GRAM FINALE – Gram Parsons & ‘GRIEVOUS ANGEL’

[email protected] October 4, 2021

Once you start looking it is not difficult to spot certain similarities between the extraordinary talents that were Gram Parsons and Warren Zevon. Each was a songwriter of rare wit and originality, capable of inducing heartache one moment and hilarity the next, their turn of phrase rarely without insight or candour.

True, there are also differences. After blazing the formative and most influential country-rock trail of them all through his membership of The Byrds, Flying Burrito Bros and all too briefly as a solo artist, Parsons, having paved the way for popularist purveyors of the sound such as the Eagles, fell prey to a drug overdose at the tender age of 26 in September 1973.

Zevon, meanwhile, the younger man by three months, had barely began his career when Parsons entered that great recording studio in the sky, living to the age of 56 before succumbing to cancer in 2003 – although given his well (often self) documented alcohol excesses of the 70s and 80s, it is tempting to suggest Zevon got to be Parsons longer than Gram did.

While their gift for lyrical poignancy and tendency toward self-destruction (Zevon less wanton or perhaps just more fortunate in this regard) are shared traits, they are also connected by the sad irony of effectively writing their own epitaphs.

Zevon, aware his time was short, managed to complete ‘The Wind‘ an emotional, but never mawkish set, although sadly did not live quite long enough to see it win a 2003 Grammy for best album – this a final ironic twist in a career of many (one wonders where the judges were thirty years before when he was writing rings around all and sundry).

With Parsons on the other hand, the story, in keeping with much of his relatively short, often chaotic life, is even more despairing. On completing work on his second solo album in the early fall of 1973, again featuring superb harmony vocal contributions from sublime songstress Emmylou Harris, Parsons headed out of L.A. with a small entourage bound for Yucca Valley. On checking into the Joshua Tree Inn a bout of drug taking ensued, Parsons receiving what proved a lethal shot of morphine and despite attempts to revive him was pronounced dead in the small hours of September 19.

With his final recordings ready for release, the posthumous ‘GRIEVOUS ANGEL‘ (January 1974) subsequently appeared. Accentuated by the emotive closing track, ‘In My Hour of Darkness,’ there is an acute sense of finality attached to a record that is affirming of his genius, occasionally flawed, always engaging and at times deeply moving.

‘His exit was perfect‘ lamented devotee Elvis Costello a few years later, a comment tragically accurate for the time Parsons died, although the many highlights of ‘Grievous Angel‘ and its 1973 predecessor ‘GP‘ emphasise the sense of waste that accompanied his passing.

Born to wealthy Floridian parents whose fortune had been accrued from orange plantations, the episodes of suicide and alcoholism within the family made his background something from the pages of a Tennessee Williams play. After quickly dropping out of Harvard, at seventeen he formed the International Submarine Band, already harbouring ambitions of fusing country music with Beatle-based pop. But on the group making no headway in New York they decamped to Los Angeles where they were signed by a minor label – the ensuing ‘Safe at Home‘ LP while sinking without trace, coming to be regarded as the first bona fide country rock record.

By the time it appeared the band had in fact dissolved, Parsons by now a member of The Byrds, his burgeoning reputation in L.A. music circles leading to an offer of replacing David Crosby in the seminal folk-rockers. His tenure as a Byrd lasted less than six months but coincided with release of groundbreaking Byrds album ‘Sweetheart of the Rodeo‘ – Parsons at the helm for this sudden switch to the country path for an internationally renowned group whose reputation had been made by coating the folk songs of Bob Dylan with chiming 6 & 12 string electric guitars and soaring harmony vocals.

Due to his abrupt departure from the group, Parsons refusing to countenance a Byrds tour to South Africa due to his opposition to apartheid, his vocal contributions are virtually wiped from the record – but among the swathe of country standards he pens the two original songs, both of which (‘Hickory Wind‘, ‘One Hundred Years From Now‘) are magnificent compositions.

