Gram Parsons was an iconic king of the country song; a master wordsmith with an almost mystifying voice and a penchant for telling stories. Not quite psychedelic rock, not quite country-western, and not quite folk, Gram seemingly blended genres together to create what he called "cosmic country." Before he went solo, he was a brief member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, all while hanging out with his friends, The Rolling Stones. The whole California country sound owes a lot to Gram, as does the sonic boom in 70's California folk singers crafting their hit songs. He died just before he could join the infamous 27 club. Live 1973 is a lesser known foray for Gram, he only released one album while alive and the second was released just after his death. On this stellar live album, he is joined by his swinging and hollering band, The Fallen Angels, and his close compatriot who hardly needs an introduction for her beautiful voice, Emmylou Harris. Unlike other live albums, this wasn't recorded in front of an audience, but rather for a live radio broadcast in New York. With that in play, the record sounds more like a naturalistic studio; there's fun banter between the band mates, song introductions, and an unmistakable casualness in performance. They play some songs off of the first solo Parsons album, but they get around to some classics and even play the now famous Love Hurts cover. There's a great deal of variety on the record, between soft slide-guitar ballads and rocking honky-tonk jams. Despite being recorded in 1973, it was not released until 1982. I found this record for $2 and I snatched it up immediately, having never heard it before. A good friend and I used to listen to Parson albums on long night drives along the water; he could sing just about every lyric because his dad used to sing the songs to him when he was a baby. I look forward to showing him this excellent live album when I see him again.
Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels - Live 1973
Gram Parsons was an iconic king of the country song; a master wordsmith with an almost mystifying voice and a penchant for telling stories. Not quite psychedelic rock, not quite country-western, and not quite folk, Gram seemingly blended genres together to create what he called "cosmic country." Before he went solo, he was a brief member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, all while hanging out with his friends, The Rolling Stones. The whole California country sound owes a lot to Gram, as does the sonic boom in 70's California folk singers crafting their hit songs. He died just before he could join the infamous 27 club. Live 1973 is a lesser known foray for Gram, he only released one album while alive and the second was released just after his death. On this stellar live album, he is joined by his swinging and hollering band, The Fallen Angels, and his close compatriot who hardly needs an introduction for her beautiful voice, Emmylou Harris. Unlike other live albums, this wasn't recorded in front of an audience, but rather for a live radio broadcast in New York. With that in play, the record sounds more like a naturalistic studio; there's fun banter between the band mates, song introductions, and an unmistakable casualness in performance. They play some songs off of the first solo Parsons album, but they get around to some classics and even play the now famous Love Hurts cover. There's a great deal of variety on the record, between soft slide-guitar ballads and rocking honky-tonk jams. Despite being recorded in 1973, it was not released until 1982. I found this record for $2 and I snatched it up immediately, having never heard it before. A good friend and I used to listen to Parson albums on long night drives along the water; he could sing just about every lyric because his dad used to sing the songs to him when he was a baby. I look forward to showing him this excellent live album when I see him again.
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