Product Description

This is the first serious biography of a man widely considered one of Texas'‑and America's‑greatest songwriters. Like Jimmie Rodgers, Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, and Hank Williams, Townes Van Zandt was the embodiment of that mythic American figure, the troubled troubadour. A Deeper Blue traces Van Zandt's background as the scion of a prominent Texas family; his troubled early years and his transformation from promising pre‑law student to wandering folk singer; his life on the road and the demons that pursued and were pursued by him; the women who loved and inspired him; and the brilliance and enduring beauty of his songs,which are explored in depth. The author draws on eight years' extensive research and interviews with Townes' family and closest friends and colleagues. He looks beyond the legend and paints a colorful portrait of a complex man who embraced the darkness of demons and myth as well as the light of deep compassion and humanity, all "for the sake of the song."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36297 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Review
"A Deeper Blue ... gives fascinating insight into what inspired this sweet‑singing, tortured genius and what inevitably brought him down. His songs stirred the soul and seemed to well from its darkest depths. He became the patron saint of many a Texas songwriter in his day and will continue to inspire for generations to come. Save a tear for Townes. You'll need it." -- Joe Ely

"Hardy delineates the musician's chaotic life in honest, often dramatic detail, but always brings the attention and focus back to Van Zandt's music and the classic songs he penned.... Steering through the myths and legends, the author depicts a troubled individual and gifted artist who inspired many singers and songwriters in the alternative country scene." -- Billboard

"Hardy's sparkling new biography of the tragic, magic life of Townes Van Zandt is a must‑read for anyone who loves music or likes to raise hell. A Deeper Blue demonstrates why Van Zandt has become Texas' version of Mozart, Van Gogh, and Hank Williams all rolled up into one brilliant and beautiful burrito." -- Kinky Friedman

"Honest, unbiased look at the troubled career and existence of one of America's greatest songwriters.... A poignant, clear and vivid portrait." -- Kirkus Reviews

Hardy's book carefully documents many of the facets of this gem of a life. His love for the music shines through, just as the spirit of Townes shines through each song." -- Kathleen Hudson, founder of the Texas Heritage Music Foundation

From the Publisher
"The author talked to many, many people who knew Townes. His work offers a wealth of anecdotes and information." ‑ Louis Black, editor of the Austin Chronicle and executive producer of Be Here To Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt

About the Author
Robert Earl Hardy has been a professional writer and editor for twenty‑five years. Also a musician, he has played guitar in rock'n'roll, rhythm & blues, and honky‑tonk bands in the Washington D.C. area since the 1970s. He has published work on contemporary music, baseball, and other subjects in newspapers, journals, and literary magazines, and he is currently doing research for a cultural history of 1960s and '70s suburban American garage bands. Mr. Hardy spent eight years researching and writing his biography of Townes Van Zandt

Customer Reviews

Tremendous
This is an excellent biography. Townes' story is assuredly a sad one but he left a legacy of unparalleled songs. I actually put off finishing the book for almost a month just because I didn't want to read the end...I already knew what happened but it didn't make reading a detailed account of his last days any easier.

I've also read the other biography out there, To Live's To Fly, and there's simply no comparison. TLTF was largely anecdotal and the author broke a key rule of biography writing by attempting to project his own importance into the story; Hardy has simply done an exhaustive amount of research and cites all of his sources. He presents the story and then steps aside, so this is the one to go with if you want a more factual recounting of Townes' life. 100% worth the price and read if you're a fan, and if you aren't it just might convert you.

The definitive Townes biography? Almost certainly.
To be a fan of Townes Van Zandt is to be a member of a worldwide brotherhood/sisterhood - his extraordinary songs are a source of solace, comfort and guidance to those in on the secret, those who have taken the time to apprehend and understand. His work transcends boundaries of genre, and for all their variable quality, there is something in almost every song, be it a couplet, a characteristic twist of logic, a homily that soothes, a sobering vision of the darkest side of life or a verbal shaft of sunlight for a bleak day, that pulls you up short - not just a songwriter, then, but a poet and a sage. But his extraordinary legacy came at a terrible price, a life of manic extremes that's laid out in definitive and unflinching detail in Hardy's articulate biography. Much is revealed - the unexpected scale of heroin's hold on Townes; the punishing touring schedule undertaken in his final years; the shady machinations of those who professed to have his best interests at heart - and much is implied between the lines. Hardy's analysis of individual songs is one of the book's most valuable assets, steering even the most avid fan toward a song previously overlooked, maybe, or deconstructing a familiar one to reveal hidden elements.
Don't be put off by the book's quasi-academic framework - there is none of the stuffiness commonly associated with a university press, and the copious endnotes only serve to add vital material. The photographs in the book's centre suffer from poor reproduction, and it's a shame that the budget couldn't run to art paper for them, but it's a minor quibble. In the final analysis, Hardy has seemingly written the definitive story of this extraordinary man, and no lover of Van Zandt's music can call their collection complete without this book on their shelves.

A Well Written Balanced Biog
I came across this biography while trying to find John Kruth's biog and due to the critisism of Kruth's book I opted for this one. I now have Kruth's but have not read it yet. However, this is a really good read. It is well researched and written in an easy to follow chronological style. It goes into great detail in some periods of Townes' life and although I had read pretty much everything I could find written on the internet prior to reading this there was an awful lot I did not know. I was particularly impressed with the detail around the mid 70s and having watch Heartworn Highways it was good to find the background to those scenes and were and when they were being filmed. I also had no idea how bad Townes heroin addiction was.

Unfortunatley but probably understandably there are aspects and periods of Townes' life that are not fully explained such as when and how Townes finally quit Heroin. One period I found slightly lacking was the later period where he was running around with people like Blaze Foley. This time is really very briefly brushed over.

The last days of Townes' life are very well written and paint a picture of a man who was a physical wreck and appeared to be just (like the first song he ever wrote) waiting around to die. Although I have no way of verifying its accuracy it is very sad but also very believable. It does paint his estranged 3rd wife in a fairly poor light -getting Townes to sign over all his publishing rights to her and her at best negligent behaviour and its contribution to his death- and it will be interesting to see how Hardy's account differs from Kruth's version which is endorsed by the Van Zandt family including the estranged wife, Jeanene. Having not read both biogs I can't say which is best but I can and certainly do recommend this book.