Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Very nice. Great vibes. This album might be one that grows on me over repeated listens.
Gram Parsons stands for GReat AM Person. Just facts.
Noice. I’m a Gram fan.
Well I guess now I know who Gram Parsons is.
Landmark for a genre.
A sort of rock-forward country album with some gospel elements mixed in. This was released a few months after Parsons’s death in late 1973. About half the songs are duets with a young Emmylou Harris, and her and Gram had some great harmonies and a few songs were really good, especially the opening title track. I was worn down by the end though, as it started to get into gospel/Jesus territory and I don’t like that stuff. I’ll give it a solid 3/5; good at times, just not really my bag.
Nice melodies…like a vacation. And I do love a harmony with Emmylou Harris.
It's just beautiful country
What the duck? Why is this album on this list?
Good record. Classic.
Not my genre, though was an interesting version of "Love Hurts"
If you like Gram you love Gram. He had his one special turn of phrase and voice that sounds so pretty and distinctly American. No wonder Keith Richards couldn’t get enough. This isn’t his best album but the highlights, both his and those with Emmylou show what this Harvard drop out can do with the cosmic American sound.
Weird sad country I've already said that country isn't mine
Enjoyable enough listen but, beyond "Return of the Greivous Angel," "Love Hurts," and "Ooh, Las Vegas," it was a little bit boring and nondescript. Those three songs are excellent and Emmylou brings some great harmony vocals to the proceedings. I liked The Flying Burrito Brothers a lot more and, for "cosmic country," I wish he'd gone a little weirder and more spacey. But those three songs really elevate everything else.
I adore the first song, Return of the Grevious Angel. It's kind of the perfect song, with Emmylou Harris's harmony and the keys on the chorus and the deceptively weird lyrics. The rest kind of pales in comparison for me; none of it is bad, its all nice and pleasant cosmic country, but it's just not as memorable and breezes by. Like Jeff Buckley, a shame that he died so young. A unique talent that could appeal to the hippies and normies alike, extinguished all too soon
I LOVED this album so much, seriously such a great find, definitely going in my favorites lol
gar nicht mal so schlecht, entspannt beim kiffen safe, aber eben auch ohne zu kiffen not bad
Great talent, not my style
This gave me whiplash. I LOVED the parts with Emmylou, and HATED the smattering of schmaltzy 70s sounds. I dunno what to rate this!
In an alternate universe, GP would be as famous as Paul or John. His influence, to my ears, still rings in some of my favorite music. Sadly he is, compared to his output, relatively forgotten. It's a shame, because the melding of sounds and genres in alt country has so much to do with him. This isn't my favorite from him, but even his not best is better than most.
"...by Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons". She really props him up here. Gram is fine but he's overrated and dead.
An absolute star burst of human who took staid ideas of genre and authenticity, soaked them in peyote and rhinestones, and poured out his young, beautiful, stupid soul. Impossible to overstate this abums influence on anything remotely termed 'Americana'
concordo com o amigo, nada demais, nada de menos é um álbum de country, poderia ser mto pior na vdd
countryzinho normal, hein. nada demais, mas tbm nada que seja ruim. foi de boa!
Not sure why other people didn't like this album but I enjoyed it top to bottom. Very pleasant and pure country music and great vocala, especially the female singer's harmonies.
why must you title something "grievous angel" and then produce the most dull folk-country rock ever
I got nothing from this. Really run of the mill country easy listening western music. Totally skippable. Have heard the name Gram Parsons frequently so I am happy to put a sound to the name. Regrettably it did not live up to expectations. 2 / 5
It's interesting that I would get this album just a couple of days after getting the album from the Byrds when Gram Parsons was in the band for a short time, but totally influenced the album. This is Parsons solo work and it was recorded shortly before he died from a morphine and alcohol overdose. For me, the star of this album is a young Emmylou Harris, who is featured on all the songs. It's interesting that Parsons' widow was clearly jealous of his relationship with Emmylou and had the front cover of the album modified before its released - removing the picture that featured Parsons and Harris and removed the credit to Harris (it was moved to the back of the album). Country music is not my thing and this is a bit too twangy for me, but Emmylou's voice is amazing and I could listen to her all day. Solid album and I can see why it made it on this list.
I don't mind the twang as much as other reviewer here. The country music part of this is fine. It's the songs themselves I don't really care for, I find them uninspiring. I Can't Dance is good though
Ok 2/5
Fine, but Emmylou Harris' backing vocals is what is really stealing my attention. Sorry to Gram Parsons. Fav Tracks: "Return of the Grievous Angel", "$1000 Wedding" and "In My Hour of Darkness".
Somewhat disappointed in this. I liked it but didn’t love it. The more country the sound the better I liked it.
I went college in a city with a thriving local music scene and many of my favorite bands sounded just like this. The first song reminded me of Emmett Otters Jugband
not a country girl, and not a burritos brother fan so i thought i was gonna hate this but i was pleasantly surprised! more so at the first half of the album but it was still great
Jag hade en fullmatad cdbox med Gram, där var förstås de mesta med från detta album och albumet innan (GP), men också låtar med livebandet Fallen Angels och hans låtar från the Byrds, Flying Burrito Bros. och de där andra bandet Submarine nånting. En utmärkt box och en väg in i countryn för mig i början av 00talet. Tror det va Ryan Adams som pratade om honom som gjorde att jag skaffade den. Dock gjorde det att mycket flyter ihop, jag har svårt att skilja de olika projekten och albumen åt eftersom jag lyssnade mycket på den boxen. Jag har förstås detta album och GP på vinyl nu, men det var länge sen jag plockade fram dom och minnet av cdboxen sitter hårt. Så jag lyssnade igenom båda albumen nu. Jag tycker GP är lite starkare, bättre låtar. Å andra sidan är det mindre Emmylou där, även om hon är med, så det tar nästan ut varann. Här finns några riktiga höjdare, "In my hour of darkness" är förstås allra bäst men öppningsspåret, "Brass buttons" och "$1000 wedding" skäms inte heller för sig. Lite svårare har jag när det blir för mycket upptempo ("Ooh Las Vegas") "Love hurts" stör inte det minsta det är ett helt ok albumspår men heller inte mer. Konstaterar att Gram är en countrykille jag fortfatande gillar. Jag landar i en vrålstark 3a, medan GP hade nog tippat över till en svag 4a
Jag har aldrig riktigt fastnat för Gram Parsons country. Men när jag hör den här skivan nu förstår jag inte varför. Kanske är det för att jag förblindats av att Love hurts är en så banal pastischlåt. Men resten är faktiskt övervägande bra country. Han tillhör inte de stora sångarna inom genren, men låtarna håller god klass, förutom Love hurts då. Och Emmylou är alltid underbar, även i bakgrunden.
Ett oantastligt sound. Gram och Emmylous stämmor är förstås ljuva tillsammans. Saknar dock låtar som riktigt griper tag. Stannar därför på trean idag.
Gram må ha en begränsad röst men tillsammans med Emmylou blir det perfekt symbios av skört, vackert, begränsat och fulländat. Det är country av hög klass. Knappast nyskapande, men det ligger ju också i genren att dr5 ska vara konservativt. Hög klass rakt igenom, svagaste spåren; love hurts och ooh Las Vegas.
