Sun Mar 26 2023
4
Petition to have Emmylou Harris' name added to the album. Best track: In My Hour of Darkness
This is a Random Album Generator.
One album a day.
From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Grievous Angel
Gram Parsons
1974
- Album Summary
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.
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Tue Oct 10 2023
1
is it really that hard to pronounce graham?
Wed Mar 01 2023
1
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
Fri Mar 10 2023
4
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.
Sun Feb 12 2023
2
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.
Fri Mar 03 2023
5
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.
Fri Mar 17 2023
5
Own on Vinyl
Mon Apr 17 2023
5
love it
Thu Apr 20 2023
5
Taken too soon, he's a country rock genius and this album is fantastic. Great Emmylou Harris vocals as well. 5 stars.
Wed May 17 2023
5
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.
Fri May 26 2023
5
I’ll fight y’all.
Tue Jul 25 2023
5
Fucking incredible.
Mon Nov 13 2023
5
Amazing
Sun Nov 19 2023
5
Wonderful songs, sung beautifully, with a lovely cameo from Emmylou Harris. Flawless alt-country / Americana / folk-rock. Right up my street, and a huge influence on many artists I love.
Thu Nov 30 2023
5
I was surprised. I didn't expect this to be a country album. It was a great change of pace, and right in my wheelhouse. Very enjoyable!!
Thu Nov 30 2023
5
Cosmic Americana. Sick.
Fri Mar 03 2023
4
to be honest i only listened to a few songs, but I actually liked it. good folk music, good voice
Thu Mar 09 2023
4
Splendid country album
Mon Mar 13 2023
4
It was pretty good. Nothing too extraordinary about it but I enjoyed it. 7/10
Thu Mar 16 2023
4
I enjoyed it!
Fri Mar 17 2023
4
God this album went bananas. Favourite tracks are probably track 2 and I think 4? Beautiful soundscapes great stuff from Garth brooks
Wed Mar 29 2023
4
Little bit of twang to this, a pretty enjoyable listen
Thu Mar 30 2023
4
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
Thu Apr 13 2023
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-
Thu Apr 13 2023
4
Pretty decent old school country. I'm a sucker for a lap steel guitar, so that bumps it up for me too.
Fri Apr 21 2023
4
7/10. Solid country
Wed Apr 26 2023
4
Late, great Gram Parsons!
Sun May 28 2023
4
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.
Thu Jun 08 2023
4
I thought this was a very good country album-- I love Emmylou Harris-- but not something I see myself revisiting
Mon Jun 19 2023
4
Cosmic American Music. It's great revisiting Parsons who was easily the best known of this genre of 70s country music that has spawned so much interest in mining compilations fromt he likes of archival labels like Numero Group. This record is beautiful and sound such a part of the fabric of American music. An absolute pleasure to listen to.
Tue Jun 20 2023
4
This is really Parsons & Harris, their voices combine excellently with each other.
Tue Jun 20 2023
4
Had not listened to Grievious Angel for a long time (usually prefer to go for Sweetheart of the Rodeo or so) but GA is an excellent album of course: perfect vocals, best version of Love Hurst, several other 5-star songs such as 1000 dollar wedding, in my hour of darkness. The other songs are obviously strong as well, but I care less about them. Overall score: 8/10 (mainly 3-star and 4-star songs and three absolute 5-star songs)
Mon Jul 03 2023
4
i liked it a lot more than i expected to. i went in expecting modern country, which i find absolutely intolerable, but i found this a lot more pleasant and folksy. it's not really exciting, but it's nice enough that i can't give it a three, which i wanna reserve for really 'ok' stuff. sounded a lot like fallout new vegas music (which makes me want to play it again). pretty nostalgic-sounding, it reminded me of hawaiian music. this is pretty much the only form of country music i can tolerate; four stars.
Sat Jul 08 2023
4
Always liked this sound from the 70’s with the melding of country and soft rock.
Mon Jul 17 2023
4
Cosmic American music as described
Wed Aug 02 2023
4
Sue Perb
Fri Aug 04 2023
4
Emmylou makes everything better, yeah?
Mon Aug 07 2023
4
I enjoyed this quite a bit. An Emmylou Harris guest spot is always appreciated ttoo.its too bad Gram passed away so young.
Thu Aug 10 2023
4
I am not a country fan but I think I have developed some appreciation for Gram Parsons, what he represents and all the lore surrounding him: what’s true, what’s not, the times he delighted his audience, the times he embarrassed himself. Grievous Angel is a great album, full of energy, heart, and passion. The voices arrangements are charming and the instrumentation is outstanding. In general, it’s a unpretentious record that doesn’t take a lot of time from your life and makes you happy.
