
June 22, 2016
The best way to read this book is with the albums, listening as you go. Start with For the Sake of the Song and Live at the Old Quarter, when he arrives in Nashville listen to The Nashville Sessions, and so on. You will hear what TVZ's friends and fans are talking about. Then watch the film Heartworn Highways for a taste of Texas music in the 1970s. The story itself is one of good time boys hell bent on self destruction and the arc of the cowboy poet. It broke my heart and made me feel better, much like TVZ's music itself, for as the author puts it his life and his art were one and the same.
March 18, 2008
Kruth takes on a tough job--thsoe who knew and loved Toenes were and are fiercely protective of him (the chapter containing Kruth's interview with Guy Clark says more about Clark than anything I've ever read about him). Kruth delves, sometimes without much success, into the morass of personal relationships, business dealings and sheer musical brillance that made up Townes Van Zandt's life and what emerges is a portrait of a funny, often wise, and all too screwed up human being. There will be other, possibly better, biographies, but kudos to John Kruth for getting there first.
November 16, 2008
An excellent, well-written and gripping account of the life and death of Townes Van Zandt.
My one complaint would be that Kruth does sometimes put himself too much in the story--and the chapter on Guy Clark is the prime example of this.
Still--this is the best music book I've read in a while.
Since I just finished the Farley book before this, I really need to read something next that is not about drugged out, talented, but fatally flawed people.
My one complaint would be that Kruth does sometimes put himself too much in the story--and the chapter on Guy Clark is the prime example of this.
Still--this is the best music book I've read in a while.
Since I just finished the Farley book before this, I really need to read something next that is not about drugged out, talented, but fatally flawed people.
July 31, 2007
While I feel the documentary that came out about Townes was a better portrait of the artist, this bio does a good job of expounding the myth of this Texas artist. The direction of the book is fluid and you don't get much insight of a timeline, just what people remember - and there can be three stories about the same event, including two different ones from Townes himself.
August 7, 2007
In my opinion, the author of a biography should be invisible. In reading this book, I've learned perhaps as much about Mr. Kruth (the author) and his high opinion of himself as I have about the book's supposed subject.
It's hard for even a bad writer to mess up a biography about a person who's life was as interesting as Townes' was, but I'll never read another book by John Kruth again.
It's hard for even a bad writer to mess up a biography about a person who's life was as interesting as Townes' was, but I'll never read another book by John Kruth again.
July 15, 2008
Great bio on the probably the most gifted "tragic" songwriter most of the world never appreciated while he was around. Capable of making even Hank Williams Sr. cry.
This book gives detailed accounts from people who knew him, and regardless of how everyone felt about his life/career/death, no sides are taken by writer.
One of the best music bios I have ever read.
This book gives detailed accounts from people who knew him, and regardless of how everyone felt about his life/career/death, no sides are taken by writer.
One of the best music bios I have ever read.
March 28, 2013
Kruth paints an amazing picture of the gloriously underrated and talented Texan singer and song writer. The book features interviews with everyone you'd could ever imagine, from Guy and Suzanne Clark, to Blaze Foley, Kevin Eggers and nearly all of Towne's wives and children. The story is a painful one to get through, but that was the life that Townes lead.
April 3, 2013
I enjoyed this book because of the content. I wanted to give it 4 stars based on this, but the book is limited by the author imposing too much of himself on the narrative. It's almost a book about how he researched a book. The writing is clumsy in places. I would still recommend this book to anyone interested in Townes, because the content gives a great insight into the man behind the music.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews