Gram Parsons Album: “Sacred Hearts and Fallen Angels: The Gram Parsons Anthology”

This is a wonderful 2xCD compilation - it looks great, sounds great and comes as close as humanly possible to being a perfect sampling of Gram's very consistent work. For those reasons alone, you should probably get it, particularly if you're neither a completist nor already familiar with any of Gram's material. On the other hand, you may choose to go the longer route - even so, there are plenty of reasons to get this 2xCD as well, mentioned below. For those who might want more, here's how to go about it:

1) The International Submarine Band's "Safe At Home" reissue on Sundazed contains tracks 1-6 on CD 1, as well as 4 more tracks, in excellent sound and packaging.

2) The Byrds' "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo" CD on Legacy features lots of Gram vocals and involvement, including tracks 7 & 8 on CD 1, but you miss the Gram vocal take on "The Christian Life" that's on this 2xCD. The versions of "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "One Hundred Years From Now" are different, too. Although these (tracks 9-11 on CD 1 here) were on the Byrds' boxed set, they were just about the only worthwhile things on it that weren't on any of the Byrds' single CD reissues as bonus tracks - so this double CD gets you those 3 tracks quite easily.

3) The Flying Burrito Brothers "Hot Burritos!" 2xCD on A&M contains tracks 12-24 of CD 1 here, plus the first track of CD 2 . . . AND 29 more tracks, some of them excellent (though this 2xCD does a good job of capturing the best.)

4) The Reprise single CD reissue of Gram's two solo albums "GP" and "Grievous Angel" contains tracks 2-9 on CD 2, as well as tracks 13-22 on CD 2. It also has five tracks not included here. And the song "Return Of The Grievous Angel" is in a different mix here.

5) Gram Parsons & the Fallen Angels "Live 1973" CD on Rhino features tracks 10-12 on CD 2, plus nine tracks not here, in excellent sound.

6) This CD also features three outtakes from Gram's solo albums (tracks 20-22 on CD 2). These were previously available only on the import-only "Sleepless Nights," a compilation of these three tunes plus some late-period Flying Burrito Brothers country covers - the best of which are also on "Hot Burritos!" So this Rhino set is an easy way to get these three tracks without any dross.

That's it, with the exception of the recently unearthed "Another Side Of This Life: The Lost Recordings Of Gram Parsons 1965-1966," a surprisingly fine Sundazed release of previously undiscovered demos. Gram's talent is in full flower (he even performs a version of his own "Brass Buttons" roughly 8 years before its appearance on "Grievous Angel.") Most of the 18 tracks are covers of great songs by Fred Neil, Tim Hardin and other soulful folky types. It's much better than you'd think.

Enjoy!

Genius is a pretty heavy label to hang on a dude, but Gram Parsons came pretty close at times during his all to brief time on this earth. To me, he stands alongside such giants as Hank Williams and Merle Haggard in the annals of country music. I stress the term country because, just like the man himself, I don't like the term country/rock. Gram's music was country at it's most beatuiful, sincere and soulful.

This small box set must surely rank as the definitive compilation, that is, if You're just gonna buy one album with Gram, then make it this one. It has exellent sound, beautiful packaging, well written liner notes, many pictures I haven't seen before and some of the best music ever recorded, regardless of genre. It features Gram's best recordings with International Submarine Band, The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers and his achingly pure duets with Emmylou Harris. If You're into American popular music at it's very best You're not excused for not buying this one. I'm very grateful to the folks at Rhino Records for this release.

The voice and vision of Gram Parsons still grab a listener by the throat 30 years after most of "Sacred Hearts & Fallen Angels" was recorded. Part of his appeal lies in the fact that he was doomed to die young and you can hear the doom in his voice and in his lyrics. This 2CD anthology offers only one previously unreleased cut (the undistinguished "Knee Deep In The Blues"), but otherwise does a fine job of culling out his finest work from his days in The International Submarine Band, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and as a solo artist. Parsons is often called the "Godfather of Alternative Country," but he really was a restless singer and songwriter who dabbled in country, rock, folk, gospel and even soul music. Highlights are almost too numerous to mention, but the 15 songs on the second CD from Parson's two true solo albums are American classics that only improve with time. "Return of the Grevious Angel" and "In My Hour of Darkness" never fail to bring a lump to my throat. Emmy Lou Harris kicked off her career in spectacular fashion by dueting with Parsons on these songs and six more (3 live cuts and 3 previously released outtakes)that complete the anthology. The first CD is highlighted by 13 seminal country rock songs from the Flying Burrito Brothers. Parsons and his fellow Burrito "Brother" Chris Hillman found a fertile musical point halfway between Nashville and Memphis and created a dozen or so classics that sound just as great today as they did in 1970. Gram Parsons regularly gets held up as a standard of artistic vision by today's music critics as they review the latest discs. He has influenced everyone from k.d. lang to Elvis Costello. "Sacred Hears & Fallen Angels" is a great place to learn what all the fuss is about.

For a guy who died so young, Gram made a lot of music and was an incalculable influence on future musicians. He moved fast, and that makes it hard to put together a compilation. This one is a good effort, but like most comps it skips my favorite song (in this case, Big Mouth Blues).

The great bulk of this 2-disc set is available on 4 discs: The 2fer edition of Gram Parsons Solo Records GP and Grievous Angel; Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo, The International Submarine Band's album, and Flying Burrito Bros' Gilded Palace of Sin.

I personally think it makes more sense to just go out and buy those discs than another (quite fine) comp. That way, you get (almost) everything, the way it meant to be heard.

I could rattle on about how important Gram Parsons was and still is -- father of country rock, partner and nurturer of Emmylou Harris, grandfather of alt-country, etc., etc., etc. -- and how this is an important and far-reaching anthology and that everyone should have a copy. Instead, let me tell you about a gorgeous mid-August Sunday morning, 2005, driving into Yosemite Valley.

While my girlfriend drove the rental, I was in charge of the entertainment -- popping the CDs in and out. I decided on Gram, front-to-back, both discs -- from the boyish, sunny enthusiasm of the International Submarine Band to the sadly premature weariness of his last recordings. Maybe it was the gorgeous scenery as we snaked the hour or so toward the floor of the valley from the south gate. Or maybe it was the weather (perfect). Maybe it was a hyperactive rock'n'roller taking time to take it easy and give the songs a longer and better listen than before. Maybe it was just the notion of listening to Gram in California. But his music was the absolutely perfect soundtrack to an absolutely perfect Sunday morning. Simply beautiful music.

The only thing I can compare it to was the August Sunday morning my father drove us through North Carolina en route to Florida when I was 13, and the sun was just right, and every station on the radio was broadcasting some preacher or another. Except that listening to Gram in the cathedral of John Muir was a much more religious experience.

If you're not into history, at least listen to this collection if you love a sunny Sunday morning.