Grievous Angel is the second and final solo studio album by Gram Parsons, compiled from summer 1973 sessions and released four months after his death from a morphine and alcohol overdose in September 1973. Prominently featuring a young Emmylou Harris, Grievous Angel received great critical acclaim upon release but failed to find commercial success, a fate shared with Parsons’ previous efforts solo and with The Flying Burrito Brothers. Grievous Angel peaked at number 195 on the Billboard charts. Despite its modest sales, it is viewed as a successful example of the hybrid between country and rock and roll Parsons called "Cosmic American Music". It was voted number 324 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). In 2012, the album was ranked number 425 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
GP is a better record, straight-up, though this is awfully good and highly polished perhaps excessively so. “Brass Buttons” and “Hickory Wind” are best cuts. There's just the slightest feel of this being a lark that keeps it from top rank of records.
The story of his wife not liking his singing with Emmy Lou Harris, enough so to remove her picture from the cover, was WAY more interesting than this album.
The absolute best thing I can say about this album is that its mercifully short. Its all uninspired slide guitar and country twangs which is so far from my jam they aren't even on the same continent. I thought there was a little bit of potential with the rock and roll bits but even that comes across as uninspired to me. I've given some country albums a 2 in the past because they are exceptionally charming but I don't feel any personality from this. Its a matter of perspective of course and I'm sure for people who like this genre it works but I can't see how, even if you are a country fan, that this sets its self apart from a sea of other "kinda ok albums" Nothing here for me, 1/10
Grievous Angel is a bit too apt of a descriptor for Gram Parsons. For all his tragically short life, he had accomplished so much: reinventing country music by fitting it into a rock and roll sized hole and thus altering the trajectories of the varying bands that he spent time in. By the time he started going solo, he was already a legend in the making. His prior album, GP, stands as one of the all time great debut albums and his collaborations with an emerging Emmylou Harris remain songs worth celebrating. Grievous Angel, as posthumous as it may be, picks up where GP left off by giving the listener an equally melodic and compelling set of songs that drew from the well that Gram created. An absolute shame that his light burned out quick, for we may have been witnesses to what he could have been capable of.
Own on Vinyl
love it
Taken too soon, he's a country rock genius and this album is fantastic. Great Emmylou Harris vocals as well. 5 stars.
The swan song for Gram Parsons is also the coming out party for one Emmylou Harris. Their version of "Love Hurts" is the standard. You can't help but imagine the sort of future they would have had together, nevermind the fact that the great Emmylou went on to a legendary country music career that Gram Parsons could have enjoyed had not had so many demons frighten him. As it is, we have Parsons to thank for giving us the best Byrds album, The Flying Burrito Brothers, the Nudie Suit, and Emmylou Harris.
I’ll fight y’all.
to be honest i only listened to a few songs, but I actually liked it. good folk music, good voice
Splendid country album
It was pretty good. Nothing too extraordinary about it but I enjoyed it. 7/10
I enjoyed it!
God this album went bananas. Favourite tracks are probably track 2 and I think 4? Beautiful soundscapes great stuff from Garth brooks
Petition to have Emmylou Harris' name added to the album. Best track: In My Hour of Darkness
Little bit of twang to this, a pretty enjoyable listen
J'ai le gotu de dire que c'est un bon album générique de Country comme il y en a beaucoup sur cette liste. J'ai aimé, mention special pour Quebec :p 4
Pretty nice country, and I like how Parsons’ back-up singer compliments him. Maybe not the most exciting sound out there, but it works pretty well together. B-
Pretty decent old school country. I'm a sucker for a lap steel guitar, so that bumps it up for me too.
7/10. Solid country
Late, great Gram Parsons!
These songs are smooth and frictionless, it's hard to find anything wrong with them - does that mean they're perfect, or does it mean they're boring? The only real moment of confusion for me was the random live track. Ok, I'm reading now that the live track was fake, with canned applause, which actually makes it even more confusing. Overall though, really solid songs and performances.
10th February 2023 Listened during the day while picking up the new car, builders and dad in, poker in the evening. Nice bit of country with a swing, 3.5 if I could.
You know it was alright - nice country harmonies. It sounded like you were listening to the radio in a big car in Alabama or something. Otherwise ungripped but maybe worth a second listen
I confused this guy with Alan Parsons. Oops. So I was a bit surprised to hear country when I was expecting something in the prog-rock genre. Emmylou Harris certainly added a welcome voice to the songs. I like this kind of country music. However, if not for Emmylou's vocals, this wouldn't be anything of note. The songwriting is okay, but his voice and singing style is pretty meh.
A fairly okay country pop album from the 70s. The first song on this album is the best and from there it slowly decreases in quality. I felt that the love hurts cover was not that great. The country pop style in the 70s was different than it is now leaning more on the pop than country twang. But overall it’s an okay album with a few songs that are worth revisiting. 6.0/10
It’s fine isn’t it? Just fine.
A bit boring but it still has it swing to it, however the swing and better part are mostly after you have already listened to half of the song. I can understand that it is a good album, however I won’t listen to it again.
I liked reading about the artist more than the album.
Reading the story of this artist passing away weeks after the album was finished definitely put a new kind of weight on this album. In a vacuum, I'd probably score this a 2.
3.5 - A cross-section of many trends of the early-70's - both good and bad. There's some Cash/Carter-type duets ("Ohh Las Vegas"), Waylon Jennings-sounding ballads ("Return of the Grievous Angel"), blue-tinged Fleetwood Mac-y shakedowns ("I Can't Dance"). Also some Carpenters-styled easy listening tripe ("Brass Buttons", "Hearts on Fire").
