Gram Parsons: Grievous Angel - 1974
Sadly, Gram Parsons didn't live to see the release of this, his second solo album, passing away from a drug overdose in September 1973.
The album is almost a shared one with Emmylou Harris, who features on vocals throughout. Initially the album was credited to both of them, but Parsons' widow changed that, removing Harris's picture and changing the credits. Harris was only credited on the rear cover.
The album did not sell well, but it has received a barrel load of retrospective kudos over the years. I remember flicking through album sleeves in the seventies in record shops and regularly seeing it, never knowing much about it, though. Parsons is an important artist in that he was respected by the rock cognoscenti and succeeded, mostly posthumously, in bringing country music to a rock audience.
All the material is classic country - pedal steel guitars, sad lyrics and sweet male and female vocals in perfect harmony. It's not typical Nashville rhinestone country but at the same time it is just so very country, if you know what I mean. Probably the best track here is Gram and Emmylou's duet of The Return Of The Grievous Angel. It has a real attractive feel to it and a set of dusty roadhouse romantic lyrics about a girl in a calico bonnet and kickers, truckers and cowboy angels from Cheyenne to Tennessee. Mine's another bourbon.
I Can't Dance has Gram and Emmylou rockin' it up in surprisingly energetic fashion as they also do on the irresistible Ooh Las Vegas. Brass Buttons is a nice, moving slow number. Parsons' lyrics, while archetypally country-sad are sensitive and moving, sometimes almost cynical, but never cheesily lachrymose. $1000 Wedding is in the same vein. It's a great song. Gram and Emmy's version of Boudleaux Bryant's much-covered Love Hurts is top notch too. The song would have seemed to have been made for them. Hearts On Fire is a simply lovely duet, with both voices in beautiful unison.
Elvis Costello said this of the GP album, but it may as well have been said about this one -
"In The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons had helped create a Frankenstein's Monster — country rock. But his first Warner Brothers album G.P. paid no allegiance to this style. With an impressive back-up band it was a traditional sounding album, mercifully free of gimmicks like fuzz-tone steel guitar. The songs are of lost or stolen love, crossed only occasionally with an R'n'B beat. But most importantly it featured some of the finest duet singing ever put on record (as does Grievous Angel). There is something about the combination of Parson's frail and not always perfect pitching and Emmylou Harris's pure and true voice."
I have to say I agree with all of that. You can really hear the influence of these two albums on Costello's Almost Blue.
An interesting bit of trivia. An oddity on here is the supposedly "live' medley - Medley: Live From Northern Quebec a) Cash On The Barrelhead b) Hickory Wind - which features false crowd noises and a manufactured live atmosphere. Basically, Parsons and his band are just playing live in the studio. I'm not quite sure why this was done, but it sounds real good anyway, buddy. (Big Brother & The Holding Company did the same thing on 1968's Cheap Thrills album).
To think Parsons died a matter of weeks after recording this album is so sad. This was one of the great, highly credible country albums, enjoyable from beginning to end. It ends, aptly and presciently, with the sombre In My Hour Of Darkness.
Links to Almost Blue, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Byrds and Emmylou Harris -
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