Gram Parsons died 30 years ago today

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Although much is made about his death in music lore, I'm more interested in the songs he left us.
I'm floored every time that I listen to "$1000 Wedding" at how emotional I get. The crest of that song is so powerful. I can't explain it properly. Listen to it tonight, if you have the chance.

― peepee (peepee), Friday, 19 September 2003 18:24 (twenty-two years ago)

"She" is probably my fave of his.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 19 September 2003 18:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Gram Parsons is the one guy who convinced me that a country song may actually be melodically and harmonically great. A true genius, too bad he was with us way too briefly

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 19 September 2003 20:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Gram Parsons is the one guy who convinced me that a country song may actually be melodically and harmonically great.

Um...I think Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Charlie Rich, George Jones, Ray Price, Roger Miller, and about a thousand other great country singers should have already conviced you of that.

That said, Gram was great (if a slightly weak singer) and $1000 Wedding is one of my favorite songs ever. I just hate it when people say "Oh I hate country, but Gram Parsons is so great."

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 19 September 2003 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

don't bother trying to convince the geir re. country music, his head is now located somewhere b/t his kidneys and his liver and moving upward.

poor gram :(

there is a movie in production about his death and how his buddies stole his body and had it torched in the mohave

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 19 September 2003 21:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not trying to start a fight, but tell me how, for example, Sing Me Back Home by Merle Haggard or Crazy by Patsy Cline isn't "melodically and harmonically great"

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 19 September 2003 22:50 (twenty-two years ago)

hmmm... good point about his voice, Matt. It was kinda crap. I listen to something like "Hickory Wind" and just wish it was like Merle or somebody. But whatever. That song is so personal, so affecting, that it just totally WORKS.

Also, I just listened to his take on "One Hundred Years From Today" on the expanded Sweetheart disc (also a fairly crappy vocal), and just reaffirmed what an astounding song it is. I just wish I knew what he was getting at. I've puzzled at it for a while. I love the way he totally conflates some kind of future unimaginable human tragedy with a present failed relationship ("one hundred years from this day, will the people still feel this way"), but that chorus "nobody knows what kind of trouble we're in / nobody seems to think, it all might happen again" just kills me. KILLS me. It's one of the few songs that have actually put me on the verge of tears. I only wish I knew exactly what he was fucking thinking about, but whatever, the words are perfect.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Saturday, 20 September 2003 00:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Gram Parsons is the one guy who convinced me that a country song may actually be melodically and harmonically great. A true genius, too bad he was with us way too briefly

Haven't heard any country music then have you Geir?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Saturday, 20 September 2003 12:53 (twenty-two years ago)

"hmmm... good point about his voice, Matt. It was kinda crap. I listen to something like "Hickory Wind" and just wish it was like Merle or somebody. But whatever. That song is so personal, so affecting, that it just totally WORKS."

Whether his voice is crap or not is not given any space in my craw. There's so so so many great "voices" out there who couldn't move a flea. Could Merle have made "Hickery Wind" work better? I don't believe he could. Because it works, whats the point about thinking about the voice. Does it work cuz its so frail? I'll stop wondering about it and just play it.

For me, its like people discussing great guitarists. My reaction is:

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

― peepee (peepee), Saturday, 20 September 2003 14:57 (twenty-two years ago)

the cover of 'love hurts' is grebt.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 20 September 2003 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Gram Parsons understood what most country musicians before him did not, that by adding a couple of minor chords to those standard I-IV-V chords your music becomes a lot more harmonically exciting.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 21 September 2003 11:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Demonstrating only that you have never heard "most country artists before Gram Parsons."

― J (Jay), Sunday, 21 September 2003 11:58 (twenty-two years ago)

and the circle,
it goes round and round,
and the painted poinies
go up and down.
we're captive on a carousel of time.

― amateurist (amateurist), Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:38 (twenty-two years ago)

geir what are your favorite gram parsons' songs?

― gygax! (gygax!), Sunday, 21 September 2003 19:25 (twenty-two years ago)

(feel free to include ISB/Shilos, Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers if you'd like)

― gygax! (gygax!), Sunday, 21 September 2003 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Not particularly original here, but my favourites are "Return Of The Grievous Angel", "Hickory Wind" and, most of all, "Hot Burrito No. 2". Plus he managed to come up with one of the best Dylan covers ever in "You Ain't Going Nowhere" (although "Dylan cover expert" Roger McGuinn also played an obviously important part in this particular track)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 21 September 2003 22:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Gram Parsons is the one guy who convinced me that a country song may actually be melodically and harmonically great. A true genius, too bad he was with us way too briefly

Haven't heard any country music then have you Geir?
-- Dadaismus (kcoyne3...), September 20th, 2003

Heh heh. Beat me to it by a loooongshot.

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Monday, 22 September 2003 02:04 (twenty-two years ago)

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