1 = Turn it off, 2 = Will listen to it but prefer something else, 3 = Fine with it being played 4 = Adding it to the rotation 5 = We're going deeper. This album was easy to listen to and had some good tracks. Wouldn't mind revisiting it now and again, but not good enough to add it to my library.
Cosmic. If only it was credited to Emmylou, too.
Country music has to be exceptional for me to listen to it. Definitely not for me this one.
Country rock flourished in the 70’s largely because of Gram Parsons, the later Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and their diaspora. Jot entirely my cup of tea, and the next wave even less so, but important and innovative music.
This album was clearly the inspiration for the country parody/parodies on National Lampoon's "Goodbye Pop" record. Country-rock is seldom my go-to listening, but Emmylou Harris is a revelation on this album.
You ever listen to an album for the first time knowing exactly how you're going to feel based on previous albums you've listened to that all have things in common with each other? That happens a lot with this project, and this album demonstrates that very well. This is Grievous Angel by Gram Parsons. Despite this being my first album credited to him specifically, this is actually my third album I've gotten for this project with him at the lead. I previously listened to an album from his band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and an album from his tenure with The Byrds, a band that I eventually got kinda tired of from all the albums they have on this list. I gave both of those albums a 3, so I was fully expecting Grievous Angel to also be that. Was I right? Uh, yeah. I was. This album definitely isn't bad, but I'm also not super invested in it. The sound is very country. I thought there'd be more of a psychedelic influence given the other two albums, but that's not really here. Still, the sound is pleasant enough. I do like the way most older country albums sound, even if I don't love them per se. The vocals are solid. Gram's voice is alright. The album does have a very high presence of another singer though, a singer who I have also gotten albums from in the past, that being Emmylou Harris. Her voice is also nice. The songs here are all decent. "Love Hurts" is the most popular one and I'm okay with that. It's a good song. The energy here is more on the slow side, which works most of the time. I don't have much else to say. This is a solid country album, but not one that I'm impressed by. I'd say it's about on par with the other Parsons affairs on here, though I do think it slightly edges them out to be the best of the bunch. 3/5.
I still don’t really like country, but I try to keep an open mind. This was okay.
Gram Parsons' posthumous 1974 masterpiece Grievous Angel is a quintessential blend of folk, rock, and classic country that hits far more than it misses. The album shines brightest when dynamic vocal harmonies drive the track list, anchored by the standout, uncredited female vocalist—country music icon Emmylou Harris. (Her name was originally slated for equal billing on the cover, but it was stripped by Parsons' widow following his tragic death). Highlights include the soaring, folksy narrative of the title track "Return of the Grievous Angel," the high-octane country-rock energy of "Ooh Las Vegas," and a tender, standout cover of "Love Hurts" that easily ranks among the finest acoustic love songs ever recorded. While a few moments drift into weird territory—such as the eccentric turns in "$1000 Wedding"—and the track list takes a fun, danceable detour with the fake-live 1950s rock-and-roll medley, the album maintains a smooth, accessible charm throughout. Grounded by simple yet poetic lyrics and immaculate duet chemistry, Grievous Angel earns a well-deserved 4/5.
The first two tracks: meh. The rest: just lovely.
Grievous Angel by Gram Parsons is a really enjoyable listen, which surprised me slightly considering this is predominantly a country album! This is definitely the type of country music I can get on board with. It's less twangy and banjo-heavy than a lot of the country albums I've struggled with during this challenge and has much more going on musically. The real star of the show for me, though, is Emmylou Harris. I completely agree with the reviewer who said her name should have been on the album alongside Gram Parsons. Her voice is absolutely stunning and works beautifully with his. Whenever they sing together, the album seems to go up another level. There are some genuinely beautiful songs on here as well. Their version of "Love Hurts" is lovely, and the whole album has a warm, relaxed sound that makes it incredibly easy to listen to. It's country music, but with enough folk and rock mixed in to make it much more interesting to me. Overall, this was a really pleasant surprise and another country album from this challenge that I'd happily listen to again. Favourite track: "Love Hurts" is beautiful, largely because Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris sound so good together. "Return of the Grievous Angel" is also a great tune and a brilliant way to open the album. Least favourite track: Everything on here is worth a listen. There wasn't anything I particularly disliked. Album artwork: Really cool album cover. Simple and effective.
Pretty good album well written songs and features a young Emmy Lou Harris on backing vocals.
Pathetic. And why ruin Love Hurts?
Not for me.
900 albums!! I'm closing in on the end. This is a good one to celebrate. "Cosmic American Music" is a slightly pretentious but totally awesome, and fairly accurate, term for him to give his music. But the spotlight is barely his to share alone, Emmylou Harris should be right there too. This is a duet album through and through. I'd argue that these songs wouldn't be half as sticky without her swooping in on these choruses. "I Can't Dance" is the blueprint for country rock that would, for better or worse, come to be a mainstay for decades on end. It's got a very sensible, tight chorus. Leaning further into this notion, "Brass Buttons" might as well be an Eagles song. This version of "Love Hurts" is slightly more tolerable than that Nazareth cover, which is nails on a chalkboard. "In My Hour Of Darkness" is a fantastic closer, something I feel like so many of these daily albums have been missing lately. It's a very firm, resolute song whos sentiment is made stronger with the knowledge that he passed shortly before this song was released. Sleeper good, I'm gonna say 4/5
As someone who owns this album, I was genuinely surprised that this is rated so low. I'll concede that Hearts on Fire and I Can't Dance are skippable, but don't the rest of you find those Emmylou Harris harmonies on Love Hurts, $1000 Wedding and the title track truly spine tingling? No? Just me? Ok.
mediocre
Nice country album
This was fine. 3.1
70s album equally feature both a man and a woman, but it's just the blokes name of the jacket. Indicative of how backwards this record is - they were making music like this in the 50s, Gram!! Maybe try something new!!
music is love
A fantastic album with a hearty bit of lore to it. Released a couple of months after Parsons’ untimely death due to a morphine overdose, this album is the accidental swansong of the man who made some of the more acclaimed country-psych of the late 60s, with The Byrds and Flying Burrito Bros, and the introductory work for fledgling Emmylou Harris, who would go on to have her own beautiful and illustrious career in the genre. The slower, sadder songs on here, such as opener “Return of the Grievous Angel,” “Hearts On Fire,” “Brass Buttons,” “$1000 Wedding,” the list goes on, are all incredible. Harris provides frequent harmonies, all of which add a lot to the songs, and Parson’s vocals are quite great, with a wonderful range of passion and sensitivity. The songs are frequently multi-parted, in a way that feels like every single section is the chorus in some way. “In My Hour Of Darkness” is a beautiful send-off to Parsons, even if no one knew it was that. Awesome album. 8.6/10 DOES IT BELONG ON THE LIST: YES REASON: send-off to a minor legend of country, as well as introduction to another legend, as well as immense quality.
I don't think I was sad enough to appreciate this mid country music.
Jed stole my review
IS THIS THE DIRECTOR OF BACKROOMS?!
Just bad country ha. Not into it at all.
Not my style
++: Return of the Grievous Angel, I Can't Dance, Brass Buttons, Medley Live from Northern Quebec, Ooh Las Vegas, In My Hour of Darkness +: $1000 Wedding, Love Hurts +-: Hearts on Fire 8,5/10
This is too kitchy for me.
