There is so much to be said about Sam Cooke and many of the other soul artists that emerged in the late 1950's and into the 60's and someday I want to write a book about them, but for now all I have is this blog and not enough time. Sam Cooke in my opinion is the greatest singer to ever live, and I have spent hours listening to his music, sometimes smiling, sometimes crying, but always in awe of his vocal ability and his versatility. To me Sam was the first singer to really use his voice as an instrument and as you listen to his catalog, you'll see that he helped make those long, drawn out vowel sounds a staple in soul music. The I-i-i-i-i-i-i, or the O-o-o-o-o-o-o, or the Yooooooouuuuuuuu in "You Send Me." He had a brilliant mind for pop music and he carried over what he had learned from years of singing in gospel quartets like the Q.C.s and the Soul Stirrers and brought it to the pop arena. But it wasn't just the call and response, and it wasn't just passion either. Lots of singers sang with passion, but Sam sang like he was auditioning for God. No one sang like that in pop music ever and really one of the only people who ever came close was Otis Redding. Sam grew up in Chicago and he was the son of a minister, who also sang. A common denominator between a lot of these poor, black soul singers is that from an early age they learned to be competitive and standout, and they also used the church as their footstool towards greatness. The gospel scene in Chicago was huge, so for Sam to be good he knew he was going to have to wow people. His first challenge became trying to sing "This Little Light of Mine" better than his father. His next challenge became trying to compete with the plethora of gospel quartets in Chicago as the main attraction, and he went on to try and conquer secular music and eventually issue a statement of hope with his song "A Change Is Gonna Come." Bob Dylan had released "Blowin' In The Wind" in 1963 and Sam covered it, not necessarily in tribute to Bob Dylan, but because he thought that the song was much to weighty for a white midwesterner to sing. The message was clearly aimed at the civil rights struggle, so someone within the struggle needed to claim it. But he and other black artists singing the song wasn't enough. They needed their own statement, and as one of the premeir black performers of the time, Sam took on the daunting responsibility of verbalizing their message. Dr. King did it with his moving and powerful speeches, but it was time for someone from the pop culture world to really give their stamp of approval. The result was "A Change Is Gonna Come" the most powerful, moving, sad, and beautiful song I have ever heard. Not only did it change the way people thought of Sam Cooke, but it changed the way black artists thought, wrote and performed. It also gave black people a sense of solidarity. It is the 2nd greatest song of all time next to "A Day In The Life" but if not for that song only you guys should give Sam Cooke a try. Some of his songs are dated sure, but they are all vocally brilliant, and if you care about soul music at all, he is where you start. Also, if you want to read about his transcendent talent and the social and musical precedents he set, please read Peter Guralnick's "Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke." It is one of my favorite books and it's written by one of the best writers in the business. I don't think Peter Guralnick has written a bad book.
From Sam Cooke came the idea of the soul singer. The deeply passionate, emotional, and most of the time vulnerable singer who places their being and their voice on display for the world. Motown started banking on this idea with their A list artists, but not long after the South had an answer. It was Stax Records in Memphis. Founded in 1957 by Jim Stewart as Satellite Records, Stewart later changed the name to Stax in 1961. The name comes from the first two letters of Stewart and the first two letters of his sister Estelle Axton's name. She was also his business partner. The studio was an old movie theater, so the odd proportions gave the studio wonderful acoustics and a big, powerful sound which came to be associated with most of the records and the southern soul sound in general.
Among the first artists to record at Satellite/Stax were Rufus Thomas and his daughter Carla. Their success attracted Atlantic records, and Stewart set up a distribution deal with Stax. They also recorded a band called the Mar-Keys. An 8 piece R&B outfit half way made up by Steve Cropper on guitar, Booker T. Jones on piano/organ, Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass, and Al Jackson Jr. on drums. These four would later record with Stax as Booker T. and the Memphis Group or Booker T. & the MGs. They recorded their own music and served as the Stax house band, much like The Funk Brothers for Motown. They are largely the reason why the southern soul sound was so distinguished because the rhythm section couldn't have been better and Steve Cropper and Booker T's minimalist sytles accented the rhythms perfectly.
