I must say right up that I had never considered myself a true Stones acolyte until I had discovered a few of the secrets that only a "true" Stones' fan is privy to (or interested in.). One of which is the incredible influence that all of their influences has had on them. Redundant? Sure, but true.

Just listen to the boys playing with Muddy at The Checkerboard Lounge back in '78. Listen to the devotion to form with which they played Love In Vain on the '69 tour. I know. Love In Vain sounds nothing like the original Johnson tune. That misses the point. They were playing the song the way that they perceived the song should sound in 1969, and they redefined the song for generations to come. It still was a testament to the influence that Robert Johnson had on the band that came through on the recorded record. Point being that the Stones were very adept at sharing their love for an artist or genre and making the listener want to do some digging into said artist or genre. A tip of the hat, if you will.

With that thought in mind I have really been into digging into Gram Parsons stuff for the last year or two. Having done this I now have come to realize that had Keith and Gram never become mates than Country Honk would never have happened, and certainly, Exile would have sounded far different than it came out.

I have always thought that the Stones must have really made an impact on their contemporaries as well as bands that followed in their wake. That is a given. However, in the case of Gram Parsons I think that it is safe to say that he had more of an influence on the Stones than they had on him. Though there can be little doubt that he always wanted to be a Stone and thought, rightfully so, that they were the touch stone of their generation. I'm just damn glad that he met the the Stones when he did. Too bad he tried to keep up with Keith in the lifestyle department.

Keith and Gram may well have been inseparable back "in the day", but which Stone do you think that Gram was copping here...?


Hmmmmmm......?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAKSJrrNa3s&feature=related



Riffy

I'm flying bro.......................


I'm flying yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees I do

:weed

Voodoo Chile in Wonderland wrote on Dec 28^th, 2008 at 7:53pm:

I'm flying bro....................... I'm flying yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees I do :weed

You too?! Christmas is good! It always smells like Christmas trees around my house this time of year! ;)


Riffy

Hey Riffy...there's a new book out you may be interested in. A friend of mine in Winnipeg sent it to me for Christmas--she knows the author, John Einerson. It's called "Hot Burritos--The True Story of the Flying Burrito Brothers". Haven't started it yet, but I plan to--if I can ever finish the book I'm reading now! ::)

Riffhard wrote on Dec 28^th, 2008 at 7:46pm:

Keith and Gram may well have been inseparable back "in the day", but which Stone do you think that Gram was copping here...? Hmmmmmm......? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAKSJrrNa3s&feature=related Riffy

Strangely, that may be the only video I have ever seen of Parsons.  Yeah, he's channeling for sure, and that song sounds very like Good Time Women.  Boat too.  Boat.

keith was influenced by alot of grams..........

:funny

Riffy, which one is Gram in that video? If it's who I think it is, I never even see him play the guitar.

wrote on Dec 29^th, 2008 at 12:45pm:

Riffy, which one is Gram in that video? If it's who I think it is, I never even see him play the guitar.

Gram is the one that is doing the Mick Jagger impression.



Riffy


PS-Gram did play though. Quite well in fact.


Here's pretty boy Gram right here playing with the Burrito Brothers. Gram Parsons-guitar, Chris Hillman-guitar, Chris Ethridge-bass, and "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow on pedal steel. One of my favorite Burrito tunes.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BITiY8M_oDo

Don't like that song as much. Too country.

wrote on Dec 29^th, 2008 at 1:53pm:

Don't like that song as much. Too country.

Well when put in the context of the whole album it's a great tune. You should really pick up The Gilded Palace of Sin disk Blue. You won't be disappointed at all. There's quite a bit of country on it sure, but it's in the same vein as Stones' country tunes (no coincidence), but the Burrito's, and Gram particularly, were true fans of old school country. Lefty Frizzell, and the like. They really were hippie band that made country music cool. To my mind one of the coolest scenes in Gimme Shelter is when the Burrito Brothers kick into Six Days On The Road and the Frisbees start flying. It looks like it was going to be a great day, and then....well, you know.



Riffy

I'll look into it. I have GP/Grievous Angel.

I've had a hard time finding The Gilded Palace of Sin on CD.  But it and the second album, Burrito Deluxe, are both included in their entirety on Sin City:  The Very Best of The Flying Burrito Brothers.  Gilded Palace is an indispensable album with classics such as "Do Right Woman" and the anti-draft anthem, "My Uncle"; Deluxe also has many great tracks, including "Older Guys" and the Burritos' version of "Wild Horses."  Another Stones connection:  fiddle on the albums is played by none other than Byron Berline of "Country Honk" fame.

Gram was totally brilliant, the best country singer/songwriter of his generation, IMHO. Such emotional depth can't be learned or faked.