Twee country
Awful
Een country album, of nee sorry: een country rock album. Wat is het verschil tussen country en countryrock? Ik heb geen idee, maar deze man word genoemd als de uitvinder van countryrock! En dat zal zeker de reden zijn dat hij hier op staat, ik bedoel countryrock!!! Kun je je een wereld voorstellen waar country en rock elkaar nooit hadden ontmoet!? Nou gelukkig hoeven we ons dat niet voor te stellen, want dit album bevat zowel country als rock!! Ik word hier heel cynisch van, maar moet toegeven dat de latere nummers inderdaad meer rocken, het tempo gaat iets omhoog, maar het klinkt voor een behoorlijk deel meer als een rock album met misschien country onderwerpen dan een echte samensmelting van de twee. Nee toch niet, dit album rockt echt totaaaaal niet. Het is een ontzettend saai country album, zelfs Emmylou Harris, die toch een meer dan prima stem heeft, kan dit album niet redden. Ik verveel me echt dood. Love hurts is een bekend nummer, maar het pakt me totaal niet eigenlijk. Ooh Las Vegas is dan eindelijk een beetje uptempo, maar jezus de lyrics zijn niet best. Ik merk dat ik me gewoon nogal irriteer aan dit album. Het is niet tranentrekkend slecht, sowieso klinkt EmmyLou gewoon meer dan prima en is Gram niet de slechtste zanger. Maar dit is gewoon een nietszeggend countryalbum, althans ik haal er niets bijzonders uit. FAVO:
Not doing much for me, just straight ahead twangy country. Best part is emmylou Harris’ singing. “Love hurts” is recognizable and my fave track.
Yee haw
#215 Heard Before? Yup. Every few years I suddenly need to listen to all of Gram Parsons. Notes: - i love weepy ballads and i love Emmylou. so as soon as "Hearts on Fire" starts, the spell is cast. plus vibraphone! - imagine writing "Love Hurts". what a carefully composed song, and this version is my favorite. - i love every note of every pedal steel part on this album. - yet on the whole I find this album uneven, even though the songs are all solid and the performances masterful. I would think "Gilded Palace" or "GP" would be better picks for this list. - the faux-live medley is a neat idea, but suffers in context. it would be better as a whole album, or even a whole side. - all the uptempo numbers are to me less... convincing than the ballads, and not as exciting as his more rock-oriented work. - but then it ends with my absolute favorite song he ever recorded. Verdict: Now I'm gonna need to wear my cowboy clothes for the next week. Listen Again? Of course. And I've already listened to everything else of his today.
Perfectly lovely music… which I slept through much of.
Not familiar with this although think so recognize the name. Old school country rock, something I may be able to enjoy a little. This is solid. Feels like a classic sound. Gets a little more 70s rock at times. All solid. 70s country feels all in line with the folk/soft rock of its era. Very different from modern country. At times a few of these songs sound a little too cliche but I like a lot of it. This version of Love Hurts is solid. This is a solid 3. Kept waiting to hear something to give me a higher rating, but never got there. Good album. Old school simple country.
I would usually say GP is my fave, but upon review this one is right there.
One of the greatest albums! He was a genius!
Yup that’s definitely country. Not the worst thing ever, but there’s a lot more I’d rather put on. Also, I just listened to Red Dirt Girl so I wasn’t in the mood.
Pretty cozy Standout Track: Love Hurts
It's a short record, I don't doubt its influence, but it was pretty painful for me to work through. It starts off with insane guitar twang and by the end of it there's more Emmylou than I've ever needed.There's an occasional classic rock air that works alright, which is then followed by some pretty intense country. The fusion part? Not bad, honestly, I can respect it. It's well done, and if you appreciate the genres, the odds are the experience amplifies. Maybe a little dated by today's standards, especially the rock aspect, but for '74 this would make sense as a banger. If for nothing else, I'm glad I can now put a sound to the name. 2/5
I liked it but it was a bit rambling at times
Oooh, some 70s country. We feasting today
Pretty interesting that this like defined a genre and stuff but not an absolute must listen today. Still pretty solid tho
While I expected a dud I was pleasantly surprised in what I heard. Older folksy country but fast paced enough to keep your attention.
I kiss ma baby with ma fist
I was not sold straight off the jump but this grew on me as it continued. This was a pleasant listen and Emmylou Harris’ vocals are a nice inclusion. Good song variety. Favorite songs were I Can’t Dance, $1000 Wedding, and Love Hurts.
Started off not loving, thinking this was going to be another unoriginal country album but as it progressed got more into it.
3.5
Standard 70s country rock... but soft rock. Lots of harmonies. Didn't know he wrote a couple of these songs, whose covers are legendary. It's not great but listenable.
Trust fund kid LARPing as a hardscrabble honky tonk hero. No thanks.
This album is just pure craftsmanship and smooth, beautiful songwriting and performance. I'd give it a 4.5 stars, but I'm rounding up, because I do think it fits this project and is something very special. Even if Parsons had not died around its release, it still would have been something special. It's just unfortunate that there is always an unknown possibility that he could have gone on to do something even greater but never got the chance.
I’m not a country music fan, so I am not the target audience of this music. From an analytical perspective, the singer does not sound good. This is a vocal-centric genre, so this is a critical part of the equation. A real struggle to listen to.
190726 21:24 3.5
Really enjoyed this one. This is the sort of country that I’m into. Thoughtful writing. 4/5
I'm in a kinda "just getting through it" period of the list rn. Country.
I remember learning about Gram Parsons when I saw Johnny Knoxville was going to play him in a movie. I then became highly interested in the mystery that Gram Parsons. Then I listened to something by him and was no longer interested in Gram Parsons. That was a different time I’m a different person. Let’s dig in for round 2. So it’s sort of a Glenn Campbell style of country. It’s old sounding and I get that it technically is. I was an asshole back in the day apparently. There are misses on here. Sometimes it feels too mellow but I see why there was a mourning for his loss. Even if it was more from people in the shadows. All in all, it’s decent. Oh and Nazareth did Love Hurts better Choice cut : Medley live…..
Some lovely country music with great voices and the always amazing pedal steel guitar. Some of the songs do sound a bit same-y though.
Tough review because i feel like this is quite derivative in the mid 70s. I mean bands like The Dead, The Band, CSNY each individually, have all been steeped in a Cosmic Country Americana sound. However, this is a pleasant listen with great instrumentation and vocals. Id come back again
Great album. I've been getting into folk and county recently so was excited to be recommended a country album. Emmylou's vocals are beautiful. A lot of the lyrics are sad considering his death, but there are many upbeat songs, some have you singing the chorus on first listen.
Not sure what to think of it first, but after hearing I cant dance (I do think you could dance mister Parsons!) and Love Hurts I got the vibe right and understood his impact on country rock!
Though I was going to hate this after 20 seconds, actually worth a listen. Won't ever listen again though.
이런 노래를 컨트리 송이라고 했던 것 같은데 그런 느낌이 나쁘지 않았다. I think songs like this are called country songs, and I didn't mind that vibe.
Lite rock. Decent background music
Muy buena musica country! Mis favoritas: - Love Hurts (Cover) - Ooh Las Vegas -
359/1089 just not a fan at all. i sat through it fully and that’s all the time i’ll give it 17/100
I used to like this stuff a lot more when I was younger. Now less so. the arrangements are jsut so dull. A fake live track too. Maybe on a different day, I'd like it more. Who knows. 2.5 rounded down Heard before? Yes Owned: No, 93/351 (26%) Will I get: No
Country, 47 eme album =>1/5
Very clean. Nothing special.
