Track Listing

1. Still Feeling Blue
2. We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning
3. Song For You
4. Streets Of Baltimore
5. She
6. That's All It Took
7. New Soft Shoe
8. Kiss The Children
9. Cry One More Time
10. How Much I've Lied
11. Big Mouth Blues
12. Return Of The Grievous Angel
13. Heart On Fire
14. I Can't Dance
15. Brass Buttons
16. Thousand Dollar Wedding
17. Cash On The Barrelhead
18. Hickory Wind
19. Love Hurts
20. Ooh Las Vegas
21. In My Hour Of Darkness

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6810 in Music
• Released on: 1993-10-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
On his two early-1970s solo albums, collected here on one disc, Gram Parson lends his fragile, aching tenor to music that's the definition of what he called "country soul". Neither of these titles is quite as strong as the work Parsons had previously done with the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, but with originals as great as "She" and "In My Hour of Darkness"--not to mention backing from Emmylou Harris and the core of Elvis's early-1970s band--both GP and Grievous Angel still stand as country-rock classics. --David Cantwell

CD Description
In the pursuit of what he labeled "Cosmic American Music", Gram Parsons--with the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and as a solo artist--helped invent country-rock, forever changing the relationship between the two genres. GP, released in 1973, and GRIEVOUS ANGEL, released posthumously in 1974, are the only two studio albums on which Parsons served as the lone bandleader. With the help of Elvis Presley's backing band and a then unknown singer named Emmylou Harris on harmony vocals, Parsons wrapped up bluegrass, honky tonk, traditional country, R&B, and rock & roll in one delicious package.
Compiled here on one CD, both GP and GRIEVOUS ANGEL are packed with country-rock classics like the character sketch ballad "She", the boot-tapping "That's All It Took", and theirresistibly rocking "Big Mouth Blues", while "Return of the Grievous Angel" is an all-time Parsons gem and one of his most beautiful duets with Harris. The albums flow together perfectly, with the strength of the songwriting and musicianship guaranteeing no missteps along the way (even the covers of "Love Hurts" and a rave-up version of the Louvin Brothers' "Cash on the Barrellhead" sparkle). In addition to its status as one of the quintessential, defining documents of country-rock, GP/GRIEVOUS ANGEL is still a beautiful, satisfyinglisten decades after its release.

Customer Reviews

Two records of absolute genius
After essentially inventing "country-rock"/ "blue eyed soul"/ "Cosmic American Music" with his work on The Byrds' 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo', Gram Parsons left to form 'The Flying Burrito Brothers'. Unable to top their remarkable debut: 'The Guilded Palace of Sin' with the follow-up release 'Burrito Deluxe', Gram Parsons quit the band, and, hooking up with Emmylou Harris [a talented young singer recommended to him by fellow Burrito Chris Hillman] set to work on his first album. Unleashed to an awestruck public in 1973, 'GP' was a work of utter genius: fusing the heart of soul with the country trademark: steel pedal, in a way that surpassed all before it. There were aching ballads ['Kiss The Children', 'We'll Sweep Up The Ashes In The Morning'] and funkier numbers ['Big Mouth Blues']; Parsons proving equally adept at both the melancholy and the celebratory.
The beautifully named 'Grievous Angel' followed, released after Parsons' death in 1974. It followed the same outrageous blueprint, though whether it tops its predecessor is a subject of continued debate. 'In My Hour of Darkness' and 'Love Hurts' are surely capable of moving even the harshest, most brutal redneck hillbilly to tears, whilst 'Ooh Las Vegas' again shows that when he decided to "rock out", few in the sphere could match .

So, if you're a fan of Alt.country, this is essential listening- ever wondered where Ryan Adams got his youthful arrogance, or from where Lambchop borrowed their sublime orchestration? It's all here. And if you're not- then buy this record, you might be surprised, and if you can't be swayed by the sheer quality on display, I'm sure you can send it back.

Songs To Make You (or at least me ! ) Cry
No matter how many times I listen to "Grevious Angel" I end up crying at tracks like Love Hurts;Hour of Darkness and Thousand Dollar Wedding. These recordings are outstanding and helped me discover the works of Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris as well as open my ears to "country" music.Grams work lives on via Emmylou and the wonderful Nanci Griffith and makes the "country" sound of the Eagles sound a pale imitation of the real thing. An amazing "double" c.d. full of wonderful musicianship and songs.

My First Gram Parsons Album(s)
As a long time fan of The Lemonheads, it did not take me long to realise that the man Evan Dando always covers/talks about was a bit of a legend. That man was Gram Parsons. The rock star that invented Country-Rock (or as he would of prefered it to be known, "Cosmic American Music" as I found out from the liner notes of this album) and whose premature death is probably more famous than his career.

Now, I'm usually very wary when approaching posthumous-critically-acclaimed musicians as their reviews tend to be clouded by the artists death especially if it was a tragic one (see also John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy, a work often over-rated as it was made just before John's death) but Gram failed to disappoint me. He truely was a talent that had mastered his chosen art by the time he came to producing the two solo albums provided here. Songs such as "She" and "How Much I've Lied" from 'G.P' are superb stand out tracks from my first full listen to this album, also from 'Grievous Angel' I can't stop listening to "Return Of The Grievous Angel" and "I Can't Dance" and I'm currently listening to "$1000 Wedding" which is superb as well.

Considering the fame of his death, his work is very little known, but to those who find out about him, this CD which has both of his solo works on one disc, is a perfect way to discover his art. Its not perfect (I can't stand "Cry One More Time" and generally the more Country-afied tracks) but is a testament to his very obvious talent for song writing and country music.