Gram Parsons -- Return Of The Grievous Angel [REACTION/RATING]

[@shawngregory1429]

The most underrated, under appreciated singer-songwriter in history. He should have been in the RnR HOF decades ago.

[@joefitzpatrick7563]

I on the other hand think Parsons belongs in the country music hall of fame.he made traditional country cool and acceptable to a whole generation of young Americans. Sadly now his music would be too country for country music!

[@daveoelke857]

@@joefitzpatrick7563 How ironic! But true.

[@bogwitch1647]

really can't think of another album that was as revelatory to me as this one the first time i heard it ❤

[@jayhank5838]

Had he not died young he would have been an all time great. Heck he is still an all-time great. Gram and Emmylou are one of the best duets in music history. Thank you for going way back in time. I really miss his music.

[@lavonnacasey5724]

“the girl “ is Emmylou Harris. Gram and Emmylou harmonized effortlessly.

[@user-gt2uf8cq9y]

"Hit it for me James" is James Burton the guitar player behind Elvis Presley and Rick Nelson.

[@tomgarrett6303]

Gram is a certified legend.

[@joshuabachman3010]

GP the most influential country artist of all time, which is crazy with such a short time on this earth

[@rhwinner]

Great song, Gram packed so much emotion into his vocal delivery, I get something new almost every time I listen...

[@margaretross9150]

You summed it up so well.

[@gavRirvine]

Call yourself a country music man and never heard this song! I'm in Scotland UK and we were all Gram fans

[@HighFashionQueen]

I love gram so much

[@MRM-Wendy]

Emmylou loved Gram. She was about tell him. But he died before she got tell him. She wrote couple songs about Gram, one Boulder to Birmingham.

[@margaretross9150]

Also The Road, and probably several others allude to him (Tulsa Queen, I Cried a River). She includes several songs related to Gram in virtually every concert and on several albums. Remarkable devotion!

[@deathkampdrone]

@@margaretross9150 They were soulmates. Maybe in art first of all. But I'm sure the unsaid love was still felt by GP. Easily the best duet pair in music history.

[@margaretross9150]

@@deathkampdrone Easily!

[@lilymcallister9751]

Great choice! I have "1000 dollar wedding" in my play list all the time. Emmy and Graham. Le sigh. ❤

[@brunofiorenza2880]

That is my favorite song of his

[@jaytroyer8590]

Oh yes. I Can never forget picking up Gram's first solo lp, GP, and playing it over and over for everyone who dropped by. And everyone asked, "Who's the chick singer?!?" Emmy Lou, of course--

[@notabot3375]

He told his friends he wanted to be burned in the desert when he died, so they stole his body and drove it into the desert and set him on fire. Awesome friends.😎 He lived an interesting life, and was even at Nelcote when the Stones recorded Exile on Main Street, on which he is a heavy influence. Jason Boland mentions him on his song "Hank", which is an indictment of Nashville. He's kind of a legend. My favorite song of his is "Streets of Baltimore".

[@garylines1926]

Gram Parsons a deeply missed singer who was taken too soon

[@isthatwhatemptymeans8222]

Gram Parsons is responsible for the 1st recording of "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones.

[@songsmithy07]

True. Gram was hanging out with Keith Richards in those days. Gram heard "Wild Horses" when the Stones were recoding it at Muscle Shoals, and asked Mick Jagger for permission to cover it

[@Folkyjo]

I think he wrote it.

[@windyhair1965]

Wild Horses fit Gram much more than it did Keith Richards.

[@jezebeljones659]

Oh my lord, where to even begin. NO! He did not write it, though he wished he had've. He did ask to cover it, and did so, beautifully, with the Flying Burrito Brothers. Keith, in latter years, has sung it in his solo performances, I guess. But Mick was the original vocalist. Not Keith, and certainly not Gram.

[@MrPhilfridge]

@@jezebeljones659 Yes you're right . he certainly didn't write it but of all the songs Gram recorded i can never understand why people think he did a good job. Its not a great song , no matter who wrote it or sings it, a bit of an overrated turkey .

[@cjcarp9438]

On the same Lp the song " In My Hour of Darkness " has BOTH Emmylou and Linda Ronstadt singing harmony ... how great is that.....

[@kimberlyroberson2837]

Absolutely. Gram played with some amazing people and created so much in his short life. RIP Gram.

[@user-gt2uf8cq9y]

Grievous Angel to In My Hour of Darkness to Boulder to Birmingham is a perfect music journey.