Among artists to record for Stax were The Staple Singers made up of Pop Staples and his three daughters. Mavis Staples' voice rivaled Aretha Franklins. Also there was Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, blues legend Albert King, Booker T. & The MGs and Otis Redding. Other artists that were on Atlantic Records went to Stax to record, although they weren't on the label officially, like Wilson Pickett who became famous with "In The Midnight Hour" which he co-wrote with Steve Cropper and Save and Dave, who were loaned to Stax. Sam and Dave, like Wilson Pickett were famous for their raw, raspy, gospel like style. Sam and Dave used call and response in many of their songs. Hits of theirs include "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Coming." Their greatest hits record is fantastic.
Otis Redding was Stax's prized possession, and the second greatest soul singer of all time behind Sam Cooke. He is the all-time ballad soul singer and his songs "Pain In My Heart" "Try A Little Tenderness" "I've Been Loving You Too Long To Stop Now" and "These Arms Of Mine" are classics. He was also great at singing upbeat songs like "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" Sam Cooke's "Shake" "Respect" "Mr. Pitiful" and "Hard To Handle." He sang with a power, force and grace that was never heard again in soul music, and he was truly devoted to his music, almost constantly recording from 1963-1967 when he died. He is probably most famous for his song "Sittin'On The Dock Of The Bay" which was released posthumously. He was the only soul artist at the Monterey Pop Festival. He sadly died in a plane crash in 1967 at the height of his fame. The soul genre lost one of its giants when he died. I can't really find the words to talk about Otis right now and maybe there are none, you'll just have to listen to his music. That should speak to you enough. Otis Redding Live at The Whiskey A-Go-Go is great along with his "Best Of" along with the Anthology "Dreams to Remember" which is 50+ songs and contains his live material from the Monterey Pop Festival. And...if you haven't noticed already, this blog is named after the Otis song "You Left The Water Running" which he happened to record at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio which is is a perfect segueway...
The other flagship studio of the southern soul sound was Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, where mostly Atlantic artists were recorded. This is the studio where Aretha Franklin recorded her signature works and became known as the "Queen of Soul." Other artists to record there were Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, Clarence Carter, James Carr, Arthur Alexander and Solomon Burke. Muscle Shoals Sound Studio was not as narrow in their scope of artists as Stax though, pretty much anyone who is anyone in the world of rock n' roll and country music has recorded there. The reason for the great studio and sound is probably because of the enormous amount of talented session players in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and the Quad Cities of Florence, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. Also the quality of the sound of the studio was superb and comparable to the sound of Stax.
For more particulars on the studios themselves you can use Wikipedia, which will explain more of the business side of both the Atlantic and Stax labels and both studios. Also, you can use allmusic.com for a cursory knowledge of the songs these artists recorded in case you didn't write them down in class or I forgot them. I forgot to give you some recommended purchases for Sam Cooke. Here they are "Sam Cooke: Portrait of a Legend" is a great anthology, "Night Beat" stands alone as an album, "Sam Cooke Live At The Harlem Square Club" is the 2nd best live album ever, and "Sam Cooke Live At The Copa" is good but a bit more subdued because he is singing to a white audience. He does a lot of covers during that performance that are noteworthy, like "Blowin' In The Wind" and "Tennessee Waltz."
We could do an entire class on soul music and I really have so much more to say but I need to get this posted. If you ever want to talk about soul, let me know I am always up for it. Not a lot of people our age are passionate about this type of music, especially of the southern variety. You've been great...I'd have you anytime. DXL
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
The Guitar Gods...
