#grievousangel

[longtimegoneart]

Grievous Angel. Remembering Gram Parsons, born 75 years ago on 5 November 1946. #gramparsons #grievousangel #emmylouharris #lindaronstadt #countryrock #americana #rootsrock #onthisdayinmusic #albumcovers #albumart #vinyl #artonpaper #brushpen #watercolour (at Capitol Music Group) https://www.instagram.com/p/CV3oZ58sg1T/?utm_medium=tumblr

[dorsalstop]

#59 - 1974/2: Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel

The sleeve: not particularly good. Apparently chosen by his widow to replace the original sleeve featuring Emmylou Harris, the photo isn't a particularly good one to begin with and really doesn't work well with the blue shades of the background. Maybe some sort of 'Gram is an angel in heaven now' effect is what she was going for.

Had I heard this before: not a note

Just this week I saw The Lemonheads play and Evan Dando was wearing a Gram Parsons t-shirt. He is but one of the many of my musical heroes to revere Parsons (Teenage Fanclub and Dean Wareham come to mind first, but there are definitely more). This means I've tried to hear what they hear in this music, but never does the material here transcend a qualification as 'nice enough Americana' for me. I appreciate that this is one of the very records that established that paradigm (and/or the country rock one), and it's not that I'm above being affected by the sentimental nature of the genre. Maybe it's just that I need my country spiked with more indie rock (Dean Wareham), pop (Kacey Musgraves) or subverted with synthesizers (The Magnetic Fields on Charm of the Highway Strip).

What I definitely don't hear is any "sense of desperation and the haunting quality" that a contemporary review in The Melody Maker (according to Wikipedia, in any case - citation needed) ascribed to it, and I'm pretty sure that's the reviewer willing himself to hear it after Parsons' tragic death (the album was recorded in the summer of 1973, Parsons died of a morphine/alcohol overdose in September, and the release date was January 1974).

In other words, I'm afraid the sentimental ditties here ("Hearts on Fire", "Hickory Wind") and the uptempo rockers ("I Can't Dance", "Cash on the Barrelhead") fail to do much for me. The title track is good, but drags a little. My favourites are "Brass Buttons", a fairly traditional ballad, and "$1000 Wedding", with its warm bass and particularly pleasant harmonies from Harris.

So yes, nice enough, but with the same hindsight as the Melody Maker reviewer I can't help but wonder if Parsons hadn't intended to record some more and keep only a small handful of these songs for his eventual LP.

[C]

Next up: revolution!

[sirenrecords]

#gramparsons #grievousangel #repriserecords 1974 #countryrock #countrymusic (at Siren Records) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtHFcTHARJv/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=12pp2kffiy76v

[jonathangailey]

We be of my favorite singer/songwriters of all time! #RIP, Gram Parsons. 11/5/1946 - 09/19/1973 #gramparsons #gp #grievousangel https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn6viOwlEPr/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=x5v2t87n180t

[willard]

Released 45 Years Ago Today. Gram Parsons debut solo album has become a classic showcasing Grams ability to meld Country Music with Elements of R and B, folk and Rock and Roll. At just 25 years of age Gram Parsons created a genre of rock and Americana music that would become a major style for bands like the Eagles, Poco, pure Pattie League and many others. #gramparsons #gramparsonsgp #gramparsonstribute #cosmicamericanmusic #paychedelicrock #rock #countryrock #rockandroll #emmylouharris #gramparsons #grievousangel #onthisdate #todayinhistory #onthisday (at Yucca Valley, California)

[tunesfromthemancave]

Now spinning: Gram Parsons “Grievous Angel” Original pressing. #nowspinning #vinyl #vinyligclub #vinyljunkie #vinylcollection #vinylcollectionpost #vinylcommunity #vinylcommunitypost #vinylporn #recordcollection #gramparsons #grievousangel #deathtodigital #digitalsucks #happinessisloudtunes #therevolutionwillnotbedigital

[hashtagstuffilike]

#joshuatreeinn #gramparsons #grievousangel #rustic

[hashtagstuffilike]

#gramparsons #cosmiccowboy #grievousangel (at Joshua Tree Inn & Motel)