That isn't the only jacked up thing on this list. First of all, they put Greatest Hits albums on the list. How is that an album? It's not. If it was an album, is Madonna's greatest hits the best American album ever? Not freaking remotely close. Since I don't have time to come up with 100, here is my Top Ten Best American Albums That Are So Good That I Put Them In My Top Ten:

10. The Replacements, "Let It Be" - Every indie rock band should thank Paul Westerburg on a daily basis.
9. Pavement, "Slanted & Enchanted" - Every indie rock band should thank Stephen Malkmus on a daily basis.
8. Beck, "Odelay" - He is Prince for white guys.
7. Prince, "Sign O The Times" - He is Prince...and he is funky.
6. Nirvana, "Nevermind" - Being depressed has never been as much fun.
5. Bob Dylan, "Blonde On Blonde" - "You don't own 'Blonde On Blonde'? Don't tell anyone that you don't own 'Blonde On Blonde'. It's gonna be okay."
4. Michael Jackson, "Thriller" - See above.
3. Stevie Wonder, "Songs In The Key Of Life" - Does Stevie get the credit for his social message that he delivered? Nope. Is "Sir Duke" freaking genius? Yep.
2. Bob Dylan, "Highway 61 Revisited" - Rock 'n' roll Bob at his finest.
1. The Beach Boys, "Pet Sounds" - The greatest album ever made. Period.

Cinematically Correct note: This top ten list could change at any time on any day as I have Fickle-Music Head Syndrome.

Check out the LA WEEKLY for the tribute show that went down in Joshua Tree.

Trailer for Fallen Angel:

El matrimonio musical entre Gram Parsons y Chris Hillman se remonta a su etapa en The Byrds.

Si la aparición de Gram Parsons en The Byrds vino a subsanar la salida de David Crosby, a la postre lo que provocó fue una nueva escisión en el grupo. Tras la publicación de Sweetheart of the rodeo, Hillman y Parsons decidieron proseguir su colaboración en una nueva formación, Flying Burrito Brothers.

Tampoco esta unión se libraría de desavenencias y, tras grabar dos discos, Gram Parsons echa a volar en solitario.

El primero de estos discos fue The gilded Palace of Sin. Este trabajo sigue la estela del anterior conjunto y se inscribe de lleno en el sonido Country Rock.

Los temas están escritos casi en su mayoría por el dúo Hillman/Parsons que se encarga aquí de  la guitarra rítmica yla mandolina y deja el bajo a Chris Ethridge, antiguo miembro de la International Submarine Band, primera formación de Parsons, con el que compone dos de sus canciones más celebradas, Hot Burrito #1 y Hot Burrito #2.

Con el bluesman  Barry Goldberg escribe Do you know how it feels.

Hay también dos versiones de Dan Penn Do right woman, junto a Chips Moman, y Dark end of the street, co-escrita con Spooner Oldham.

Burrito Deluxe por su parte tiene un aire más hetedoxo. Hay paisajes que suenan muy sixties y si en Swetheart of the rodeo fue Gram Parsons quien influyó para llevar el sonido de The Byrds hacia el Contry Rock, en este disco parece que la herencia Byrds gravite sobre él.

Personalmente me gusta más que el primero.

En Burrito Deluxe aparece por vez primera Wild Horses de The Rolling Stones. Además hay otros cover como Image of me de Harlan Howard y If you gotta go, go de Bob Dylan.

En el apartado de audio dejo Hippie boy y Lazy Days, ambos de Burrito Deluxe.

En los vídeos dos temas de The gilded Palace of Sin, Christine's Tune y Sin City. De Burrito Deluxe, Older guys.

Hippie boy

[audio="http://www.goear.com/files/sst5/304fa9ce756fdde7cbf7fd7f94fe95af.mp3"]

Lazy days

[audio="http://www.goear.com/files/sst5/75c7e6de53ce8217f6f594960254c295.mp3"]

Sin City

Older guys

Christine's Tune

A finales de 1973 se publica el último álbum grabado en vida por Gram Parsons, Grievous Angel.

Poco antes, el 19 de septiembre, había aparecido su cuerpo sin vida en el motel Joshua Tree Inn. La razón de la muerte, sobredosis de heroína, morfina y alcohol.

Lo cierto es que los últimos tiempos de Gram Parsons fueron convulsos. Líos de faldas, movidas con la banda, adicciones múltiples hacen que el músico busque refugio en el desierto de South California.

Parece ser que no había voluntad de rehabilitación en este retiro, como algunos afirman, ya que en la localidad de The Joshua Tree, las fiestas protagonizadas por Gram Parsons llevaban fama, pues duraban días enteros. Lo cierto es que si las fiestas duraban días las resacas no lo hacían menos.

Pero ni siquiera muerto  encontró la paz definitiva. Su propio cadáver fue objeto de disputa.