Never heard of Gram before. Sounds a lot like the Country (& Western) I heard growing up in the 70s in rural East Scotland, but with more serious/contemporary lyrics.
Yee haw Actually really charming
Emmylou carries this one
A bit too twangy country for me. I do like Emmylou Harris, 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. 2⭐️
Country. Poznám 1. pieseň od niekoho iného...
Not liking his country side the folk thing is much better
Hat mich bisschen in a nonchalant way. country rock
Pure Americana - twangy country and lush gospel, warm and laid back, a pleasantly stoned swimming hole on a sweaty afternoon of an album.
Not my thing. I’m sure in the right ears it is great.
I liked the Emmylou Harris bits, the rest was a bit blancmange - ok but bland country
Honkytonk spongebobesque folky rock. Not my vibe but it’s ok
This album is lucky that I'm not judging it by its cover because that album art is pretty bad. Big mistake to remove Emmylou's picture and name when this is essentially an album of duets with her (and she's definitely the more well-known artist of the two of them). I like the album. They both have nice voices and I like the harmonies. Pretty classic country sound.
Found it funny that Emmy Lou featured on pretty much every single song, and was only mentioned as a feature once. Apparently Grams wife was pissed that she was on the album cover after he died and removed her and put her only as a feature on the back of the cover, the opening song also scratched. Maybe she did care about their relationship all along... Anyways, Emmy carries a lot of weight on here and is given almost no credit.. which kinda stinks. The album cover is also kinda strange, I dont like the rendering of his face... it gives me the heebie jeebies.
I preferred the woman’s voice. It was fine but nothing too special. Sort of sounded like it could be a musical.
It’s country. It rocks.
I do love this LP. What a cool guy. Too bad we lost him so early in his life.
Cosmic American Music is surprisingly ramshackle, Twangy Country Music.
I strongly dislike country. This is just very boring, and nothing is special about it. At least some tracks weren't that bad. I guess just not for me.
Not one decent moment or one half decent track. Really hard work. Country, but really poor country.
it's like a bowl of overcooked butter noodles
A nice album. Grows on you. A very easy listen but nothing too memorable that makes you want to come back. Given it a 4, because it would of been about a 3.7 to me.
Very chill. Liked it.
I liked the first song and Brass Buttons $1000 wedding's lyrics man... I THINK I HAVE HEARD LOVE HURTS BEFORE. mkaaay, some songs were screaming country (although I don't even know if they count as country) but I'd say it was a okay album.
Poor.
It's 3.5
Really melancholy but beautiful. The type of country music I could envision listening to on a fishing trip. Really enjoyed ‘Brass Buttons’ and I was familiar with ‘Love Hurts’ but not with Gram Parsons. After reading his bio and the story behind his last few years, this felt like a pretty solid work of art.
The first song feels like this album starts in the middle of a thought. The third song feels like it would've been well-suited to be the first track, though. I kind of enjoyed this, kind of didn't. As I've gotten more into country rock, it's good to listen to some of the older stuff, too.
Too much twang for me. Way more country than rock.
Pretty decent, chilled country. Similar to some other country albums on this list, nothing special but an easy listen.
Lovely duets and yet the album is attributed to Gram Parsons alone. Hard to listen to him and not ready about his death and the aftermath. Overall, I enjoyed the ablum. It was hauntingly beautiful even though country isn't really my thing. I can now understand his impact on future artists as they blend some of his country into their genre's sounds.
Light 70s. Not for me
Not my music
I didn’t know I was a Graham parsons fan.
The best song on this album is the cover of “Love Hurts” that doesn’t even show up as a notable cover in the Wikipedia article housing the song itself. That says a lot about this album. That song is fine, it’s very peaceful and easy to listen to. Not my favorite cover of that song by any means, but it’s fine. It’s also Gram Parson’s most well known song. However, as previously mentioned, it’s not even a Gram Parsons song. A rule of thumb I have for artists is that if a remix made by someone else, or a cover that doesn’t surpass the original is your number one song, we might have a bit of a problem. This album is more Country nonsense through and through that I don’t really care for. On top of that, it’s yet another member of The Byrds getting a solo album on the list. That means there’s at least 8 on here, with potentially more if a third band member also has a solo album on here. Jesus Christ. That’s way WAY too many. Ridiculous to have even 2 of them on here to be honest. Boring album art as well. Very uninspired and lame. Call it a very weird bias, but with songs like “Return of the Grievous Angel”, I always get the feeling that they’re going to say something very… outdated. I’ll leave it at that. Interpret that the way you will. Even if it’s perfectly fine, it just rubs me the wrong way. Man, I just do not enjoy Country music in the slightest, and as usual, this selection is not helping. If this bot was meant to get me to appreciate Country music, it has epically failed a grand majority of the time. Furthermore, the 7+ other Byrds albums are really starting to irk me, and I roll my eyes at this point whenever I roll one, just like the copious amounts of Elvis Costello. So many other deserving artists are left out in exchange for this. The 3 Byrds and Byrds adjacent albums I’ve listened to so far got a 3, but I might start giving them 2’s going forward. This is the worst one so far. I’m just really sick of them and get no enjoyment whatsoever out of any of them. It’s just boring. It brings nothing to the table and it’s utterly forgettable. Every one of their albums I’ve listened to so far are the same, solo artist or not. Nothing against them personally, but they’re just not for me. If there’s anything I’m thankful for, it’s that this wasn’t my weekend album. Whether or not that becomes a monkeys paw in a second when I roll the next album remains to be seen. This is yet another album that wasn’t terrible, but man was it not good either, which situationally can be worse, as I’m going to forget about it in its entirety before the end of this review. Next please!! Let’s end the week off with some heat. If I don’t have to listen to this generic Country drivel for at least another week I’ll be happy. Either that or just get the rest out of the way consecutively. Either of those options would be fine by me at this point. Sorry Gram, not a fan.
Like this album, probably more than GP if it wasn’t for the fake live medley which is just jarring and messed up the mood of the record. If it just took the canned crowd this would be pretty much on the money. Pure sad country as it should be. The mood helps the limitations of his voice, and in fact it is a perfect marriage , and having Ms Harris doesn’t do any harm, that is some emotional singing. All and all the album is The total fuck up artist on full show, channeling the emotion into a fine country rock album. Can’t be a 5 due to the barroom gag, but damn fine 4 Star
I didn’t know I’d enjoy this sort of country. But that boy had something in him
muy country, demasiado.
Excellent. Quirky country with a futuristic bent. Loved the harmonies and the edgy quality of the guitar playing.
Amazing blend of both Country and Western. I don't think the cowboy life is for me though...
Thought this was great and packed full of charm, the duet vocals worked really well
Pleasant and forgettable
Country music from the 70s with Emmylou Harris. Favorite tracks: love hurts other picks: brass buttons, return of the grievous angel
Buen disco country la verdad.
nice and folky!
Ground zero for country rock. Love Gram he left us way too soon
Country queen realness. 3.
Personal enjoyment: 5/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
I think the problem with these country albums (for me at least) is that they'd be much more bearable if the guys just stopped singing
A classic country album. A very solid album that stands the test of time. Love me some good ol’ twangy country songs. Favorites: Return of the Grievous Angel, I Can’t Dance, Brass Buttons, Ooh Las Vegas, In My Hour of Darkness
Get this man out of the way of that actual legend.
