Gram Parsons | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Gram Parsons is the father of country-rock. With the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, the songwriter pioneered the concept of a rock band playing country music, and as a solo artist he moved even further into the country realm, blending the two genres to the point that they became indistinguishable from each other. While he was alive, Parsons was a cult figure that never sold many records but influenced countless fellow musicians, from the Rolling Stones to the Byrds. In the years since his death, his stature has only grown, as numerous rock and country artists build on his small, but enormously influential, body of work. Gram Parsons was born Cecil Ingram Connor on November 5, 1946. He was the grandson of John Snivley, who owned roughly one-third of all the citrus fields in Florida, and the son of Coon Dog Connor, an Air Force veteran who owned a box-making factory in Waycross, Georgia. As a child, Parsons learned how to play the piano at the age of nine, the same year he saw Elvis Presley perform at his school; following the seminal performance, Parsons decided to become a musician. When he was 12, Parsons father committed suicide, and the family moved in with Parsons grandparents in Winter Haven, FL. A year after the move, his mother married Robert Parsons; Gram was then adopted by his stepfather, and the child legally changed his name to Gram Parsons. At the age of 14, Parsons began playing in the local rock & roll band the Pacers, which evolved into the Legends. During its time together, the Legends featured Jim Stafford and Kent Lavoie, who would later come to fame under the name Lobo. In 1963, Parsons formed a folk group called the Shilos who performed throughout Florida and cut several demos. He graduated from high school two years later; on the same day he graduated, however, his mother died of alcohol poisoning. Following his graduation, Gram Parsons enrolled at Harvard to study theology. He only spent one semester at Harvard, during which time he devoted more energy to playing music than attending classes. Meanwhile, he also formed the International Submarine Band with guitarist John Nuese, bassist Ian Dunlop and drummer Mickey Gauvin. After he dropped out of college, Parsons moved to New York City with the International Submarine Band in 1966. The group spent a year in New York, developing a heavily country-influenced rock & roll sound and cutting two unsuccessful singles for Columbia Records. The band then relocated to Los Angeles in 1967, where they secured a record contract with Lee Hazlewoods LHI record label. Their debut album, Safe at Home, was released in early 1968, but by the time it appeared in stores, the International Submarine Band had already disbanded. Around the time the International Submarine Band dissolved, Parsons met Chris Hillman, the bassist for the Byrds. At that time, the Byrds were rebuilding their lineup and Hillman recommended to the bands leader, Roger McGuinn, that Parsons join the ranks. By the spring of 1968, Parsons had become a member of the Byrds and was largely responsible for the groups shift towards country music with the album Sweetheart of the Rodeo. The album was originally planned to feature Parsons lead vocals, but as he was still contractually obligated to LHI, his voice had to be stripped from the final product. Gram Parsons only spent a few months with the Byrds, leaving the band in the fall of 1968 because he refused to accompany them on a tour of South Africa, allegedly because he opposed apartheid. Chris Hillman left the band shortly after him, and the duo formed the Flying Burrito Brothers in late 1968. Parsons and Hillman enlisted pedal steel guitarist "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow and bassist Chris Ethridge to complete the bands lineup, and the group and recorded a debut album with a series of session drummers. The Gilded Palace of Sin, the Flying Burrito Brothers debut