Mon Aug 14 2023
4
Great harmonies from Emmylou Harris, clean production. I'm a sucker for a slide guitar. Favorite tracks: "Return of the Grievous Angel", "I Can't Dance", "Medley Live from Nothern Quebec"
Tue Aug 22 2023
4
I don’t know what you’d call Grahams sound. Well, besides fantastic. Mixing country, blues, bluegrass and folk with a little help from friend Emmylou Harris he crafts one of the 1970s first country releases. A simply produced expertly executed melange of sound and feeling. A true artist gone far too soon.
Wed Aug 23 2023
4
VMP
Thu Aug 24 2023
4
Short and sweet
Thu Sep 07 2023
4
Gram Parsons va brillar més en els seus discos en solitari que amb els seus treballs amb bandes tan documentades i reivindicades com The Byrds i The Flying Burrito Brothers. En aquest segon -i últim- disc sota el seu nom deixa bona mostra del seu talent en temes com el que dona títol, 'Brass Buttons', 'Hearts on Fire', 'In My Hour of Darkness', o en la bonica versió de 'Love Hurts'. Country, però variat i divers, un molt bon disc de música
Sat Sep 16 2023
4
Excellent
Tue Sep 19 2023
4
Some good songs, Emmylou Harris deserves as much credit as Gram though.
Wed Sep 20 2023
4
I try to be as open as I can when it comes to listening to music. I enjoy lots of different genres and I want to enjoy as many different kinds of music as I can. That is really the whole reason I'm doing this 1001 albums thing in the first place. But one genre I've always stayed away from was country. I think I've realized after listening to this that I just don't like modern 21st century country music. Country music that is designed entirely to top charts. They all sing about the same things. Their voices all sound the same, and the music all sounds the same. It is just drab to me. I couldn't care less for it. But thankfully, I can say that this Gram Parsons album displays none of those characteristics. It does pretty much the opposite of everything I just said, and I love it for that. Gram has a wonderful voice that still has a country twang to it. And his guitar work along with James Burton is fantastic. Each song on this has plenty of heart to it, and you can tell there is real passion behind these songs. Although he may be singing about similar topics to those in modern country music, like love, religion, and heartbreak, the grace and soul he puts into it makes it far better. "$1000 Wedding", for example, is a beautiful song led by the piano. Also, can I just say that the pedal steel guitar is one of the coolest instruments ever, and it sounds awesome. Gram Parsons and this album give me hope there is more country music out there I can enjoy, because there is truly something great here, and I would love to hear more of it.
Thu Sep 21 2023
4
Really great album and I largely hate Country music (mostly contemporary Country). That it was a nice listen and even more impressive considering he died at 26. 7/10
Thu Sep 21 2023
4
Force me to listen to this a few more times I might start liking it! Standouts: Love Hurts 3.5
Wed Oct 04 2023
4
Country is always nice to me, but it's a bit plain
Mon Oct 09 2023
4
No johan onpas hyvä. Ehkä paras kuulemani kantrilevy. Voisi ostaa cd:nä autoon road trippejä varten, jos omistaisin auton.
Sat Oct 21 2023
4
Sad cowboy 🤠 good
Fri Nov 03 2023
4
Classic country, Gram Parsons even has the authentic real life experience which makes the album that much more genuine. Country music at its core can be an excellent story told thru song of real experiences both hard or joyful. Somewhere along the timeline soft southern boys grabbed hold of it and ruined the genre and made a mockery of it. It’s coming back around but what Parsons and Emmylou Harris did here was genuine country music, boisterous Cash on the Barrelhead was a riot and the toned down twang of Hearts on Fire was beautiful. The story of Parsons death and following theft of his body only add to the lore. Great twang! 4 stars
Thu Nov 09 2023
4
Good stuff
Fri Nov 10 2023
4
I can see the soul on display, and I get the tragic bent to it. But I do think it is maybe a notch down from 5, due to lacking a strong shine for me.