Por un lado su padrastro buscaba trasladarlo a Nueva Orleans para, de esa forma, convertirse en heredero de su hijo adoptivo.

Sin embargo Phil Kauphman, mánager y amigo, cumpliendo su última voluntad lleva el cuerpo a Cap Rock, en el Parque Natural de Joshua Tree,  y allí le prende fuego y esparce sus cenizas en  el desierto.

Hace 35 años en The Joshua Tree falleció Gram Parsons.

Sólo tenía 26 años.

Dejó un legado musical inmenso que, a día de hoy, sigue siendo reivindicado por cantidad de músicos.

Mientras preparo la siguiente entrada sobre los Flying Burrito Brothers os propongo estos dos vídeos.

El primero de ellos es de la canción Love Hurts de Boudleaux Bryant y que grabara con Emiliou Harris en Grievous Angel, último disco de de Gram Parsons registrado en vida.

En esta ocasión está interpretado por Norah Jones y Keith Richards en el concierto homenaje a Gram Parsons que se celebró en 2004 con el nombre de Return to Sin City.

El segundo es de Wild Horses, canción compuesta por los Stones pero que grabara antes que ellos Gram Parsons con los Flyin en Burrito Deluxe segundo y último disco que grabara con esta formación antes de iniciar su carrera en solitario.

Love hurts. Nora Jones and Keith Richards

Wild Horses. The Rolling Stones

Corta pero intensa la vida del personaje del Rocketón de hoy.

Como todos los genios, Gram Parsons, de nombre real Cecil Ingram Connor, mostró de forma precoz su enorme talento y potencial.

Con 16 años, en 1960, forma su primera banda, The Pacers, en la que da rienda suelta a su pasión por el Rey, Elvis Presley.

Poco tardaría en entrar como vocalista en otra formación, The legends, en la que seguía el mismo rumbo del Rock and Roll. Aquí coincidió, entre otros, con quien luego sería conocido en la música folk como Lobo, Kent Lavoie.

Quién sabe si influído por él o por quien sería su representante, Buddy Freeman, Gram Parsons abandona The Legends y forma The Silos, grupo de orientación folk.

Sin embargo, marcha a Massachusets para estudiar en la Universidad de Harvard Teología. Curioso cuando menos, porque ya en este momento Gram parsons era, como tantos jóvenes yankees, un convencido practicante del Rock and Roll way of life.

De sus periplos musicales, de sus bolos, saca amistad con buena parte de la escena musical del momento.

Especialmente interesante es su amistad con Keith Richards otro que hacía del Sex, Drug and Rock and Roll su modus vivendi. Se ha señalado reiteradamente la influencia de Gram Parsons en el sonido de los Stones de aquellos años.

Paralelamente a estos acontecimientos otra banda, The Byrds, entra en crisis. Dos de sus integrantes David Crosby y Michael Clarke, guitarrista y batería respectivamente, abondonan la formación. Debido a la fuga, los otros miembros Robert Mcguinn y Chris Hillman, se ven en la necesidad de reclutar a nuevos miembros para la banda.

Y aquí es donde se juntan los caminos de The Byrds y los de Gram Parsons, para mayor gloria del Country Rock.

En la grabación de Sweetheart of the rodeo, Gram Parsons pone voz, guitarra y piano, sin embargo problemas legales hacen que quien finalmente aparezca como vocalsita principal sea Robert Mcguinn.

De la relación de Hillman y Parsons, que dio como resultado The Flying Burrito Brothers, hablaremos en próximas entregas.

En el apartado de audio dejo las dos únicas composiciones originales de este disco, obra de Gram Parsons, y la revisión que Hillman y Mcguinn hicieron del tradicional "I'm a pilgrim".

I'm a pilgrim

[audio="http://www.goear.com/files/sst4/597cf527ab1575c3ba810911fa36d8bf.mp3"]

Hickory wind

[audio="http://www.goear.com/files/sst4/83617b163a8a1d0bd7d5a3067d7503cd.mp3"]

One hundred years from now

[audio="http://www.goear.com/files/sst4/ce93452bbeb77cba8d36c6991f208e0d.mp3"]

You don't miss your water

Blue canadian rockies

]]> http://macmystery.wordpress.com/?p=185 Tue, 09 Sep 2008 06:24:04 +0000 macmystery http://macmystery.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/you-didnt-have-to-tell-me-it-was-a-classic/ [/caption]

Prefix, an online music magazine, has released a list of the Top 10 essential alt-country albums.

For the uninitiated, alt-country is a genre of music closely related to Americana. While classic artists such as Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris and Johnny Cash often find themselves included in the genre, it isn't synonymous with the country-rock fad of the 70s. You'll find no Eagles here.