[@danielandrewgrant]

Grievous Angel is the name of a train. “The girl” is Emmylou Harris.

[@gregwatts8508]

I love your reactions Don

[@cowtowncustoms2110]

Gram Parsons is the originator of country rock. Hooking up with the Byrds when David Crosby left and the album "Sweethearts of the Rodeo" was Gram and the start of country rock! Emmylou Harris is the back up singer on this and most all of Gram's songs.He found her in DC playing folk music and they became an item. Too bad he was so wrapped up in alcohol and drugs that he cut his life short. Even after death, the Joshua Tree incident story is crazy. "Hickory Wind" is my favorite Gram song!

[@isthatwhatemptymeans8222]

Gram and Emmylou Harris together are legends... My Fave is "Hot Burrito #1"

[@tupelohoney622]

Wow! Haven't heard this song in forever. What a Sunday treat.

[@RockN2Country]

@Tupelo Honey Push-me Pull-you!! ;-)

[@tupelohoney622]

@@RockN2Country , LOL! ❤

[@AndyKaufman3000]

Gram was the Grievous Angel

[@scottfrench4139]

My favorite by Gram.

[@snerdterguson]

Gram and Emmylou is as good as a duet gets. Gram is one of the most underappreciated artists ever. He had as much impact on country rock, which he called Cosmic Cowboy Music (I like his name better), as anyone, more than most.

[@loadedorygun]

cosmic American music but yeah. I think he meant he was taking everything that was American, mostly blues, rock and country.

[@GaOutlawVinyl]

Gram’s band The Flying Burrito Brothers did something Elvis Presley did as well. They got booed off the stage at The Grand Ole Opry.

[@MrPhilfridge]

The Burritos never played the Opry . that was The Byrds Sweetheart line up ( Mc Guinn / Hillman / Kelley and Gram ) . They wren't booed off the stage but reception was rather lukewarm !

[@MrWhit30]

Emmy Lou Harris on harmony vocals. She basically got her start with Graham. "Pick it James" is James Burton, guitarist for Ricky Nelson and Elvis. I'm pretty sure Leon Russell is on piano for a lot of the tracks on this record. Parsons was a heavy hitter for his short career. Check out Hickory Wind(Byrds) Hot Burrito #1 & #2, Christines Tune, Sin City, Wheels, with the Flying Burrito Bros. Steel guitar is played with a heavy steel bar for a slide, and the pedals and knee levers also stretch or slack certain strings. You can play most of the chords in a key without moving the bar, just with the levers and pedals. Those combined with sliding the bar make the crying tone. Its one of the most difficult of instruments, IMO. 10 strings, sometimes two necks in different tunings, 3-4 pedals, 3-4 knee levers, all those moving parts. Its a lot goin on and a devil to transport and tune. If you wanna know something about tuning, ask a steel player.

[@RockN2Country]

@MrWhit30 That's wonderful insight right there on the steel and the difficulty playing it and just dealing with it on the road--thank you for that insight, and welcome to the channel! As for Gram's "Hickory Wind," I did that one just three weeks ago, so your timing is good. Here's the link---enjoy! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZncgYWmm9J1f9E

[@MrPhilfridge]

The pianist is Glen D Hardin as credited on the album

[@rnrsteev]

11/10

[@davidmaholchic6146]

Love this one love you

[@johnnyblitzkrieg8985]

I love the Byrds, Gene Clark is my fav. But fuck, how I've always loved Gram too. Even went from my local Finland to spend the night in US desert. I didn't go to that specific motel room, because that would be too fucking weird. here Finland to spend the night in US desert. I didn't go to that specific motel room, because that would be too

[@Teresia12]

Good Morning Dan. Gram Parsons is a great artist. That sounds like Emmylou Harris with him. He can sing anything in any genre. A great loss. I wish he was recognized more now. It is how it is played all the time. 1970 was a good year in music history. I only wish more people had listened to more variety in the types of music they listed to. Not just the parents who hated the devil rock n roll but the young people who were stuck on rock or folk or jazz or the blues or whatever. I've always had n eclectic taste and I'm glad more people seem to have become more open minded. Teens will always be teen as my Grandchildren remind me every day. But they at least listen to different music I bring to the table and some of it goes on their playlist. Have a great day !!