album, was released in 1969. Although the album only sold a few thousand copies, the group gathered a dedicated cult following that was mainly composed of musicians, including the Rolling Stones. In fact, by the time the album was released, Parsons had begun hanging around the Rolling Stones frequently, becoming close friends with Keith Richards. Parsons had experimented with drugs and alcohol before he met Richards, but in 1969 he dove deep into substance abuse, which he supported with his sizable trust fund. Parsons recorded a second album with the Flying Burrito Brothers, but by the time the record -- titled Burrito Deluxe -- appeared in the spring of 1970, he had already left the band. Shortly after his departure, he recorded a handful of songs with producer Terry Melcher but failed to complete the album. Following those sessions, Parsons entered a holding pattern in which he acted the role of a rock star instead of actually playing music. He spent much of his time either hanging out with the Stones or ingesting large amounts of drugs and alcohol; frequently, he did a combination of the two. In 1971, Parsons toured with the Rolling Stones in England and attended the recording of the bands Exile on Main Street, and it appeared that he would sign with the bands record label. Instead, he headed back to Los Angeles late in 1971, spending the rest of the year and the first half of 1972 writing material for an impending solo album. He met Emmylou Harris through Chris Hillman, and Parsons asked her to join his backing band; she accepted. By the summer of 1972, he was prepared to enter the studio to record his first solo album. Parsons had assembled a band -- which included Harris, guitarist James Burton, bassist Rick Grech, Barry Tashian, Glen D. Hardin, and Ronnie Tutt -- and had asked Merle Haggard to produce the album. After meeting Parsons, however, Haggard turned the offer down, and Parsons chose Haggards engineer, Hugh Davis, as the albums producer instead. The resulting album, G.P., was released late in 1972 to good reviews but poor sales. Following the release of G.P., Parsons embarked on a small tour with his backing band, the Fallen Angels. After the tour was completed, they entered the studio to record his second album, Grievous Angel. The album was finished toward the end of the summer, and Parsons celebrated its completion by taking a vacation near the Joshua Tree National Monument in California. He spent most of his time there consuming drugs and alcohol. On September 19, 1973, he overdosed on morphine and tequila; although rushed to the Yucca Valley Hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival. According to the funeral plans, his body was to be flown back to New Orleans for a burial. However, Parsons road manager stole the body after the funeral and carried it back out to the Joshua Tree desert, where he cremated the body using gasoline. Phil Kaufman later revealed that the cremation had been Parsons wish, and although he could not be convicted for stealing the body, he was arrested for stealing and burning the coffin. In the two decades following Gram Parsons death, his legacy continued to grow, as both country and rock musicians built on the music he left behind. Musicians such as Emmylou Harris and Elvis Costello covered his songs, and his influence could still be heard well into the next millennium. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 12 Title: GP Released: 1973-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 38:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Still Feeling Blue (02:44) 2 Well Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning (03:15) 3 A Song for You (05:00) 4 Streets of Baltimore (02:56) 5 She (05:01) 6 Thats All It Took (03:01) 7 The New Soft Shoe (03:56) 8 Kiss the Children (03:00) 9 Cry One More Time (03:41) 10 How Much Ive Lied (02:30) 11 Big Mouth Blues (03:54) |
