CD of the Week February 4-February 10, 2001

Gram Parsons

Another Side of This Life

Sundazed

Today Gram Parsons is the patron saint of the entire alt-country, no depression movement, but at the time that the recordings on this disc were made, Parsons was a Harvard student and a little known folk singer in Greenwich Village during his free time.

If you have never heard of Gram Parsons, go out and get Sweetheart of the Rodeoby the Byrds or either of Gram’s solo albums, but if you are already familiar with those recordings this new CD will offer a fascinating glimpse into Parsons’ formative years.

Parsons died at the early age of 26 so his recorded output is fairly small. That is why these recordings made in 1965 and 1966 are such a rare find. At the time Gram was attending Harvard, but when he would go home at Christmas or Spring Break he would often record the songs he was writing and/or learning on his friend’s Sony tape recorder. His friend, Jim Carlton, held on to these precious tapes for over 30 years until Gram’s partner in the Byrds, Roger McGuinn helped convince him to finally release them.

These recordings paint a picture of a young man who is absorbing a whole lot of influences that would eventually meld into his own brand of "Cosmic American Music" that he is famous for. For instance Parsons covers everything from Buffy Saint Marie’s "Codine" to Leiber & Stoller's "Searchin'" during these sessions. Gram even throws in a few songs that he would revisit later in his career, Tim Hardin’s "Reputation" and his own "Brass Buttons".

Parsons accompanies himself on acoustic guitar on all the tracks, which gives the performances a spare and folky feeling. His voice is already impressive at this point. On several songs including "Zah's Blues", he even croons like Billie Holiday.

The sound quality is surprisingly good on most tracks, although they are far from professional recordings. However, the primitive sound of these performances only adds to their charm in my opinion.

Gram would go on to bigger and better things. First he would play a pivotal role in the International Submarine Band which is often credited as being the first country-rock band. Next he would join the Byrds for only one album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, but that album would turn the rock world on end and it is still influencing bands today. Next Gram would found the Flying Burrito Brothers, which continued his countrified vision. Finally Gram discovered his ultimate musical partner in the form of a very young Emmylou Harris and they released two classic albums, GP and Grievous Angel before Gram’s untimely death.

If you want to see where this journey all started Another Side of This Life is a unique opportunity to do so. The warmth and depth of the music found on this disc only adds to Parsons already immense legacy.