Eric Clapton-one of the premier guitarists in rock n’ roll history and has been a successful artist in the blues, rock, and pop arena. He got his start like many other great guitarists in the Yardbirds, and blues and later pop group in the early and mid 60s. After the Yardbirds had a number one hit with “For Your Love” Eric Clapton felt the integrity of the band had been compromised so he quit. He was then invited to play with longtime English musician John Mayall, with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. Clapton’s virtuous playing in this band gave him instant fame among hardcore blues fans in England. Underground fans hailed him as God. Clapton didn’t take well to this type of idolatry, but nonetheless he continued to rise to fame when he formed his next band Cream. Cream was a bit of a supergroup and included bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. Cream did not last long, but the songs they wrote were some of the most memorable of the era and in rock history. These include “Sunshine of Your Love” “White Room” and their adaptation of Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads.” After Cream he went on to another supergroup called “Blind Faith” featuring Steve Winwood on piano, himself on guitar, Ginger Baker on drums and Rik Gretch on bass. Clapton really began to develop his writing skills with “In The Presence of The Lord.” Blind Faith did one album and split up during their first tour. After doing nothing for a little bit, he joined a tour with American musicians Delaney and Bonnie and Delaney encouraged Eric to begin singing which he would eventually do with his alias band Derek and the Dominos. He would have a smash hit with “Layla” and create some of his best original material ever. After struggling with massive addiction to heroine in the 70’s and then alcohol in the 80’s, he eventually rehabilitated himself and had a massively successful career as a crooner and pop artist. He moved into the soft rock arena in the 80s.
J
eff Beck was also a member of the Yardbirds after Eric Clapton left. Beck was more of a jazzy style guitarist, rather than being deeply rooted in blues like Eric Clapton. Beck has always been more experimental but a bit more subdued than Clapton. Beck is the guitar player’s guitar player. After the Yardbirds he formed the Jeff Beck group which featured Ron Wood and Rod Stewart.
Jimmy Page was the third and final guitarist for the Yardbirds. Page and Beck intersected for a brief period, but by the time Page got there, the Yardbirds were on the rocks. What was left of them eventually became Led Zepplin. Led Zepplin featured Robert Plant on vocals, Page on guitar, John Bonham on drums and John Paul Jones on bass. Zepplin would blend hardcore blues with jazz and psychedelic rock to become one of the most played and celebrated bands in rock n’ roll history, and maybe one of the biggest rip offs too. Dazed and Confused was a complete cover that Jimmy Page tried to pass off as his own, but I won’t hold that against him anymore.
Pete Townshend is pretty much solely responsible for establishing stage presence for a guitar player on stage. He would break guitars, do all sorts of crazy jumps and acrobatics and look really cool doing it. He also wrote much of The Who’s material and stretched the boundaries of rock music by using lots of power chords and later writing rock opera’s like Tommy. He led the Who which was Roger Daltry on vocals, John Entwistle on bass, and the legendary Keith Moon on drums. The Who became one of the biggest rock bands to come out of the British Invasion,
Jimi Hendrix-Although I’d like to, I don’t really know if I need to explain Jimi Hendrix on this blog. He was born in Seattle as James Marshall Hendrix in 1942 and died in London in 1970 of a drug overdose. He is the most influential, revolutionary, and copied guitarist of all-time. His most famous work is probably his performance of The Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock. He played mostly with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, which was a trio with Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums. Their albums “Are You Experienced?” “Axis: Bold As Love” and “Electric Ladyland” are essentials.
Duane Allman-One of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band and is one of the greatest guitarists ever and probably the best slide guitar player ever. The Allman Brothers band was Gregg Allman, Berry Oakley, Duane Allman, Dicky Betts, Jai Johanny Johanssen, and Butch Trucks. They were the quintessential southern rock/jam band, and Allman is famous for his long, flawless solos. He is an extremely fluid player and his tone was typically bright, and crisp.
