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Gram Parsons - Sacred Hearts & Fallen Angels: Anthology
CD DetailsArtist: Gram Parsons Brand: PARSONS,GRAM Edition: Music CD Audio: English (Original Language) CD Release Date: 2001-05-01 Music Label: Rhino / Wea Soundtracks: Music CD 1- Blue Eyes - The International Submarine Band
- Luxury Liner - The International Submarine Band
- Do You Know How It Feels To Be Lonesome? - The International Submarine Band
- I Must Be Somebody Else You've Known - The International Submarine Band
- Miller's Cave - The International Submarine Band
- Knee Deep In The Blues - The International Submarine Band
- Hickory Wind - The Byrds
- You're Still On My Mind - The Byrds
- The Christian Life - The Byrds
- You Don't Miss Your Water - The Byrds
- One Hundred Years From Now - The Byrds
- Christine's Tune (Devil In Disguise) - The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Sin City - The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Do Right Woman - The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Dark End Of The Street - The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Wheels - The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Juanita - The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Hot Burrito #1 - The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Hot Burrito #2 - The Flying Burrito Brothers
- High Fashion Queen - The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Older Guys - The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Cody, Cody - The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Wild Horses - The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Sing Me Back Home - The Flying Burrito Brothers
Music CD 2- To Love Somebody - The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Still Feeling Blue - Gram Parsons
- We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning - Gram Parsons
- A Song For You - Gram Parsons
- Streets Of Baltimore - Gram Parsons
- She - Gram Parsons
- The New Soft Shoe - Gram Parsons
- Kiss The Children - Gram Parsons
- How Much I've Lied - Gram Parsons
- Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man - Gram Parsons & The Fallen Angels
- That's All It Took - Gram Parsons & The Fallen Angels
- California Cotton Fields - Gram Parsons & The Fallen Angels
- Return Of The Grievous Angel (Remix) - Gram Parsons
- Hearts Of Fire - Gram Parsons
- Brass Buttons - Gram Parsons
- $1000 Wedding - Gram Parsons
- Love Hurts - Gram Parsons
- Ooh Las Vegas - Gram Parsons
- In My Hour Of Darkness - Gram Parsons
- Brand New Heartache - Gram Parsons
- Sleepless Nights - Gram Parsons
- The Angels Rejoiced Last Night - Gram Parsons
Music reviews of Sacred Hearts & Fallen Angels: AnthologyMusic Review: Well-chosen and beautifully packaged anthology Rating: 4 Stars
Gram Parsons was always going to burn out rather than fade away, and when he did the sensational manner and events surrounding his demise, and his reputation as a dilettante playboy, threatened to overshadow his musical vision and legacy. There's no doubt that he changed the face of popular music, particularly at the country end of the spectrum, and if you harbour any doubt of this, then this double CD is the place to put your doubts to rest.
Disc one begins with half a dozen examples of his work with the International Submarine Band, mostly singles from the album Safe at Home, made for Lee Hazlewood's LHI label, released in 1967, and one previously unheard rehearsal take from the album sessions. Already his template of "Cosmic American Music" was in place, crucially adding a strong helping of deeply unfashionable country music to a hybrid of southern soul, R&B, gospel and rock. This was the year of Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, Strawberry Fields Forever, A Whiter Shade Of Pale, I Had Too Much Too Dream Last Night, We Love You, Purple Haze and Abba Zaba; and Gram was singing Merle Haggard, Hank Williams and Bobby Bare.
Shortly afterwards he had joined and completely transformed the Byrds, who had reduced to a trio at the time of their last album and were in need of direction. Their last single had been a middle of the road cover of Carole King's Goin' Back, but with Gram on board they soon released a country version of You Ain't Going Nowhere and followed with the ground-breaking country album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Much derided at the time it is now acknowledged as a great classic. By the time the album came out, Gram had already moved on, and because of an injunction since he was still under contract to Lee Hazlewood most of his lead vocals were replaced on the released version. Two of the three that survived are represented here, the sublime Hickory Wind, co-written by Gram, and You're Still On My Mind. They recorded sixty takes of George Jones' You're Still On My Mind, before choosing Take One as the master.
Also included are the original masters with Gram's vocals on (I Like) The Christian Life, his own One Hundred Years From Now and the southern soul song written by William Bell, You Don't Miss Your Water (Till The Well Runs Dry), all obviously Gram's choices for the album, though replaced on the record by Roger McGuinn, who sounded especially embarrassed on the Louvin Brothers tune, The Christian Life. Its sentiment sat awkwardly with his involvement with the Subud religion that had led to his name change from Jim the year before. Gram's version, on the other hand, is sung with absolute conviction. His contributions to this album alone would afford him a place in rock history, but he was to carve out a bigger name for himself with his next band, the Flying Burrito Brothers (in which he enlisted former Byrd member Chris Hillman and Sneaky Pete Kleinow who had also guested with the Byrds); and his two solo flawless albums, GP and Grievous Angel.
Incredibly, Burritos songs like Wheels and Christine's Tune (Devil In Disguise), with its buzz-saw pedal steel, now considered standards, were never released as singles, though Hot Burrito No. 1 was the flipside of the non-album single The Train Song (not included). They are among eight selections from the eleven-track 1969 Burritos debut album The Gilded Palace of Sin rightly included, along with four from its inferior 1970 sequel, Burrito Deluxe. By this time Gram was fully embracing the rock lifestyle and hanging out with the Rolling Stones, even getting first dibs on the song Wild Horses, which appeared on Burrito Deluxe some months before Sticky Fingers. A third album was abandoned in 1970 when Gram was fired from the band although some rehearsal tracks subsequently appeared on a compilation called Close Up The Honky Tonks, and two of the best re-surface here: Merle Haggard's Sing Me Back Home and the Bee-Gees' To Love Somebody.
The second disc is devoted almost entirely to his solo repertoire found on G.P. and Grievous Angel (both on G.P./Grievous Angel), albums no one should be without, especially since both feature Emmylou Harris providing the perfect foil with her duet vocals. Many of the players on these records were to feature in her own Hot Band after Gram's passing, when she carried the flame for his music, including musical director Glen D Hardin and guitarist James Burton, both fresh from a stint in Elvis Presley's band. It is worth noting, though, that the song Return Of The Grievous Angel appears in a remix prepared for a 1982 British single. Additionally there are three live recordings made with his touring band the Fallen Angels and Emmylou, including a nod to his old band the Byrds with Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man, a song he had written with Roger McGuinn. The collection is completed with three outtakes from Grievous Angel which are among the most sublime recordings he and Emmylou ever made: Brand New Heartache, Sleepless Nights and The Angels Rejoiced Last Night. Fabulous.
Although some of the selections are relatively rare, only one track is previously unreleased, a factor to take into account for those whose collection already includes some of this invaluable material, but a beautifully compiled bargain for those whose doesn't.
More Sacred Hearts & Fallen Angels: Anthology free music reviews: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Description of Sacred Hearts & Fallen Angels: AnthologyNo Description Available No Track Information Available Media Type: CD Artist: PARSONS,GRAM Title: SACRED HEARTS & FALLEN ANGELS Street Release Date: 05/01/2001 Domestic Genre: ROCK/POP
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