This kind of country rock blend is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I’m glad this one is behind me.
Like Emmylou on here. Can see the direct lineage of this album to contemporary alt-country
Not really my kind of music. This is the kind of stuff my aunt and uncles loved to listen to at family gatherings, Parsons and Emmylou Harris and the like. Not for me. "Love Hurts" is fantastic, but I don't care for the rest of it. The rest just kind of blends together for me.
may God have mercy on anyone who enjoys country music
180. ok
This album and music to me is timeless and hard to beat.
Country is still not my favorite genre, but this album was not too bad. The music was good and the vocals were nice. I would say my favorite song from the album was the cover of Love Hurts.
The first rule of songwriting is to write what you know. In Gram Parsons’ case this was booze, shotgun marriages, doomed love affairs and spitting in the eye of the Grim Reaper. He certainly packed a lot into his tragically short life. He played music from an early age, formed several successful bands and joined The Byrds in 1968 aged just 22 and then quit on principle over a planned tour of apartheid South Africa. He got to know Keith Richards, formed yet another band (The Flying Burrito Brothers) before meeting the then unknown Emmylou Harris who he recruited for his two solo albums. At this time he was struggling with a crippling drug addiction and alcoholism, but somehow managed to make a solid country rock album greatly elevated by Harris’ vocals, especially on the duets Love Hurts and In My Hour of Darkness. By rights Harris should have been co-credited for this album, but when Parsons died of an inevitable overdose, his jealous estranged wife removed her from the cover. Her 1975 song Boulder to Birmingham shows how much he meant to her. Another tragic member of the rockstars die young club.
He spent his brief career (dead at 26) trying to create the sound in his head, which he called “Cosmic American Music”. Did he get there? Probably not quite. But on the way he essentially midwifed country-rock as a genre through his contributions to the Byrds’ “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” as well as the Flying Burrito Brothers. His solo work continues in this vein. This, his second and final solo album, was recorded shortly before his untimely death and released posthumously. Emmylou Harris plays a major role here, singing exquisite harmony vocals on nearly every tune. Gram is in good voice. And the musical backing is by members of Elvis’ TCB band, a crack outfit.
6/10 Empezó medio country, no me disgusto pero tampoco es un estilo que me fascine, después bien pero tampoco nada wow
Nope, not giving corn ball country anything other than a 1
Got into this a little more than expected given it's pretty much out and out country..liked the Emmy vocals and dug the vibraphones on 2nd track. Calling this "Cosmic American Music" might be overplaying the hand a little, though...
I don’t have much love for country Byrds. I sure don’t have any more for this. Painful 70’s stuff which has radically pared away from my sweet spot
Folk/Early Rock
It’s funny, normally when I get to an album that I just don’t enjoy in any way I don’t have any remorse about giving it a bad review. This is probably the only album I felt guilty about not liking. I don’t know what is making me feel that way. It’s boring country production with a singer that doesn’t blow me away in any way. Honestly if it wasn’t for the Emmylou Harris song (which is much more of a southern rock song which helps a lot) I’d probably given this album an immediate 1. Actually I also liked the song “I can’t dance” but that’s what really hurt this album the most, is that I could see a southern rock album I’d like to hear, but the most of the album is mopey slow and sad country album which I just couldn’t find more boring if I tried.
Expected something cosmic, instead i got country. 4/5
Shout out Emmylou Harris
Loved this album
Surprisingly relaxing. A nice change of pace. Giving me more hope towards the country genre.
I love this album and his alt-country/folk sound. Very interesting character and life as well. 4.5/5
This was formulaic, twangy country that was all pretty much the same tempo throughout. I'm not a country fan, so I didn't much like this. However, "Love Hurts" was a decent song that I've heard before and can appreciate.
This wasn't bad, country just isn't really my style. There was good stuff here, but just not my favorite. It doesn't overstay its welcome. It just could do more I think. Emmylou Harris was GREAT in her feature. Actual rating...2.5 Liked Songs: "Return of the Grievous Angel" , "I Can't Dance" , "$1000 Wedding" , "Love Hurts" , "Ooh Las Vegas"
Painful to be honest
Really mid
If I have to listen to yet more country music, I'm glad it's this. I like the lazy stoned feeling of it. I knew it through its influence on the Lemonheads, and always meant to listen to some more.
Pretty chill country album. I like grams voice and some of the songwriting here is pretty good e.g. $1000 wedding. But that's pretty much all I've got to say about it. Not bad not great 6/10 Favourite: Grievous Angel Least Favourite: Medley Live From Northern Quebec
Too much twangy country for me. Not hearing the alt-country, bluegrass or country-rock attributed to it.
OK. 2/5
This one surprised me a bit. The last few albums have been duds so I wasn’t expecting much. Enjoyed it far more than I thought I would.
I feel like this music is a bit run of the mill but I didn't dislike this. I'm not sure what sets this apart from other similar acts that warrants putting it on this list.
Every time I hear a Gram Parsons record I'm always impressed with the sound, especially given the era. If you're looking for that pre "my truck/ dog/beer" Nashville pop country slop, you could do way worse than this one.
This is nice country album before country went up its own ass
Überraschend schön, entspannt und nice Mischung von country, blues und singer-songwriter balladen Fav $1000 Wedding, brass buttons
I knew Gram Parsons as a country rock pioneer, even though I’d never actually heard any of his music. Aside from “I Can’t Dance,” however, the rock elements on *Grievous Angel* are very limited—it’s actually a pretty standard country album. If you like that dreamy “end-of-the-day on the farm” sound, it’s certainly quite nice - the album is extremely well-produced and will bring a lot of joy to fans of that style. Personally, though, I find it mostly boring - the best song is “Love Hurts,” and that’s a cover version, even though there are at least five better renditions (and probably hundreds more that take their cue from Nazareth). Nice to know, but you can do without it.
с первых нот захотелось выключить, но остановилась. ну очень красиво. хоть и кантри вонючее
Álbum de country muito agradável com canções bonitas. CVJ Aria.
Ok so ta emmy lou and this being released after his death might be carrying here... It's held as "a perfect fusion of rock and country" - it's all slow country ballad's except 1.5 songs (one rock a Billy mess), so like nah. The rest of it I also found rather unremarkable, underwhelming. Biggest song in the whole thing is a cover.... Like I'm sorry, this is a nothing burger without the context around it. Sounds harsh but if he was alive when it was released and Emmie Lou had a lesser career, would anyone know about this album? 2 covers......like honestly what is groundbreaking about this album?
Not a big country guy but I do feel like it's an overhated genre, this site included.
It’s ok to listen too. Love Hirts is a huge hit but the rest is not really my cup of tea.
This was an excellent rock/county record. I see all these terrible reviews and I don't get it. I would say a 3.5 but that's not an option
Interesting if you’re a fan of country. I’m not really.
Blues un peu country
J’ai trouvé ça drôle à écouter haha
Sympa! Je suis pas trop country mais j'ai bien aimé, notamment Brass Buttons et $1000 Wedding
9/10
4 songs in and really don’t like this. Definitely not my kind of music. Also every song feels like it’s a different style and belongs in a different album. Way more country/ folk than rock like wiki says. Done with the album now, still didn’t like it. There were a few songs which I thought were okay, but nothing sticks out as great. Frankly don’t even know why this would be on the list at all, vocals are the only good part and they kind of suck.
