Gram Parsons
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1963-65) - Joe Kelly -- bass - Gram Parsons (aka Cecil Ingram Connor) (RIP 1974) -- vocals, guitar - George Wingley --
guitar line up 2 (1974) - Emory Gordy --
bass - Bernie Leadon -- guitar - Gram Parsons (aka Cecil Ingram Connor) (RIP 1974) -- vocals, guitar - Herb Pederson --
acoustic guitar - Ronnie Tutt -- drums, percussion
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- The Eagles (Bernie Leadon) - The International Submarine Band
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Genre: country-rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: GP Company: Reprise Catalog: MS-2123 Year: 1973 Country/State: US Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor ring wear; gatefold sleeve Available: 1 catalog ID: 1516 Price: $25.00
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Since his untimely
death in 1974, singer/songwriter Gram Parsons' reputation has continued to
grow, reaching the point where many people now credit him as one of the
founders of modern country-rock. Ironically, Parsons remains best known for
his work with The International Submarine Band, The Byrds and The Flying
Burrito Brothers. In contrast, Parsons' abbreviated solo career largely
fails to live up to his posthumous legend.
1.) Still Feeling
Blue (Gram Parsons) - 2:38 (side 2) 1.) That's All It
Took (Edwards - Grier - Jones) - 2:57 Unfortunately, at the end of a brief tour in support of the album Parsons suffered a sudden and fatal heart attack. Only 26, years of alcohol and drug abuse (including a nasty heroin problem) apparently caught up with him.
In one of rock's odder
stories, following Parsons
death, manager Phil Kaufman and longtime friend Michael Martin stole his
body; transported it to Cap Rock national monument; burned it; and scattered
the ashes over the area. Prosecuted, the two claimed they were following
Parsons wishes, were fined $750 and released.
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Genre: country-rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Grievous Angel Company: Reprise Catalog: MS-2171 Year: 1974 Country/State: US Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: promo sticker on cover Available: 1 catalog ID: 4723 Price: $25.00
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Released a few weeks after Gram Parson's 1973
fatal heart attack (itself brought on by a nasty drug habit), among critics 1974's
"Grievous Angel" seems
to have benefited from what you might call the sympathy factor. To
some extent that's understandable since nobody wants to criticize a dead
artist ... That's
not to imply the album isn't good, rather it isn't as good as the debut.
Self-produced, the album actually should have been credited as a
collaboration - given her achingly pretty performances on material such as
the title track, 'Hearts On Fire' and 'Love Hurts' Emmylou Harris clearly
deserved equal billing. Interestingly, a lot of folks are probably put
off by the album thinking that it's a country set. While Parsons was
clearly heavily influenced by the genre (he called it 'Cosmic American
Music'), the albums really better described as country-rock. Anyone
into early Eagles will be comfortable with this album - to say nothing of
the fact there would not have been early Eagles without Parsons'
groundbreaking work. I'm not a big country fan, but this album is
regularly played on my turntable. Personal favorites - Parson's rocking
cover of Tom T. Hall's 'I Can't Dance' (anyone who didn't think Parsons
could rock needs to hear it) and the beautiful 'Brass
Buttons'. By the way, in spite of the album credits, 'Medley Live from
Northern Quebec' is almost certainly not an in-concert
performance. Ironically even though today it's widely viewed as
a classic album, upon its release the set did little commercially peaking at
# 185 on the album charts.
"Grievous Angel" track listing: 1.) Return of the Grievous Angel (Thomas Brown - Gram Parsons) - 4:19 2.) Hearts On Fire (Walter Egan - Tom Guidera) - 3:50 3.) I Can't Dance (Tom T. Hall) - 2:20 4.) Brass Buttons (Gram Parsons) - 3:27 5.) $1000
Wedding (Gram Parsons) - 5:00 (side 2) 1.) Medley Live from Northern Quebec a.) Cash On the Barrelhead (Louvin - Louvin) - 2:12 b.) Hickory Wind (Buchanan - Gram Parsons) - 4:15 2.) Love Hurts (Boudleaux Bryant) - 3:40 3.) Ooh Las Vegas (Ric Grech - Gram Parsons) - 3:29 4.) In My Hour of Darkness (Emmylou Harris - Gram Parsons) - 3:42
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Genre: country-rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Sleepless Nights Company: A&M Catalog: SP-4578 Year: 1976 Country/State: US Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 catalog ID: 1513 Price: $15.00
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Essentially a posthumous 'best of' set, "Sleepless NIghts" pulled together nine previously recorded and released Flying Burrito Brothers tracks; tacking on three previously unreleased "Greivous Angel" era Gram Pasons solo sides. Elsewhere, Emmylou Harris' liner notes were also worth reading. Focusing on the band's country-influences, The Burrito sides didn't do much for me.