| GP : Allmusic album Review : Given Gram Parsons habit of taking control of the bands he played with (and his disinclination towards staying with them for very long), it was inevitable that he would eventually strike out on his own, and his first solo album, 1973s G.P., is probably the best realized expression of his musical personality. Working with a crack band of L.A. and Nashvilles finest (including James Burton on guitar, Ronnie Tutt on drums, Byron Berline on fiddle, and Glen D. Hardin on piano), he drew from them a sound that merged breezy confidence with deeply felt Southern soul, and he in turn pulled off some of his most subtle and finely detailed vocal performances; "She" and "A Song for You," in particular, are masterful examples of passion finding balance with understatement. Parsons also discovered that rare artist with whom he can be said to have genuinely collaborated (rather than played beside), Emmylou Harris; Gram and Harris spot-on harmonies and exchanged verses on "Well Sweep out the Ashes in the Morning" and "Thats All It Took" are achingly beautiful and instantly established her as one country musics most gifted vocalists. On G.P., Parsons ambitious vision encompassed hard-country weepers, wistful ballads, uptempo dance tunes, and even horn-driven rhythm and blues. He managed to make them all work, both as individual tunes and as a unified whole. If it falls just short of being his greatest work (an honor that goes to the Flying Burrito Brothers The Gilded Palace of Sin) thanks to a couple songs that are a bit too oblique for their own good ("The New Soft Shoe" may be beautiful, but who knows just what its supposed to be about), this album remains a haunting reminder of Parsons talent and influence, and has only gotten better with the passing years. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 12 Title: Grievous Angel Released: 1974-01 Tracks: 9 Duration: 36:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Return of the Grievous Angel (04:19) 2 Hearts on Fire (03:50) 3 I Can’t Dance (02:20) 4 Brass Buttons (03:27) 5 $1000 Wedding (05:00) 6 Medley: Cash on the Barrelhead / Hickory Wind (live) (06:27) 7 Love Hurts (03:40) 8 Ooh Las Vegas (03:29) 9 In My Hour of Darkness (03:42) |
| Grievous Angel : Allmusic album Review : Gram Parsons fondness for drugs and high living are said to have been catching up with him while he was recording Grievous Angel, and sadly he wouldnt live long enough to see it reach record stores, dying from a drug overdose in the fall of 1973. This album is a less ambitious and unified set than his solo debut, but thats to say that G.P. was a great album while Grievous Angel was instead a very, very good one. Much of the same band that played on his solo debut were brought back for this set, and they perform with the same effortless grace and authority (especially guitarist James Burton and fiddler Byron Berline). If Parsons was slowing down a bit as a songwriter, he still had plenty of gems on hand from more productive days, such as "Brass Buttons" and "Hickory Wind (which wasnt really recorded live in Northern Quebec; thats just Gram and the band ripping it up live in the studio, with a handful of friends whooping it up to create honky-tonk atmosphere). He also proved to be a shrewd judge of other folks material as always; Tom T. Halls "I Cant Dance" is a strong barroom rocker, and everyone seems to be having a great time on The Louvin Brotherss "Cash on the Barrelhead." As a vocal duo, Parsons and Emmylou Harris only improved on this set, turning in a version of "Love Hurts" so quietly impassioned and delicately beautiful that its enough to make you forget Roy Orbison ever recorded it. And while he didnt plan on it, Parsons could hardly have picked a better closing gesture than "In My Hour of Darkness." Grievous Angel may not have been the finest work of his career, but one would be hard pressed to name an artist who made an album this strong only a few weeks before their death -- or at any time of their life, for that matter. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 12 Title: Sleepless Nights Released: 1976 Tracks: 12 Duration: 38:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Brand New Heartache (02:28) 2 Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down (02:55) 3 Sing Me Back Home (03:53) 4 Your Angel Steps Out of Heaven (03:12) 5 Crazy Arms (02:48) 6 Sleepless Nights (03:23) 7 Close Up the Honky Tonks (02:20) 8 Together Again (03:13) 9 Honky Tonk Women (04:19) 10 Green, Green Grass of Home (04:05) 11 Dim Lights (02:56) 12 The Angels Rejoiced Last Night (02:23) |
