Neverwednesday Nights

The Wednesday online gaming sessions with friends are scheduled to resume, so I'm posting this... well, actually, I'm posting this on Monday. But I don't expect to be available, so we're going to have a music video tonight.

Or a concert clip, actually, from a 1977 episode of The Old Grey Whistle Test. One of America's most angelic voices addresses itself to one of America's greatest singer-songwriters. Emmylou Harris performs Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho And Lefty."

Emmylou's version on Luxury Liner is the best version of "Pancho And Lefty" is, as far as I'm concerned, the best version of this song ever. Of course, I could be wrong: there have been quite a few versions of the song, by quite a few brilliant performers, including Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, Hoyt Axton, Bob Dylan, and Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, et al. And I haven't heard all of them--I think I'd especially like to hear Welch's and Axton's versions sometime. But it's hard to imagine any of them--even Gillian Welch's--competing with Emmylou; Emmylou sings like an angel.

There's only one problem with the clip, though. I don't know what the fuck was wrong with her drummer (1977, I have a few guesses), but I swear he's speeding up and slowing down throughout the whole clip. If it's just me, feel free to let me know, but I'm telling you, this is a bad version of the best version, and it's all the drummer's fault. Emmylou's voice is as divine as ever, and that's why we're going ahead and embedding this clip, stoned drummer be damned. Enjoy: