Grievous Angel

[messhead]

Listened to Gram Parsons all day today. Every time I do this, I appreciate more and more his view of "Cosmic American Music". The telecaster was a big part of that western scene in the early 70's and listening today made me appreciate it even more. Born at the wrong time in the wrong place, I guess.

[Oster]

Originally Posted by messhead

Born at the wrong time in the wrong place, I guess.

Not at all. Probably more people are into GP's music now than there ever were when he was alive. There's No Depression magazine and fleets of specialty record labels and websites dedicated to that sound & image. You're in good company right here & right now to be into that stuff.

I know what you mean though. I don't listen to Gram's music as often as I used to but when I do I get obsessed all over again. His music is so good.

[dibber124]

Originally Posted by messhead

Listened to Gram Parsons all day today. Every time I do this, I appreciate more and more his view of "Cosmic American Music". The telecaster was a big part of that western scene in the early 70's and listening today made me appreciate it even more. Born at the wrong time in the wrong place, I guess.

+1 on GP!!!
I did not fully appreciate his contribution in his day(I'm about the same age he would be now , if...) His work is a constant source of inspiration for me to this day. Listened to "return of the Greivous Angel for about the 20,000th time this morning and it still had something to offer anew. Some music is timeless, GP's surely is.

[OutlawSteph1975]

His voice was jarring to me when I first heard it on the original Byrds boxed set. I thought Christine's Tune was odd too. In comparison to the harmonies of the original Byrds and Desert Rose Band, he can be rough on the ears to new fans. So Gram was an acquired taste for me, but I've since become very attractive to off kilter vocals like Gram's and old bluegrass shaped note singing as well, the Louvin Brothers, the Stanley Brothers, Osborne Brothers, Jim and Jesse, etc. After the Desert Rose Band broke up and I went looking back in time for more new (to me) music is when I discovered how much I loved that southern stuff.

[Sleph]

..

[Hockey Rocker]

Ryan Adams seems like a kindred spirit to Gram Parsons. The new album "Easy Tiger" especially so.

[OutlawSteph1975]

Originally Posted by Hockey Rocker

Ryan Adams seems like a kindred spirit to Gram Parsons. The new album "Easy Tiger" especially so.

I'm not too sure. I've listened to Easy Tiger once.. it's lacking something.. like the lead guitarist on a Gretsch White Falcon who played on Cold Roses. Gram had a voice that could make you cry, and Ryan doesn't do that for me even on his best songs.

[Oster]

I really dislike Ryan Adams.

I agree with you about Gram's voice OutlawStep1975. When I heard the Gram vocal on One Hundred Years I saw the wisdom in Roger's overdub - McGuinn's generally more pleasing to my ears when put to a choice between the two on a Byrds track (even if Gram wrote it).

However, hearing GP sing 'She'... Wow. On his solo albums especially and on the ballads (Song For You), he can't be beat.

People like Gram from that time just were. Modern day versions have to tell you so. My ears are open but I don't like actors.

[Geo]

Jim Lauderdale is more real than Ryan or Gram.

[2twang]

Was my epiphany. I became a twang convert from then on. When alt-counrty became big in the early '90s, it was like stepping into a comfortable pair of cowboy boots. Someone mentioned Ryan Adams.. although I believe he's a really talented musician, he doesn't seem to have found his own voice yet. It's like Ryan Adams "in the style of" Gram Parsons, Ryan Adams as Paul Westerburg, Ryan Adams as the Gratetful Dead. But that Sweetheart record, I'll play it at least once a month still, wishing I could get down Clarence White and what he did in 1969.

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by dibber124

... Listened to "return of the Greivous Angel for about the 20,000th time this morning and it still had something to offer anew. Some music is timeless, GP's surely is.

I hear you...my iTunes play count on RotGA is at 105...since March 2005...that's just a bit less than once a week.

6 of the top 10 songs on the play count list are GP songs or songs associated with him

1 - Dead Flowers (which sounds a LOT like he could have written it...but we'll never know for sure) from The Gram Parsons Notebook

2 - RotGA - GP

3 - Kiss the Children - GP

4 - Here in California - Dave Alvin

5 - Tijuana Waltz - Jenny Kerr

6 - Blue Kentucky Girl - Emmylou Harris

7 - If I Could Only Win Your Love - from Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers

8 - We'll Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning - GP & ELH

9 - Return of the Grievous Angel - Instrumental from the Complete Reprise Sessions

10 - The Angels Rejoiced Last Night - GP

Yup, I guess you could say he has influenced me!

[doster]

Best version every of Love Hurts. I had only every heard the Nazareth version and hated it. I fell in love with the song after hearing his version then made my way to the Everlys.
I love his stuff, huge influence on Exile on Main Street, might even be him singing on the chorus of Sweet Virginia.

[rand z]

gram left a significant legacy of great music considering the very young age that he died. i think the very fact that he appears here with recurring frequency alone proves his importance to modern day country and roots music.

he was the real deal and his music lives on...

imho.

rand z tropicalsoul.net

[fenderix]

Gram Parsons helped vitalize country music in his day. With some exceptions (Grievous Angel, Hickory Wind, She and the definitive version of Love Hurts w. Emmulou Harris) I think he was much greater a songwriter than he was a singer.
His best songs are true masterpieces: Hickory Wind, Juanita, Sin City, She, Wheels and Oh Las Vegas.
I'd like to recommend a biography, aptly titled "Hickory Wind - The Life and Times of Gram Parsons" by Ben Fong-Torres, Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster Inc.) 1991.

[OutlawSteph1975]

Originally Posted by fenderix

His best songs are true masterpieces: Hickory Wind, Juanita, Sin City, She, Wheels and Oh Las Vegas.
I'd like to recommend a biography, aptly titled "Hickory Wind - The Life and Times of Gram Parsons" by Ben Fong-Torres, Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster Inc.) 1991.

Good book!

As I understand it from what Chris Hillman has said, Bob Buchanan wrote most of Hickory Wing and Chris wrote most of Wheels. Chris and Gram wrote Sin City together. I think Gram really would have developed as a songwriter if he lived longer. It's interesting that he went further into hard core honky-tonk when he saw where the Eagles were going with country rock.. he didn't like it.

[Bonneville Bruce]

I got into Gram Parsons not long afte he passed away. I have a great deal of respect for his vision of Cosmic American Music and where it has lead. I like purty much everything he had a hand in or on. I also happened to like his singing, but I like the raspier folks in general, the Blues and rock singers.

He was a party guy and didn't follow through very well. He was good with the ideas, but it took others, like Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn, Emmylou Harris and Kieth Richards, to mention the most prominent, to follow through on those ideas.

I do think he has been tremendously influential, and deserves consideration from those who attempt to create with that Cosmic American Music ideal.

Bonneville Bruce
Thinking about the Hot Burrito #1

[Hockey Rocker]

Originally Posted by OutlawSteph1975

I'm not too sure. I've listened to Easy Tiger once.. it's lacking something.. like the lead guitarist on a Gretsch White Falcon who played on Cold Roses. Gram had a voice that could make you cry, and Ryan doesn't do that for me even on his best songs.

I understand that Gram was unique. "She" is one of my favorites from anyone.

Check out Ryan Adams "I See Monsters" from Love is Hell Part II. I saw Adams do it live, solo guitar, and it was his best moment for me. Not Parsonsesque, but the closest I've heard to Ryan finding his own voice.