As a foundation stone of country rock, the importance of ‘Sweetheart of the Rodeo‘ cannot be overestimated – even if Byrd followers had their feathers ruffled by this change of direction. ‘It was the worst selling album The Byrds ever made‘, reflected head Byrds honcho Roger McGuinn decades later, ‘and the one I am most often asked about.’

No sooner had Parsons quit than bass player Chris Hillman also jumped ship and on the two deciding to team up once more, recruited another ex-Byrd in drummer Michael Clarke and formed The Flying Burrito Bros. With Chris Ethridge (keyboards) and ‘Sneaky’ Pete Klienow (pedal steel) joining the fray, they were quickly signed to A&M Records, Parsons the driving force behind ‘The Gilded Palace of Sin‘ (1969) a wondrous fusion of rock, country and soul, whose innovations made it a standout debut record for the ages.

Lauded by the critics and with high praise coming from Dylan no less, the notion of it being ahead of its time was reflected in poor sales and although Parsons stuck around for a follow-up (the less-assured ‘Burrito Deluxe‘), his lack of interest in future plans led to him leaving before 1970 was out.

Now a fully-fledged reveller-in-arms of Keith Richards, Parsons would spend time with the Stones during their early-70s decamp to the south of France, his influence evident in the country-tinged material heard across both ‘Sticky Fingers‘ and ‘Exile on Main Street.’

When plans to record an album with Richards as producer ran aground, Parsons returned to America. With his personal life in its perennial state of disarray and career seemingly heading nowhere, salvation arrived when Hillman put him in touch with struggling female folk-balladeer Emmylou Harris and hearing in her the harmony accompaniment he sought, managed to sell his vision of a country duets record with rock overtones to Reprise Records who gave him a two-album deal.

Through his oft-cited charm he managed to persuade legendary Elvis sidemen Ron Tutt (drums), Glen D. Hardin (keyboards) and James Burton (guitar) to appear on the record, this holy trinity forming the core of a supporting cast that also includes former Traffic/Blind Faith bassist (and close friend) Ric Grech along with L.A. session stalwarts Byron Berline (fiddle) and Buddy Emmons (pedal steel).

In the event ‘GP‘ was too wildly inconsistent to be declared a masterpiece. Yet at its most inspired such as on two of his own songs, (‘A Song for You,’ ‘She‘) and cover of ‘We’ll Sweep Out The Ashes in the Morning‘ – on which Harris delivers a verse on her own with singing of the highest order – there was no doubt that in his authenticity Parsons captured the true essence of ‘country rock.’

Too raw for mainstream ears, ‘GP‘ (January 1973) was easily swamped in terms of sales by the Stones colourful variations on the theme and more gallingly for him, the commercial country inflections utilised by the Eagles which turned their 1972 debut LP into an immediate best-seller.

Following a low-key US tour in the summer of 1973, ‘low key’ in terms of venues at least, (away from the stage Parsons spent a night in jail, was often drunk, a band of backing musicians known as the ‘Fallen Angels‘ showed little abstinence in the drinking stakes, the shows themselves often saved by the professionalism of Harris), many of the same players from the ‘GP‘ dates were assembled to work on the next Parsons/Harris collaboration.

As recording began the retinue was extended to include Presley bassist Emory Gordy, singer par excellence Linda Ronstadt and Eagles guitarist Bernie Leadon, who had previously played with Parsons in the ‘Burrito Deluxe‘ incarnation of the Flying Burrito Bros.

While several present attest to Parsons maintaining a steady intake of drink and drugs through the late-summer recording process, the sessions were said to have had more structure than those of the previous record. As a result, ‘Grievous Angel‘ has a more cohesive feel, minds remaining focused in relation to sequencing and flow.

The album begins with ‘Return of the Grievous Angel‘ a song that would become the most recognisable piece from his brief solo career. Adapting the lyric from a poem by Ian Brown, Parsons conjures scenes from a road trip with modern mythological overtones, complete with references to ‘truckers‘, ‘prairies with those waves of grain‘ and ‘cowboy angels.’

