DVD Review: Gram Parsons Fallen Angel - Page 3

Everybody had their own personal suit designed and Gram's became as infamous as him, covered with pills, booze, and marijuana plants. In an interesting little interview with the tailor who made the suits, he says he thought it interesting in retrospect Gram would ask him to cover the suit with all the things he'd use to kill himself.

But even while everybody being interviewed is painting a picture of a totally irresponsible and almost selfish individual, they talk about him with love and affection. Even when Hillman talks about punching a hole in Gram's guitar on stage one night, he's laughing as he recalls Gram, in all innocence asking, "Why'd you do that Chris?"

Everyone, from his wife Gretchen to the guys that played with him, talks about him like he was a miscreant child who didn't know any better. He genuinely didn't understand why Chris was frustrated with him for not rehearsing and nobody seemed to make the effort to tell him.

Part of it was the fact he had never needed to work for anything in his life. As a child and teenager he had all his material needs fulfilled by his mother's family, and as an adult he had a trust fund which according to who you listen too ranged from $20,000 - $50,000 a year. Even the low end of that scale in the late 1960's was more then most people's annual salary. He was without a financial care in the world.

The Burritos dissolved after the night Chris put his fist through Gram's guitar and the other band members went on to other gigs. Gram and Gretchen were invited to visit Keith Richards and the Rolling Stones in the South of France for a summer as the Stones prepared for their next album. While neither Keith nor Gertrude mention it, it's implied by another Gram became involved in heroin at this time.

It was when Gram got back from France he embarked upon the final stage of his career and life. He managed to convince a record company to fund him for a solo album, and this was when Emmylou Harris became his backup vocalist. Like everyone else she adored and respected him, but at the same time recounts at how frustrating he was to work with.

She talks about being amazed that the album G.P. was ever released because she never saw anyone else actually do anything. When they prepared for their tour they never actually rehearsed a song from beginning to end, and it wasn't until they were fired from their first gig for not being able to play one song she took matters into hand.

She ended up becoming the road "mother", making everybody sit down and rehearse properly and ensuring they could all begin and end a song at the same time. After that she claims the tour was a huge success with audiences loving everything they did. I don't know if you've heard Emmylou and Gram sing together, but it sounds like their voices were designed for each other.

Article Author: Richard Marcus

Richard Marcus is the author of the forthcoming book What Will Happen In Eragon IV? and has had his work published in print and on line all over the world. The not so long-haired Canadian iconoclast writes reviews and opines on the world as he sees …

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