| Author |
Topic: Gram Parsons |
Jeff Metz Jr.
From:
York, Pennsylvania, USA
|
Posted 9 Jan 2012 10:38 pm |
|
I feel a little misunderstood when I talk about Gram. To me he was a great pioneer in country music. I have older gentlemen give me slag about praising his music. What do you think. And have you ever listened to Hickory Wind? Still feeling blue, Hot Burrito #1?
_________________
Mullen G2 SD10 , Lil Izzy Buffer, Goodrich 120 volume pedal, Boss DD-7, Peterson Strobo flip, Peavey Nashville 112 |
|
|
 |
Dave Harmonson
From:
Seattle, Wa
|
Posted 9 Jan 2012 11:25 pm
|
|
A Gram fan here. He has a number of "subpar" performances out there, but the 3 tunes you mentioned along with Return Of The Grievous Angel, New Soft Shoe, How Much I Lied, his versions of Streets Of Baltimore, We'll Sweep Out The Ashes just to name a few are all in my favorite list.
To me his legacy was turning a lot of people onto country music who may not have listened otherwise.
His voice may not have been perfect, but I love the emotion he put into it.
I've put together a Gram Tribute show several times here in town and it's been a blast every time.
Here's a clip from out last show.
http://youtu.be/huf1HoSRYP8
_________________
www.facebook.com/countrydaveharmonson |
|
|
|
Steve Wilson
From:
Morgan Hill, California, USA
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 1:29 am
|
|
| Big gram fan here, too. Was impressed with him on Sweetheart of the Rodeo and like Dave said, his music led me and some others on to a country roots exploration that revealed for me the Louvin Bros, Buck Owens, and many others. The emotion in his voice did it for me, and later those exquisite harmonies with Emmy Lou, and as a bonus he worked in some excellent steel and guitar players along the way. |
|
|
|
Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 2:30 am
|
|
Hey Jeff, have you ever heard the CD that Mike Headrick put out of tunes written by Gram and Chris Hillman? If you haven't you should look into it. It's a great version of some of Gram's tunes done instrumentally on steel guitar.......JH in Va.
_________________
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
|
|
|
Bob Blair
From:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 6:02 am
|
|
Jeff, I think you'll find that a lot of players on the Forum (myself included) were heavily influenced by Gram. Certainly there are those who debate whether he deserved his perceived pioneer status any more than some of his contemporaries, but his music has inspired generations. For a guy who has been dead quite a bit longer than he was alive, and who was a tragic victim of his excesses, that has to be seen as quite an achievement.
Last edited by Bob Blair on 10 Jan 2012 7:29 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Brett Lanier
From:
Hermitage, TN
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 7:12 am
|
|
| Did JD ever play with Gram? I was listening to some Gram Parsons at a friends house the other day and a few tracks came on that I'd never heard. The steel playing was incredible. Pretty sure it wasn't Sneaky, Al, Buddy or Neil... It sounded more like Hal Rugg than anyone else, that's why I'm guessing it could be JD. I know he can play that kind of stuff too. Anyone have any idea what I heard? The tracks were all untitled on his ipod. It definitley wasn't from GP or Grievous Angel, but sounded like studio cuts. |
|
|
|
Bob Blair
From:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 7:14 am
|
|
| JayDee played on Gram's International Submarine Band's record "Safe at Home". That is probably what you heard. |
|
|
|
Chuck McGill
From:
An hour from Memphis and 2 from Nashville, R.I.P.
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 7:19 am
|
|
| Loved his music and all who played with him. Who could deny his contribution to country and rock. If nothing else, Emmylou. |
|
|
|
Brett Lanier
From:
Hermitage, TN
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 7:21 am
|
|
| thanks Bob! I'm ituning the album right now for the weird price of $8.91. |
|
|
|
Dave Harmonson
From:
Seattle, Wa
|
|
|
|
Olaf van Roggen
From:
The Netherlands
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 12:09 pm
|
|
| In my case,after listening to Gram Parsons I discovered singers like Merle Haggard,Buck Owens,George Jones etc.... |
|
|
|
Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 12:11 pm
|
|
| Al Perkins. |
|
|
|
Jeff Metz Jr.
From:
York, Pennsylvania, USA
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 1:42 pm
|
|
I think Lloyd green and Al perkins are both credited on the sweetheart album. I did read in a bio that Buddy emmons played with gram a few times as well. I know JayDee played on safe at home and also the L.a sessions for sweetheart. It was funny I read of LLoyd asking "where do you want me to fill in? on the song Hickory wind and In unison both gram and Mcguinn responded "EVERYWHERE"! haha. Lloyd said nobody ever asked him to do that.
There are some good stories in Twenty thousand roads, The ballad of Gram parsons and his cosmic american music. Written by David N Meyer.
_________________
Mullen G2 SD10 , Lil Izzy Buffer, Goodrich 120 volume pedal, Boss DD-7, Peterson Strobo flip, Peavey Nashville 112 |
|
|
|
chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 2:09 pm
|
|
| lloyd and jd are on the sweethearts album (and clarence white). buddy and al on gp and al on grevious angel. jd on international submarine band. jd and buddy and james burton are the high points. |
|
|
|
Gregg Laiben
From:
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 7:13 pm
|
|
| Another Gram fan here. And Charlie Louvin gives him much credit in his book (Satan is Real) about how Parsons helped his career. |
|
|
|
Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 8:55 pm
|
|
| We needed him to live a long life. |
|
|
|
Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 10 Jan 2012 10:05 pm
|
|
Hard to say. For someone raised on Ernest Tubb, Hank williams, etc, Gram's music seems to be a mixed bag. Lots of amateurinsh stuff in there, but his better performances grew on me. I like the fact that he and Emmylou championed the Louvin Bros. music when most had forgotten them. Gram's legend status is enhanced by the fact that he died young, but my honest opinion is that amongst his peers, Chris Hillman was(is)the greater talent.