| Sleepless Nights : Allmusic album Review : Three years after Gram Parsons untimely death, his frequent duet partner Emmylou Harris helped arrange for the release of this collection of outtakes -- three songs he cut with Harris for his final solo album Grievous Angel in 1973, and nine others recorded live in the studio with The Flying Burrito Brothers in 1970. Anyone hoping to find the great lost Gram Parsons song is out of luck here; all 12 tunes are covers of vintage country classics, except for "Honky Tonk Women" (which at least sounds like a C&W; classic in this arrangement) and The Louvin Brothers "The Angels Rejoiced Last Night," which is as spiritually uplifting as ever with Harris pure, clear voice helping to bring it home. The three tracks with his duet partner fare best, while most of the cuts with the Burritos sound like demos, and though a few are inspired (particularly the deeply felt versions of "Sing Me Back Home" and "Green, Green Grass of Home," a lot of the time both Parsons and the band sound like a solid bar band in the middle of a Wednesday night set -- more than competent, but less than inspired. Sleepless Nights was certainly a labor of love and its a worthy purchase for committed fans, but neophytes are better off giving a listen to The Flying Burrito Brothers masterpiece The Gilded Palace of Sin, or either solo album, G.P. or Grievous Angel. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 12 Title: The Early Years: 1963 - 1965 Released: 1979 Tracks: 10 Duration: 30:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I May Be Right (02:03) 2 Big Country (02:53) 3 Zahs Blues (04:02) 4 Mary Dont You Weep (02:21) 5 Bells of Rhymney (05:38) 6 Goin Away, Dont You Wanna Go (03:43) 7 They Still Go Down (02:02) 8 On My Journey Home (02:07) 9 Surfinanny (03:09) 10 Oh Didnt They Crucify My Lord (02:51) |
 | Album: 5 of 12 Title: GP / Grievous Angel Released: 1990-03-27 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:14:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Still Feeling Blue (02:38) 2 Well Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning (03:11) 3 A Song for You (04:58) 4 Streets of Baltimore (02:53) 5 She (04:56) 6 Thats All It Took (02:56) 7 The New Soft Shoe (03:54) 8 Kiss the Children (02:55) 9 Cry One More Time (03:38) 10 How Much Ive Lied (02:29) 11 Big Mouth Blues (03:50) 12 Return of the Grievous Angel (04:19) 13 Hearts on Fire (03:47) 14 I Cant Dance (02:23) 15 Brass Buttons (03:27) 16 $1000 Wedding (05:00) 17 Medley: Cash on the Barrelhead / Hickory Wind (live) (06:27) 18 Love Hurts (03:40) 19 Ooh Las Vegas (03:29) 20 In My Hour of Darkness (03:43) |
| GP / Grievous Angel : Allmusic album Review : In the year before his death in the fall of 1973, Gram Parsons recorded two superb solo albums, and Warner Brothers has conveniently reissued them in their entirety on a single compact disc. Since many of the same musicians played on both G.P. (released in January of 1973) and Grievous Angel (which appeared in stores almost exactly a year later), the two albums flow together quite well as a single set. And while no bonus tracks were added, the booklet features well-written essays on Parsons from John M. Delgatto and Marley Brant, the complete liner notes from both albums, and lyrics for all the songs on the disc (which werent included in the original vinyl issues). While the material and performances on G.P. are a shade stronger than on Grievous Angel, both albums have more than their share of