Gram Parsons - GP and Grievous Angel (1973)
Gram Parsons (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist. Parsons is best known for his work within the country genre; he also mixed blues, folk, and rock to create what he called "Cosmic American Music". Besides recording as a solo artist, he also worked in several notable bands, including The Byrds, and The Flying Burrito Brothers. His career, though short, has been described as "enormously influential" for both country and rock, blending the two genres to the point that they became indistinguishable from each other. Since his death, Parsons has been recognized as an extremely influential artist, credited with helping to found both country rock and alt-country. His posthumous honors include the Americana Music Association President's Award for 2003, and a ranking at #87 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Parsons joined The Byrds in early 1968, and played a pivotal role in the making of the seminal Sweetheart of the Rodeo album. After leaving the group in late 1968, Parsons and fellow Byrd Chris Hillman formed The Flying Burrito Brothers in 1969, releasing their debut, The Gilded Palace of Sin, the same year. The album was well received but failed commercially; after a sloppy cross-country tour, they hastily recorded Burrito Deluxe. Parsons was fired from the band before its release in early 1970.
After several unproductive sessions he canceled his intended solo debut in early 1971. Parsons moved to France, where he lived for a short period at Villa Nellcôte with his friend Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones. Returning to America, Parsons befriended Emmylou Harris, who assisted him on vocals for his first solo record, GP, released in 1973. Although it received enthusiastic reviews, the release failed to chart; his next album, Grievous Angel (released posthumously in 1974) met with a similar reception, and peaked at number 195 on Billboard. Parsons died of a drug overdose on September 19, 1973 in a hotel room in Joshua Tree, California, at the age of 26.
In the year before his death in the fall of 1973, Gram Parsons recorded two superb solo albums, conveniently reissuedthem in their entirety on a single compact disc. Since many of the same musicians played on both G.P. (released in January of 1973) and Grievous Angel (which appeared in stores almost exactly a year later), the two albums flow together quite well as a single set. While the material and performances on G.P. are a shade stronger than on Grievous Angel, both albums have more than their share of pearly moments, and this disc is a treat from start to finish; James Burton's guitar leads are chicken-pickin' at its smartest and most tasteful, Al Perkins' pedal steel is the definitive sound of country & western heartache, fiddler Byron Berline effortlessly reveals how he became one of Nashville's leading session musicians, and Emmylou Harris’s vocals artfully shine on the GP album cuts.
While the definitive Gram Parsons collection has yet to be compiled, G.P._Grievous Angel gives you everything you really need from his solo career, and these 20 performances are among the most influential and satisfying music the genre of country-rock would ever produce.
Tracklist:
GP
01 - Still Feeling Blue
02 - We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning
03 - A Song For You
04 - Streets Of Baltimore
05 - She
06 - That's All It Took
07 - The New Soft Shoe
08 - Kiss The Children
09 - Cry One More Time
10 - How Much I've Lied
11 - Big Mouth Blues
Grievous Angel
12 - Return Of The Grievous Angel
13 - Hearts On Fire
14 - I Can't Dance
15 - Brass Buttons
16 - $1000 Wedding
17 - Medley Live From Northern Quebec (A) Cash On The Barrelhead (B) Hickory Wind
18 - Love Hurts
19 - Ooh Las Vegas
20 - In My Hour Of Darkness
Media Info:
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Channels: stereo
Samplerate: 44100
Encoder: LAME 3.92
MPEG-1 layer 3MUCH Peace n luv to my friends at 1337x and blazinseedboxes
you can listen to tunes like these and more 24/7 on 1337x radio
the ministry of piracy at http://1337x.net/0-radio.php
ENJOY!!
**tyvm and all due respect to mister magoo and all those who care enough to share