J
eff Beck was also a member of the Yardbirds after Eric Clapton left. Beck was more of a jazzy style guitarist, rather than being deeply rooted in blues like Eric Clapton. Beck has always been more experimental but a bit more subdued than Clapton. Beck is the guitar player’s guitar player. After the Yardbirds he formed the Jeff Beck group which featured Ron Wood and Rod Stewart.
Jimmy Page was the third and final guitarist for the Yardbirds. Page and Beck intersected for a brief period, but by the time Page got there, the Yardbirds were on the rocks. What was left of them eventually became Led Zepplin. Led Zepplin featured Robert Plant on vocals, Page on guitar, John Bonham on drums and John Paul Jones on bass. Zepplin would blend hardcore blues with jazz and psychedelic rock to become one of the most played and celebrated bands in rock n’ roll history, and maybe one of the biggest rip offs too. Dazed and Confused was a complete cover that Jimmy Page tried to pass off as his own, but I won’t hold that against him anymore.
Pete Townshend is pretty much solely responsible for establishing stage presence for a guitar player on stage. He would break guitars, do all sorts of crazy jumps and acrobatics and look really cool doing it. He also wrote much of The Who’s material and stretched the boundaries of rock music by using lots of power chords and later writing rock opera’s like Tommy. He led the Who which was Roger Daltry on vocals, John Entwistle on bass, and the legendary Keith Moon on drums. The Who became one of the biggest rock bands to come out of the British Invasion,
Jimi Hendrix-Although I’d like to, I don’t really know if I need to explain Jimi Hendrix on this blog. He was born in Seattle as James Marshall Hendrix in 1942 and died in London in 1970 of a drug overdose. He is the most influential, revolutionary, and copied guitarist of all-time. His most famous work is probably his performance of The Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock. He played mostly with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, which was a trio with Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums. Their albums “Are You Experienced?” “Axis: Bold As Love” and “Electric Ladyland” are essentials.
Duane Allman-One of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band and is one of the greatest guitarists ever and probably the best slide guitar player ever. The Allman Brothers band was Gregg Allman, Berry Oakley, Duane Allman, Dicky Betts, Jai Johanny Johanssen, and Butch Trucks. They were the quintessential southern rock/jam band, and Allman is famous for his long, flawless solos. He is an extremely fluid player and his tone was typically bright, and crisp.
The Rolling Stones....
For over a 5 year period, from 1967 to about 1973, The Rolling Stones were the greatest rock n' roll band on Earth. Some say they still are and without a doubt they are the longest running rock n' roll band of all time and they are a paragon of consistency in the industry in regard to touring and album production and quality. The Rolling Stones very seldom make bad music and that is probably because unlike other bands that still exist today, i.e. The Four Tops, The Temptations, and the Beach Boys, the Stones have had the same nucleus all these years. Besides a bit of a revolving door when it comes to guitarists, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ron Wood have all been together for ages, and up until 1993 Bill Wyman was still around. The original Stones lineup started in 1962 (I'm leaving out Ian Stewart because he wasn't a consistent member at this point) with Mick Jagger (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Keith Richards (vocals, guitar), Brian Jones (guitar, percussion), Bill Wyman (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums). This lineup remained intact until 1969 when Brian Jones, who was the founder of the Rolling Stones was essentially told to leave the band. This was because of escalating substance abuse probably because Mick and Keith had taken over the leadership of his band, and they had also stolen his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg. Brian felt under-appreciated, and like he'd been robbed, but addiction made him complacent so he just let all this happen. When it did, he was too incapacitated to stop it and Mick asked him to go because he wasn't worth a damn on stage anymore. So, they hired Mick Taylor, a straight-edged but very talented blues guitar player. A few days later Brian Jones was found dead. He had apparently committed suicide. Not to get ahead of myself here, but I just wanted to get the Brian Jones story out there, because he is in no way a side note. It was his organization and his vision and his passion of Blues and R&B that got this band started in the first place. Like other blues bands of the time, they LOVED American music, and would hang out in underground r&b clubs in London. Their name comes from a Muddy Waters song, "Rolling Stone." Like the Beatles, and the Yardbirds, and the Animals they covered lots of American material at their start. Examples are Chuck Berry's "Oh Carol". Irma Thomas' "Time Is On My Side", Rufus Thomas's "Walkin' The Dog" and Arthur Alexander's "You Better Move On."