pearly moments, and this disc is a treat from start to finish; James Burtons guitar leads are chicken-pickin at its smartest and most tasteful, Al Perkins pedal steel is the definitive sound of country & western heartache, fiddler Byron Berline effortlessly reveals how he became one of Nashvilles leading session musicians, and Parsons duets with the young Emmylou Harris are nothing less than sublime. And would anyone who loves either country or rock really want to be without a CD that includes songs like "A Song for You," "The New Soft Shoe," "Big Mouth Blues," "$1,000 Wedding," or "In My Hour of Darkness"? While the definitive Gram Parsons collection has yet to be compiled, G.P./Grievous Angel gives you everything you really need from his solo career, and these 20 performances are among the most influential and satisfying music the genre of country-rock would ever produce. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 12 Title: Cosmic American Music: The Grech Tapes 1972 Released: 1995-07-18 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:18:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Song for You (00:31) 2 Kentucky Blues (03:05) 3 Streets of Baltimore (02:54) 4 Folsom Prison Blues (02:58) 5 Lovesick Blues (00:46) 6 The New Soft Shoe (04:45) 7 How Much Ive Lied (03:25) 8 Still Feeling Blue (00:36) 9 Still Feeling Blue (02:39) 10 Aint No Beatle, Aint No Rollin Stone (05:32) 11 How Can I Forget You / Cry One More Time (04:38) 12 A Song for You (09:47) 13 Streets of Baltimore (04:00) 14 Thats All It Took (02:51) 15 Somebodys Back in Town (02:04) 16 More and More (02:57) 17 Teaching Emmy to Sweep Out the Ashes (01:41) 18 Daddys Fiddle (06:56) 19 We’ll Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning (02:55) 20 Cold Cold Heart (05:22) 21 Thats All It Took (03:23) 22 A Song for You (05:14) |
 | Album: 7 of 12 Title: Warm Evenings, Pale Mornings, Bottled Blues 1963-1973 Released: 2000-03-01 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:15:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Zahs Blues (04:07) 2 Blue Eyes (02:49) 3 Strong Boy (02:02) 4 Truck Driving Man (02:32) 5 Hickory Wind (03:33) 6 The Christian Life (02:30) 7 Reputation (03:11) 8 One Hundred Years From Now (02:52) 9 Hot Burrito #1 (Im Your Toy) (03:40) 10 Christines Tune (Devil in Disguise) (03:03) 11 Sin City (04:10) 12 The Dark End of the Street (03:52) 13 Wild Horses (06:21) 14 She (04:59) 15 The New Soft Shoe (03:54) 16 Well Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning (03:13) 17 Brass Buttons (03:27) 18 Return of the Grievous Angel (04:24) 19 Drug Store Truck Driving Man (04:38) 20 Brand New Heartache (02:23) 21 Love Hurts (03:40) |
 | Album: 8 of 12 Title: Another Side of This Life: The Lost Recordings of Gram Parsons, 1965-1966 Released: 2000-12-19 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:00:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Codine (05:37) 2 Wheel of Fortune (02:29) 3 Another Side of This Life (02:40) 4 High Flyin Bird (03:49) 5 November Nights (03:16) 6 Zahs Blues (04:02) 7 Reputation (03:09) 8 Thats the Bag Im In (03:14) 9 Willie Jean (04:08) 10 They Still Go Down (02:26) 11 Pride of Man (02:45) 12 The Last Thing on My Mind (03:44) 13 Hey Nellie Nellie (03:04) 14 Shes the Woman I Love / Good Time Music (04:58) 15 Brass Buttons (1965) (02:25) 16 I Just Cant Take It Anymore (02:12) 17 Searchin (03:32) 18 Candy Man (03:17) |
