Gram Parsons Fallen Angel fills in a lot of holes in the biography of Gram Parsons the person. For those of you who didn't know much about him before, this is a great introduction and summary of his all too brief life and career. A real sense of loss and waste for what Gram could have been pervades the whole movie.
What I found most disturbing about the movie was the image it left of a lost little boy who everybody continued to indulge no matter what. Everybody was just happy to be along for the ride and with a few exceptions, sat back and let him self-destruct. These same people still seem content to bask in his reflected glory to this day.
This is a great documentary which reveals things I don't think the subjects being interviewed realizes are being unveiled. Their own sense of self-importance is more damning to them as accomplices in his self-destruction than anyone's accusations.
Gram Parsons Fallen Angel doesn't shy away from anything in regards to its subject matter or the circumstances of his life and death. This is a must see for any fan of Gram's because even with its warts and all portrayal it does nothing to diminish his musical accomplishments. In some ways it makes them seem all the more remarkable.
Article comments
1 - John
Have the CD set. GP doesn't sound any better now than he did as a want to be star (just one old guys opinion). He is no 'genius' not of a Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, etc., level. When Sweetheart of the Rodeo came out it was the death of the Byrds. I see Chris Hillman play 1 or 2 times a year, he started down here (San Diego area). His vocal, writing and musical skills are so far above GP it's ridiculous and I don't like blue grass and am not fond of country.
GP was not the start of country rock no matter how hard the machine tries to portray this spin. Chris, Templeman, Leadon (all San Diegans) were country before Chris joined McGuinn, Crosby, White, etc... all San Diegan;s by the way. If anyone brought country into rock, it was probably Hillman's influences from his first or second San Diego band, the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers.
One guys rant ;-)
I did enjoy your article but don't agree with the level of GPs skill or influence.
2 - David
#1--he went to Harvard, not Yale.
#2--his wife's name is "Gretchen," not "Gertrude."
Errors like these, made with regards to basic factual info long available proir to this documentary, make this "review" seem not only unprofessional, but pointless, not to mention VERY poorly written. The grammar and spelling errors could have been spotted by a high school English student.
3 - Rodney Welch
Actually it's a pretty interesting and informative review and David's just an idiot. Good work, Richard.