Track Listing

1. Pancho & Lefty [#]
2. If I Needed You [#]
3. For the Sake of the Song [#]
4. Our Mother the Mountain
5. To Live Is to Fly
6. Lungs
7. Flying Shoes
8. No Place to Fall
9. Dollar Bill Blues
10. White Freight Liner Blues
11. Tecumseh Valley
12. Don't You Take It Too Bad
13. Tower Song
14. Rex's Blues
15. Brother Flower
16. Waiting Around to Die
17. Colorado Girl

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #101018 in Music
• Released on: 1997-01-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued

Amazon.com essential recording
Rear View Mirror is one of the first two titles in a live-and-obscure series Sugar Hill began preparing prior to the great folksinger's death. Originally given limited release in 1993, it provides an overview of the songwriter's career, reaching back frequently to his most productive period, 1968-72. Backed by second guitarist Danny Rowland and fiddler Owen Cody, Van Zandt works his way through tunes he'd performed hundreds--perhaps thousands--of times in coffeehouses and clubs from Arkansas to Australia. He does so, however, with enduring verve and veracity. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

BEST FROM THE BEST
After a drinking buddy kept harping on me to get this album I finally broke down and got it. It was my first introduction to TVZ and I was consequently blown away. What I heard was a cross between Hank Williams and Leonard Cohen beating Dylan at his own game. It made a believer out of me.

Though I now have practically everything he ever recorded, I still keep coming back to this one. As a songwriter and someone who's on the road alot, I find this record to be an indispensible traveling companion.

If you're familiar with Van Zandt you've probably heard "Poncho & Lefty". If not, then you've probably heard it covered by the likes of say, Emmy Lou Harris or Willie Nelson. It's a great song and in my estimation this is quite possibly the best version you're ever likely to hear. It's author offers up a stark, desperate rendition, casting all others aside and setting the tone for what's to come.

The original studio versions of "Our Mother The Mountain" & "tecumseh valley", pale in comparison to the live performances here. "Tecumseh" particulary more heart wrenching & driven than it's draggy studio counterpart. It's just killer. On "Mountain", Owen Cody's fiddle adds a harrowing touch to Van Zandt's impassioned vocal. In general, all the performances on this disc leave their previous incarnations behind. "Lungs", "waiting Around To Die", " Dollar Blues"---everything has an undisputable edge.

I can't emphasize enough how great this album is. It's not only a comprehensive overview of TVZ's finest work, it's one of the best albums I've ever heard. Call it folk, rock, country---the man's music defies all genres. He was an original and if you are in need of an introduction, here's the place to start.

THE DEFINITIVE TOWNES VAN ZANDT RECORDINGS...
Listening to this CD, I feel as if this is the way the songs should have been done all along. A second guitar and a fiddle is all that is needed for accompaniment in any TVZ song. This is Townes at his most intimate and at his best. The songs speak directly to you. And what a set of songs he performs on this CD! Townes Van Zandt wrote songs about life, and if you've done any living at all, you'll recognize the genius in his telling of life. This CD is a collection of some of his best songs that leaves you yearning for more!

Whether you are a novice looking for a sample or a true fan looking for the crown jewel to add to your collection, this is THE Townes Vand Zandt CD to own!

For the sake of the song!
I rarely write reviews of music but feel that I must share my impressions of this CD. I have long heard some of my favorite singers praise the songwriting prowess of Townes but somehow never got around to buying one of his records. I finally picked this one up because it had two songs that were covered by two of my favorite singers--Lyle Lovett-"Lungs" (among others) and Steve Earle-"Tecumseh Valley". I was blown away by the sheer beauty and poetry of every song on this recording. Other reviewers seem to be comparing this to other Townes' records. I come from a different angle. As someone who has long heard Townes sopken of with the highest praise, I can say this disk does not disappoint and will influence me to fill out my collection of his recordings. I will also say that I am deeply frustrated that I never took advantage of the chance to see Townes perform while he was alive.