| Another Side of This Life: The Lost Recordings of Gram Parsons, 1965-1966 : Allmusic album Review : The 18 previously unreleased, solo acoustic performances on this collection were recorded between March 1965 and December 1966. These show Parsons not as a country singer, rock singer, or even folk-rock singer, but very much as a mid-60s folkie, in the mold of so many artists to be heard in the Greenwich Village scene. Theres no straight country music in his repertoire, comprised largely of covers of songs by then-contemporary writers such as Buffy Sainte-Marie ("Codine"), Tim Hardin, Tom Paxton, and Fred Neil, along with high-caliber compositions that would be popularized by rock groups (Billy Wheelers "High Flyin Bird" and Hamilton Camps "Pride of Man"). There are also five Parsons originals, a few not available elsewhere, and others recorded at other points either by himself ("Brass Buttons" and "Zahs Blues") or different performers ("November Nights," placed on an obscure single by Peter Fonda). A bit of R&B; pokes out in his covers of "Searchin" and "Candy Man." This disc is definitely of historical interest, if only to demonstrate that Parsons roots were certainly not country-soaked, but largely indebted to 60s folk as well. As music, its very average (though certainly not bad) mid-60s folk, of the kind you might hear by numerous coffeehouse support acts. He sings best on the jazzy "Zahs Blues," where he seems to reach further into himself than he does on most of the other material here. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 12 Title: Sacred Hearts & Fallen Angels: The Gram Parsons Anthology Released: 2001-05-01 Tracks: 46 Duration: 2:36:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Blue Eyes (02:48) 2 Luxury Liner (02:53) 3 Do You Know How It Feels to Be Lonesome? (03:34) 4 I Must Be Somebody Else Youve Known (02:17) 5 Millers Cave (02:48) 6 Knee Deep in the Blues (01:57) 7 Hickory Wind (03:33) 8 Youre Still on My Mind (02:26) 9 The Christian Life (Gram Parsons vocal version) (02:31) 10 You Dont Miss Your Water (03:52) 11 One Hundred Years From Now (02:58) 12 Christine’s Tune (03:03) 13 Sin City (04:11) 14 Do Right Woman (03:56) 15 Dark End of the Street (03:59) 16 Wheels (03:04) 17 Juanita (02:31) 18 Hot Burrito #1 (03:41) 19 Hot Burrito #2 (03:19) 20 High Fashion Queen (02:08) 21 Older Guys (02:30) 22 Cody, Cody (02:46) 23 Wild Horses (06:21) 24 Sing Me Back Home (04:31) 1 To Love Somebody (03:19) 2 Still Feeling Blue (02:41) 3 Well Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning (03:13) 4 A Song for You (04:58) 5 Streets of Baltimore (02:53) 6 She (04:59) 7 The New Soft Shoe (03:54) 8 Kiss the Children (02:57) 9 How Much Ive Lied (02:29) 10 Drug Store Truck Drivin Man (04:39) 11 Thats All It Took (02:51) 12 California Cotton Fields (02:45) 13 Return of the Grievous Angel (remix) (03:58) 14 Hearts on Fire (03:50) 15 Brass Buttons (03:29) 16 $1000 Wedding (05:00) 17 Love Hurts (03:40) 18 Ooh Las Vegas (03:29) 19 In My Hour of Darkness (03:47) 20 Brand New Heartache (02:28) 21 Sleepless Nights (03:25) 22 The Angels Rejoiced Last Night (03:35) |
 | Album: 10 of 12 Title: The Complete Reprise Sessions Released: 2006-06-20 Tracks: 48 Duration: 2:41:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Still Feeling Blue (02:38) 2 Well Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning (03:11) 3 A Song for You (04:58) 4 Streets of Baltimore (02:55) 5 She (05:01) 6 Thats All It Took (02:56) 7 The New Soft Shoe (03:54) 8 Kiss the Children (03:00) 9 Cry One More Time (03:41) 10 How Much Ive Lied (02:29) 11 Big Mouth Blues (03:50) 12 GP Radio Promo (01:01) 13 How Did You Meet Emmylou Harris? (Interview) (01:54) 14 What Is the Story Behind A Song for You? (Interview) (00:23) 15 What Is the Story Behind The New Soft Shoe? (Interview) (00:54) 16 WBCN Interview With Maxine Sartori (02:30) 17 Love Hurts (04:58) 18 Sin City (05:20) 1 Return of the Grievous Angel (04:26) 2 Hearts on Fire (03:50) 3 I Cant Dance (02:24) 4 Brass Buttons (03:30) 5 $1000 Wedding (05:05) 6 Medley Live From Northern Quebec: Cash on the Barrelhead / Hickory Wind (06:28) 7 Love Hurts (03:40) 8 Ooh Las Vegas (03:32) 9 In My Hour of Darkness (03:43) 10 Return of the Grievous Angel (instrumental) (04:32) 11 Did You Sing Hickory Wind at the Grand Ole Opry? (Interview) (01:50) 12 What Differences Do You See Between Pure Country and Country Rock? (Interview) (01:09) 1 She (alternate version) (04:58) 2 Thats All It Took (alternate version) (03:02) 3 Still Feeling Blue (alternate version) (02:40) 4 Kiss the Children (feat. Barry