I know there are a lot of fans here, myself obviously included. We've chatted about his greatness but it just occurred to me that I don't think any artist (for me at least) achieved such consistent greatness in his career. Did Gram put out a studio album deserving of less than five stars? Yeah, he died early and he might have ended up sucking in his late 40's if he'd lived that long. I doubt it though...and frankly I wonder if the stones would have stayed together if gram had lived longer....I think he and keith would have at least recorded together even if it wouldn't have meant the end of the stones...still I wonder....loogar loses all credibilty to me if he claims that the stones version of wild horses is better than gram's version.

Discuss.

The Stones version is better (put the pipe down, Billy) even though I fucking love Gram's. The Stones version is better though, because of Gram. Nobody rips off and improves like Mick and Keith and Keith used his friendship and jamming with Gram to open a whole other part of the Stones sound.

But don't forget that before he died Gram had already been shunned by Keith and the Stones for being such a fuck up and stealing folks drugs. They basically threw him off the Exile tour.

Bobby Keys is the only close Keith confidant from that era to have even survived and even he was banned from the Stones inner circle for 15 years.

Grams living efforts are indisputable but I doubt that he could have sustained them. Some people are just made like that. And nobody who becomes obsessed with either dope, Keith Richards or worse--both lives very long.

I read somewhere that supposedly Gram and Jonathan Richman were going to work together. I read that on the internet, so it may just have been made up by some zealot. That would have been interesting an interesting combo, though.

But yeah, GP is the shit. Of all of the died-young-rock-stars, he gets my vote for resurrection.

Never released a single song that was less than outstanding.
Fekkin' brilliant.

Fekkin idiot.

i was listening to emmylou's "elite hotel" yesterday and it has a few parsons songs on it -- "wheels" "las vegas" and "sin city." not only was gp a master player, but his songs still stand so well on their own.

How about some love for Graham Cousins?
That is good stuff!

I agree with all Yail posted, and don't have much credibility to lose in the first place.

I like Gram, and appreciate his history, but he ain't in any kind of pantheon for me.

This is the quote of the day, my friend!

Well played, Gram Parsons. Well played.

I agree with that. I caught that Gram documentary last year and it was incredibly sad. The dude may have been a trustfund kid, but he had some major issues to deal with - and dealt with them by getting (and staying) astoundingly wasted for about six years.

<--- prefers the Burrito's version of "Wild Horses" to the Stones' (but I give this to the Stones: they almost beat the Gram version, and nobody else could've even come close).

I like all the Gram I've heard, haven't listened to the Burritos in a long while. Need to remedy that, I think. I also agree with Bloor; Gram was brilliant out of the gates and likely would have started dropping a few duds along the way. By dying young he gets to be held in the highest esteem forever.

Is it too embarrassing to admit I have never heard Gram Parsons? Because I'd hate to be embarrassed.

I'm logging on Colinswood now so you can get some. I mean, if you want and all.

Oh. You're not on.