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Gram Parsons

Archives Vol. 1 | Amoeba
Rating: 3.0 stars
January 7, 2008 3:11:35 PM
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Recorded at San Francisco’s Avalon Ballroom in April 1969, these two discs of live material by Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers go a long way toward supporting the notion that Parsons was a pivotal player in the rise of country rock. Parsons had already taken the Byrds in that direction as the creative force behind that group’s Sweetheart of the Rodeo, and the Flying Burrito Brothers amounted to a Byrds spinoff at first: Parsons, guitarist/harmony vocalist Chris Hillman, and drummer Michael Clarke had all bolted from that band, then hooked up with Sneaky Pete Kleinow on pedal steel and Chris Ethridge on bass to explore a mix of what would morph into alt-country. The Avalon shows, recorded by the legendary Owsley “Bear” Stanley, the Grateful Dead’s soundman (the Burritos were opening for the Dead on these nights), are excellent in sound quality, and though they don’t reveal anything new about Parsons and the Burritos, this live set — largely songs borrowed from both country (Hank Williams) and rock (Little Richard), with a handful of originals tossed in (the exquisite “Sin City”) — is a valuable addition to the Parsons discography.
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