For the most part, what is now known as alt-country originated with the band Uncle Tupelo, which split in the early 1990s into two major bands: the straightforward Son Volt and the more experimental and pop Wilco, both of which have an album on this list. The genre is best covered by the now-online-only magazine "No Depression," named for a Carter Family classic, Uncle Tupelo's debut album and an AOL user group.

The No. 1 album on the list is Steve Earle's El Corazon, one of several superb albums put out by Earle in the years since his incarceration for heroin posession in the early 1990s and my personal favorite. Other notable album's on the list include the Jayhawks' "Hollywood Town Hall," Loretta Lynn's "Van Lear Rose," Lucinda Williams' "Car Wheels On a Gravel Road" and Whiskeytown's "Strangers Almanac."

Here's a performance of "Christmas in Washington" from Earle's "El Corazon:"

A few years ago I became obsessed with Gram Parsons, known as the first country rocker, and his sad ballads became the soundtrack to my life. Not only was I in love with his music but I also absolutely loved his style. He was famous for wearing the same heavily embellished suits designed by Nudie that had previously only been worn by pure country musicians like Hank Williams. But Gram gave this suit a true rock and roll feel. Although he never became hugely successful himself he was the one to start country rock and inspired many of this genre to come; Keith Richards wrote the song "Wild Horses" for Gram, and his version was recorded before the Rolling Stones version.

So when I was living in New York and saw the Anna Sui Spring 2005 line I was so excited. Nudie was obviously a huge inspiration for this line. There was a suit designed much like the one Gram is wearing in the above picture and the male model she used for the show even looked like Gram.

I thought this may be my chance at finding a Nudie suit I could afford and I was excited to check out the shop. I went down to Soho to her boutique on Greene Street and there was a now hiring sign on the door. The girl I met was so nice and I was hired right away. And this was probably my favorite job I had in New York. Even though the pay was terrible it was a fun, we could play whatever music we wanted in the store, dress up in all the great clothes and all of the girls who worked there were cool and edgy, most were pierced and had tattoos. But the best was we got an 80% discount and got to go to her fashion week shows at Bryant Park.

So when the Spring 05 merchandise started arriving I was anxiously awaiting the Nudie suits from the show. And unfortunately they were for show only because the only thing that came close was the beaded lace up blouse I am wearing in the above picture. But, it reminds me of the great times I had working at that shop and at least I left with something Nudie inspired.

As viewers of Runnin' Down a Dream know, Mudcrutch was Tom Petty's original band.  Keyboardist Benmont Tench and guitarist Mike Campbell would go on to become Heartbreakers, Tom Leadon and drummer Randall Marsh would not.  Likely inspired by revisiting the past through making that film, Petty reunited the band, and Mudcrutch released their debut album a mere four decades after forming.

Believe it or not, the end result actually sounds like a band album, not a Tom Petty record with a slightly different version of the Heartbreakers backing him up.  For one, there are more songwriters than usual--two traditional songs, a Byrds song, the oft-covered "Six Days on the Road," and one each by Tench and Leadon.  Tench and Leadon take lead vocals on their songs, and Leadon provides harmonies throughout.

And it often sounds, appropriately, like a tribute to the musicians who inspired Mudcrutch those many decades ago, even when the songs are original.  More than one, particularly Leadon's "Queen of the Go-Go Girls," would fit quite neatly on a Gram Parsons album or Sweetheart of the Rodeo.

Sometimes it does sound like Petty--"Scare Easy" is his best single in years, and ought to be added to the Heartbreakers' live repetoire.  (Better yet, have Leadon and Marsh come out and play on it.)

Throughout, it sounds like what it is--a bunch of old friends having a blast playing together, and conveying every bit of that fun to the lucky listeners who purchased the album.  Here's hoping they do it again sometime.

"Scare Easy":

The Byrds' "Lover of the Bayou":

A short promotional video about the band's history and reunion:

Note: Mudcrutch is available in two versions--a standard CD, and an audiophile package that includes the album on both 180 gram vinyl and "full dynamic range" CD.  You can find out more about the two different releases in the articles and making-of videos linked here.  I have the audiophile package, and it sounds great.

"I'm walking to Tartine to get some coffee," she'll say. I can almost taste the warm croissant I would buy if i were going. People take photos of Tartine's wonderous pastries and they blog about their sandwiches.  This photo is from wishbone clover. 

I know that I am probably embellishing things already fixed in my memory from the time that I have spent in the city.

Although when I think of of the 70s in the Mission District I see strange, rumpled bunnies hopping home from a long night of sweet yet dubious adventure.

When I read chuck b's blog my back 40 I drool over the beautiful pix from Bernal Heights.

I imagine the cool air and the fog crawling through the low-lying areas of the city and I see myself scurrying through the streets among other creative open-minded people. In my good cherry-topped, whipped-cream dreams they are everywhere.

I'm sure there are still plenty of assholes, hustlers and those who suffer from unfiltered perceptions of reality but I'm dreaming here.