Music exceeded my expectations for country. And cool to learn about Gram Parsons. His life was wild
Few solid tracks on here, overall not really my scene though
Never heard of Gram Parsons prior to getting this album from the 1001 albums generator. I have listened to a little bit of The Byrds, but mostly their hits. This was a surprise to get, and I'm so happy I got to experience it. The 2nd side is better than the first, but this is good stuff. I love the harmonizing with Emmy-Lou, just angelic. He definitely crosses between country and rock and I understand why people say that he was the originator of that. It's a beautiful 38 minutes, and I'd gladly listen to it again.
This is a good album, and it's very cool to hear a young Emmylou Harris, who to my ear has made some spectacular music over the decades be featured so prominently on this record. Nice stuff.
One of the best country albums I’ve ever heard. Track 2 is crazy good.
Pretty good country. I prefer this version of love hurts.
Gram Parsons (of the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers) and Emmylou Harris come together to produce a fine country rock record, released shortly after Parsons' death. These songs are much softer, more intimate, and folkier than his previous releases. It's very polished, with several highlights, but the songs are a bit forgettable and melodically uninteresting. Hearing the live rendition of "Hickory Wind" just makes me wants to listen to the Byrds version.
Yeehaw
Nice sounding but forgettable songs
I've ridden this train a number of times in an attempt to understand what other people hear in this guy's music, but it just sounds decidedly average to me. The songs are just okay, and his singing is nothing special. Just ok. Also, this will be the last time I ride the Gram Parsons train. Not all music suits all people.
Pretty good! I probably wouldn’t listen again but I don’t mind some quality country every now and then.
Rather charming. Quite nice background music. Nothing does jump out at you to be fair, so can't go higher than 3 stars.
Good for its genre. I just don't seem to get a lot from this genre, sadly 3/5
I’m one ear and out the other
I’m really hoping there’s a couple more great albums waiting in the wings as we round the 250 or so left mark. This was some alright country. 6/10
3.5
Not my kind of music, sure, but I cannot deny this is very pleasant music - especially when Emmylou Harris joins.
PREFS : Return of the Grievous Angel, Hearts on Fire, $1000 Wedding, Love Hurts, In My Hour of Darkness MOINS PREF : Medley Live From Northern Quebec
Yeeeehaaaa
Enjoyable country with Emmylou Harris as the secret star but ultimately not enough to give more than 3 stars
A nice country pop album to listen to.
Eerste country plaat die ik zonder te kokhalzen binnen heb gehouden.
Another album that's been lurking in the background of this list, Parsons and his depressing end coming up repeatedly in the background reading. It pretty much seemed like late 20th century modern country to me.
Country
I prefer his other album GP. The fake live stuff is a bit of an odd choice. Why was that necessary? I do enjoy the constant presence of Emmylou Harris supporting him, especially on "Love Hurts." They sound really natural together.
I cringed when I heard the opening with it's country twangs, but I kept an open mind while listening. This is a lot better than the garbage contemporary country that my neighbor's listen to. I like the piano at the beginning of I Can't Dance and I like it's more rock sound. Brass Buttons is kind of nice. I do like their rendition of Love Hurts. Emmylou has a lovely voice. The live medley was painful and I couldn't get through it. It's a shame to read he died so young. While this isn't something I would normally listen to, I can understand the appeal.
Fairly uninspiring, twee and forgettable.
Country-rock, udmærket
2.5. Seems ok.
Sad country music
Not into country at all... This is probably the best sounding country we've had so far, but the bar was low. I thought "ooh Lad Vegas" was the only track I really enjoyed. Can leave the rest
With a name like grievous angel I thought this might be a Scandinavian doom metal concept album but it's a largely schmaltzy country thing. There was something about it that was slightly more interesting than similar albums but I couldn't tell you what.
A bit too twangy country for me. I do like Emmylou, but have never been able to enjoy country Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers or solo Gram Parsons. Nothing wrong with this, I just don’t care for the style.
"Out with the truckers, the kickers and the cowboys" ... *skip* Nope. It picks up a little bit after that first atrocious song, but I haven't found too many redeeming factors on this album. A lot of it is stockstandard country, with a little interesting step-outs to bluegrass and Rock&Roll. Gram Parsons life was a lot more interesting than his music.
Nigh worthless
Country aaaahhhh
Waarom moet een countryplaat doorgaans meestal uitmonden in gezapige, jengelende bleh-muziek?
Pedal steel was cool. Nothing groundbreaking. Vocals SUCKED. Kara wanted to give a 1.
One star for country. Another for not being the trashy country that exists today. I didn't really enjoy this.
Was ok to listen to kinda had a country blues kinda funk to it.
I typically make it a point to listen all the way through an album before rating it, even if I'm not really enjoying it, but this one I just couldn't do. I made it through three songs and just couldn't do anymore. It's very musically competent, there's just something about the genre that I simply cannot stand.
Really did not think this was an enjoyable album. I dabble in country and always love rock but this didn’t hit either of those spots for me. Too slow, too empty sounding I did enjoy the live track on the album, but the recorded versions had none of the same energy
I just can’t with Country music. This is abysmal.
Not my bag. Found it quite grating.
More cowboy shit
This is terrible. Country rock music is not my thing. Coupled with that kind of yodelling/singing that country is kinda known for. Big yuk. My heart is not on fire, my ears are! Best: Ooh Las Vegas Worst: Hearts On Fire
I hate to give a 1 star review but this album just did nothing for me. It's not my genre, to be fair. I was a little intrigued by the description of "cosmic American music" but this honestly just sounds like a standard country album to me. I'm sure it has its fans but this one wasn't for me.
Sweet lord
Never liked country music and I don’t think I ever will. I’m sure this is a belter if you like this sort of thing, but its not for me.
Not for me
too much country for my own good