Speaking of Hillman, does anyone else wish The Desert Rose Band had formed now instead of in the mid 80s where bad production was seemingly inescapable?

Didn't Hillman start out as a bluegrass mandolinist before joining The Byrds? That would make the band's course into country music make a whole lot more sense, organically. And would also undercut Gram's influence on it all just a bit. (As much as I love Gram, as well.)

i guess i am more well-versed in this genre than i thought. i have these:


i've been meaning to check out ISB and i'd still like to hear some crazy horse - weren't you gonna do a tenner bg?

i've not heard gene clark's echoes, but i just finally re-bought no other and s/t (white heat) and really love those.

i'll definitely look into the others on your list.

I'm not even really a Gram Parsons fan, but I think that ISB album is great.

agree - its good

what's up with the beau brummels? i'm listening to clips of these albums i haven't heard yet on amazon, and they keep coming up as "frequently bought together" -- more specifically the album "Bradley's Barn". listening now and it sounds pretty good, but i don't think i saw any mention of them in this thread.

so far, definitely gonna grab that everly brothers album. mama tried, t is for texas...heard these for years on Dead boots, but never knew where they came from. very cool.

twin engine sounds real good too.

Bradley's Barn is one of those recently re-evaluated albums. Didn't do much when it was released, but these days it sounds pretty good (comparative to the modern stuff that gets salivated over, anyway). It's not bad.

See also: Beau Brummels Triangle, which is only a lost masterpiece if you're also an Odyssey and Oracle type.

Just FYI, these don't come from the Everly Brothers. Mama Tried is a Merle Haggard song, not sure who originally did T for Texas, but it's as old as the hills./

Yeah Hillman has that background. I never got the sense that Hillman really did much to drive the direction of the band though. I didn't read whatever book DDR is talking about but if he said that Sweetheart of the Rodeo would have happened without Gram joining the Byrds that's news to me. It also is surprising because Hillman basically said in the GP documentary that they thought they were hiring a keyboard player and they got George Jones instead and the next thing they knew they were in Nashville recording Sweetheart of the Rodeo.

That said, I agree that Sweetheart of the Rodeo is probably the least interesting gram-related proper album, and its not really one of my favorite Byrds albums either just the most obvious one that belongs here.

Bradley's Barn deserves an honorable mention as does Stephens Stills - Manassas. Neither were that close to making my list though. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't believe I'd left something off the list. I fell right back asleep though and didn't remember what it was in the morning.

it did cross my mind these weren't the originals...thanks for settin me straight. still cool to hear these versions.

i sampled that triangle album too rads, and that's exactly what i thought...very zombies-esque. not for me. i will check out bradley's barn though.

john phillips is now on the list for a d/l preview. good day to be "working" from home.

Odyssey & Oracle is one of my favorite albums but I don't think Triangle is anything special.

if you want Phillips, get Pay Pack and Follow - the album he recorded with Mick and Keef.

Pay Pack and Follow is a good record. Wolfking of Los Angeles is better though.

I don't think either of them is GOOD, but Pay Pack takes the Monger prize.

Jimmie Rogers I think...

Apparently Jimmie Rodgers wrote the original version.

I'd always associated Waylon with writing it or maybe Bob Wills.


I don't get some of y'all's takes on "Sweetheart..." in here. It's one of my favorite albums ever and, IMO, miles better than "Gilded Palace...".

I can't really make my own list because its not a genre I'm interested in enough to make any kind of definitive list, but...

I agree with a couple that Harry mentioned; Blue Rodeo, 5-Days in July and kd Langs Absolute Torch & Twang are worthy of mention. And I'd need to find room for Jason & the Scorchers - Lost & Found. And Lucinda's Car Wheels needs to be there too.

Yeah, I'll chime in with not being affected by Sweetheart, Gram or the Burritos. I don't hate it, it just never hits the soul with me. I much prefer Ballad of The Easy Rider, Dr. Byrd & Mr. Hyde or Untitled if I'm gonna play some country-style Byrds.

Also I'm gonna follow-up on Rads' comment on Hank Jr. and say that his Greatest Hits from 1982 is truly essential.

The mere mention of this album, and I'm 17 again. Drinking cheap bourbon as quickly as possible, getting into bars underaged, and of course hitting on chicks.

So, room spins, fear of arrest, and blue balls are what you associate with Bocephus?

YES! Formative years, indeed.

I've mentioned it many times but I went to a Molly Hatchet/Marshall Tucker/Charlie Daniels/Hank Jr. concert at the Cajun Dome around this time. It was like all of Livingston Parish was there, Tentoze.

Scratch the fear of arrest part- forgot you were in Louisiana. When I got to St. Francisville in early '82, I was told that if your head was taller than the bar, you could drink with impunity. As for that show, I'd have been all over it if I could have missed Molly Hatchett.

billyg, you forgot to mention Molly Hatchet.

billy, Ignore DJ.

no i didn't...but tentoze probably doesn't know that a 13 yo billy g's first concert experience was Molly Hatchet and Southern Cross on the Flirtin' With Disaster tour.