I find sites like this and imagine that by some miraculous twist of fate or by logical calculation I can come up with a way to transfer my money-making focal point four hours to the south.

I've just discovered the neighborhoods page at dreamworld.or's S.F. guide. Alfredo Jacobo Perez Gomez is the person behind this site. He has put up photo tours of some neighborhoods. They may be a couple of years old. I see a reference to 2005. It is delicious work, Alfredo.

Here is the Mission at 18th and Valencia:

Lovely photos from this West of Mission St.  neighborhood.

I have always dreamed of other lives, places and people no matter where I am. It's not that i am disatisfied. I think it's more about keeping a balance of reality and fantasy in my watery mind.

I know that I have it really good right where I am. In Redding I live with a great partner in a nice house. It's quiet and surrounded by lovely vegetation.

Our landlady employs a gardner so we don't have to mow the big lawn. We have plenty of room to do our artsy thing and we can afford to live here.

This place is not haunted by any unpeaceful entities, at least not any from the other world.

I believe that when it is time for things to change the doors will open.

I just like to peak through the windows while I'm waiting.

A flock of angels grace our back door.

Here's another one.

Sadly, she's had to cancel due to a family emergency. To say I'm disappointed would understate the situation considerably. Devastatingly crushed and heartbroken is more like it. Of course, my disappointment means nothing next to a family emergency, so Emmylou and her family are in my prayers. Whatever the situation is, I hope everything ends up fine. Please come back soon!

Here's a beautiful song from The Ballad of Sally Rose, which is out of print in the States but readily available as an import. The record is a bit obscure and shouldn't be--it's a concept album that is a fictional account of her relationship with the great Gram Parsons, and it's quite good. I'll get around to writing a real review one of these days, but in the meantime, here's "Sweet Chariot."

Rock of ages, cleft for me,

I swung down my hammer out in Joshua Tree

Det var mörkt när vi möttes utanför Mejeriet där de repade. Men under lysrören i lokalen blev det ingen bra känsla. Orden kom ut fel oavsett vad jag sa. Lyckades halvt förolämpa en kille för att han fått jobb ute på skånska landsbygden. Och den slutgiltiga spiken i kistan var när jag lyckades säga att nån låt (som de uppenbart gillade tokmycket) inte hade så mycket till melodi. Det var antingen Byrds One hundred years från Sweetheart of the Rodeo-skivan, eller nån låt med Son Volt. Själv var jag vid tillfället helt såld på två saker, Joni Mitchell och de tidiga albumen med Tim Buckley, där vindlande sångmelodier med akrobatiska språng var mer regel än undantag. De mer lågmälda countrymelodierna erbjöd mig då inte riktigt samma äventyrlighet.

Det hela slutade med att de konstaterade att "ja, sjunga kan du ju, men vi väntar nog och ser om vi kan hitta någon annan." Själv var jag för korkad eller för kaxig för att fatta dissen, så jag ringde upp en vecka senare och fick ett nej jag förstod. Istället gick jobbet till min korridorgranne Patriks kompis Jonas. Bandet fick med tiden namnet Motel North och nådde viss ryktbarhet runt Malmö.

Jag blev lite bättre på att gilla country sen. Nedan hittar ni en av låtarna vi repade under provsjungningen. Christine's Tune med Flying Burrito Brothers. Det är Gram med hatten. Fina Nudie suits, eller hur?//Carl

(You can't have Gram Parsons without Emmylou Harris.)

Mr. Hicks is quoted in Cantiello's article describing his "Grease" gig as,

“It’s a really cool part,” he said. “The Teen Angel comes down and tells Frenchy she should put down her teasing comb and go back to high school. I’ve kind of channeled Elvis, a little Graham Parsons and Liberace, all at the same time, for this role. It was just a perfect fit and a way for me to experience the Broadway stage in a small dose, instead of a full role. I come out in the second act. I pop in from an ice-cream cone, in a blue rhinestone suit, and rock it out for a few minutes.”

I get the Liberace comparison with the rhinestones and that pompador hairdo that Taylor Hicks wears for the role, and of course he'd toss in Elvis because, well, it is Elvis. But apparently the MTV guy or someone wasn't familiar with "Graham" Parsons. For one, they misspelled his name, which should read, 'Gram' Parsons, not like the sweet cracker spelling.

Now, I'm not seeing anything about Gram Parsons in Mr. Hicks' portrayal of Teen Angel but the light bulb flashed in my mind on the 'why' of Parsons being mentioned. I've read statements from Mr. Hicks in which he listed the Flying Burrito Brothers as a favorite and so that targets his being a fan of the late, underrated and talented Gram Parsons, but again, associating Parsons with the character in "Grease" a big stretch.