Fri Nov 10 2023
4
I never knew much about Gram Parsons other than that he was involved with the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers and was very influential in bringing a country flavor to rock. So, I took the opportunity to go down a Gram Parsons Wikipedia rabbit hole while listening to today's album. Here are a few interesting things I learned: He died at only 26 years old, after making this album but before it was released. Very sad. His wife was very jealous of Emmylou Harris, and when Parsons died, she took the opportunity to remove Harris as an equal partner on the album, relegating her to a credit on the back of the album, and removed one song (Sleepless Nights) that heavily featured Emmylou. After he died, his friends, knowing that he loved Joshua Tree and wanted his ashes scattered there, stole his body, drove it to Joshua Tree in a borrowed hearse, poured 5 gallons of gasoline in the open coffin, and threw in a lit match. They were arrested, but there was no law against stealing a dead body, so they were just fined for stealing a coffin and leaving his remains in the desert. Now those are some good friends. Okay, onto the music. I'm funny about country, because some of my favorite music is country/alternative country or whatever you want to call it. Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Wilco, The Be Good Tanyas, and others of that ilk are among my all-time favorite artists. But if the country veers too much into "traditional" country territory then I really dislike it. For me, this album falls right in the middle. I like it, but it's maybe a bit too country-ish for me. Regardless, I'm giving it 4 stars out of respect for the influence that Gram Parsons had on music in his short career.
Fri Nov 10 2023
4
I love Gram Parsons and could listen to him as much as any musician ever, but it’s not a perfect album!
Mon Nov 13 2023
4
Cosmic Country is a lovely genre that I wish didn’t become the stomp n holler genre it is today for California slow rock. The Flying Burritos have a little more adventurous tendencies with their guitar solos, but as a stand alone project this is also great! I love Grams style, and I love the matchup with Emmylou. You could tell me this is outlaw country and I would believe it. Exceptional songwriting and exceptional attention to the detail.
Sun Nov 19 2023
4
Loved this one
Sun Nov 19 2023
4
Once I was at a party/bluegrass jam where someone sang Hickory Wind with the melody just a little different at that "it makes me feel better" chord change. It was one of the best things I've ever heard and I'll never hear it again. This album also rules. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)
Wed Nov 22 2023
4
A great country album. Emmylou Harris’ vocals ties it all together so beautifully.
Sun Nov 26 2023
4
3.5/5
Mon Feb 13 2023
3
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.
Tue Feb 14 2023
3
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
Fri Feb 17 2023
3
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.
Mon Feb 20 2023
3
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
Thu Feb 23 2023
3
It’s fine isn’t it? Just fine.
Fri Feb 24 2023
3
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.
Fri Feb 24 2023
3
I liked reading about the artist more than the album.
Sun Feb 26 2023
3
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.
Wed Mar 01 2023
3
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").
Fri Mar 03 2023
3
Music exceeded my expectations for country. And cool to learn about Gram Parsons. His life was wild
Mon Mar 06 2023
3
Few solid tracks on here, overall not really my scene though
Tue Mar 07 2023
3
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.
Thu Mar 09 2023
3
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.
Fri Mar 17 2023
3
One of the best country albums I’ve ever heard. Track 2 is crazy good.
Wed Mar 22 2023
3
Pretty good country. I prefer this version of love hurts.
Wed Mar 22 2023
3
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.
Sun Mar 26 2023
3
Yeehaw
Mon Mar 27 2023
3
Nice sounding but forgettable songs
Mon Apr 03 2023
3
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.
Sun Apr 09 2023
3
Pretty good! I probably wouldn’t listen again but I don’t mind some quality country every now and then.
Wed Apr 12 2023
3
Rather charming. Quite nice background music. Nothing does jump out at you to be fair, so can't go higher than 3 stars.
Thu Apr 13 2023
3
Good for its genre. I just don't seem to get a lot from this genre, sadly 3/5
Fri Apr 14 2023
3
I’m one ear and out the other
Fri Apr 21 2023
3
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
Mon Apr 24 2023
3
3.5
Sun Apr 30 2023
3
Not my kind of music, sure, but I cannot deny this is very pleasant music - especially when Emmylou Harris joins.
Thu May 11 2023
3
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
Thu May 11 2023
3
Yeeeehaaaa
Tue May 16 2023
3
Enjoyable country with Emmylou Harris as the secret star but ultimately not enough to give more than 3 stars
Tue May 16 2023
3
A nice country pop album to listen to.
Sat May 20 2023
3
Eerste country plaat die ik zonder te kokhalzen binnen heb gehouden.
Mon May 22 2023
3
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.
Fri May 26 2023
3
Country
Sun May 28 2023
3
It's straight up OK for me. Definitely not my style of country.
Sun May 28 2023
3
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.
Wed May 31 2023
3
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.
Wed Jun 07 2023
3
Country. Sin más.
Thu Jun 08 2023
3
Easy listening.