Gram Parsons Album: “GP/Grievous Angel”

Both GP and GRIEVOUS ANGEL redefined what music meant. GP/GRIEVOUS ANGEL define the true meaning of "Cosmic American Music"; what Parsons called his genre creation. On this CD you get twenty of the most extraordinary songs ever recorded. Music has never sounded better than "A Song For You", "Return Of The Grievous Angel", "That's All It Took", "Hickory Wind", or "Love Hurts". The presence of the ultra-talented Emmylou Harris enhances each track she performs on. The sound of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris together is divine; there's no predecessor and there hasn't been anything as perfect since. Gram Parsons' exceptional talent as a composer is the biggest highlight of these two classic albums. The album opens with his "Still Feeling Blue", a successful attempt to write a traditional country song. "A Song For You" is a gorgeous ballad about Parsons' views on life and his beliefs. Parsons' extraordinary genius is present on the powerful songs "She", "The New Soft Shoe", "Brass Buttens", and "$1,000 Wedding". "Return Of The Grievous Angel" is classic, my favorite song on the album. "Hickory Wind", Gram Parsons signature song, is more poignant here than on SWEETHEART OF THE RODEO. (Though I prefer that version). "How Much I Lied", "Big Mouth Blues" and "Ooh Las Vegas" are Country/Rock at its' best. The marvelous duo of Parsons & Harris write and perform "In My Hour Of Darkness" together, the inspiration finale to the album. Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris recorded outstanding interpretive duets. "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning", "That's All It Took", "Hearts On Fire", and "Love Hurts" are superior moments, enjoyable beyond belief. Gram Parsons was an incredible singer, and his versions of "Streets Of Baltimore", "Kiss The Children", "Cry One More Time", "I Can't Dance", and "Cash On The Barrelhead" are extraordinary. If you love great music this CD is essential. GP/GRIEVOUS ANGEL is superior to any of the music made by his other bands, even though the albums by the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Byrds, and the International Submarine Band was lightyears ahead of the rest of the music world. Few visions are as bold, and little music is as good as what Gram Parsons recorded during his too brief career. It is a tragedy that Gram Parsons died at 26, and was never able to see how he changed the world. He did, and his vision carried by Emmylou Harris lives on.

After his brief tour with The Byrds and his founding efforts with The Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons released two solo LPs in the early `70s, "GP" and "Grievous Angel" that in many people's minds defined him (for better or worse) as the central figure in the evolution of the musical genre that came to be known as "country-rock." Listening to these songs today (now available on one CD), I'm struck by the fact that by today's standards they are much more "country" than "rock" ("country-rockabilly" is probably a more apt description, with songs like "I Can't Dance," "Oooh Las Vegas", and the not-exactly-live version of the Louvin Brothers' "Cash on the Barrelhead" providing a lot of foot tappin'), and would probably have a hard time penetrating today's watered-down country music programming.

Which is a shame - Parsons had few peers as a country singer, and his songwriting (often centered around the theme of sin and redemption) has endured since his mysterious death in 1973. The band assembled for these sessions would belong in anyone's Hall of Fame, led by the legendary guitarist James Burton, pedal steel maestro Al Perkins, and noted keyboardist Glen D. Hardin, and augmented by appearances from Country Gazette's Alan Munde and Byron Berline, along with then-ex-Burrito and future-Eagle Bernie Leadon. Most importantly, Gram introduced the music world to Emmylou Harris, who served as Parsons's vocal soul mate throughout the recording of these songs, be they heartbreaking ("Hearts on Fire", "Love Hurts"),... kicking ("Still Feelin' Blue", "Cash on the Barrelhead"), longing ("Hickory Wind"), or affirming ("Return of the Grievous Angel). Finally, Linda Ronstadt provides poigniant backup to what turned out to be Gram's epitath, "In My Hour of Darkness."

Gram Parsons did not want to be categorized, and refered to his style as "Cosmic American Music" - but I dare anyone to listen to this magnificent collection and not say to themselves, "Now this is what country music should be all about."

This was my intro to Graham Parsons. I did not know what to expect. I find this CD to be more country than country-rock. I believe Graham relied a great deal on country influences and captures them quite well. There is lots of pedal-steel, violin, harmonizing with Emmylou Harris (which right there makes it worth the price), and songs of regret, lost love, foolish behavior and the like. As another reviewer put it, this music will make you want to hurl whenever you hear stuff by those new country stars. In fact, it will increase your appetite for for those fundamental sounds that drove Graham Parsons to make music like this in the first place. For all you boomers out there who did not know this (as I didn't), Graham Parsons originally did the song Love Hurts - you know, that rock anthem done by Nazereth back in 1975 or so. The things you learn.

Gram Parsons was responsible for evolution of the sound these albums created, which was a mixture of country, rock, and americana music. After a tour with The Byrds, and a few efforts with The Flying Burrito Brothers, he released two solo albums. And now both albums are both available on one album, this one.

The GP album opens with "Still Feeling Blue", a good effort from Parsons writing a traditional country song. Sadly Parsons died a mysterious death in 1973, but without leaving us with another legacy to behold. He introduced us to Emmylou Harris, who joined him on many tracks on these albums. The way their voices intertwined and harmonized, that level of vocal power will never be met again. They lend to each other extremely well and join to create a truly blissful and beautiful sound together. She joined him on tracks such as "Still Feeling Blue", "Hickory Wind", "Hearts On Fire", the heartbreaking "Love Hurts", honky tonk "Cash On The Barrelhead", and more. Linda Ronstadt also lends her vocals, to the closing "In My Hour of Darkness".

This is truly what country music is all about. These are classic albums than more than merit a few listens. Give this one a try, you might be surprised. This is what country music should be today, but as long as I have this album I'm content. Truly two classic albums that deserve to be heard and have a place in CD collections everywhere.

What do you say about this CD? When you drive across the country and every single city has its own radio station or five playing the kind of hybrid of traditional country and rock-n-roll invented by this man and essentially perfected on these two albums? My oh my, it takes a lot to leave a loudmouth like me speechless but here goes...

Basically his goal was to combine the nostalgia and warm fuzzy feelings for home and family endemic to country music with the ballsiness and breadth of rock, thus extending the reach and impact of both genres (which up to that point had been separate and seemingly at odds, the hippies vs. the rednecks and so forth); as he says in the famous Flying Burrito Brothers bootleg of a radiocast from the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco in 1969, it all goes back to "nostalgia and slow country". Obviously he was possessed of a singular vision, a "Cosmic American Music" which became a seamless part of the vernacular after he died so tragically and so young. IMO he is one of the figures of modern music without whom things would be substantially different.

As for these recordings, forget it, just buy them immediately, they are indispensible and you will never be the same after you become familiar with their contents. Personally I prefer the 2nd one, especially the immortal "$1000 Wedding" and "The Return of the Grievous Angel" two story songs without peer, with the latter being a setting of a poem handed over to Gram by a fan in a bar in Boston! Grab this CD (as well as the Byrds' "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" and the FBB albums on which he appears) and discover someone who in 26 short years of life managed to change the world as much as almost any musician you could name.

And if that isn't enough, remember that these are the albums that gave us Emmylou Harris, whom Gram, through Burrito Brothers Chris Hillman and Rick Roberts, essentially discovered!