Flyin' Shoes (1978) is one of my favorite albums by the highly praised American singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997). If you've never listened to him before, you're missing out. His music is from the heart and celebrated for its poetic lyrics, his guitar playing skills and fingerpicking ability.
Van Zandt spent the early part of his career touring from one dive bar to the next and living in a humble shack without electricity or a telephone. Around 1967, Van Zandt was living with Roky Erickson, singer of the 13th Floor Elevators. Erickson asked Van Zandt to play bass for the Elevators, even though he was a guitarist and had no experience on bass. He auditioned for Erickson's bandmate Tommy Hall, but wasn't let into the band.
In time, Van Zandt rose to fame and became an influence to countless musicians including Bob Dylan. Sadly, he suffered from addiction throughout his life which led to health problems. He died on New Years day of 1997 when he was only 52 years old.
