A new book called A Deeper Blue: The Life and Music of Townes van Zandt by Robert Earl Hardy was released this month. And, according to the inside cover, it’s "the first serious biography of a man widely considered one of Texas'--and America's--greatest songwriters." How serious is it? Well, Hardy spent eight years researching Van Zandt and interviewing his friends, family and colleagues.
I haven't read the book--yet, at least; sorry, I'm reading like five others at the moment--but apparently Kinky Friedman and Joe Ely both have. They contribute to the book jacket's praise: Friedman calls it a "must-read"; Ely calls it "fascinating." I don't doubt their words, but the run-on, 98-word first sentence in the book gives me a little pause…
Whatever, I’m sure Van Zandt fans will eat this book up as it at least looks like a pretty complete biography. If that sounds like you, well, you can get your copy here.
What’s more interesting about this book--to me, at least--is another note hidden in the book jacket. Apparently, this is just the first book UNT Press is planning to publish in its “North Texas Lives of Musicians Series.” Makes you wonder who’s getting written up next—and maybe, more importantly, who’s gonna be writing it. If it’s Hardy are we gonna be waiting another eight years? -- Pete Freedman
I read the first REAL "First Serious Biography" of Townes Van Zandt, "To Live's to Fly - The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt" by John Kruth. Although it could have been better edited and reads a little like a roller-coaster ride, you could feel that Townes' life was a lot like that. A life with crazy twists and turns, lives turned upside down, the screaming and laughter all mixed together, and then...the abrupt,sudden end.
Kruth obviously reveres Van Zandt and he treats Townes with the dignity and respect he deserves. He does so without white-washing the story yet he leaves the man with the air of mystery that in life made him a "Living Legend".
"To Lives to Fly" had me riveted. There were stories that had me laughing my ass off while at the same time feeling the fear, love and helplessness of those who cared about him along with the disgust of the ones who walked away. I felt sad after reading it. In fact, the first hand, detailed and tender account of Townes' death from his third wife Jeanene had me weeping.
Kruth eagerly and rightfully puts him in his proper place in music and literary history as one of the greatest song/poets to ever walk this planet.
This second "First Serious Biography" of Townes Van Zandt by Robert Hardy left me with a very different feeling. Starting with the slip cover and it's claim of being the first serious book on this complicated man. Then I read that Mr. Hardy has been "a professional writer and editor 'with an interest in contemporary music' for 25 years, so I googled him and find his webpage to see what else he had written and why he was so qualified to dissect the life and music of Townes Van Zandt.
Here is the extent of his previous work in it's entirety:
Q: Is the biography your first book?
A: The first book I wrote, when I was 6 years old, was a comic book featuring Superman saving Lois Lane from a burning building by inhaling the smoke and flames, with a secondary storyline featuring the Beatles arriving in New York City and playing on the Ed Sullivan Show. In high school, I did another comic book, inspired by R. Crumb,
about a wisecracking, space-traveling rat.
Q: What was your first published work?
A: My first published writing was a short story about the accidental drowning of a child in the St. Mary’s River that I wrote in college and that was collected in an anthology of Southern Maryland writers. They gave me a copy of the book at a writers’ reception on campus but I met a girl there and we left early and I left my copy behind and never saw another one.
Q: How did you come to write a biography?
A: I kept notebooks full of fragments and drafts of ideas for fiction for years. When I crossed paths with Townes Van Zandt in Texas I was struck by lightning. I prepared myself to follow his path and write about it. It turned out that the subject was better served by biography than by fiction, so I became a biographer.
Trying to get past the presumptuous claims on the jacket cover, I went ahead and bought the book. I found "Blue" full of agendas, hearsay, slanted views and assumptions. It felt like I was in a mosh-pit with everyone slamming into each other to the tune of "Townes loved me more!" Many of his carefully researched footnotes are nothing more than unsubstanuated claims and ramblings from unsavory characters and "Townes is my claim to fame" hanger-oners. He did interview most of the people Kruth had already interviewed for his "non-existing" book, so those stories were repeats, almost word for word.
Hardy didn't personally interview any of Townes' children or his last wife Jeanene, who, if Hardy's dates are right, was deeply involved with him for the last 15 years of his life, whether married to him or not. In fact, in the end, every bad or thoughtless thing that Townes ever did was her fault. He goes as far as to blame her for Townes blowing off an illegitimate child who was born during Townes' first marriage (out of three) when Jeanene was around 12 years old. And Oh yea, Hardy is pretty sure she murdered him too. He does such a hatchet job on her that you have to justify for yourself, why Townes, a sensitive and brilliant man by all accounts, kept this woman in his life until the end.
I did not like or enjoy this book. It gave me the feeling you would get if someone caught you digging deep into their night stand drawer.
Not a nice feeling. Townes deserves better.
Jen
Posted at: April 14, 2008 7:07 AM