On occasion it is hard to pin down exactly what is happening, the king ‘with an amphetamine crown‘ perhaps an allusion to Elvis, but whatever the symbolism or meaning it is a joyous piece. Harris and Parsons blend their voices to wonderful effect, his engagement exemplified when Burton comes to the fore with a mid-song electric guitar solo after the track so far has been carried along by acoustic guitar, piano, pedal steel and violin – Gram issuing the invite to ‘pick it for me James‘ to which the ace guitarist obliges with aplomb.

If nothing else the next two songs prove that between them Parsons, Harris and the Presley posse of players could make even the most unremarkable material sound engaging.

The Walter Egan/Tom Guidera composition ‘Hearts on Fire‘ is a lament to lost love that holds back on the country nuances in becoming a pop ballad of the time, only with rougher edges. The upbeat backing track to ‘I Can’t Dance‘ is meat and drink to the band who were playing variations of this arrangement behind Presley night after night in concert – as such it is a surprise this country-rocker written by Tom T. Hall did not find a way into his repertoire, although Elvis had arguably covered the same ground with his recent ‘Burning Love‘ hit.

In contrast ‘Brass Buttons‘ is a gorgeous Parsons penned piano ballad, the composer finally bringing to prominence a song he had failed to cut satisfactorily, despite several attempts, during the past six years.

The only cut on which Harris does not appear, Parsons delivers a heartfelt, yet restrained vocal, his voice appearing to quiver when faced by reminders of a former lover:

‘Her words still dance inside my head, her comb stills lies beside my bed/And the sun comes up without her, it doesn’t know she’s gone/But I remember every word she said.’

Covered many times since by artists ranging from Poco to Rod Stewart, the Parsons take is masterful in its delicacy and understatement – with the same to be said for ‘$1,000 Wedding,’ his ability to paint vivid images shown at its finest since the Burritos debut set.

Narrating the tale of a groom jilted at the altar, the protagonist is aware of something amiss when sees people passing notes, making the concession of ‘I’d even like to see her mean old mama‘ if it will improve the situation. Singing the first verse on his own to the accompaniment of piano and mournful electric guitar, Harris joins him for when the story takes a dark twist:

‘I hate to tell you how he acted when the news arrived/He took some friends out drinking and it’s lucky they survived.’

Boasting the same cinematic quality long evident in the work of Joni Mitchell, Parsons finds the perfect balance between detail (‘The Reverend Dr. William Grace was talking to the crowd‘) and drama. At the end of this sorrowful story comes the summation of ‘It’s been a bad, bad day‘ – the line delivered with such sad realisation by Gram it should leave nobody in any doubt of why he continues to be held in such reverence.

Whether a cover of the Louvin Brothers ‘Cash on the Barrelhead‘ was included on the back of Parsons spending a night behind bars during the recent ‘Fallen Angels’ tour is unknown (‘When the judge heard the verdict I was a guilty man/Forty five dollars or forty days in the can‘) but everyone appears to be having the time of their lives through a performance brimming with exuberance.

Proceedings are given an amusing twist by the song being recorded against the canned background noise of a crowded barroom, some humorous interjections and clinking of glasses coming forth before the ‘Medley Live From Northern Quebec‘, to give it the title bestowed on the LP sleeve, is completed by an emotional run through of ‘Hickory Wind‘ – his ‘Sweetheart of the Rodeo‘ masterpiece from five years before.

One of the great homesick songs of all time, (in this case for South Carolina) and certainly the most poetic, with the clear, rich tones of Harris adding to the resonance, it is hard, no impossible, not to be moved by such touching sentiments as, ‘Now when I’m lonely, I always pretend/I’m getting the feel of hickory wind,’ the far from home connotations emphasised by a sombre violin solo and gentle piano work.

In terms of singing as a duo their rendition of the Boudleaux Bryant pop standard ‘Love Hurts,’ previously a hit for the Everly Brothers, is the pinnacle of their vocal performances together, Parsons and Harris yet to see their work on this track bettered by any male/female pairing since. The emotion instilled into each line is apparent but never overstated or over-sung – and when he sounds in danger of not making the last climb in a song where the vagaries of love have been laid bare, Parsons manfully follows when Harris leads the way to holding the final line.

