A Deeper Blue: The Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt

15. The Blue March

15  The Blue March T HAT SPRING OF 1996, TOWNES was surprised to hear from Steve Shelley, the drummer for the New York band Sonic Youth, that members of the group were interested in making a record with him. A major label, Geffen, was backing the project through its Ecstatic Peace imprint, which was an outlet through which members of Sonic Youth could sign and record artists that they thought deserving. After recording some bands that didn’t make much of an impression, they sought out Townes. Shelley’s side project, a duo/sometime trio called Two Dollar Guitar , was to back Townes on the sessions, which Shelley would produce . The idea had potential, although there were downsides. Geffen A&R man Ray Farrell, who was in charge of the project , had looked into Townes’ last few recording efforts, had spoken to people involved, and had some idea of what he was up against. Townes Van Zandt clearly was not a well man. There was already some sense that the planned sessions might turn out to be not only a physical and emotional drain on Townes, but also a financial drain on the label. They weren’t sure that Townes would like the idea of playing with the young musicians 245  246 A Deeper Blue: The Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt in Two Dollar Guitar, or how their styles would mesh. Farrell brought Townes down from Nashville to Memphis in early fall to discuss the project and meet the band, and he had doubts that any of it would work out. Townes was frail and shaky when he met Farrell and the band in Memphis, but he seemed to enjoy himself, staying up late talking and playing poker. Even with the research he had done, it was eye-opening for Farrell. He hadn’t realized that Townes always traveled with a “caretaker”—Harold Eggers—and with Eggers absent on this trip, Farrell had to learn quickly to fill that role. Farrell remembers Townes being emotionally up and down, but warm and friendly. One night at dinner with the group, Townes suggested that they all write a song together, on the spot. Townes threw out the first line, then they went around the table until everyone had contributed lines and they eventually played the idea out. Farrell was impressed by Townes’ ability to create this atmosphere, to make everybody part of the party. A few days after he returned home to Nashville, Townes let them know that he was ready to go ahead with the project. He was flattered that these young musicians wanted to play with him. He had heard Mudhoney’s recording of “Buckskin Stallion Blues,” and been very happy with it, and proud. “I’m the mold that grunge was grown in,” he had said.1 The recording sessions were scheduled for the end of the year. Later that month, Townes and Harold returned to Europe. Although the first shows were in Scotland, they flew straight to Germany, where Claudia met them at the Frankfurt Airport. “I cooked gulasch, Townes’ favorite German food. Townes visited my ill brother in the hospital. Then my other brother took us to the airport and we took the plane to London and then to Glasgow .” Claudia and Townes were inseparable for the rest of their time together. Her recollection of their itinerary is detailed: “I remember the show in Glasgow best, where Townes played on a laid-up ship [Renfrew Ferry], which brought a special atmosphere and mood to the show. Then we came back to London, where Mike Weston King picked us up at the airport. We went to  The Blue March 247 the Cambridge Folk Festival, where Townes played on two nights for forty-five minutes each. And we also met Peter Rowan, Chris Smither, Alison Krauss, and other artists there. After Cambridge, Townes played shows at some more English places before we left England and travelled to Ireland. There he played in Dublin first, at a very beautiful old place where most of the people seemed to know him from a long time ago [Whelan’s]…. After the gig[s], we had some days left like holidays. We spent these days in a very nice hotel at the coast together.”2 A few days after his last show in Ireland, Townes was in California , then Reno, Nevada, then back to California for a gig at the Ash Grove...