Gram Parsons Archive, Vol. 1: Live at the Avalon Ballroom 1969

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Customer Reviews: Read 33 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Flying Burrito Brothers, Live in 1969 November 7, 2007
72 out of 73 found this review helpful

This double CD (not 1 disc as indicated in Amazon product description) documents two live performances at the Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, in April 1969. Track list:

Disc 1 (April 4th):

1. Close Up the Honky Tonks
2. Dark End of the Street
3. Undo The Right/Somebody's Back In Town
4. She Once Lived Here
5. We've Got to Get Ourselves Together
6. Lucille
7. Hot Burrito #1
8. Hot Burrito #2
9. Long Black Limousine
10. Mental Revenge
11. Sin City
12. Thousand Dollar Wedding (bonus track, not from live concert)
13. When Will I Be Loved (ditto)

Disc 2 (April 6th):

1. Undo The Right/Somebody's Back In Town
2. She Once Lived Here
3. Mental Revenge
4. We've Got to Get Ourselves Together
5. Lucille
6. Sin City
7. You Win Again
8. Hot Burrito #1
9. Hot Burrito #2
10. You're Still On My Mind
11. Train Song
12. Long Black Limousine
13. Sweet Dream Baby
14. Do Right Woman

These performances, recorded just a few weeks after FBB's groundbreaking studio album "Gilded Palace of Sin," provide a fascinating window into their live sound then. The sound quality is good, if a bit bass-heavy. As another reviewer mentioned, the guitars seem to be missing from the mix. But it's not a big issue. The resulting stripped-down, clean mix highlights Sneaky Pete Kleinow, who was a killer pedal steel guitarist. It also brings to the forefront FBB's calling card, the vocal harmonies of Gram Parsons (just 22 at the time) and Chris Hillman.

If you close your eyes during the bluesy, loose-jointed rhythms of "We've Got To Get Ourselves Together" and "Train Song" (a Parsons-Hillman composition), you might imagine that you're listening to the Grateful Dead. This is no coincidence, as the Burritos were opening for the Dead, and the tape was made by the Dead's sound engineer, Bear. But it does connect some mental dots -- the Grateful Dead certainly exemplified Gram Parsons' concept of Cosmic American music.

"Long Black Limo" and "Mental Revenge" are rousing highlights of the April 4th concert. "You Win Again" by Hank Williams, from the April 6th evening, is another standout. Both Hank and Gram were sons of the South; neither saw their 30th birthday, owing to overdoses of opiates and alcohol. As Pamela des Barres and producer Dave Prinz allude to in the liner notes, it was fairly outrageous for the Burritos to be playing such country-fried songs for the "chemically imbalanced" (Gram's words during one of the intros) flower children of San Francisco, in 1969. But history has amply validated his judgement.

Five of the songs on "Gilded Palace of Sin" appear on this live set. Curiously, "Christine's Tune" (a signature song of the Burritos) does not. It's probably just as well, as the acoustic guitar riff which opens the song is essential, and would not have been very audible on this recording.

If you're wondering about buying "Archives Volume 1," there's a reason why people dig up 38-year-old recordings of the Flying Burrito Brothers from the Grateful Dead's vault. The Burritos left a deep, indelible, original mark on American music, which will not fade away. Others followed, but they were there first. The title "Volume One" offers hope that Amoeba Records may have more to share with us.

3 out of 5 stars

Why is it Entitled "Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers"? November 9, 2007
20 out of 35 found this review helpful

I don't recall Eagles albums being called: "Don Henley with the Eagles" even though angst in my pants Henley did until recently about 75-80% of lead vocals on Eagles recordings.

So why is this album called either the Gram Parsons archive or "Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers"? The Burritos were a band, period. Parsons had a partner who was just as creative if not in the forefront then as he later would be in the Desert Rose Band. I'm talking about Chris Hillman. Indeed both Hillman and the late Michael Clarke were probably better known at the time of the recording than Parsons was, having both been founding members of the Byrds (and the original band's rhythm section).

There was also steel guitarist Sneaky Pete Kleinow, who sadly passed away recently from Alzheimer's - and bassist Chris Ethridge completing the lineup - shortly after this recording Ethridge left, Hillman switched to bass, and Bernie Leadon came on board on guitar and vocals.

In short this was band that had two charismatic singer-songwriters, although Parsons did the lion's share of the lead vocals, a crack steel guitar ace, a very competent drummer, and an experienced session bassist. It wasn't just Gram Parsons backed by a street band. Indeed, it was Hillman who actually wrote most of "Sin City" (Parsons was asleep at the time the gist of it was written).

Because Parsons passed on from a drug overdose and is now regarded as an icon - especially in Alt-Country circles, people tend to dismiss the contributions of Hillman and the rest of the Burritos. But it was a band -not a solo singer's thing.

Most of the material here are covers of well-known Country songs and a few soul hits, the result of Parson's passion in bringing Country, Rock, and Soul musics together. They include "She Once Lived Here", a relatively unknown George Jones song that was never recorded by Parsons but should have been - as all of his heartbreaking soul comes together in that song (for perspective listen to the version that Old Medicine Crow's Willie Watson did on Sneaky's Burrito Deluxe debut some years back - and then listen to this one). Also here are "You're Still On My Mind", recording by Parsons on the Byrds' "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" album - but an equally potent version was later sung by Hillman during his stint with Manassas; "Close Down the Honky Tonks" - a straightforward Country Rocker quite unlike the Tex-Mex flavor of Dwight Yoakam's more recent recording of the same song, "Long Black Limousine" - "Sin City" of course, and a mixture of other covers and Burrito classics.

