SE 5, EP 10: Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel

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On this episode, we discuss Grievous Angel, the last album recorded by one of the most interesting, tragic, and influential people in modern music: Gram Parsons.   

In just six short years, from 1967 until his death in the fall of 1973, Gram Parson help pioneer what would become known as country rock, or what he preferred to call  "Cosmic American Music." In those six years, he made several landmark albums with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, as well recording two solo albums. None were commercially successful at the time of their release, but they cast a long shadow on the music of the later half of the 20th Century, and continue to do so today. Its difficult for modern listeners to understand how unique and innovative Parsons vision of blending elements of country, rock, folk, and (most importantly) soul was at the time because it has influenced so much that came after that its uniqueness gets lost crowd.

For Grievous Angel, Parsons was able to get some of the best musicians in the business backing him. He also could recognize talent when he saw it and knew having Emmy Lou Harris as his duet partner would create magic, which it most certainly did. 

Released just months after Parsons untimely death, and containing some of his most beautiful, songs Grievous Angel is a remarkable and poignant album that chronicles Parsons influences and his devotion to traditional country music, while showcasing his ability to blend those influences with other genres into something entirely original.  

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