"Sleepless Nights" track listing: 1.) Brand New Heartache (B. Bryant - F. Bryant) - 2:26 2.) Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down (Merle Haggard) - 2:56 3.) Sing Me Back Home (Merle Haggard) - 3:50 4.) Your Angle Steps Out of Heaven (Ripley) - 3:08 5.) Crazy
Arms (Seals - Mooney) - 2:45
(side 2) 1.) Close Up the Honky Tonks (Simpson) - 2:20 2.) Together Again (Buck Owens) - 3:10 3.) Honky Tonk Women (Mick Jagger - Keith Richards) - 4:15 4.) Green, Green Grass of Home (Putnam - Woolsey) - 4:00 5.) Dim Lights (Adler) - 2:55 6.) The Angels Rejoiced Last Night (C. Louvin - I. Louvin) - 2:23
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Genre: folk Rating: ** (2 stars) Title: Gram Parsons The Early Years 1963-1965 Company: Sierra/Briar Catalog: SRS-8702 Year: 1979 Country/State: US Grade (cover/record): VG+/vg+ Comments: includes the multi-page booklet Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD 4569 Price: SOLD $20.00 Cost: $66.00
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The late Gram Parsons is one of those acts that seems to generate a much bigger following in death than he ever saw while alive. That fan base continues to grow and is exceptionally dedicated to Parson's legacy ...
As a 17 year old, Parsons found himself in Greenville, South Carolina where he hooked up with The Shilos (banjo player Paul Surratt, bassist Joe Kelly and guitarist George Wingley). With an extensive folk music repertoire, the quartet became rather popular on the local party, dance and coffeehouse scene. Those local successes culminated in a 1965 recording session at The Bob Jones University radio station. Those sessions subsequently lay on tape for some 14 years before being released as 1979's "Gram Parsons The Early Years 1963-1965".
Before going on, let me warn everyone expecting to hear something along Parson's patented country-rock moves ... this set may disappoint you. Here's what the liner notes say: "This album of early tapes by Gram Parsons with the group, The Shilos, has been issued by Sierra/Briar Records partly as an historical record illustrating the development of Parsons as a gifted performer and songwriter; and partly as a means of demonstrating our respect for and thanks to an artist who has given - and, through his later recordings, continues to give - joy to countless fans around the world. May his legend never stop growing. Recorded live with two microphones and Surrat handing production chores, this is Kingston Trio/Peter, Paul and Mary-styled acoustic folk. There's nothing really wrong with it, but it hasn't aged particularly well. There are actually two Parson's originals on the album - 'Zah's Blues' and 'Surfinanny'. They also happen to be the two most interesting songs.
"Gram Parsons The Early Years 1963-1965" track listing: 1.) May Be Right (Dick Weissman) - 2:03 2.) Big Country (Jay Irwin) - 2:53 3.) Zah's Blues (Gram Parsons) - 4:02 4.) Mary Don't You Weep (Dennis Hupp) - 2:21 5.) Bells of Rhymney (I.D. Ris Davis, Pete Seeger) - 5:38
(side
2) 2.) They Still Go Down (Dick Weissman) - 2:02 3.) On My Journey Home (traditional) - 2:07 4.) Surfinanny (Gram Parsons) - 3:09 5.) Oh Didn't They Crucify My Lord (traditional) - 2:51
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Genre: country rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Gram Parsons Company: Shilo Catalog: SLP 4088 Year: 1979 Country/State: US Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve; minor ring wear Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1512 Price: $25.00
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Billed as a Gram Parson's solo effort, 1979's cleverly titled "Gram Parsons" was actually nothing more than a repackaging of his 1967 album with the International Submarine Band. New cover and a couple boring comments from Sneaky Pete ... Anyhow, I've gone ahead and copied the review from that album here.
An audition for
eccentric Lee Hazlewood's newly formed LHI label won the band a contract and
within a matter of weeks they were in the studio with producer Suzi Jane
Hokom. If nothing else, 1967's "Safe At
Home" deserved immediate notice as one of the first true
country-rock outings. Offering up a mixture of covers and original material
(penned by Parsons), tracks such as "I Must Be Somebody Else You've
Known", "Folsom Prison Blues" and "I Still Miss
Someone" left no doubts as to the the band's country roots and
interests. That shouldn't scare anyone off, since the combination of
Parsons' melancholy voice and a rhythm section with one foot firmly in the
rock camp (in the middle of recording sessions bassist Etheridge was
replaced by Bob Buchanan), made for a thoroughly entertaining effort.
Parsons-penned originals such as "Blue Eyes" (first song we're
aware of to make reference to getting stoned) and "Luxury Liner"
were genre standards. While the album generated a buzz among critics and
with musicians themselves, it was simply too odd for mainstream radio - too
rock for country audiences and too country for rock audiences. Sales proved
non-existent. 1.) Blue
Eyes (Gram Parsons) - 2:45
1.) I Still Miss
Someone (John R. Cash) - 2:45
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