Townes van Zandt was at the peak of his career in 1973. Fresh off releasing two of his finest albums a year earlier (High, Low and In Between and The Late, Great Townes Van Zandt), his celebrated appearances also grew in stature. Likewise, as a number of his other live performances demonstrate, the Whole Coffeehouse set features nothing but the man and his guitar, something that could stand at odds with a number of his cherished studio recordings.