Grievous Angel was the second and final solo album for Gram Parsons. Parsons initially found fame as a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, His solo career was tragically cut short; he died of an overdose well before Grievous Angel was released. The album was critically very well received, but achieved only limited commercial success. Parsons is credited with helping to push the integration of country into rock music. He frequently collaborated with Emmylou Harris, who is a background vocalist on but one of the tracks on the album.
Just a country snoozefest. Salvages a star for Emmylou Harris and the aesthetically pleasing colour palette of the cover. Will never listen to this again. Update: listened to it again. Still feel the same. Country just doesn't do it for me.
I appreciate some old school, twangy country, but a little goes a long way for me. With Gram not having a terribly good voice, it was the angel-like harmonies of Emmylou that saved this for me. Worth a listen, but doubt I'll be back.
Pretty middle of the road "no complaints from me" classic country, but nothing stands out to push the rating about three stars. Standout track: Ooh, Las Vegas If you didn't read the Gram Parsons Wikipedia article, do so. Guy had an interesting life, death, and post-death, for sure. On another note, Parsons was in the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and made two solo albums before he turned 27. It's amazing to me to see the monumental amount of creative productivity of some of these musicians while they're basically kids. And this one in particular was instrumental in the creation of an entire genre of music. Wild stuff. Humans are amazing
More country than rock. The best part for me was Emmylou Harris on most of the songs. Not really my kind of music but nothing that was particularly bad about it.
The band is good but his voice is awful, no wonder he let EmmyLou sing on every track
Not a weak track here and the two singers have great chemistry. Going 4 but I can see 5 one day
Another bad day for this project
Sittin' on the porch music. Yeehaw.
My country knowledge is strictly mid 90s variety and Jolene by Dolly Parton. I can appreciate this but I don’t know any of it except what looks like an original version of love hurts.
I really want to like Gram Parsons' music, but like the Byrds before him, it just doesn't hit very hard. I don't know what it is. I love a lot of the alt-country bands from the 80s and 90s, who were doing similar stuff, but not Gram Parsons. I mean, there's some very good songs on this album, and Emmylou Harris. But, taken as a whole, the album feels a tad try-hard without any of the musical and lyrical hooks that, just to pick some random names, Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy manage to compose at the drop of a hat. Buuuut, despite all my kvetching, this is still a good album that earns a 4.
Return of the Grievous Angel is a great song. There are a few others, but too many pass by in a blur.
2/5 - Too much twang for me
I'm trying to get through the album but it's a challenge. I don't mind country music but the only thing that's keeping me listening is Emmylou Harris.
I really enjoyed this. A little surprising because country folk isn’t my favorite genre, but the tunes were mostly upbeat and the harmonies were nice.
blaaaand
p336. 1974. 3 stars. Accessible and influential early 70s country rock that paved the way for the Eagles. Some great songs here, but there is also a lot of filler and it does stray into yeehaw a little too much.
emmy lou is amazing; otherwise, this is a fantasy camp country album
Stands above lots of the other old country offerings, sounds good and smooth and I like their voices together Some of the songs lose a little of the shine, I liked the first few tracks the most
Emmylou is always five stars.
enjoyable - easy listening nothing special VERY country like so stereotypical country sounds like dolly parton on backing but it isnt love hurts stand out
The country sound on Grievous Angel is fantastic, and I wish the album had the songs to match it. The twang and pedal steel are both excellently balanced against the rock sound, combining to form something to satisfy both rockers and country traditionalists. The album's (not so) secret weapon is Emmylou Harris, whose vocals improve every song they're on. But the songwriting contains such a lack of variety that the album becomes a drag. Most of the slow songs contain a similar pacing and progress linearly with nothing but lyrics to separate them. For every amazing "Love Hurts" there's an overlong "$1000 Wedding." The upbeat songs feel a bit too gimmicky, and while country is not always a serious genre they stand in stark contrast to the druggy depression of the album's best songs. Worth listening to for the best songs, but I can't put this alongside the best country rock has to offer.
Not bad not bad
Enjoyable, easy listening folk.
severly not my thing
Soul(?) Country is boring
meh
horrible slow boring country music without any reason to listen too. Especially the live track is so annoying.
Pretty cool Country music, but it's also Country music.
This didn't do it for me. I like a lot of older country, but this sounded like an amateur imitation of 60's country. I suspect that people like the idea of Gram Parsons as much as they like his music. There were a few songs that were decent near the end of the album, but this whole thing seemed incredibly formulaic. Also some lyrics that made me roll my eyes which, I get it, he was in his early-mid 20s when he wrote them, but still.
Decent album, did love the songs with Emmylou Harris. I would listen to it again. Love Hurt was the highlight for me.
5/02 Just sounds like generic country music to me
Country was hard to listen to.
Fun and short. For those of who grew up with crappy stadium pop country, it’s nice to go back to things like this
this looks sick lmao i’m very picky with country, but i like this. im really enjoying this :) yayyy
(78/100)
I have no qualms with this.
Not that bad it could have been worse
Vanilla as it comes. Have just listened to the The Band / The Band alot and found that variety of country rock much more interesting than this wet fart of an album. Struggling for any postives other than I did not hate it. How could a guy so full of heroin make such a dull album.
Grievous Angel I really like Gram Parsons and all his various involvements, but occasionally I do struggle to put my finger on what exactly his appeal is, and why he appears to have an outsize influence compared to his output. He doesn’t have a particularly great voice, and for how often he’s cited as fundamental in the marriage of country and rock’n’roll his music can often sound very much like standard country. However there is something to his music that I really like, perhaps its informed by his early death and that outsize influence, but probably more that his best songs have a great quality to them, slightly fragile and forlorn, but with some great melodies and imagery, especially in tandem with Emmylou - and of course this album should really be credited to both of them. I’m not a fan of the live medley, even if Hickory Wind is a great song, but outside that there is some great stuff on here; The title track, Hearts on Fire, Brass Buttons and the superb $1000 Wedding on the 1st side, and then the last three tracks on the 2nd side. It’s an absolutely superb and for me definitive version of Love Hurts, Las Vegas is an excellent up temp country rocker with great bass, and In My Hour of Darkness is an excellent song. Musically, Al Perkins customarily fantastic pedal playing colours and tones the whole album, and there is some excellent bass playing, eschewing country and rockabilly norms for something more sinuous and interesting. I don’t quite think its a 5, so I’ll go a high 4. 👼👼👼👼 Playlist submission: Love Hurts
This is out the blocks with a song more country than a fiddle solo played on a porch-swing by a cowboy who's just learned he's lost custody of a horse. It's that country. It actually feels like a pastiche, or comedy song in delivery, if not lyrics, down to the voice crack on the word "parlour" which has big Cletus vibes. I always assumed Gram had a bit more country-rock about him, especially given he self-classifies his music as Cosmic Americana or some such nonsense. But as far as I can tell by this and 'The Gilded Palace of Sin', he's fully ensconced in country and western traditions, with little variety or innovation. At the risk of blaspheming, I also think his voice is a little feeble in places, not least on the pitchy 'Hearts on Fire' on which Emmylou does a lot of the heavy-lifting. Her presence here is certainly a grace, if not a saving one. The Flying Burrito Bros was a disappointment and this is too. I'd much rather listen to the Stones' country. Aside from a cool story surrounding his death, I really don't understand what the fuss is about.