So up until 1965 they were just one of those British Invasion bands playing American music and they kind of got lost in the wash, although they always gave the impression that they were a bit harder edged than some of their counterparts and especially the Beatles. But their big breakthrough as songwriters came when Keith Richards woke up with the riff for "Satisfaction" in his head in Clearwater, Florida. He was going to give it to Otis Redding to sing, which Otis eventually did, but he kept it and this eventually started a great partnership of Jagger-Richards songs. Notice the name, much like Lennon-McCartney, Goffen-King, Leiber-Stoller. They emerged as great songwriters with numbers like "Ruby Tuesday" "Under My Thumb" and "Paint It Black." They showed they weren't afraid to shock with songs like "Let's Spend The Night Together." This was certainly not commonplace in 1966, and even if songs were about sex, they were never expressed so bluntly. As the Beatles faded out at the end of the 60s, the Stones stepped in with a series of stellar albums that showed diversity, prowess, and most of all talent. This series of albums is just as good as any stretch by a rock and roll group ever. It started with "Beggar's Banquet" then "Let It Bleed" then "Sticky Fingers" and finally their masterpiece and ultimate tribute to American roots music "Exile On Main St." which is an album I think everyone should own. All of these are great purchases by the way. I would love to go into more detail about these albums but unfortunately there is little time and I want to get to the rest of the notes at this point. I also apologize for not posting this stuff earlier but it has been pretty hectic on my end catching up on work and dealing with my own responsibilities.
I would also elaborate on Altamont, but I think the excerpt we watched from "Gimme Shelter" told you guys all you needed to know, which is Free Concert+Hells Angels+Beer+Drugs=Death. The man apparently had a gun, which the video showed, but no one deserved to die at the Altamont Festival, and it was one of the great tragedies in the music world to that time. Rather than have me tell you which Stones albums to buy, go to allmusic,com and look up the Stones' discography they have great reviewers and it will give you an idea of some decent compilations besides 40 Licks. Also, read Keith Richards' autobiography when it comes out this summer.
So up until 1965 they were just one of those British Invasion bands playing American music and they kind of got lost in the wash, although they always gave the impression that they were a bit harder edged than some of their counterparts and especially the Beatles. But their big breakthrough as songwriters came when Keith Richards woke up with the riff for "Satisfaction" in his head in Clearwater, Florida. He was going to give it to Otis Redding to sing, which Otis eventually did, but he kept it and this eventually started a great partnership of Jagger-Richards songs. Notice the name, much like Lennon-McCartney, Goffen-King, Leiber-Stoller. They emerged as great songwriters with numbers like "Ruby Tuesday" "Under My Thumb" and "Paint It Black." They showed they weren't afraid to shock with songs like "Let's Spend The Night Together." This was certainly not commonplace in 1966, and even if songs were about sex, they were never expressed so bluntly. As the Beatles faded out at the end of the 60s, the Stones stepped in with a series of stellar albums that showed diversity, prowess, and most of all talent. This series of albums is just as good as any stretch by a rock and roll group ever. It started with "Beggar's Banquet" then "Let It Bleed" then "Sticky Fingers" and finally their masterpiece and ultimate tribute to American roots music "Exile On Main St." which is an album I think everyone should own. All of these are great purchases by the way. I would love to go into more detail about these albums but unfortunately there is little time and I want to get to the rest of the notes at this point. I also apologize for not posting this stuff earlier but it has been pretty hectic on my end catching up on work and dealing with my own responsibilities.
