Townes is a 2009 Steve Earle

Steve Earle

Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....

 album on which he pays tribute to his friend and mentor, the late singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt

Townes Van Zandt

John Townes Van Zandt , best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American Texas Country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet...

 by covering his songs. According to a New West Records

New West Records

New West Records is a record label based in Los Angeles, California, Austin, Texas, and Athens, Georgia. It was established in 1998, and has been home to several indie rock and alternative country bands as well as representing the PBS show Austin City Limits...

 press release, "The songs selected for Townes were the ones that meant the most to Earle and the ones he personally connected to (not including selections featured on previous Earle albums). Some of the selections chosen were songs that Earle has played his entire career ('Pancho & Lefty

Pancho & Lefty

Pancho & Lefty is a honky tonk album by outlaw country musicians Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, released in 1983. A blockbuster album, Pancho & Lefty dominated country music for the year and helped establish both artists as two of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed of the genre...

', 'Lungs', 'White Freightliner Blues') and others he had to learn specifically for recording.

Notable guest appearances on the album include Tom Morello

Tom Morello

Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...

 (of Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...

/Audioslave

Audioslave

Audioslave was an American rock supergroup that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of former Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello , Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk...

/Street Sweeper Social Club

Street Sweeper Social Club

Street Sweeper Social Club is an American Rap Rock supergroup, formed in Los Angeles, California in 2006. The band primarily consists of guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and vocalist/emcee Boots Riley of The Coup. The band has been testing songs out during Tom Morello's...

) playing electric guitar on "Lungs", and Earle's wife Allison Moorer

Allison Moorer

Allison Moorer is an American alternative country singer and the younger sister of Shelby Lynne. She signed to MCA Nashville in 1998 and made her debut on the U.S...

 singing backing vocals on "Loretta" and "To Live is to Fly". Earle and his son, Justin Townes Earle

Justin Townes Earle

Justin Townes Earle , son of Steve Earle, stepson of Allison Moorer, and named for songwriter Townes Van Zandt is an AMA winning, Americana musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. Earle is signed to Bloodshot Records and has four released albums from 2007–2010...

 trade verses on "Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold".. He is backed by The Bluegrass Dukes on "White Freightliner Blues" and "Delta Momma Blues".

This album won Best Contemporary Folk Album

Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album

The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album was awarded from 1987 to 2011. Until 1993 the award was known as the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. In 2007, this category was renamed Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album...

 at the 52nd Grammy Awards

52nd Grammy Awards

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...

.

Track listing

All songs written by Townes Van Zandt except where noted.

1. "Pancho & Lefty
   Pancho & Lefty
   Pancho & Lefty is a honky tonk album by outlaw country musicians Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, released in 1983. A blockbuster album, Pancho & Lefty dominated country music for the year and helped establish both artists as two of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed of the genre...
   
   "
2. "White Freightliner Blues"
3. "Colorado Girl"
4. "Where I Lead Me"
5. "Lungs"
6. "No Place To Fall"
7. "Loretta"
8. "Brand New Companion"
9. "Rake"
10. "Delta Momma Blues" (Van Zandt, Matthew Moore)
11. "Marie"
12. "Don't Take It Too Bad"
13. "Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold"
14. "(Quicksilver Daydreams Of) Maria"
15. "To Live Is To Fly"

Chart performance

Chart (2009)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	6
U.S. Billboard 200	19
U.S. Billboard Top Independent Albums	2
Canadian Top Country Albums	4
Canadian Albums Chart	28