[@RockN2Country]

@Teresia Diane Oh yes, the open-mindedness is a wonderful thing IMO. The internet has help expose the younger kids to all generations of music, so in one sense is breaking down traditional barriers between generations. Lots of kids nowadays like rock from the 70's, for instance, and it still catches me off guard when they know the lyrics!

[@lloydculbertson7437]

Discipline is not the word to describe Gram. Grandfather was incredibly wealthy orange orchard in Florida. Owned Cypress Gardens and acres and acres and acres. His stepdad got him into Harvard which she never went to class got stoned and played music. Eagles my man and Pocos crazy eyes are two songs written about GP. A unreal read about Gram from his early youth in Waycross Georgia to Legendary but untimely death is 20,000 roads. Many stories about the crazy talent in LA and his time with the stones and the flying burrito brothers

[@HighFashionQueen]

He was a troubled person, poor beautiful soul❤️❤️❤️

[@davidemswiler4351]

Many call him the father of "alt-country" so that in itself is a pretty big accomplishment. He was huge down here in Texas and his live shows were always very popular. Not really my cup of tea (too "hippy" sounding for me) but he does have a few songs I liked. "Wild Horses" was probably my favorite...I also liked the cover of it that The Sundays did.

[@jezebeljones659]

Um, it's up for debate whether he was responsible for "Wild Horses" or not. But to settle the question, why don't you ask Mick Jagger and/or Keith Richards. Keef'll set ya straight all right.

[@davidemswiler4351]

@@jezebeljones659 Ummm...yeah, I'll ask those guys straight away...lol. Better yet, why don't you just lean over and get the skinny and let me know... In the meantime, how about you just go away?

[@jezebeljones659]

@@davidemswiler4351 Gee, you're cute. Any more like you at home? Not goin' nowhere. But when I do, you'll know.

[@davidemswiler4351]

​@@jezebeljones659 Lol...the real question is, where do your delusions stop? It wasn't enough that you suggested I'm on speaking terms with the Stones, but now I'm supposed to know about your online presence too? And all this from someone named "Jezebel" (a shameless wicked woman). You can't make this stuff up! :-)

[@jezebeljones659]

@@davidemswiler4351 Aw gee, hoss, don't getcherself all riled up over some consarned floozie and her babblin's. Doncha know a smartass from a delusional person? You may not be delusional yourself, but you sure seem literal-minded. "Shameless wicked woman" -- I like the sound of that! I want it on my tombstone.

[@samvonshmam]

It's a song about leaving home and becoming disillusioned with the wide world - The king he is talking about is Elvis ( the person he is referencing when he says pick it for me James is James Burton ,ranked number 19 in Rolling Stones' list of 100 Greatest Guitarists, who play for Gram and for Elvis) He references alcohol by mentioning good saloons - And he sings of his devil who is trying to lead him down the wrong path and his deep blue sea - where it's easy to drown if you're not careful...The song has a happy ending as he returns home to Annie Rich ( a relative of some kind perhaps who wore the calico bonnet) In real life Gram followed his devil and he found his deep blue sea - and in the end that's what did him in...

[@Khumbu0609]

Relative? Scratching his itch and welcoming him back to town? Annie Rich sounds more like a girlfriend to me.

[@MrPhilfridge]

@@Khumbu0609 I should point out the the lyric was taken from a poem that was given to Gram by a fan. The song was originally credited to Gram solely but the fans name (Tom Brown ) has now been rightly added to the composing credits. I think any explanation of the lyric would come from Tom Brown. Annie Ridge/Rich ? who knows , but i guarantee as you state she was not a relative of Gram

[@Khumbu0609]

@@MrPhilfridge Interesting, thanks. Annie Rich is the name in the lyrics.

[@rickpaul4216]

"The Girl" is the great Emmy Lou Harris.

[@smalltownblackouts]

Don! appreciate you getting to my request. great work unpacking the lyrics. Such a fun travelling song with rip roaring steep. some notes about what you talked about. Died in 1973 I believe. Emmylou Harris is the female vocalist. Gram "discivered" her per se and she performs on his 2 solo records. when he says "pick it for me James!" he is referring to James Burton who was originally Elvis' guitarist. After Gram died he stayed with Emmylou all the way up through a few years ago. I always thought the lyrics "met up with the king on his head an amphetamine crown" was referrencing all of that He was best friends with Keith Richards and co-wrote "wild horses" He died of opiates and alcohol I believe and his manager stole the casket from LAX and took it to joshua tree national forest where he incinerated Gram as was his wish. A movie starring Johnny Knoxville was made about the event.

