| Of course, Gram
Parsons has now achieved cult status --- as much for his tragic
early death and its aftermath (the now-famous burning of his body in the
California desert at Joshua Tree) as for his music -- and is often routinely
cited as a major musical influence even by those who were clearly not influenced
by him at all. (A sure sign of cult status !) Parsons is also
now the subject of a documentary film called "Fallen Angel", which is well
worth seeing. Gram never did sell all that many records while he was alive,
and even now he is hardly a household name, but he was a strikingly original
talent as well as a true musical pioneer. Arguably the first -- and by
far the best -- to mix country, rock and soul (he referred to his style
as "Cosmic American Music"), Gram remains one of the most haunting, expressive
singers in any genre.
His solo albums (which feature the great vocal blend of Parsons with Emmylou Harris) and the best of his recordings with the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Byrds are classics, and still sound fresh and vibrant some 31 years after Gram's unfortunate demise at the age of 26. |