I downloaded "Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas" not really knowing much about this guy. I liked the simplicity of his songs (just him playing an acoustic guitar) and how he sang (and often talked) very plainly. This is my favorite song from that album and always leaves me with a smile. Little did I know that Van Zandt was a manic depressive, addicted to both heroin and alcohol (allegedly drinking a pint of vodka a day by 1982). It got so bad that by his mid-thirties, he needed a full-time caretaker. According to doctor's notes, he even heard voices; although, according to Townes, they were mainly musical. Clearly then, this is a man with a lot of demons. He does well to channel them.
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