[@RockN2Country]

@Logan Schrapf It's good timing, as I just added "Wild Horses" to my list a few days ago. :-)

[@raymondzamora904]

Awww that’s a great tune

[@JackCerro]

Emmylou Harris on backing vocals. They were a thing back then.

[@RockN2Country]

@Jack Cerro I am jealous of anyone who had a thing with Emmylou and/or Bobbie Gentry. And now I've got an idea--stay tuned....

[@MrRondonmon]

Yea, in 1999 on a tribute album to Gram she got Ryan Adams to sing this song, while she sang back-up.

[@songsmithy07]

RockN2Country - Steel guitar is always played with a slide. The strings are too high off of the fretboard to press down with your fingers, and only a slide will give you that smooth transition between notes; much like a trombone, there are no set increments between notes. Slides that are used for slide guitar are glass tubes that slip onto the finger - sometimes. Duane Allman famously used a Coricidin (cold medicine) pill bottle. Slides can also be metallic. Metal slides produce a slightly different tone quality than glass slides. With slide playing, the cylinder glides, or "slides" over the strings. In contrast, normal guitar technique has the player pressing the strings down to the fretboard with their fingers. Slide guitar is basically just a normal guitar that is played using a slide. Slides are cylindrical in shape because a solid shape would be harder to hold on to. That said, I was once at a show where John Cipollina (lead guitarist for Quicksilver Messenger Service) borrowed my plastic Bic lighter because he couldn't find his actual slide anywhere on stage. Steel guitars and pedal steels use a metallic bar with a rounded edge for a slide. These slides are not cylindrical, but rather, are more of a bar that fits in the palm of the hand. The reason for the difference is because a regular guitar is held vertically to the chest, making it nearly impossible to play with anything but a cylinder that fits over the finger. Otherwise, it would be clumsy to hold. Also, with the slide fitted over one finger, the other fingers can still employ the conventional technique. On the other hand, a steel/pedal steel "fretboard" (* there really aren't really frets on a steel or pedal steel guitar) lays horizontal, so the bar (slide) is held in the palm of the hand and the rounded edge is applied to the strings. Many types of guitar can be played using a slide technique, starting with your plain old 6 or 12 string. A dobro, or resonator guitar can either be held upright, or laid flat in one's lap. A lap steel guitar is designed to be played laying flat on one's lap (hence the name). Steel guitars are the one's that are mounted horizontally on a stand. A steel guitar has no pedals. A pedal steel is essentially a steel guitar WITH pedals. With a pedal steel, one can modulate notes by pressing down on the foot pedals, which "bends" the strings to change the pitch. Pedal steels can have just a few pedals, or more. There is also a lever on some pedal steels that is actuated with the knee. I hope this answers your questions about slide guitar.

[@jodyparrish637]

Don great job and great song choice!!

[@RockN2Country]

@Jody Parrish Thank you--glad you enjoyed it! Good seeing you in here, as always. :-)

[@gregfoster4541]

We just talked about the"Beautiful Emmylou" the other day and just knew you would recognize her distinctive sound!! Howdy 😁

[@GaOutlawVinyl]

Emmylou Harris got started singing backup for Gram. She then sung backup for Guy Clark. When she got signed to a record deal she stole Guy Clark’s guitarist for her band. The guitarist was Rodney Crowell.

[@steveshaw6313]

You sort of mixed things up. Before Crowell and after Gram dies Emmylou put together the Hot Band including James Burton the guitar player on this song and began her recording career with several different iterations of the Hot Band. Guy Clark was a friend and mentor to Emmylou (as he was to so many artists), and she sang backup on a few of his songs, but never on a regular basis. Crowell became a member of the Hot Band for a while before leaving for his solo career.

[@cowtowncustoms2110]

Answer to pedal steel question: players use a metal bar that is designed to be held between two fingers and is usually heavy so it stays on the strings.

[@RockN2Country]

@CowTownCustoms Thanks for the info--I kinda thought you'd know. :-)

[@lavonnacasey5724]

Playing steel guitar is much different than using a slide on a regular

[@ericdeetz4185]

i saw the look on your face , and yes that is emmy lou

[@russellkaplan1818]

the introduction of Emmylou

[@samvonshmam]

disciplined?? He was out of control most of the time...lol brilliant but he was really out there...

