olie Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Wondering if there are any fans of the late (and very young) Gram Parsons on this forum. "Hickory Wind", "Sin City" " Grievous Angel"? Not to mention "Love Hurts" with Emmylou Harris. A seminal force in alt-country or however you want to categorize him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 He seems to be revered in the category of 'Americana Music', and I like the feel of those songs, but like many in the genre their body of significant work is small. I think bands like 'New Riders of the Purple Sage' or even Jackson Brown did it better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie Posted December 8, 2017 Author Share Posted December 8, 2017 He seems to be revered in the category of 'Americana Music', and I like the feel of those songs, but like many in the genre their body of significant work is small. I think bands like 'New Riders of the Purple Sage' or even Jackson Brown did it better. Fair enough-but he helped some others such as Jackson Browne do what they did by making country/folk/rock what it became.He changed the Byrds by becoming the writer/singer on "Sweetheart of the Rodeo and moving popular music in a different direction.Jackson Browne is a wonderful talent, but he's been around a long time and Gram died in 1973 so he left a lot of work (potentially) undone. As for doing it "better",-it's easier to polish a rough draft than it is to create the original. The Byrds were much more successful in reaching a larger audience with "Tambourine Man" than Dylan was and Hendrix made "Watchtower" more popular and accessible than the aforementioned Dylan but Without the original we wouldn't be comparing them. I think Gram was a rough diamond who made previously overlooked genres become what they have turned into today.I admit he was a deeply troubled soul but he was the inspiration for a lovely song co-written by Emmylou-"Boulder to Birmingham". I just think that he is mildly underappreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slinky1 Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 I'm a big Gram Parsons fan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneS Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Huge, longtime fan here, too. His "She" is a thing of wonder, imo, the way that 'oh, hallelujah-' rolls out. My my, he sure could sing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Cool suits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Back in the day, I truly enjoyed each progressive step the Byrds took, and Parsons was clearly a big part of their later work. Also enjoyed some of the Flying Burrito Bros stuff, and Parson's solo albums, as each unfolded. But today I'm not driven to listen to his work at all. I still enjoy some of it if I hear it in passing, but it just doesn't grab me to the point where I'm thinking, hey, I want to play something by Gram Parson. That said, I do appreciate his significant contributions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Approx 10 years ago I finally bought his 2 albums - GP and Grievous Angel. Must admit they hit me double - so much in fact, that a private compilation had to be burned. Often play Hickory Wind. It's recommended as an excellent warm up tune, , , and a ditto kind of slow-mo flat-picking rehearsal. Easy to handle - therefor ideal for checking your chops out in every corner (which of course make things difficult). Besides it's a very good grounded and basic song. Here with The Byrds, which he briefly joined, and with Parsons singing lead 1968 ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4dIQITw5bw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 A song for you is my favourite Could never stand the byrds , good songs but the overall sound does nothing for me ... too jangly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Could never stand the byrds , good songs but the overall sound does nothing for me ... too jangly The Byrds basically have 2 incarnations - the original (1964-68) and the later (1968-71). They are quite different, but a huge fan of both here. Then of course there is the 1973 original line-up reunion album. Dig that one too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 I love all of that late 60's/early 70's Country Rock stuff. I even set up a Pandora early 70's Country Rock channel on my home desktop and somebody (or maybe it's a computer) will actually OVERPLAY Parsons and the FBB at times. I'll fall back on it a lot whenever Radio Free Phoenix decides to play Green Day, U2, and other whiney pseudo punk noise that has bad tone. I played bass in a Country Band for a few years, 3 nights a week, when I was just a kid (and the Willie/Waylon/Jerry Jeff/ stuff was new) and learned to appreciate Classic Country as well. The early Jackson Browne, Eagles, Ronstadt, Bromberg, CDB, Dead, and on and on has DEEP roots in Country and I actually LIKE the term Americana and pretty much what it stands for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Approx 10 years ago I finally bought his 2 albums - GP and Grievous Angel. Must admit they hit me double - so much in fact, that a private compilation had to be burned. Often play Hickory Wind. It's recommended as an excellent warm up tune, , , and a ditto kind of slow-mo flat-picking rehearsal. Easy to handle - therefor ideal for checking your chops out in every corner (which of course make things difficult). Besides it's a very good grounded and basic song. Here with The Byrds, which he briefly joined, and with Parsons singing lead 1968 ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4dIQITw5bw The tune of Hickory Wind has a lot in common with the older song "A Satisfied Mind", which charted at #1 on the country billboard for Porter Wagoner in 1955. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Wondering if there are any fans of the late (and very young) Gram Parsons on this forum. "Hickory Wind", "Sin City" " Grievous Angel"? Not to mention "Love Hurts" with Emmylou Harris. A seminal force in alt-country or however you want to categorize him. AAaaah.... Yes. "Love Hurts" is, to use a cliche - A Classic ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 The tune of Hickory Wind has a lot in common with the older song "A Satisfied Mind", which charted at #1 on the country billboard for Porter Wagoner in 1955. Yea, you could say they run in the same vain, but Hickory W. doesn't get too close for comfort. It's its own thing. A Satisfied Mind btw. is recalled as the opening track for Dylan's first decidedly religious record - Saved from 1980. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Can’t listen to love hurts without Cher coming into my head. Not good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 I like Emmylou Harris a lot for her sweet voice and stage presence Her cover of Gram's 'Luxury Liner' is a terrific platform for Albert Lee to do some wonderful hot country improvisation.... Other than that I can't think of any Gram stuff to write home about.....purely personal opinion....I find 'Love Hurts' a bit maudlin..... His friendship with Keith Richards may have given the world some special music....listening to the Stones' Mick Taylor era : early 70's, there is a pleasant country/rock vibe therein.... Then there are the photo shoots and 'Nudie' suits...... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Just think of 70's Cher. She was a knock out then, before all the plastic work. Hmm You’re less fussy than me obviously 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Hmm You’re less fussy than me obviously 😬 The fact that she and Sonny recorded "I Got You Babe" means I will never, ever take her seriously in any way. That song is right up there with "Wooly Bully" (Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs) when it comes to the worst songs of the 1960's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 The fact that she and Sonny recorded "I Got You Babe" means I will never, ever take her seriously in any way. That song is right up there with "Wooly Bully" (Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs) when it comes to the worst songs of the 1960's. Now you are hard - I Got You is a serious charmer. But Wooly Bully is pretty corny for sure (still someone had to do it). How about this one - in the echo of Halloween 1964 ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNuVifA7DSU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 If there's a Mount Rushmore for Americana, Parsons is on it. Big fan. Like Hank Sr., he produced a lot of good music and some classics in what turned out to be a relatively short career. In particular, his cowriting with Chris Hillman produced some great music that still holds up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 I like Wooly Bully a lot..... Songs like that with meaningless lyrics are perfect to sing with abandon at alcohol fuelled parties etc.....:blink: Some of my and Mrs V's all-time best/worst songs..... What did Delaware Boy ? Shrimp Boats Shaddap a Ya Face.... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 How about this one - in the echo of Halloween 1964 ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNuVifA7DSU Hmm, a lot of history in this thread. Along with guitarist Brian Ray, I went on a quick tour with Bobby Pickett back in 1973 (played keys). After the tour, the band guys stayed together for a while and happened to play at a benefit party for Gram Parson's buddy and road manager Phil Kaufman, who had some legal fees after stealing Gram's body and cremating it out in Joshua Tree. Ah, the old days, LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vw1300 Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Wondering if there are any fans of the late (and very young) Gram Parsons on this forum. "Hickory Wind", "Sin City" " Grievous Angel"? Not to mention "Love Hurts" with Emmylou Harris. A seminal force in alt-country or however you want to categorize him. I'm a big fan. I think he is the most soulful of the early '70s country-rock artists - "cosmic American music" as he preferred to call his style. As someone else said, he didn't leave a big body of work, and it's a shame that we'll never hear all the songs he would have wrote if he had lived. His writing was good, but that voice! His duet "Love Hurts" with Emmylou Harris is a high point, but check out their rendition of two other Everly Bros. tunes from the same sessions, "Sleepless Nights" and "Brand New Heartache". Have to mention - hiring Elvis' band was a good move - having James Burton play lead on his albums was brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMELEYE Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 I'm such a fan I've actually been to Joshua Tree and to the very spot where they held the cremation. Rolled one for Gram with a tear in my eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vw1300 Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 I'm such a fan I've actually been to Joshua Tree and to the very spot where they held the cremation. Rolled one for Gram with a tear in my eye. Back in 2005 while in New Orleans I stopped by the Garden of Memories to visit his grave, there is a very nice commemorative stone that they made around that time - the groundskeeper said they put it on and had a ceremony earlier that summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.