It’s me again, and time for a double Album Series that’s been very long in the works about a legendary musician – Gram Parsons!
Gram’s journey was as legendary as it was short-lived. He was the charismatic architect of “Cosmic American Music”, a soulful hybrid of country, rock, and R&B that bridged the gap between the Nashville establishment and the 1960s groundbreaking hippy rock. From his transformative time with The Byrds to his psychedelic country experiments with The Flying Burrito Brothers, Parsons was a visionary who arguably invented the modern alt-country genre. These packs showcase his two definitive solo album, recorded before he died only at 26 years old.
Beyond his songwriting, Parsons is perhaps best remembered for his “blood harmony” partnership with a young Emmylou Harris, whom he plucked from the folk club circuit and turned into a superstar. Emmylou is very widely featured in this pack – half of those songs are basically duets of sort – and their vocal combinations is one of the most beautiful and celebrated in American music history. So let’s go!
Gram’s debut solo album “GP” is a masterclass in merging country with a rock ‘n’ roll soul. Backed by members of Elvis Presley’s “Taking Care of Business” (TCB) band – including legendary guitarist James Burton – this album features dynamic playing, epic guitar, slide and fiddle playing.
This album also introduces the Parsons-Emmylou duo in all their beauty. Their take on two country classics – “We’ll Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning” and “That’s All It Took” are basically duet, with solo parts for both, and displays those classic songs in all their beauty. “Streets of Baltimore” is another classic jam tackled here, and it’s a beautiful rendition. Finally, we see the full vulnerability of Gram’s voice on soul-baring ballads like “She” and “A Song for You,” which Parsons reportedly wrote in a single sitting after a night of heavy reflection.
Since we like bonus tracks, we reach back to his time with the Flying Burrito Brothers, featuring the cautionary L.A. tale “Sin City” – written at the infamous “Burrito Manor” – and the raw, heartbreaking “Hot Burrito #1”, which – despite the comical name – is probably one of the most beautiful songs i’ve ever heard. Legend has it that David Crosby, who sang backing vocals on the original Burrito sessions, was so moved by Gram’s performance on the latter that he broke down in tears in the studio.
Download:
We’ll Sweep Out the Ashes In the Morning
A Song for You
Streets of Baltimore
She
That’s All It Took
Sin City
Hot Burrito #1
Released four months after Gram’s fatal overdose at the Joshua Tree Inn, Grievous Angel is widely considered his masterpiece. It’s an album haunted by premonitions and road-weary wisdom.
The title track, “Return of the Grievous Angel,” was born from a poem by Boston poet Tom Brown, which Gram adapted into a cinematic tale about coming home after “twenty thousand roads”. Yet another great duet with Emmylou Harris, it’s a phenomenal song and one of Gram’s best. Fans of intricate storytelling will appreciate “$1000 Wedding,” a mini-opera about a failed marriage in which the bride has ran away on the wedding day, told in painstaking sad detail.
The beautiful “Brass Buttons” offers a rare glimpse into Gram’s early folk roots; he actually wrote the song while studying theology at Harvard in the mid-60s, long before he became a country icon. Next up is a song you probably know – “Love Hurts.” While many know the Nazareth rock version, the Gram and Emmylou duet is the definitive take for me, showcasing the fragile, otherworldly blend of their voices. And finally, all hell breaks loose – “Ooh Las Vegas” – which I started authoring years ago when I was actually in Las Vegas – is an high tempo jam with no breaks, difficult on all instruments and showing the skills of every band member.
Download:
Return of the Grievous Angel
Brass Buttons
$1,000 Wedding
Love Hurts
Ooh Las Vegas
That’s it for today! Enjoy the songs!
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This release is part of the Album Series. Previous entries include:
1. The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
2. Silver Jews – Tanglewood Numbers
3. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
4. Summer Salt – Happy Camper
5. My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade
6. Beach Bunny – Honeymoon & Blame Game
7. Jimi Hendrix – Band Of Gypsys
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Unlimited Love
9. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear
10. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Infest the Rats’ Nest
11. The Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs
12. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
13. George Harrison – All Things Must Pass
14. Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci – Barafundle
15. Suede – Autofiction
16. Silver Jews – American Water
17. Blur – Modern Life is Rubbish
18. R.E.M. – Murmur
19. Coldplay – Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
20. Cream – Disraeli Gears
21. Tanya Donelly – Love Songs for Underdogs
22. The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound
23/24. The Breeders – Pod/Last Splash
25/26. Big Star – 1# Record/Radio City
27. The Strokes – Room on Fire
28. Echo & the Bunnymen – Ocean Rain
29/30. Stephen Malkmus – Stephen Malkmus/Pig Lib
31. The Clash – The Clash
32. Screaming Females – Desire Pathaway
33/34. Pixies – Come On Pilgrim/Surfer Rosa
35/36. The Jam – All Mod Cons/Sound Affects
37/38. Blondie – Blondie/Parallel Lines
39. Young the Giant – Young the Giant
40. The Undertones – The Undertones
41. Elvis Costello – Armed Forces
42. Sir Chole – Party Favors
43. Neil Young – Tonight’s the Night
44. The Gaslight Anthem – Handwritten
45/46. Pulp – His ‘N’ Hers/Different Class
47-51. Ninja Sex Party – Strawberries and Cream/The Prophecy/Cool Patrol/Attitude City/NSFW
52-53. The Sundays – Reading Writing And Arithmetic/Static And Silence
54. PJ Harvey – Dry
55-57. Green Day – Nimrod/Insomniac/Warning
58. The Zombies – Odessey & Oracle
The Album Series is an ongoing collaborative project. If you would like to get involved, be sure to reach out to Yaniv297 for more information on how to participate.