Taylor Hicks' fans, I'll share my little beam of light toward my thoughts on Gram Parsons, since it's not likely many of Hicks' mainstream fans are cognizant of who he was. Gram, over time, has become something of a cult figure in the music business. During Parsons' actual short lifetime he just missed that mark of hitting it big, and today, like I said, it's doubtful anyone but a music historian or music buff of this genre would know his name off the top of their head, now. That could be a likely excuse for a reporter or MTV editor to misspell the man's name. Hell MTV is more concerned over their mind zapping insipid, IQ deficit reality show fare over anything much to do with real music anymore anyway.

As it stands, Gram Parsons is now referred to as one of the pioneers behind the country-rock phenomenon that hit during the late 60s and early 70s. Parsons was a member of the Byrds at one time, and was that creative force driving "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" a country themed compilation released in 1968, considered by music aficionados as a classic of its time.

Most fans of music other than Pop, should recognize the name, "Flying Burrito Brothers", a band that was founded by Mr. Parsons. He was also instrumental in helping Emmylou Harris get her start in the industry when he invited her to sing on his solo album, GP, in 1973. He was a friend to the Rolling Stones and cast influence in their "Exile on Main Street" album. He was pals with Elvis Costello and Linda Ronstadt. You can also hear his influence in works by the Eagles, Tom Petty and New Riders of the Purple Sage (loved that band) and Pure Prairie League ("Amie") Sadly Gram Parsons died way too early from an accidental overdose, a lethal combination of alcohol and morphine.

Taylor Hicks has referred to his new CD to have somewhat of a country flavor. This is where and The Why Mr. Hicks is bringing up Gram Parsons' name. The new CD is reported to have a bit of a country music flair to it - steel guitars, that vibe. Man, it's smacked me upside the head this morning, I got it. Mr. Hicks once communicated about what he meant by the name, "Modern Whomp", his intention and ideals. Yes, man, what a great way to be reviewed later in the music annals as doing what Parsons did for the rock music scene back in his day - to be able to cast a new music vibe in today's era. Everyone has to have a dream, man. Taylor Hicks you are dreaming large, baby. A Change-a-Gonna Come, indeed.

Here's a little look back on Gram Parsons, circa 1973 in Houston, Texas at the Liberty Hall venue.

"Devil in Disguise" Flying Burrito Brothers

"In the late sixties they pioneered the country rock sound. They were never really a commercial success, but they were one of the most influential bands of the rock era, blending hillbilly soul and raucous rock. They paved the way for artists like the Eagles, Garth Brooks, Dwight Yoakam and others. Founding members Chris Hillman and Gram Hillman called it cosmic American music. The melding of acoustic instrumentation interrupted by searing electric guitar riffs was certainly a sound new to the music scene. Although the Gram and Hillman managed to stay together for only 3 years and 3 albums, their music would far outlast their shortened career."
quote from youtube source

Clarence White started his professional career as founding guitarist for the Kentucky Colonels, a progressive bluegrass outfit formed with his brothers. The Colonels were making a name for themselves in the Los Angeles area in the early '60s, but their dreams of fame were soon derailed by the one-two punch of the British Invasion, and Bob Dylan going electric. White quickly found plenty of session working on records by the likes of the Monkees, International Submarine Band, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, after which he landed with the Byrds. His tenure with the Byrds started in 1966 with the California-country years of Gram Parsons, a perfect home for his style of playing. In the years following the Byrds break-up, White went back to session work, working with Randy Newman and Jackson Browne. He also joined a bluegrass "supergroup" called Muleskinner, playing alongside Peter Rowan, David Grisman, Bill Keith and Richard Green. Muleskinner's contemporary sound would be the foundation of what would later be called "new grass." Then in the early morning hours of July 14, tragedy struck. While loading gear into his car after a Kentucky Colonels reunion gig, White was struck and killed by a drunk driver. He was just 29.

so last music monday was my top 10 bands of all-times, so i figured why not do the other side of the same coin, and feature my top 10 artists this week. of course anyone who knows me knows who #1 is, and that is johnny cash. there isn't an artist out there from past or present that i relate to more as a human being or have more love for.

and, anyone who knew me in high school knows that bob marley was my absolute hero. i still love the music, and as last week, he (and his amazing and underrated band the wailers) come in 2nd. a musical prophet like no other. here's "burnin' & lootin'".

my favorite living artist is david bazan, who is better known by the monikor he played under for a decade, pedro the lion. and this is my favorite song ever, and a heartbreaking version of it (for me), as bazan basically explains before playing that he no longer believes the words of the song, and that he'll not be playing it anymore. the last time i saw him live i tried to bribe him with a beer, but no dice. i'll never forget the frist time i saw him live and he ended the show with this song, and i was euphoric. bazan losing faith doesn't change my love for the music, and how much it impacted me when i first heard it, and continues to. and this song remains my favorite. here's "secret of the easy yoke".