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro |
|
|
|
Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
|
Posted 11 Jan 2012 4:44 am
|
|
the real deal was already there....he just put his spin on it and introduced it to an audience that otherwise would not have been interested in it.
same with a lot of other artists. stevie ray vaughn was just doing what the real guys had done before him. the rolling stones were trying to do what the real guys did. and it goes on and on.
the difference to me is this...how does the artist develop on his own after the heavily influenced period of his career. look at hendrix. he was so influenced by the great blues players and curtis mayfield etc, but he took it someplace that was his. same with the stones and srv and others.
maybe parsons biggest contribution wasnt his affect on the masses as much as his affect on the musicians that would take what he started...and finish it out in the manner that he wasnt able to due to his time constraint. in that respect, maybe within the pop/country rock genre, parsons becomes the real deal. |
|
|
|
Jim Hollingsworth
From:
Way out West
|
Posted 11 Jan 2012 9:19 am
|
|
I agree with Clyde .... Chris Hillman was (is!) the greater talent. As much as I like Gram's work, I look at Chris' output over decades & have to say that he is very talented & disciplined with a massive body of work. I think Gram's greatest contribution was his ability to convince "unbelievers" that country was a valid & vital form of music. I wonder sometimes what he would've accomplished had he lived.
Jim |
|
|
|
Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
|
Posted 11 Jan 2012 11:12 am
|
|
| Jim Hollingsworth wrote: |
I agree with Clyde .... Chris Hillman was (is!) the greater talent.
Jim |
Since this topic is somehow related to the Byrds I have to say that Gene Clark was the greater talent.
A few months before the "Guilded Palace Of Sin", he came up with the Dillard and Clark Expedition. This does not mean that I don't like the other two.
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
|
|
|
Dana Blodgett
From:
California, USA
|
Posted 11 Jan 2012 11:14 am Gram Parsons
|
|
Another long time Gram fan here. I agree with what Dave Harmonson has said 100%! "Hickory wind" and "Streets of Baltimeore" are my two favorite cuts . He always seemed to carry a great steeler in the band.
_________________
Dana Blodgett
From Los Osos,Ca.
'74 ShoBud 6140 3+4, Martins HD28,D-12-28, D-15,'65 Gibson LG-1, '77 Gibson Les Paul special dbl cut p-90's, Les Paul Special p-100's,Les paul Special Hybrid(maple top) hbkr's,'68 Fender Strat reissue, Fender Squire Jazz bass,Epi mandolin,Epi Wilshire '66 reissue, Kamaka Concert uke, 70's Kamaka Soprano Uke, Fender Super amp, Ampeg ba112 bass amp,60's harmony banjo,'00 Gibson SG Supreme |
|
|
|
Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
|
Posted 11 Jan 2012 12:39 pm Re: Gram Parsons
|
|
| Jeff Metz Jr. wrote: |
| I feel a little misunderstood when I talk about Gram. To me he was a great pioneer in country music. |
I don't really think of Gram as being a "pioneer" of country music, but I think of him as someone who helped to bring a whole new audience to country music and The Byrds and Burritos put a unique spin on it. We watched the Parsons documentary sometime back, and there was a woman that was saying that when Gram was living in L.A., he would practically "force" his friends to listen to great country singers until they would "get it." This is during a time when there was probably mostly albums from the likes of The Beatles, Stones, Jefferson Airplane, Hendrix, The Doors, etc. spinning on the turntable.
The man had a tremendous passion for country music and he influenced others, no doubt.
And Gram definitely could write a tune. Had he lived and enjoyed a long career, how many more classics did he have in him? Jeff mentioned "Hickory Wind" and "Hot Burrito #1" which was co-written by Chris Ethridge. A pair of my all-time favorite songs. And the older I get, the more I seem to realize that it's all about the song. Great playing and singing are wonderful things, but it sure makes it all the more enjoyable when the players and singers are working with an outstanding song.
I like Bill Hatcher's comment:
| Quote: |
| maybe parsons biggest contribution wasnt his affect on the masses as much as his affect on the musicians that would take what he started...and finish it out in the manner that he wasnt able to due to his time constraint. in that respect, maybe within the pop/country rock genre, parsons becomes the real deal. |
_________________
Mark |
|
|
|
Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
|
Posted 11 Jan 2012 5:23 pm
|
|
I think Gram gets too much adulation from people who haven't got a clue, but not enough respect from people who ought to know better. If you're talking about heart, I think he had it as much as the traditional heavies of country music. A lot of those traditional country singers were a bit iffy on their singing 'chops', but, like Gram, made up for it in heart.
Whatever your point of view, I don't get the amount of disrespect he gets in many country music circles. I suspect it's largely cultural, and maybe partly the fact that he was a trust-fund baby and didn't pass their 'authenticity' test.
My take. |
|
|
|
Archie Nicol R.I.P.
From:
Ayrshire, Scotland
|
Posted 11 Jan 2012 5:31 pm
|
|
Well put, Dave.
Arch. |
|
|
|
Paul Graupp
From:
Macon Ga USA
|
Posted 11 Jan 2012 5:32 pm
|
|
DAVE !!    |
|
|
|