I would also elaborate on Altamont, but I think the excerpt we watched from "Gimme Shelter" told you guys all you needed to know, which is Free Concert+Hells Angels+Beer+Drugs=Death. The man apparently had a gun, which the video showed, but no one deserved to die at the Altamont Festival, and it was one of the great tragedies in the music world to that time. Rather than have me tell you which Stones albums to buy, go to allmusic,com and look up the Stones' discography they have great reviewers and it will give you an idea of some decent compilations besides 40 Licks. Also, read Keith Richards' autobiography when it comes out this summer.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Gram Parsons and My Return To The Blogosphere
Hey rock n' roll fans. I know it has been a while and I apologize for the sabbatical, but I unfortunately had to have minor surgery to remove a cyst from my lower back last week and was out of commission. But I want to say that I should be updating this blog several times this week and getting everyone caught up on what you may have missed. I also will take this time to say that most of my blogs from here on out are going to be monotheistic in that I want to concentrate on a few of my very favorite artists. I will splash in some of the logistics, but I feel like until now I really haven't gotten on my soapbox as much as I would've liked and so now I will. Man I changed a lot of verb tenses there.
Today I am going to talk about Gram Parsons. This might not excite some of you, especially since I noticed a lot of puzzled looks on your faces when we listened to his music in class. It's perfectly natural to feel that way, because Gram was always a bit out of his time. He was playing hardcore, Bakersfield-style country at a time when country music and rock n' roll, ideologically were on complete opposite sides of the spectrum. During the mid-60's country and the people who listened to it were seen as unsympathetic, racist, ultra-patriotic rednecks who had no idea where to find the pulse of the world. But that is why Gram was a magical figure for music, because he thought that none of this mattered. Music, to Gram, could not be manipulated or politicized. He often referred to his vision as "Cosmic American Music" a harmonious blend of rock n' roll, jazz, country, and blues. During his time he probably came closest to this vision with his work on "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" with the Byrds and "The Gilded Palace of Sin" with The Flying Burrito Brothers. Both albums I strongly recommend, not only because they are musically fantastic, but because if you care about rock n' roll at all, and its development, these albums are absolutely essential. They influenced bands like The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Poco, Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, and to a lesser extent, My Morning Jacket. Gram, though albeit slowly at first, showed the 60's counterculture that country music was not far from what they sought and what they listened to. More than any other country artist, he showed me and people like me who had always turned a cold shoulder to country, that there was beauty, poetry and most importantly, soul to the music. Often times people said Gram sang like a soul singer, only with a pedal steel guitar behind him. I think it was because he was such a great historian of country music. Keith Richards always said that Gram knew an endless amount of country songs, and Chris Hillman, his longtime bandmate said that Gram "just felt it." He learned from the styles of George Jones, who he called the king of broken hearts, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Hank Williams, Conway Twitty, The Louvin Brothers, and the Everly Brothers. Another great part of being addicted to Gram, he takes you as far backward as he did forward.
Unfortunately for us, Gram left too soon. He died of an overdose at the Joshua Tree Hotel in California at the age of 26. But he left his mark firmly within the world of music, especially the Southern California scene. I remember hearing Gram for the first time about two years ago. It was a duet between him and Emmylou Harris called "The Return of The Grievous Angel." At the time I could not free myself from the song. I listened to it over, and over, and over again. I was mesmerized by the beautiful imagery of America, by the angelic harmonies he sang with Emmylou, and most of all by the pedal steel guitar, which Gram always insisted should flood the song. You'll certainly hear this when you listen to the FFB, it's an album long solo for Sneaky Pete. Much like an Otis Redding, Gram came to perform most whole-heartedly on his ballads, and I feel in love with them. From then I moved on into the rest of his repertoire with The Byrds and The International Submarine Band. Hot Burrito No. 1 still gives me goosebumps, and I think that is why he is so special to so many people. Because he made them feel normal listening to his music. They didn't have to be in Nashville to feel it. They could identify whether they were in L.A. or New York. Gram's biggest downfall, aside from his musical deficiencies which are well documented, (he was an average guitar player at best, and an adequate piano player) was drugs. His privileged childhood as a member of one of the wealthiest families in the first half of the 20th century gave him an unlimited amount of money, an unquenchable thirst for extravagance, and an idea that he was special. Though he couldn't walk into Gold Star studios and ask to sit in with The Wrecking Crew, he knew he was going to be a star from day one, and he did everything to make it happen. Although living like a star drained his ambition and eventually killed him. So, unlike a Jimi Hendrix, or a Janis Joplin, or a Nick Drake or Kurt Kobain, I don't really long for Gram to be alive. He seemed comfortable the way he was, and he knew what he was in for. Musically I don't know if he could have given us much more, because he became increasingly lackadaisical near the end of his career. These other artists had plans, to change music, and they probably would have. Gram would have just said he wanted to and got stoned. Was Gram passionate?Yes, deeply. But was he driven? Fuck no. So maybe the world was fine the way Gram left it, early and unexpectedly. After all, that's what stars long for, unpredictability.