Full Album Thoughts: Album Rating: 1.25 (D) Oh joy another country album. Reading about its production was fascinating, and it lead me down a tangent on a cover that I knew I heard before, and now I have no idea what version of it I already knew! Not only that, there was an S tier song buried in here! Too bad about the REST OF THE COUNTRY WHINE! Track Thoughts: "Return of the Grievous Angel" C- My god its another country album. The twang of the voice is killer on the male lead, but the female harmony stands in sharp contrast... I dont know if its a stylistic choice to have a more slurred, relaxed (read less disciplined on hitting your notes) lead... But it does just make me wish for better vocal control. I do enjoy a fiddle and piano ditty, but this is just Generic Country and it makes me wish for anything else. At least it isnt ENTIRELY drenched in slide guitar... though the picked guitar solo is still too bend heavy for my taste. "Hearts on Fire" C And speak of drenched in slide guitar. Having a, what, vibraphone? That ringing instrument providing occasional accompaniment is Unique at the very least, but its not enough to elevate YET ANOTHER generic country ballad. The female singer is putting in such a more listenable performance, she has way more dynamic range, she is the real star here. I am at least intrigued by the song, but boy is it just not my cup of tea. "I Can't Dance" A I am now collecting a series of "I cant dance" songs I guess, along with KGLW's "I hate dancing", whatever the antithesis of Weird Al's "That Boy Could Dance" is. Welcome to me prasing a novelty song, shame its so dang short! This is more of a rock song, and there is something going on whith the rhythem of the song, the way the melody initially feels a little out of beat with the rest of the song, not dragging, but just slightly unaligned from how you'd EXPECT the lyrics to fit. And then as the song progresses you get 'into the grove' so to speak. Its also got a bit of a surf rock style guitar solo... Yeah this is a shining bright spot on the album for me! A diamond in the rough. "Brass Buttons" C+ Sometimes a song is just a list of things you know? I like other list songs; I listen to my fair share of Father John Misty. Its evocative in its sparseness. Too laid back for my tastes; the lazy slide guitar is less offensively used here. "$1000 Wedding" C To do a $1000 wedding is cheap as hell these days... Just a stray thought, trying to not dwell on the Generic Country Blues tune. That said, this is a hell of a sad sad song, but its no "Alone Again (Naturally)", but if you're In The Mood for something like it, I bet this hits. I actually think its a missed opportunity to NOT have female vocal accompaniment in this song and this song alone, as thematically resonant as that would be. "Medley Live from Northern Quebec" D- Is this guy canadian? Why are we getting, not just a French Canadian song, but a NORTHERN french canadian song, ugh. I'll be the judge of this melody. Goddamnit I actually like this, its got some get up and go to it. The yodelling is not unappreciated. I dont know why I thought this WOULDNT be a live recording. The problem is this is a MEDLEY, in this case being two songs stitched together, and while the FIRST part is an upbeat and energetic tune, the SECOND half is more slow plodding generic country balads. At least when listening to a few stitched together irish reels and jigs they keep the pace up, often cases building. This is just a letdown. On modern hardware, I now gotta reach into my pocket to skip when a song I otherwise would like to add as a single gets to the back half. Bleh. Do I split the difference between the two ratings, or deduct extra points from the second for ruining the first? "Love Hurts" F This song has escaped containment. I try not to do too much googling, but yeah turns out this is a cover of a song from the 60s which was more famously covered by a BUNCH of different folks. So to judge it as a stand alone song? More slow sappy country dreck. Do I want to do a complete "covers tasting platter"? Not really in the scope for this but you know what I will make an exception for such a weird album already. The rankings go: 1) Original (Everly Brothers): Not what I would even call Country! Its just a pop song! 2) Jim Capaldi: Oh wow, a funky almost disco-esque beat? Yeah okay this is a strong contender for best, but I actually still think the original eeks out the competition. 3) Nazareth: Oh yeah lets get fuckin ROCKED. Guitar tone like "Creep" and who doesnt like that tone? 4) Roy Orbison: The worst vocal performance (too much vibrato), and I actually like the more stripped back instrumentation on the original, this is a bit too much "film score" music 5) Gram Parsons: Blech. Country. See notes above. Cher: Holy super over indulgent much. Sorry Cher. Not today. 6) Don McLean: You get the worst of all worlds, too country stripped back too far past the point of charm of the original, then too orchestra... it walks you through every middling cover and doesnt stand out on its own. I now know that I would listen to 4 other versions of this exact same song before I ever hear this one! F! "Ooh Las Vegas" S- Speaking of the get up and go on the first half of Northern Quebec! I'll take more of this rip roarin kind of blues riff! Gawd DANG that guitar solo, make it YELL boi! No fuck it, in comparison to everything else in the album this stands head and shoulders above the rest, its S, I dont know if it'd be S as a stand alone, but hot damn does this song rip. "In My Hour of Darkness" F Country Gospel Music. Kill me. I am checking out now. Sorry I do not HAVE to force myself to listen to this. I can just turn it off. BUT that would be quitter talk. What if there really is some musical idea, some singular riff or tone or interesting happenstance contained within? I am committing to listening to EVERY SONG no mater how painful. I've got some WEIRD stuff coming up surely. So writing this out is protest for letting it wash away into the background. F Tier, I hate this exact sound because of lingering cult upbringing baggage, but done soaked in whiny country twang, its acrid air on my ears.
Could have been much worse
Twang town
A. i didn’t know he wrote Love Hurts B. How long has EmmyLou Harris been around?
it alright.
Decent for yeehaw, I don't mind it
Just fine, could be much worse
this must be the mars attacks song that makes the alien brains explode. i'm the alien.
I mean this is just some good old country music. I don't think Gram Parsons was doing anything super new or unique but man does he do it well. I thoroughly enjoyed his voice, the harmonies, and the changes in pace between songs. 7/10
You can’t imagine someone sang these songs would die that young.
I will be real, I forgot about this as soon as I finished it. It left very little of an impression, just your usual folky fare, although I did like the opener a lot.
This was quite fun, and not as dreary as I was expecting it to be.
Fun to listen to but that was about it. Couple standout songs, Emmylou Harris kills it on the bg vox.
really pretty - loved the fiddle and his voice and emmylou harris's backing vocals. $1000 wedding is an excellent song. i thought Love Hurts was annoyingly saccharine though. first side is significantly stronger (besides In My Hour of Darkness). 3.5
my nigga. whom? yt music put big star in the recs; i assume that's a good barometer. streets calling this the first alt-country album. streets also saying he was on some unrequited love shit w/ emmylou. nonetheless we move. cook stove chef (based god): 1, 4 (decent but boring), 5 (standout) redeeming traits: 2 (harmonies), 3(instrumental), 6 (instrumental/harmonies/FX), 7 (harmonies {reoccurring gag [i've had that one before]}; how many times will i have to hear "love hurts" before this is through?), 8 (instrumental {harmonies are wasted on this one. you can't do "countryman depraved gambling rolling stone" songs with emmylou streisanding it. that said. mf do you HEAR this solo‽}) eh: 9 (harmonies are nice yada yada). if i have to hear people harmonize christ related lyricism i'm Just listening to boney m. putting the lyric "oh lord grant me speed" before singing a eulogy to your dealer (among other things) is p funny. considering. y'know. the circumstances. lowk bores me. even the songs with redeeming traits are kinda boring. rolling stone Def racist cause you can't tell me there's isn't at least a hundred albums better OAT. astaghfirullah if another song ends on a resolving chord reverbing out with steel pedal 🫥. that said the harmonies are fueg. al perkins' Tearing it up on the steel. another testament to the power of having insane studio guys making nice sounding mid. 3.2-3.8.