Tashian) (02:59) 5 Streets of Baltimore (alternate version) (03:00) 6 Well Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning (alternate version) (03:18) 7 The New Soft Shoe (alternate version) (04:05) 8 Return of the Grevious Angel #1 (alternate version) (04:28) 9 In My Hour of Darkness (alternate version) (03:46) 10 Ooh Las Vegas (alternate version) (03:45) 11 I Cant Dance (alternate version) (02:25) 12 Sleepless Nights (alternate version) (03:36) 13 Love Hurts (alternate version) (03:47) 14 Brass Buttons (alternate version) (03:27) 15 Hickory Wind (alternate version) (04:17) 16 Brand New Heartache (02:27) 17 Sleepless Nights (03:26) 18 The Angels Rejoiced Last Night (02:24) |
| The Complete Reprise Sessions : Allmusic album Review : Truth be told, Reprises 1990 single-disc two-fer of Gram Parsons two solo albums -- 1973s G.P. and 1974s Grievous Angel -- was for most intents and purposes as close to The Complete Reprise Sessions as Rhinos triple-disc set of the same name. Parsons only recorded two full solo albums before his death in 1973, never living to see the release of the second one, and he didnt leave too much behind in the vaults, which were plundered in 1976 for Sleepless Nights and, in addition to an appealingly shambling, laconic, and lazy 1970 jam by the Flying Burrito Brothers, also contained three outtakes from the Grievous Angel sessions: "Brand New Heartache," "Sleepless Nights," and "The Angels Rejoiced Last Night," all included here. These were the only fully formed songs that didnt make the album, and the other outtakes were simply alternate takes of songs that did appear on the two albums. All of these alternate takes are gathered together on the third disc of The Complete Reprise Sessions. The first two discs are devoted to G.P. and Grievous Angel respectively -- two albums that were previously illustrated to fit quite well together on a single disc, but are now separated. These two discs do have bonus tracks, but theyre not exactly enticing: a radio promo for G.P., plus promotional interviews that are neither revealing nor particularly engaging. Cut out the interviews and the two albums could have been put on one disc and then the second disc could have been devoted to outtakes, and the streamlining would have made this more attractive, particularly because the third disc on The Complete Reprise Sessions is not all that enticing. There are some good moments here, including a duet with Barry Tashian on "Kiss the Children," but the alternate takes arent all that different; in fact, in every case they quite clearly prove that the best take did indeed make the finished album. Of course, any Parsons fanatic wont really care that these alternate takes arent that interesting; he left behind so few recordings that his devoted fans will eagerly devour any newly discovered unreleased material, even if they know its mediocre, which the unreleased material on this collection most assuredly is -- enjoyable, but mediocre all the same -- which the compilers most assuredly knew as they were assembling this collection. Given this, it would have been fairer to those devoted fans to present this as a double-disc set instead of a three-disc box -- after all, there are only two CDs worth of music here -- but instead, Parsons complete Reprise recordings are spread out over this inflated triple-disc set. And while the devoted will be happy with the remastering and the unreleased material, the simple fact of the matter is that all of his great music was collected on that 1990 two-fer, and thats the CD that anybody with an interest in Parsons, country-rock, country music, or American music of the 20th century should own. Not this good but bloated set. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 12 Title: The Early Years Released: 2014-03-04 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:10:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 I May Be Right (02:03) 2 Big Country (02:53) 3 Zahs Blues (04:02) 4 Mary Dont You Weep (02:21) 5 Bells of Rhymney (05:38) 6 Goin Away, Dont You Wanna Go (03:43) 7 They Still Go Down (02:02) 8 On My Journey Home (02:07) 9 Surfinanny (03:09) 10 Oh Didnt They Crucify My Lord (02:51) 1 The Great Silke (04:27) 2 Race With the Wind (03:44) 3 The Rains Come Down (03:11) 4 Hand Within the Glove (03:40) 5 Rolling Stone (02:00) 6 Darkest Years (02:38) 7 That Kind of Livin (01:59) 8 A River Is Made Out of Raindrops (02:37) 9 I Just Cant Take It Anymore (02:12) 10 November Nights (03:16) 11 Together Again (02:07) 12 Do Right Woman (04:06) 13 Hickory Wind (04:01) |
