Day 238: Gram Parsons – GP
I tried to listen to another band that I’m very unaware of, Devo, but I couldn’t handle anything with such high energy on a Sunday. I need lazy low-tempo meandering music, and what meanders more than country? As far as I know, nothing. I’m listening to Gram Parsons.
Album cover courtesy of Reprise Records
Gram Parsons became best known for his other musical endeavours, having been in the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, but I hear his country music is highly esteemed – I am too European to know much about that, so I’ll go by what I was told. After getting fired from the Flying Burrito Brothers due to his escalating drug problem, he signed a solo contract in 1970 and set out to make traditional country music.
His debut solo album GP came out in 1973, delayed by his issues with drugs. It featured Elvis’ TCB Band, which was a big deal as Gram Parsons says that Elvis was the one who sparked his love for music when he was growing up. The album also has two duets with Emmylou Harris, an unknown singer at the time who was recommended to him by his friend and former Byrds bassist Chris Hillman.
Due to my aforementioned Europeanness and ignorance of country, I can’t really comment much on how much he’s pushing the envelope here, but what I do know is that while it’s not exactly up my street, it’s still mainly enjoyable. I like the storytelling and the band is great, but I haven’t listened to enough country to be able to tell you why this one wasn’t really my thing. I’m giving it a careful 7/10 – I liked it, but not enough to ever listen to it again. I think this is a gaping area of lack of knowledge that I actively need to start plugging up.
Also, here’s a famous story about Gram Parsons: after he died from an overdose near Joshua Tree, his stepfather had organised for his body to be sent to New Orleans. However, Parsons had indicated that he wanted to be cremated and have his ashes spread in Joshua Tree. His friends went to LAX in a hearse to get his body, pretending to be mortuary workers hired by the family, and drove to Joshua Tree and set his coffin on fire. They were given thirty-day suspended jail sentences and had to pay a fine and the funeral expenses. Kind of sweet of his pals to do that for him, but also very disgusting.