Title song is solid and some tracks there that I didn’t realize he wrote or he also covered which were nice surprises.
I give anyone permission to punch me square in the dick if they hear me play this album again.
Very enjoyable
⭐⭐⭐⭐- Det är något med det här albumet som inte klickar 100% hos mig (än). Kan vara Twanget i Grams röst eller att även om detta är starten på country-rock så är det mycket traditionell country. Annars är det fullt med bra låtar, bra musiker, grym steel-gitarr på Ooh Las Vegas! samt fantastiska Emmylou Harris som backup. Tycker Emmylou gör stor skillnad för att lyfta helheten. Även om det är något som skaver lite så tycker jag albumet som helhet är för bra för att få en 3a så det får bli en svag 4a. Bäst är Return of the Grevous Angel, I cant't dance, Brass buttons, $1000 Wedding, Ooh Las Vegas och att Emmylou Harris medverkar.
There is simply too much country on the list
The back end of this album is 100% better than the first half. A few classics.
Decent, but it didn't exactly blow me away. Kind of listened to it in a hurry, to be fair, it probably deserves a second listen. Favourite track: I Can't Dance
On Grievous Angel, Gram Parsons leans all the way into his vision of cosmic American music, but the result feels more like a hazy Sunday morning than a revelation. Anchored by lush pedal steel and an easygoing sway, the album’s real spark comes from Emmylou Harris, whose luminous harmonies nearly steal the show—honestly, this might as well be a co-billed affair. Parsons keeps things mellow to a fault, settling into a narrow groove that rarely breaks stride, which makes the record drift by pleasantly but without much urgency. There are flashes of something sharper: the title track, “Return of the Grievous Angel,” opens things with a rambling charm (even if it overstays its welcome), “Ooh Las Vegas” kicks up some dust with a welcome shot of tempo and a faint Johnny Cash-like swagger, and “Love Hurts” lands with quiet, aching grace. Still, for all its beauty, Grievous Angel plays it so safe that it risks fading into the background—easy on the ears, but not quite hard to forget.
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This is definitely an album that exists
Kill me
Well it wasn't *awful* as far as Country goes........ Standout: Return Of The Grievous Angel
I am not sure why this album is getting so ravaged because it seems pretty straightforward to me. I do think that Emmylou Harris is carrying it a bit and if it was just him it would probably be kind of unbearable. The low energy tracks were not my favorite but I thought the fast, high energy songs were awesome.
Return of the Grievous Angel $1000 Wedding Love Hurts In My Hour of Darkness
This was an easy listen. I loved Emmylou Harris's backing vocals and collaborations, and I appreciated the chemistry. The steel guitar and songs about pain and drinking tended toward country music, but other elements brought to mind some of The Eagles' countrified work. I could hear how Parsons was bringing folk and country toward rock, an effort that continued after his death in 1973.
Almost made country fun but then went right back to sad boy cowboy music.
Gram Parsons’ albums and contribution to the Byrds “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” were instrumental in the birth of country rock. This feels as much the work of Emmylou Harris as him, influential for sure, perhaps more influential than great, but a very good album.
That was lovely!
I thought it was enjoyable if not particularly memorable.
I liked the live medley! That was fun
Thought it was OK, not really for me
Yeah, I guess it's important but it just felt meh
Wonderful. Return of the Grievous Angel, $1,000 Wedding, In My Hour of Darkness - these three are magnificent. Hearts on Fire is great also, but the rest is just filler, which drags down the score. Emmy Lou and Linda Ronstadt are superb. It's the partnership with them that really lifts the album.
I'm always surprised by how much I enjoy old-school country. Emmylou Harris might be the best part of this album, but Gram Parsons has a particular sound that serves the music well, even if it's rather more nasal than I prefer. "$1000 Wedding" and "In My Hour of Darkness" were standouts for me.
Gram Parsons used to call Len Houmous the Grievous Angel. 4.6 1/9 Return Of The Grievous Angel
Favorite track(s): Return of the Grievous Angel, Brass Buttons, In My Hour of Darkness
Great melancolic Album
Fine, but not my thing
I liked this album. It had the right mix of country and storytelling. While this would be Gram Parsons's farewell, it would the take-off needed for Emmylou Harris. She shines on this album. $1000 Wedding is simply exceptional. Highlights: Hearts on Fire Brass Buttons $1000 Wedding Love Hurts In My Hour of Darkness
I didnt expect to like it but i really did!
i wish my heart was on fire
It was fine, some was emotion filled, some was just there.
This project can be so funny...in less than a week, we get two different versions of Love Hurts, and neither of them is the one popularized by Nazareth. There are so many interesting and tragic stories in the world of music too, such as Gram dying shortly after they finished recording this, and Emmylou Harris getting moved from being pictured and named on the front cover to a credit line on the back because of an apparently salty and estranged widow. The drama! I thought this was a really nice album. They have great singing chemistry together and I like the old country vibes paired with a touch of rock. A very pleasant listening experience!
Good songwriting (some written by Parsons) well played with those beautiful Emmylou Harris backing vocals. It's not my genre, but I appreciate it.
Never listened. Expectations: High - Verdict: Good - I love his work with The Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers but have somehow never given this a proper listen. The songcraft is very confident right from the start and his voice is beautiful. Delicate and understated and melancholic. I think maybe the performance is more impressive than the material itself. This is still a really good listen and deserves a spot on the list but there is just a little spark missing.
One Gram is the correct amount of Parsons. Disclaimer: Dosage recommendations vary based on body weight, tolerance, and several additional factors. Please consult a professional before starting Parsons.
Remember when country wasn't just pop with a twang sung by some affectatious jerk in a cowboy hat? Pepperidge Farm remembers. Not bad for country, which isn't a genre I care too much for. Got a few bangers on here, a few crooners, one instance of surprise yodeling, some stuff I think is supposed to make me sad but I can't quite understand the story so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. The audience on the live track are *rowdy* XD. Not mad at it. I'd like to highlight that it isn't all love songs - props. \m/
I was mostly unfamiliar with Gram Parsons, but I really enjoyed this. The sounds of his and Emmylou Harris' vocals together were beautiful and evocative. This makes me question my general aversion to country music. This is so much more
This is a pedestrian album at best. Some good tunes but all in all it’s mid
I mean, this is an album where a guy with a sizeable trust fund sings about how Vegas “ain’t no place for a poor boy like me”. Which is the way it always has been, and in any case there are far worse things to do with an independent source of wealth than make music with it. Particularly when the music is this good. Emmylou Harris is a highlight on here, but it’s all good. Country music, but it brings in some other things too, kind of makes me think of some of the modern (and good!) country singers like Sturgill Simpson. I have the feeling this album will grow on me if I give it the chance.
A bit too boring for my liking Best Song: Love Hurts Rating: 4.0/10 Stars: 2