If any of you are interested in Gram, then I recommend you buy many things. For some reason there is a burst of Gram-related media on the market right now, and I have no idea why, but I suppose it's as good a time as any. I found a great book when I was last in New York called "Twenty Thousand Roads: The Ballad Of Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Music" by David Meyer. It is a fantastically detailed and entertaining biography. I don't normally call bios page turners but Gram's life was extraordinary. Also, the first two albums by the Flying Burrito Brothers, "The Gilded Palace of Sin" and "Burrito Deluxe" are being packaged together right now for like 14 bucks. It's certainly money well spent. Recently released in 2007 was a live double album of the Burrito Brothers live at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco. While it's not a spectacular live album it does have some great Merle Haggard, George Jones, WIllie Nelson, Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison covers on it, among fantastic originals. Dr. McKeen also made me an anthology called "Sleepless Nights" which is a double disc chronicling his entire career. I'd be happy to lend any of these things to you, or burn you copies.
Below I've included some youtube links. The first one is a trailer for "Fallen Angel" the documentary. The second is the video for "Christine's Tune" and the third is a performance by Ryan Adams and Emmylou Harris of "The Return of The Grievous Angel" which does the original justice. Bernie Leadon plays guitar. Enjoy. I'll be in touch soon with more blogs, it's been lovely, and I'd have you anytime-DXL.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9cmUWNO_YSs
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BITiY8M_oDo&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=z_ie8BDBSZs
Today I am going to talk about Gram Parsons. This might not excite some of you, especially since I noticed a lot of puzzled looks on your faces when we listened to his music in class. It's perfectly natural to feel that way, because Gram was always a bit out of his time. He was playing hardcore, Bakersfield-style country at a time when country music and rock n' roll, ideologically were on complete opposite sides of the spectrum. During the mid-60's country and the people who listened to it were seen as unsympathetic, racist, ultra-patriotic rednecks who had no idea where to find the pulse of the world. But that is why Gram was a magical figure for music, because he thought that none of this mattered. Music, to Gram, could not be manipulated or politicized. He often referred to his vision as "Cosmic American Music" a harmonious blend of rock n' roll, jazz, country, and blues. During his time he probably came closest to this vision with his work on "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" with the Byrds and "The Gilded Palace of Sin" with The Flying Burrito Brothers. Both albums I strongly recommend, not only because they are musically fantastic, but because if you care about rock n' roll at all, and its development, these albums are absolutely essential. They influenced bands like The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Poco, Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, and to a lesser extent, My Morning Jacket. Gram, though albeit slowly at first, showed the 60's counterculture that country music was not far from what they sought and what they listened to. More than any other country artist, he showed me and people like me who had always turned a cold shoulder to country, that there was beauty, poetry and most importantly, soul to the music. Often times people said Gram sang like a soul singer, only with a pedal steel guitar behind him. I think it was because he was such a great historian of country music. Keith Richards always said that Gram knew an endless amount of country songs, and Chris Hillman, his longtime bandmate said that Gram "just felt it." He learned from the styles of George Jones, who he called the king of broken hearts, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Hank Williams, Conway Twitty, The Louvin Brothers, and the Everly Brothers. Another great part of being addicted to Gram, he takes you as far backward as he did forward.
