Gram Parsons is another one of my favorite first listens of 2020. His album, Grievous Angel (1974) was such a treat to hear. Parsons is basically the godfather of country rock, though Parsons himself thought of his music best described to be “Cosmic American Music”, which according to wikipedia is a hybrid of country, rhythm and blues, soul, folk, and rock. Honestly that’s a great mash-up in my opinion. Parsons unfortunately passed away at the age of 26, but was able to make some wonderful music with The Byrds and as a founding member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, in addition to his couple of solo albums he made before his untimely death. His second album was actually released after his death, so I’m interested in hearing how his first one went while he was still walking the Earth.
“Still Feeling Blue” is quite the twangy sounding country/bluegrass tune. There’s some fiddle, acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar, and I think even some banjo. It’s got some great energy to it. That little jam between the guitars is pretty awesome near the end of the song. Wow, that soft plucking of the banjo really adds some great taste to the track. Really cool tune.
“We’ll Sweet Out the Ashes In the Morning” sounds like something that would play in the soundtrack of a cowboy heading southwest through Texas. Definitely reminds me a bit of the Flying Burrito Brothers a bit. I’m a sucker for some pedal steel, which this song prominently features in great fashion. Those vocals by Emmylou Harris really add a bit of that country soul with some twang to the track.
“A Song for You” is definitely a bit more gentle and caring in approach, from the soft acoustic arpeggios, the dreamy pedal steel playing in the background, or the soft vocal approach taken by Parsons and Harris in this track. The fiddle playing softly in the background really adds some emotion to this track. I’m reminded quite a bit of the Flying Burrito Brothers in this album so far. That fiddle is almost kind of bluegrass-y, while the steady drums in the background keep the song pumping along. The song built up quite a little jam with the organ/keyboards and acoustic guitar there for a bit, it was short lived but quite awesome while it was happening. It’s almost orchestral in the way everything sort of swells together, pretty sick to be honest.
“Streets of Baltimore” is sort of some soft country rock sounding stuff, and the pedal steel is really awesome. Wow, some electric guitar came on, and its scant use through the album so far made its short appearance very powerful. The keyboards/piano are playing an awesome little ditty – really catchy and awesome sounding. I’m getting down to this one a bit, though it’s not one I might necessarily blare on a road trip, it’s better suited for more relaxed environments.
Wow. “She” is incredibly impressive. I hear what sort of sounds like Paul McCartney Influence, as well as John Lennon influence. I’m so impressed by this one. The quality of the track is insane. The song builds on itself so well, but it’s also so simple in nature. The feeling in this song is truly awesome. The keyboards combined with the pedal steel combined with the electric guitar combined with the fiddle combined with the steady chops of the drums combined with Parson’s vocals gives the song an ethereal quality. I really got lost in that one.
“That’s All It Took” is a bit more of a rollicking tune compared to the rest of the album. The piano sounds like a great reinterpretation of some classic rock and roll piano. Oh goodness, that electric guitar/pedal guitar solo is freaking sweet. I’m not even sure what I can say about this song, I found myself enjoying it so much that I forgot to write about it.
“The New Soft Shoe” is such a great country sounding tune. Parsons was right in his description of his music: “Cosmic American Music” fits incredibly well. This song is kind of country, kind of rock and roll, kind of folk, kind of rhythm and blues, and definitely some soul in this track. I feel like Parsons wrote these tunes while walking through the dusty terrain in Texas with a guitar across his back during the 1920s or something. Really awesome, and great authentic feel to it.
“Kiss the Children” has almost a southwestern feel to it, getting closer to that border between the US and Mexico. Wow that background vocal chorus has some serious roots in doo-wop music. That electric guitar solo is something else. The strumming of the acoustic guitar matches up with the drum beats so well, really adding an out-of-this-world sort of soundscape that drives the tune down the tracks while Parsons is in the engine room.
Oh wow. Parsons gets pretty bluesy with “Cry One More Time”. I’ve never imagined a country r&b tune before, but its pretty sweet. That baritone saxophone really gives a great bass complement to the high staccato’d piano notes. That twang to the electric guitar has some great soul contained within it. Oh my, the electric guitar solo is awesome. Certain aspects remind me of Jerry Garcia’s guitar playing, both in the electric guitar part (with his life shows) and the acoustic parts (with Workingman’s Dead (1970) by the Grateful Dead). If I didn’t know any better, I’d be convinced that the guitars were crying straight into my ears. This song is really a treat for me.
“How Much I’ve Lied” keeps up that stupendous guitar work from the last track. The pedal steel makes a more prominent appearance as well as the fiddle in this track, going to something of a singer/songwriter country tune. The vocals have more of a country inflection to them, from what I’ve experienced with country at least. Cosmic country might be an apt way to give an idea of what this song sounds like – really awesome no matter what you call it.
“Big Mouth Blues” is the final track on the album, and wow that guitar starts out so hot. Wow, this is definitely a country rock tune. The beginning of the track sounded like the guitar was some country twang sent through a wah pedal. Really sweet. That baritone sax really adds some great contrast to the track. Wow this song is picking up some steam as it drives down the tracks. That piano is awesome. That acoustic is awesome. The drums are awesome. That pedal steel is awesome. That electric guitar is awesome. Wow that electric guitar solo puts some country soul front and center. That piano, wow. The energy in Parsons vocals is insane. I don’t want the song to end. This one reminds me a lot of Parsons’ second album, Grievous Angel (1974). This one is full speed ahead and really leaves the album off such a high note, all I want is more of whatever that was.
I’m really glad I gave this album a listen tonight. It’s so saddening to think Gram Parsons didn’t get to make more music for the world to enjoy after the age of 26, but I’m very thankful for the incredible amount of incredible music he did make before his passing. For people interested in country, this might be a great segue album to ease into the genre, as it’s not really that much of a country album, but it’s definitely country at the same time. I’m very impressed. If you think the description “Cosmic American Music” sounds awesome, you’ll likely enjoy this one a lot.
-A