ah, morrissey. what needs to be said. you saw him last week, too, with the smiths. the man is fantastical. that's all. it's really just that simple. here's moz doing a smiths song (probably my favorite smiths song) live, "there is a light that never goes out".

ok, so ryan adams might be a total douche, but he makes insanely phenomenal music, in my humble opinion. and like bob marley & moz, he makes both the top 10 bands & top 10 artists list. i really love the direction he's gone in with his new band the cardinals, and think that he's rediscovered himself as the gram parsons of our day. quite an honor, if i do say so. here's "cold roses".

sufjan (pr: soof-yan) stevens is quite possibly the coolest guy alive. and apparently my friend jenny tango & her husband are acquaintances of his. lucky! sufjan gets the honor of replacing bazan as my living musical spiritual guru. i recommend seven swans as a starting place for anyone not familiar with his work. wonderful stuff. off that album, here's "to be alone with you".

there's really no point in arguing that bob dylan is the most influencial solo artist of the 20th century. the beatles would have continued making silly love songs had he not chastized lennon (and given him pot). there'd be no brains in rock & roll without this one time folkie going electric. and he changed his persona and his music constantly. from folkie to rocker to country bumpkin to gospel singer to bluesman and back again. and he's hilarious. this is an outtake from the incredible documentary don't look back, here's robert zimmerman singing "it's alright ma, i'm only bleeding".

now, if anyone can challenge bob marley as the greatest musical artist of the 1970's, there's only one. and it's stevie wonder. a lot of people my age and younger don't realize how astounding the albums this man made in that decade are. unfortunately stevie got into that synth-pop 80's silliness, and made bad music, and so a lot of people either forget or don't know how mind-blowing his stuff from the 70's was. innervisions is one of the best albums ever made. get it! here's the most famous song off it (covered by the red hot chili peppers), "higher ground".

it's a damn shame that hank williams' far less talented son, hank williams, jr., is probably better known than his absurdly more talented and influencial father. hank's influence is felt on just about every artist that precedes him on this list. going to his childhood home in alabama was good times. no need to pontificate further, if you know anything about music, you know hank. here's "i saw the light".

and ending out the top 10 is a man whom i'm fairly certain is mentally ill. and that's cool. lee "scratch" perry is a musical genius and the father of dub. you must know about dub. it's crucial. apparently perry had a wacky tv show in jamaica at one time. and he became a pop celeb in ireland for doing a series of hilarious guinness commercials. a great place to start with this guy whose made about a thousand records is africa's blood, though apparently andrew w.k. is producing his album to come out in august - i have feeling that's going to be a must have! here's scratch with the aptly titled "i am a madman".

and that's that.

©Evelina Sjöstedt.

Llevo ya casi 6 meses en esto del blog y cuando leo las estadísticas descubro que mi post mas visto es “Esta bueno sentirse triste”. Esto me confirma la idea que es mucho mas interesante aquello que tiene que ver con la congoja que las historias positivas, entonces pienso que no hay nada mejor que echar un poco mas de leña al fuego.
Yo tiendo a estar deprimido, y no vivo esto como una virtud sino como algo cercano al fracaso, mi voluntad para creer en el cambio o que el mundo va para mejor es nula, esto genera una necesidad de anestesia en forma de canción que me lleve a ese estado melancólico que justifique mi falta de fe, pongo a vuestra disposición un breve listado muy útil para este tipo de casos :

“She” Gram Parsons

“God Give Me The Strengh” Elvis Costello Burt Bacharach

“Perfect Day” Lou Reed

“Everybody’s Gonna Learn Sometines” versión Beck

“Time Alter Time” versión Eva Cassidy

“Simple Twist of Fate” Bob Dylan versión Jeff Tweedy

“Down River” David Ackles

“The first Day Of My Life” Bright Eyes (el video al final del post)

Estas solo forman parte de un pequeño muestrario de historias depresivas devenidas en canciones que pueden llevarles el alma al piso. Yo personalmente creo que hay que llegar a tocar fondo y recién ahí intentar coger fuerzas para volver a la superficie, y como corresponde en estos casos, la banda de sonido que acompaña el descenso tiene que ser acorde a la situación.
Obviamente sabemos que en la melancolía tiene un tremendo encanto y uno tiende a acomodarse y sentirse muy a gustito acompañado de canciones que justifican nuestra falta de fe en un futuro mejor, pero la parálisis no es un buen lugar para quedarse, hay que intentar salir y mejorar el panorama.
Pero mientras el desconsuelo este omnipresente y la tristeza sea nuestra mejor aliada, no hay nada mejor que ayudarla en su trabajo de destrozarnos el corazón regalándonos canciones que nos hagan brotar las lagrimas, nos obliguen a vestir de negro y a pasear por las calles como un perro abandonado. Un estado morbosamente ideal.