The mood shifts again with the strident country rock of ‘Ooh Las Vegas‘ a song Parsons wrote with Grech during the ‘GP‘ sessions. It is an instantly memorable piece bursting with spirit – literally when Parsons spells out the tribulations in falling prey to the Nevada gambling metropolis:

‘Well, the first time I lose I drink whiskey, second time I lose I drink gin/Third time I lose I drink anything, cause I think I’m gonna win.’

The farewell intimations long associated with the record are based on the hymn-like closing track ‘In My Hour of Darkness‘ – Gram asking the Lord to grant him vision and speed when the final reckoning arrives.

During the three verses (in receiving a songwriting credit Harris later revealed her input had been with the arrangement, but Parsons sportingly gave her co-write status), Gram writes deeply affecting lines about three friends, actor Brandon De Wilde, Byrds guitarist Clarence White and father figure Sid Kaiser, who were all recently deceased – the words relating to White particularly touching:

‘He played to people everywhere, some say he was a star/But he was just a country boy, his simple songs confess/And the music he had in him, so very few possess.’

With Ronstadt adding her exquisite tones to the vocals, in the chorus the song becomes part-prayer and sadly, part prophecy due to the fate that would shortly befall him – Parsons dead just days after recording the track.

Indeed, momentarily Gram Parsons became more famous in death than he had ever been when alive. At the funeral of White, killed by a drunk driver, two months before, Parsons and road manager Phil Kaufman made a drunken pact that if either were to die, the other was to a carry out a private, illegal, cremation in the Joshua Tree National Park which forms part of the Southern California desert.

Following an extraordinary, often bizarre sequence of events, Kaufman secured release of Parsons’ coffin from Los Angeles International Airport where it was scheduled to be flown to New Orleans for burial, he and an associate driving away to grant Gram’s wishes – the incident with all its body-snatching undertones and macabre scenarios (not to mention anger of the Parsons family), for years a bigger part of rock folklore than any music he recorded.

On release in January 1974 ‘Grievous Angel‘ drew measured praise from the critics, but not even dying proved a good career move for Gram Parsons, the record spending one week (at 195) in the Billboard Top 200 album chart before disappearing from view, along with pretty much his entire musical legacy.

Harris made sterling attempts to keep his influence prominent, but his last album became little more than a mid-70s curio as the Eagles became the mainstream face of country pop, their sanitised version of what Parsons began with The Byrds and Burritos putting them on the road to world domination.

Thus, it would take the emergence of a generation of acts labelled ‘Alternative Country’ (Lucinda Williams, Dwight Yoakam, Gillian Welch among others recognising their debt to him), to bring his name to the foreground of rock innovation, the music of Gram Parsons now being described as ‘Cosmic American Music.’

With this came long overdue reappraisal of ‘Grievous Angel‘ and with the re-recordings of ‘Brass Buttons‘ and ‘Hickory Wind‘ and closing allusions of ‘In My Hour of Darkness‘ many began to grasp its final chapter status, not just for Gram but the first wave of pure country rock, a wave he had been instrumental in setting in motion.

Today ‘Grievous Angel‘ is an obvious entry in any ‘Greatest Albums Ever Made’ roster (192 on the last list Rolling Stone compiled), Parsons acknowledged as a true pioneer – his inventive forays into meshing country with rock as important as what Bob Dylan created by blending folk and rock, the contribution of Gram Parsons therefore incalculable on the development of popular music.

Like Warren Zevon he was a maverick, more of an innovator, no less an original. Of all their likenesses the most telling is that both will be listened to for a very long time to come – their song-craft still to be appreciated, as Gram put it himself, ‘One Hundred Years From Now.’

GRAM PARSONS – ‘GRIEVOUS ANGEL‘ (Released January 1974):

Return of the Grievous Angel/Hearts on Fire/I Can’t Dance/Brass Buttons/$1000 Wedding/Medley Live from Northern Quebec a) Cash on the Barrelhead b) Hickory Wind/Love Hurts/Ooh Las Vegas/In My Hour of Darkness;

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