Gram Parsons
Another Side Of This Life
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Gram Parsons
Another Side Of This Life
Rhino, 2001
RiYL: Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs |
This ain't one of those "lost B-side" gems here, folks. If you don't already know Gram Parsons' music, I suggest you pick up Farther Along: The Best of the Flying Burrito Brothers or his solo albums, both contained on one CD, GP/Grievous Angel. Just put this one back.
Okay, now that I got that out of the way...
For those who are as obsessed with the founder of modern country-rock as I am, this album is essential. The last piece of a complicated jigsaw puzzle that you never wanted to end. After this, it's hard to imagine any Parsons recording that hasn't seen the light of day.
No, Another Side of This Life isn't for the casual Gram fan. This album contains no trace of the country music Gram said he was born and raised on. That's right, it's a folk record. Sounds like it was recorded in Greenwich Village, circa 1964-66. Hmmm... maybe that's because it was.
And that's what makes this album so essential to those who try to understand and comprehend Gram's music. The man known for plowing fields later reaped by the Eagles and, to a lesser extent, the Rolling Stones, is caught here doing his best Bob Dylan impression. Truth be told, its not all that great. But c'mon, the guy was 19 years old when he made these recordings, just him and his acoustic guitar.
The album contains typical renditions of such folk standards as Fred Neil classics "That's the Bag I'm In" and "Another Side Of This Life," Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing On My Mind," and Tim Hardin's "Reputation." There's nothing new or revolutionary here -- nothing resembling the country-soul hybrid music he dubbed "Cosmic American Music," made famous with a brief stint in 1968 with The Byrds, and later with the Flying Burrito Brothers and two classic solo albums made before his death in 1973. Nope, this is just a strong helping of Bob Dylan served with Phil Ochs on the side.
But it's not the music that stands out on this record, it's his voice. This is before Gram took after Keith Richards and slowly destroyed himself through drugs and alcohol. This is before the stress and pressure of being a rock star lead Gram toward ill-fated promotional tours and a near nervous breakdown in 1971. His voice is so pure and crystal, it's almost scary to know what awaited him only a few short years down the road.
Even more fascinating is the self-penned "Brass Buttons," a song that was fully realized almost 10 years later, released a year after his death on his last solo album, 1974's Return Of The Grievous Angel. The song has always ranked among Parsons's best, but hearing it stripped down, with just his surprisingly powerful voice and acoustic guitar, it is downright eerie.
Her words still dance inside my head / Her comb still lies beside my bed / And the sun comes up without her / It just doesn't know she's gone / Oh, but I remember everything she said.
No, it's not perfect here. Nothing is. Some of the songs are ramshackle and mediocre. Some don't work at all. But who cares? It's the work of a genius before he matured.
RODEO ROB | An expert on all things "alt," Rob spends his days covering the energy industry and his nights covering the DC-area bars. Raise yer glass especially high to this man, for he has contributed to this site constantly since its creation four years ago.