Townes Van Zandt - Be Here to Love Me

I've loved the music of Townes Van Zandt for many years, so I was happy to find out that a documentary existed with his story. The documentary is formed out of archival footage, as well as recent interviews with his surviving contemporaries and collaborators. Born into money, but an infamous substance abuser who had most of his teeth replaced after a glue sniffing incident, he lived in the gutter, sang, wrote music, and left a trail of destruction. At the end are interviews with his kids, some of whom hardly knew him.First of all, Joe Ely, who was a musical partner from the very start, is interviewed, talking about alone-ness versus loneliness, broke versus poor, and how Townes was always the better, more Zen-like of the two. Guy Clark noted how Townes' songs "are sparse, they don't spell everything out for you. They allow you to use your imagination and allow you to be sucked in." He also had a great sense of humor, as demonstrated with one show where he said "I'll now play a medley of my hit."Townes got into glue sniffin' while playing high school football, and signed in his yearbook "from one junky to another." Recounts the story of intentionally falling from his fourth floor apartment onto his back just to feel the sensation. Fran Lohr, his first wife, talks about their life together. He got "insulin shock" to the point where he couldn't recognise his own mother. Burned out his childhood memories. Plays a beautiful version of "Dollar Bill Blues" live without whatever noise it was that they added to the recording. First song he wrote was "Waitin' Around To Die." Townes and Janis Joplin hangin' out. Ken Eggers, record producer, Tomato Records owner in Chelsea Hotel. Wrecks Bell, bass player, spoke of Townes' fame after the Our Mother The Mountain. Lightnin' Hopkins interviewed. David Olney - "a woman ripped off her blouse at the start of the set." JT Van Zandt looks like Townes, but with a cleft chin. Steve Earle, Burt and Susanna Clark. Townes "admired" Susanna, and she looked like a pretty funky person when she was young. Professor Longhair also interviewed in movie. Guy was jealous of Townes - on camera he's laughing, but you can tell he's also angry. Was into heroin in Houston, never into it when he was elsewhere because he wouldn't know where to get it (probably a good thing too). They interview him about glue sniffing while someone else fires off shotgun blasts, he then tells the story of being DOA for 90 minutes before he came back to life. He was heart dead every 2-3 months. Weed made him neurotic, alcohol psychotic. Peggy Underwood, lawyer, saw him shoot cola and bourbon. Played "Waiting Around To Die", an old black man next to him was in tears. Katie Bell Van Zandt, daughter, interviewed in Nashville in 2002. A French interviewer tells him "Blues is happy music", he answers "oh yes, I agree." "Gold And Mud" from a TV in a Texas bar, re-creating his life and sensibilities, hanging around in bars waiting to die... Steve Earle found a nice cabin for him, learned that he was fascinated with morning glories. Townes put Steve's gun to his head, pulled trigger three times. Steve was pissed!! Townes wrote "If I Needed You" in his sleep - dreamed he was singing it, wrote it down when he woke up. Jeanene Van Zandt, third wife. Steve Shelly, the drummer of Sonic Youth, is on hand to tell the tales of Townes' death. Lyle Lovett sings "Flyin" Shoes" at Townes' funeral. Guy Clark gets the last laugh: "I booked this gig 30 years ago.Beautiful stuff.

I fell in love with the music of Townes Van Zandt in the late 80's. . . .He sang with a heart ache and magic that had me mesmerized when I listened to his songs. . . the documentary of his life said so much about his genius and mental illness. I think the Texas Monthly 1998 said it so well: "Townes was a holy mess, his life a mix of the sublime and the horrific. By the time he died of a heart attack at 52 on New Year’s Day, 1997, the Fort Worth native had written a large batch of enduring songs and become the subject of colorful tales—many of them even true. And yet he remains today what he was all his wild, heartbreaking life: a cult artist honored by peers and ardent fans but largely unknown in the mainstream. He never released an album on a major label. He was never a music business professional and was never much concerned with his career. He was never concerned with much of anything, in fact, but writing, touring, and hanging out with friends and family. He loved paradox—living it and spreading it. Born into comfort, he preferred the company of the poor and desperate and sometimes gambled away what money he had. He was a lighthearted prankster who wrote some of the saddest songs of the century. He sang about how precious it was to be alive yet spent a good deal of his life killing himself with drugs and alcohol. A kind of death cult grew up around him fed by stories and myth—some of his own making, some of his fans’, many of whom saw romance in his self-destruction. When he died on January 1, 1997—the same day his hero Hank Williams had died in 1953—the most surprising thing was that he had lived so long".

I waited months to view this film. Being a big fan of Texas based music and musicians I have heard for years what an inspiration Townes was on various Texas songwriters. After veiwing this film I did not know if I should give it 5 stars or 0 stars. This film is a horror story of a life that was unfilled. It is a story of a musical genius that not only lost his way, but may in fact never knew were he was going. His musical legacy and talent will forever be know to "true" musicians but in all never by the mainstream public.His talent while undeniable was undiscovered because way down deep, he would not allow himself to be discovered. Townes surounded himself with people who protected him, but more sadily by people who encouraged, supported and promoted his self-demise. In interviews with 3 wives and multiple children at no time did one of them say stop, at no time did any of his so-called friends discuss the selfdestructive path he was on. The title of this film should not have said "Be here to love me", but rather "Be here to use me."A tragic, jaw dropping film of a life lost, a talent unrecognized and demonstrates the true life of a musical genius, hopefully the next musician with "Townes" talent will suround himself with better friends.

This is an excellent documentary about Townes van Zandt, his music and his difficult life. It's terribly sad and quite touching at times. The troubled troubadour was, without any doubt whatsoever, one of the truly great songwriters. It's tragic that he had to endure so many problems relating to his mental health, bad management and an appalling lack of appreciation during his lifetime. He bequeathed to us many brilliant songs and some truly fine albums. It's comforting to know that he's slowly gaining some of the recognition he so richly deserves.

A great piece of music history for fans of Americana. Also, an insightful reflection of the links between mental health, creativity and substance misuse.

An excellent biopic about a wonderful artist who suffered from woeful under-appreciation and bad managememnt during his lifetime which precipitated his fall into the addiction that finally killed him. Tremendously moving - and then there are those lyrics, that beautiful guitar picking, and that soulful voice! Buy.

only having recently discovered TVZ on youtube I wanted to find out all I could about him.This dvd was very enlightening and I very much enjoyed watching it(several times lol).Would reccomend it to any fan of his.

really enjoyed watching this dvd and listening to the music