Thanks to everyone who has visited from Expecting Rain over the past few days, looking for the Flying Burrito Brothers.  We received a special request for more, and here you are - three more choice cuts from Close Up The Honky Tonks, the long-deleted album with "lost" Burrito cuts.

These three are with the late Gram Parsons singing lead, first on the Merle Haggard classic "Sing Me Back Home," then on "Bony Moronie," a cover originally cut for the 1970 album Burrito Deluxe.  Finally we have "Break My Mind," a psychedelic country song recorded during Parsons' last days with the band.

MP3: "Sing Me Back Home"

MP3: "Bony Moronie"

MP3: "Break My Mind"

In 1968 Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman managed to transform the Byrds into a country-rock band for the landmark Sweetheart Of The Rodeo album.  Then they both left the Byrds to start the Flying Burrito Brothers, with the intention of mixing country and rock even more.  The Flying Burrito Brothers' brand of country rock proved to be one of the more influential and imitated styles of the era.  However Parsons only stayed with the Burritos for two albums and by 1972 the original incarnation of the band dissolved, leaving only wannabes and pretenders to carry on the Flying Burrito Brothers name.

After recording two solo albums, founding member Gram Parsons died in 1973 from an overdose of morphine and tequila.  Responding to new interest in the band A&M Records released the two-LP compilation Close Up The Honky Tonks with one record's worth of songs from the first two albums, 1969's Gilded Palace of Sin and 1970's Burrito Deluxe. The second record contained previously unreleased tracks, the first five of which were recorded during Parsons' time with the band, while the last six were recorded after Parsons left the group and Hillman was the key player. Close Up The Honky Tonks has long been out of print, and while there are a number of Burrito CD compilations the original 1974 LP contains a handful of songs that are still unavailable on any other U.S. release to this day.

The song "Close Up The Honky Tonks" features Gram Parsons on vocals, and was recorded during his final months with the band; this does also appear on the Hot Burritos! anthology CD.  The rest of these songs feature Rick Roberts on lead vocals and do not appear anywhere else.  The instrumental "Beat The Heat," written by steel guitarist "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, was one of his first and only compositions.  Kleinow died of Alzheimer's disease in 2007.

MP3: "Close Up The Honky Tonks"

MP3: "Beat The Heat"

MP3: "Roll Over Beethoven" (live)

MP3: "Wake Up Little Susie" (live)

Emmylou Harris - All I Intended To Be

Nonesuch Records

Available now.

1. "Shores of White Sand" (Jack Wesley Routh) – 4:22
2. "Hold On" (Jude Johnstone) – 4:35
3. "Moon Song" (Patty Griffin) – 4:06
4. "Broken Man's Lament" (Mark Germino) – 5:05
5. "Gold" (Emmylou Harris) – 3:32
6. "How She Could Sing the Wildwood Flower" (Harris, Anna McGarrigle, Kate McGarrigle) – 3:44
7. "All That You Have Is Your Soul" (Tracy Chapman) – 4:41
8. "Take That Ride" (Harris) – 3:39
9. "Old Five and Dimers Like Me" (Billy Joe Shaver) – 4:16
10. "Kern River" (Merle Haggard) – 4:03
11. "Not Enough" (Harris) – 3:25
12. "Sailing Round the Room" (Harris, McGarrigle, McGarrigle) – 5:31
13. "Beyond the Great Divide" (J.C. Crowley, Routh) – 4:26

“Most of my career,” says Emmylou Harris, “I’ve been a finder of songs, a gatherer of songs, so this showcases, in part, that side of what I do.”

All I Intended To Be, its simple but evocative title borrowed from the lyric of a Billy Joe Shaver song, does far more than that. Her first solo album since 2003’s Stumble Into Grace, it is indeed a catalogue of Harris’s many gifts—as an interpreter, as an eloquent composer herself, as an inveterate musical explorer who’s been able to discover, rescue, and/or give new life to many a beautiful but overlooked country, bluegrass or folk tune. But the album also offers a living portrait of Harris, a recounting of her extraordinary history, through the many musicians and fellow singers she has collaborated with since the start of her solo career, so many of whom make appearances on these tracks. The all-star cast includes Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, the McGarrigle sisters, old friends from the Seldom Scene, Glenn D. Hardin of her legendary Hot Band, as well as some of the most versatile studio players around. It’s produced by Brian Ahern and engineered by Donivan Cowart, both of whom collaborated with Harris on such groundbreaking albums as Elite Hotel, Luxury Liner, and Blue Kentucky Girl.

Harris admits she had to grab studio time in between all of her other projects and
commitments—hitting the road with Neil Young and Elvis Costello, cutting All the Roadrunning and performing live with Mark Knopfler, assembling her Songbird boxed set of rarities, and going out with Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin, and Buddy Miller for their Three Girls and a Buddy Tour. Yet All I Intended To Be, recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles between October 2005 and March 2008, manages to have a seamless quality. Harris says, “I’d have to credit Brian and Donivan, their sense of sound, their integrity and their ability to keep all those pieces together—things that were recorded in Canada, overdubbed in L.A., and brought back to Nashville, stuff done one guitar and vocal at a time, all the different layers, all the different charts. They know what they’re doing and know how to make things sound good without smoke and mirrors.”