I only wish that people - authors, record labels, "hanger-on" types would stop this Gram Parson idol worshipping routine. Fact of the matter is, the guy throw his life away, a life filled with so many reasons to live and so much creativity, to die a sordid needle induced death in the California desert. Fact of the matter is that too, his musical "brother" enjoyed the great success that Parsons was never disciplined enough to seek on his own - with Hillman's very own Desert Rose Band - which, as some suggested was the Flying Burrito Brothers 20 years later, but more structured, more creative, and much more musically wonderful.

Great music - but remember, if this guy had cleaned himself up and if Hillman was the singer he later was - he already was developing into quite a songwriter - these guys could have given the Eagles a run for their money. It doesn't have to, nor does it need to be called the "Gram Parsons Archive" or "Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers" - It WAS the Flying Burrito Brothers.

Worth hearing from the perspective of the developing, if not the maturity, of California Country Rock.

4 out of 5 stars

Well worth the wait!! November 7, 2007
18 out of 19 found this review helpful

Like everything Gram Parsons and The Flying Burrito Brothers did, this live 2 CD set of tunes will remind fans why they loved these guys in the first place! Thanks to Amoeba records and Dave Prinz for pursuing these "lost" tapes of the band.

Both shows captured on this set are well worth the listen, but I prefer the April 4th set a bit more for some beautiful and heartbreaking takes of "She Once Lived Here" "Hot Burrito #1" "Dark End of the Street" and "Sin City" sung by Gram, and backed up by Chris Hillman. There's a somewhat funky, jazzy version of "Hot Burrito #2" and great covers of Little Richard's "Lucille" and "Sweet Mental Revenge" (Waylon Jenning's tune). One weaker track is the second set's "Do Right Woman" - not one of their best performances for sure. ....Overall an excellent addition. ...Hey Amoeba, got any more stuff?! Enjoy.

5 out of 5 stars

GRAM'S LATEST: 39 YEARS IN THE MAKING . . . November 6, 2007
14 out of 14 found this review helpful

The new Gram Parsons CD is actually the new Flying Burrito Brother CD. It's a double disc set, beautifully packaged with great photos and liner notes. In April of '69 the FBB opened for the Grateful Dead for 3 nights. Two of those performances are presented here after sitting in the vaults for 39 years. Hats off to Amoeba Records for a job well done!

The sound is surprisingly clear, miles better than the old bootlegs circulating of a few of these tracks. (I can't help but wonder if the guitars somehow didn't make it to the soundboard though -- plenty of tasty steel guitar, drums, bass and keyboard, but not an acoustic guitar in sight.)

Performance-wise, it's vintage Gram/FBB -- spirited, expressive, fun and a little sloppy. Great harmonies (thanks to Chris Hillman) and great songs, many not available by Gram anywhere else. Highlights include Sweet Mental Revenge, Long Black Limousine, Undo The Right and Lucille, as well as the FBB's own Sin City and Hot Burrito #1.

A great bonus is two unreleased demos: Gram alone at the piano working on Thousand Dollar Wedding with some different lyrics (the "young bride PASSED away" instead of went away!), and a very loose workout on When Will I Be Loved from '67 with Gram and other unidentified voices (the Int'l Sub Band?)

If you're a Gram fan, this is an obvious must have, five-star release. For the merely Gram-curious it probably isn't the place to start. But either way it's a look back at special time that ended way too soon. Thanks Gram.

5 out of 5 stars

Return of the Grievous Angel November 8, 2007
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

Gram and the Burritos from the "Gilded Palace of Sin" have always held a special place that no other band could quite replicate. This live recording, which follows that truly unique and groundbreaking recording, is that missing piece of country rock's formative years that was never satisfied by subsequent Burrito efforts (or those the group inspired). Only Gram's solo LPs reminded us of his unique talent and vision, captured exquisitely in his perfect exit, "Grievous Angel." These live recordings from the Avalon are especially kind to the Burrito's strengths: those wonderful vocals and the late Sneaky Pete's hot pedal steel. Michael Clarke, the Byrd's rock drummer, has trouble on the slower tunes in particular (he's no Popeye Philips), and the guitars are largely absent from the mix. Yet, it's already one of my treasured discs, and I thank all involved who brought this to light. What an interesting song selection, even if gems like "Juanita" weren't on the set list either night. I was lucky enough to see Gram and the Burritos a month before his demons forced his bandmates to sever ties. He had it together that night in May 1970, in front of a sparse, $3-per-person crowd in a St. Paul college gymnasium. He would have been just 23 at the time, but he held himself with the kind of poise and sophistication that makes a strong case for reincarnation. (Hank? Was that you?) As these live shows remind us, Gram got it, had it, and in the end, blew it. They provide great insight into the vision of this seminal figure and his largely underrated soulmate, Chris Hillman. Maybe this time, they'll inspire a new generation that won't be as willing to take their lead straight down the path to Lite FM.

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