 | Album: 12 of 12 Title: A Song For You Released: 2017-12-08 Tracks: 110 Duration: 6:00:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (02:53) 2 A Satisfied Mind (02:42) 3 Life To Go (02:24) 4 Mama (02:20) 5 The Christian Life (02:16) 6 Cold Cold Heart (02:45) 7 Im a Pilgrim (02:04) 8 Lucille (02:13) 9 Bony Moronie (03:06) 10 Pretty Polly (03:03) 11 Cash On The Barrel Head (02:41) 12 Crazy Arms (02:33) 13 Ho! Ho! Love ‘Em (02:16) 14 Conscience Im Guilty (02:13) 15 Please Dont Take Her From Me (02:31) 16 I Cant Control My Heart (02:28) 17 What Are They Doing In Heaven Today (02:18) 18 An Old Fashioned Love (02:35) 19 Ive Quit Catting Around (02:48) 20 I Am A Pilgrim (02:04) 21 Candy-man (03:06) 22 Farther Along (03:20) 23 Millers Cave (02:38) 24 You Win Again (02:36) 25 Troubles Back In Town (02:19) 26 The Angels Rejoiced Last Night (02:20) 27 Hearts In A Dream (02:30) 28 A Satisfied Mind (02:42) 1 You Dont Miss Your Water (05:19) 2 Hickory Wind (04:15) 3 Roger Mcguinn Interview (02:08) 4 Mr. Spaceman (02:20) 5 Ill Feel A Whole Lot Better (02:12) 6 Chimes Of Freedom (03:26) 7 You Aint Going Nowhere (02:39) 8 Old John Robertson (02:21) 9 Intro (00:26) 10 The Christian Life (03:11) 11 Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season) (02:36) 12 My Back Pages>B.J. Blues>Baby What You Want Me To Do (05:41) 1 Sing me Back Home (04:13) 2 Train Song (03:33) 3 Dream Baby>Dream Baby Reprise (05:03) 4 She Once Lived Here (04:23) 5 Weve Got to Got Ourselves Together (03:27) 6 Long black Limousine (04:09) 7 Dark End Of The Street (04:41) 8 She Thinks I Still Care (05:11) 9 Undo The Right> Somebodys Back In Town (03:22) 10 Lucille (02:37) 11 I Threw Awa\y The Rose (03:58) 12 You Win Again (03:29) 1 Buckaroo (03:21) 2 Sweet Mental Re-venge (03:31) 3 Another Place, Another Time (03:44) 4 Life In Prison* (03:06) 5 Hungry Eyes* (05:14) 6 High On A Hill Top* (04:11) 7 Sing Me Back Home (04:21) 8 Hot Burrito #1 (04:06) 9 Hot Burrito #2 (05:20) 10 Train Song (04:03) 11 Everybody Loves A Winner (04:59) 1 Close Up The Honky Tonks (02:38) 2 Dark End Of The Street (03:53) 3 Sweet Mental Revenge (03:14) 4 Image Of Me (03:19) 5 Christines Tune (05:32) 6 Sin City (04:08) 7 Out Of Control (02:49) 8 Wake Up Little Susie (03:06) 9 You Win Again (03:37) 10 Weve Got To Get Ourselves Together (03:43) 11 She Thinks I Still Care (05:27) 12 Dream Baby (02:53) 13 Lucille (02:37) 14 Take A Message To Mary (03:04) 15 Train Song (03:26) 1 Sin City (03:52) 2 Hickory Wind (00:53) 3 Six days On The Road (02:59) 4 One Hundred Years From Now (02:42) 5 My Uncle (02:15) 6 Christines Tune (Devil In Disguise) (03:27) 7 Hot Burrito #2 (04:04) 8 L ove Hurts (02:51) 9 Return Of The Grievous Angel (04:46) 10 Sin City (04:16) 11 Wheels (03:19) 12 Ooh Las Vegas (04:03) 13 Down In The Churchyard (04:11) 14 Christines tune (Devil In Disguise) (03:19) 15 Six Days On The Road (02:40) 16 Wild Horses (05:09) 1 Roger Mcguinn intro> Drugstore Truck Drivin Man (05:24) 2 Hickory Wind (02:39) 3 Still Feelin Blue (02:11) 4 Wheels (03:07) 5 My Uncle (02:09) 6 100 Years From Now (02:48) 7 Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (02:15) 8 Hot Burrito #2 (04:18) 9 Christines Tune (Devil In Disguise) (05:04) 10 Wheels (03:34) 11 Six Days On The Road (04:10) 12 Close Up The Honky Tonks (02:57) 13 Drugstore Truck Drivin Man (02:19) 14 Silver Threads & Golden Needles (02:25) 15 Dark End Of The Street (04:10) 16 Widowmaker (?) |