Perhaps it’s also because Harris has chosen songs that, no matter how disparate their sources, illustrate similar themes of perseverance, faith, and fortitude. They range in tone from the intimate to the anthemic, united by Harris’s ability to channel the emotions of so many compelling characters. There’s grit, sadness, and just a touch of regret in tracks like Mark Germino’s “Broken Man’s Lament” and Merle Haggard’s “Kern River” that’s balanced by strength, wisdom and a healthy amount of hindsight on Tracy Chapman’s “All That You Have Is Your Soul” and Jude Johnson’s “Hold On.” Harris’s own “Take That Ride” is a forthright conversation with a God who may or may not be listening. By the time All I Intended To Be reaches a wistful but uplifting conclusion with “Beyond the Great Divide,” it’s tugging the soul as deeply as the heart, and the title that Harris chose reveals an even deeper, more personal, and spiritual meaning.

The album really began to take shape, Harris explains, with “Shores of White Sands,” a Jack Wesley Routh song about carrying on in the face of dashed romantic hopes. Harris had admired it when Warner Bros. Nashville artist Karen Brooks first cut the tune in 1982. How the song made it onto Harris’s album today, employing the original instrumental track from Brooks’ version, illustrates the feeling of collegiality and the air of serendipity that epitomize the entire process. Harris dedicates it to the memory of Doobie Brothers/Southern Pacific drummer Keith Knudsen, and that’s where the story begins.

As she explains, “Brian (Ahern) produced Karen’s record, Walk On, in the early 80s, and I always loved that track. I thought it was one of the most stunning things Brian ever did, and that’s saying a lot. I loved the song and thought at some point I might try my hand at it, and it just never came about. A few years ago I was doing a benefit for [St. Louis Cardinals manager] Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation in Walnut Creek, California. Keith was there with his band, and I hadn’t seen him in years. He had toured with me and played on some of my stuff. It wasn’t too long after that Keith died from cancer and I started thinking about that song again. I approached Brian and said, ‘Do you think that in honor of Keith we could use his original drum track for “Shores of White Sand” and build up a track of our own?’ We started asking around and with the blessing of Warners and Karen, we got her entire original track. We added a few things, but basically it’s that beautiful track I’m singing on and I’m so grateful to have it.”

Brooks herself came on board to add harmony vocals. Says Harris, “Karen has such a distinctive voice, a wonderful low sound, it’s not like anyone else. It’s really effective on ‘Broken Man’s Lament, where she duets with me.” Harris found the right pairings of friends and fellow artists throughout: “That was what was great, to put together these different pieces from different people who are so important to me. Working with John Starling, Mike Auldrege and Tom Gray from the original Seldom Scene—that goes all the way back to the early 70s when I was living in DC. What I’ve discovered over the years is all the different, incredible people I’ve gotten to work with, and this showcases a little bit of them.” She pauses, then, laughing, adds,” I’d have to do a whole boxed set to showcase everyone—and I already did that, didn’t I?”

She knew Dolly Parton would be perfect for the harmony on Harris’s self-penned “Gold”: “It’s got this little trill thing in it on the melody and nobody can do that like Dolly. I thought it would be wonderful to get her in. She had to keep canceling for various reasons, she was out in L.A., but she so wanted to do it, she actually got on a tour bus and drove all the way out from L.A. She got into Nashville that night and the next morning she came in and sang on the record. She was a real champ.”

To work with the McGarrigles, Harris traveled north to Saint-Sauver des Monts, near Montreal, where the sisters live and record. Says Harris, “I was trying to keep up with my writing and I always enjoy being around those girls, so it was a good excuse to go try and write. We wrote ‘How She Could Sing the Wildwood Flower’ and ‘Sailing Round the Room’ and went to a little studio there in Saint Sauver and laid down a demo with a click track and put their harmonies on it. So the heart of those two songs is from those original demos. Of course we added a lot of stuff but Kate’s guitar playing is still the centerpiece. And getting their vocals, of course, was the real treasure.”

Each one of these tracks has a story behind it; just about every credit reveals a fascinating connection. Harris has created a touchstone to her fertile past to help define an even richer present. While she may be taking stock of where she’s been, she’s by no means summing up. As Harris, who’s been a recording artist for nearly 40 years, says, “I’m still trying to expand my listening horizons, to find the kind of music that resonates for what we know to be true at this point in our lives. When you get to be 60, it’s not like you stop living. In fact, I think you live more and do have something to say.”

-- Michael Hill

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