[@jamesbassett1484]

Here, Gram is singing with Emmylou Harris. This lone album they did together was released posthumously. Gram was a shooting star, brilliant, fabulous, and short lived. His life was dogged by tragedy and troubles. His father killed himself when Gram was twelve. His mother died, supposedly of starvation secondary to alcoholism, when he was fifteen. His mother's parents were VERY wealthy. When Gram was fourteen, he came into the first phase of his inheritance which paid him $400,00 a year. This was some serious money for a fourteen year old kid in 1961! Keith Richards describes him, among other things, as the only performer he has ever known who could make every woman in the audience weep. He played with drugs, struggled with drugs, and went out on drugs. This was probably, technically, an accident but he was bound for self-destruction. Just earlier today I came across an excellent BBC documentary on him titled Gram Parsons: Fallen Angel.

[@margaretross9150]

Excellent information. I'll just add that Emmylou sang with Gram on two albums, GP and Grievous Angel (posthumous release). Also released later was Sleepless Nights, which contained unreleased material with the Burritos and Emmylou plus a wonderful live album done at a radio station on Long Island called Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels Live 1973. All are well worth hearing. Love the live one!

[@jamesbassett1484]

@@margaretross9150 Thankyou. This is great information!

[@rebeccaglenn4047]

They did two albums together--three, if you count the also posthumously released live album. GP out in '73, Grievous Angel in '74.

[@shawngregory1429]

His mother was a member of the Snively family of Winter Haven FL who were super-wealthy and grew oranges. Their groves supplied the majority of oranges sold in the US.

[@loadedorygun]

All that money couldn’t make him happy but it sure fed his passions.

[@songsmithy07]

Gram was such a disciplined person, he never even went to classes at Harvard

[@joecurmaci5880]

His mother's money what got him into Harvard

[@bossmare007]

surprised you didnt recognize that background/duet singer is Emmylou Harris. And the song came out after Gram’s death… he dies days after completion of the album recordings

[@Khumbu0609]

Gram was not disciplined, but a great talent. Emmylou denies that she and Gram were lovers, but admits that things were heading in that direction if he hadn't died suddenly, so I take her at her word. I enjoyed watching your reaction to this classic song. I hope you'll listen to more of Gram & Emmylou's wonderful harmonies, like "Love Hurts," "That's All It Took," "Sweep Out The Ashes," and "Hickory Wind." They were magical together!

[@margaretross9150]

The lyrics are mysterious, like other stuff sung by Gram. Your interpretation is quite possible. Some people think Grievous Angel is a truck. Who knows. Poet Tom S. Brown wrote the lyrics, and Gram did the melody. It's beautiful, isn't it?

[@RockN2Country]

@Margaret Ross Oh yes, it's stunningly beautiful. And welcome to the channel!

[@HighFashionQueen]

He didn t write the lyrics to this song, but it s an amazing song.

[@bkgarage6658]

Please react to “almost home” by Craig Morgan. It’s a tear jerker but a great song

[@davidjackson4608]

Gram was a trustfund lad who wanted to make music

[@HighFashionQueen]

Then he died too young😫

[@pathare2658]

Did you hear about Elvis the king with anfedimine crown?my opinion he is the Grievious Angel

[@HighFashionQueen]

I think they both are, but in this song he was talking about Elvis

[@richardwhitehead4684]

‘The girl’ is Emmylou Harris

[@dobrobob]

Howdy Don as previously posted pedal steel players use a steel /tone bar as well as dobro, steel guitar(no pedals), weissenborn guitar FYI

[@RockN2Country]

@Bob Kirkpatrick Thanks again--it's a lot to learn, that's for sure. My buddy Eddie played base for Jerry Lee Lewis, and Eddie told me that the steel guitar has so many parts that it's not only a tough instrument to play, it's a tough one to make.

[@757optim]

Players are a little rare, too. Not hard to find a gig.

[@dewaynetipton7049]

You need to check out James McMurtry. He"s an excellent songwriter. ( One of Jason Isbell"s favorites). His father is Larry McMurtry author of "Lonesome Dove". Start with "Hurricane Party" then Levelland, Copper Canteen, Lights of Cheyenne, Out here in the Middle. You got to Me . Too many good songs to list.

[@custardflan]

Thats Emmylou Harris on backup

[@HighFashionQueen]

He wansn t very diciplined, he got in to Harvard because of his connection, but he didn t last very long

[@arkiemomma9832]

Not the best recording, but talking about singing with a femalevocalist, check out this video of Tyler with his wife. She is a talented musician as well 😊 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIG3gWucltJ3Y68