Oh, Monseur le Fopp, you are really spoiling us...

i like slide guitars n' shit. i figure if uncut like him SO MUCH there must be something there.

can were £7 in hmv.

On Vinatge Violence I like the extra track that is a viola drone best.

Roughage Crew, you can get a Gram Parsons 2CD compilation with a nice booklet from Monsieur Le Fopp (and other retailers) for £7. I think it is you best bet, as it covers his entire (short) career. I can't remember what it's called - Gilded Cowboy Sinners, or something.

I think ppl are often surprised at just how trad/country Gram Parsons actually sounds, esp. on the solo albs w/ Emmylou Harris. The two Flying Burrito Bros albs have been collected/compiled on various cheapish CD sets, and are prob. the place to start (tho' you can now get the original Gram vocal versions of the re-recorded Byrds tracks on that new 'special edition' of 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo'. The 'Hickory Wind' take is some of Gram's v. finest ever singing - the very definition of blue eyed country soul). To be honest as much as I like or even love Gram Parsons, I don't he ever comes close to matching the country-rock magnificence of Gene Clark circa the Godsin Bros/first Dillard and Clark albs - get those instead!)

Some of the songs on Paris 1919 are magnificent - Sally Timms of the Mekons does a very sweet cover of 'Half Past France' - dunno how anyone can find them 'boring'

The Neu! resiisues were cheapish in Selectadisc some time ago. Maybe they still are, although it is Sister Ray now.

BTW, does everyone's Neu! (first one) cut off momentarily during track 2? Or did I get a dud? It ruins my cosmic reverie!

But the Neu albums are WORTH £13!

-- PJ Miller (pjmiller6...) (webmail), Today 11:23 AM. (later) (link)

Yes, this was also on the original albums, apparently on purpose. Some of the bootleg issues of the past corrected this, to Neu's amusement...

What a bizarre thing to do.

Dr C otm re Parsons, totally wretched. If you must buy some country get some George Jones or Merle Haggard first.

One of my favourites, I think.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00005BC89/026-3945335-0330023?v=glance&n=229816

I don't know how much proper country has such blatantly Catholic titles - isn't it mostly Protestant?

The pedal steels sometimes go through fuzz boxes and effects pedals, which doesn't happen in "proper" country. And the drumming is different, I am told.

oh that sounds nice, i'm warming to it again.

I went at lunch, they are still cheap - £6.99 each - but they only had 2 and '75, and I'm after the 1st one. Ah well.

PJM, remind me to play you "Abilene" by Pete Drake and his Amazing Talking Steel Guitar sometime.

The Gram solo albums sound like country to us because country subsequently changed to sound like the Gram Parsons solo albums, I think. This point is, I suppose, fairly academic since we can only really respond to how they sound to us, but anyway.

Also George Jones has a song with guitar effects, I think it is for comedy purposes, sort of. I can't remember the title. He leaves off singing and the effects-laden guitar finsihes the line for him.

But yes, the fuzzbox is on the Burrito Brothers' albums (maybe just the first one?) but these tracks are included on the compilation referred to earlier. The effects pedals are quite judicioulsy used, it's not just random pratting about.

And those solo albums have some really beautiful songs, I think.

Meanwhile, I had another listen to Paris 1919, and I still didn't like it very much. Evidence of his voice limitations can be found on the alternate version of Andaluisia, just after the reference to castles and Christians. I suppose that is why they did another version, but it illustrates what I was talking about.

I think we agree about Gram Parsons, though I'm not yet moved to shell £13 or whatever for those alternate takes.

I also think we agree on John Cale, who's one of those people I hear loads of positive things about, from people wose tastes I respect (sometimes even trust) but I haven't managed to make myself like him.

If I ever open it, rather than take it back, I will copy them for you, the alternate takes.

I was pleased to think that buying the Gram thing cheered you up. I hope you haven't been saddened by its continued state of shrinkwrappedness.

I say "favourite" but that just means it's one of about a dozen records (like House Tornado and Secrets of the Beehive) that assumed untouchable status in my head about 10-12 years ago and that I don't feel the need to revisit very often or reassess. This is probably a bad thing, I dunno.

In other news, I have unpacked all my CDs and set up my stereo for the first time in five months. The first CD tune I played (very quietly - it was nearly 1am when I finished plugged everything in) was Noel Akchote and Marc Ribot havin' a bash at Ornette Coleman's "New York" and the first vinyl tune was The Blue Aeroplanes' hooj summer smash "Yr Own World".

Perhaps I will blow the next Child Tax Credit payment in Fopp.

Congrats on the return of your stereo, MJ. Have you ascertained the precise location of the Sweet Spot, yet? Is the delicate technology well away from the reach of jammy, curious fingers?

It about two feet above and 10-12 inches behind my sitting position in the middle of the couch (speakers are very high in this massively compromised arrangement), so I expect to develop fantastic neck muscles, like Garth Cr00ks.

Is the delicate technology well away from the reach of jammy, curious fingers?

No, the missus can reach it. Ho ho! DVD, VCR and power amps are all at Ava-level, unfortunately. Pam's a dab hand at knocking together nifty-looking panels and stuff from a bit of cheap tongue'n'groove, so I'm sure she can come up with something to shield them. I suggested a minefield.