Unfortunately for us, Gram left too soon. He died of an overdose at the Joshua Tree Hotel in California at the age of 26. But he left his mark firmly within the world of music, especially the Southern California scene. I remember hearing Gram for the first time about two years ago. It was a duet between him and Emmylou Harris called "The Return of The Grievous Angel." At the time I could not free myself from the song. I listened to it over, and over, and over again. I was mesmerized by the beautiful imagery of America, by the angelic harmonies he sang with Emmylou, and most of all by the pedal steel guitar, which Gram always insisted should flood the song. You'll certainly hear this when you listen to the FFB, it's an album long solo for Sneaky Pete. Much like an Otis Redding, Gram came to perform most whole-heartedly on his ballads, and I feel in love with them. From then I moved on into the rest of his repertoire with The Byrds and The International Submarine Band. Hot Burrito No. 1 still gives me goosebumps, and I think that is why he is so special to so many people. Because he made them feel normal listening to his music. They didn't have to be in Nashville to feel it. They could identify whether they were in L.A. or New York. Gram's biggest downfall, aside from his musical deficiencies which are well documented, (he was an average guitar player at best, and an adequate piano player) was drugs. His privileged childhood as a member of one of the wealthiest families in the first half of the 20th century gave him an unlimited amount of money, an unquenchable thirst for extravagance, and an idea that he was special. Though he couldn't walk into Gold Star studios and ask to sit in with The Wrecking Crew, he knew he was going to be a star from day one, and he did everything to make it happen. Although living like a star drained his ambition and eventually killed him. So, unlike a Jimi Hendrix, or a Janis Joplin, or a Nick Drake or Kurt Kobain, I don't really long for Gram to be alive. He seemed comfortable the way he was, and he knew what he was in for. Musically I don't know if he could have given us much more, because he became increasingly lackadaisical near the end of his career. These other artists had plans, to change music, and they probably would have. Gram would have just said he wanted to and got stoned. Was Gram passionate?Yes, deeply. But was he driven? Fuck no. So maybe the world was fine the way Gram left it, early and unexpectedly. After all, that's what stars long for, unpredictability.
If any of you are interested in Gram, then I recommend you buy many things. For some reason there is a burst of Gram-related media on the market right now, and I have no idea why, but I suppose it's as good a time as any. I found a great book when I was last in New York called "Twenty Thousand Roads: The Ballad Of Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Music" by David Meyer. It is a fantastically detailed and entertaining biography. I don't normally call bios page turners but Gram's life was extraordinary. Also, the first two albums by the Flying Burrito Brothers, "The Gilded Palace of Sin" and "Burrito Deluxe" are being packaged together right now for like 14 bucks. It's certainly money well spent. Recently released in 2007 was a live double album of the Burrito Brothers live at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco. While it's not a spectacular live album it does have some great Merle Haggard, George Jones, WIllie Nelson, Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison covers on it, among fantastic originals. Dr. McKeen also made me an anthology called "Sleepless Nights" which is a double disc chronicling his entire career. I'd be happy to lend any of these things to you, or burn you copies.
Below I've included some youtube links. The first one is a trailer for "Fallen Angel" the documentary. The second is the video for "Christine's Tune" and the third is a performance by Ryan Adams and Emmylou Harris of "The Return of The Grievous Angel" which does the original justice. Bernie Leadon plays guitar. Enjoy. I'll be in touch soon with more blogs, it's been lovely, and I'd have you anytime-DXL.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9cmUWNO_YSs
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BITiY8M_oDo&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=z_ie8BDBSZs
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