Often referred to as “The Best Songwriter In The World” (an epithet foisted upon him by Steve Earle), singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt (1944 – 1997) was once described by the LA Times as “A cross between Woody Guthrie and Leonard Cohen”. Due to the “complicated” legal mess into which his career and life descended, Van Zandt saw scant remuneration for the later hit recordings of his songs, by Emmylou Harris, Don Williams, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, and spent much of his life penniless, scuffling, and in debt.

The second of two albums released in 1972, The Late Great Townes Van Zandt is considered to be Van Zandt’s masterwork and features two of his most covered songs, the outlaw ballad ‘Pancho And Lefty’ and the timeless love song ‘If I Needed You’, together with covers of his idol Hank Williams’ ‘Honky Tonkin” and the country favourite ‘Fraulein’. Following on the heels of High, Low And In Between, it was also his last album for the ailing Poppy label. Produced by Kevin Eggers and Jack Clements, standout tracks include the definitive version of ‘Sad Cinderella’ and Van Zandt’s highly experimental ‘Silver Ships Of Andilar’, which features a string arrangement by Bergen White, one of the few black musicians in Nashville who also happened to be the top string arranger at the time.