Gram Parsons:Classic or dud?

No "Sin City," Alfred?? I couldn't do without all of Gilded Palace, Grievous Angel, parts of several others--thought some of the GP material worked better on that live album Hoos cheers for upthread (the Fallen Angels being pretty much the GP/GA studio band). He had this little, crinkly, quirky voice---a bit teary here, sneery there, but good with the succinct phrasing, occasional Lou Reedy dreams sliding by---think he mostly knew he was better with other voices, especially stepping back just a little, so that less experienced Emmylou had to step up, or sound like it.
This is a handy overview, with his voice mixed back up on the Byrds tracks, before Sony did that, I think:
https://www.discogs.com/Gram-Parsons-Warm-Evenings-Pale-Mornings-Bottled-Blues-1963-1973/release/3275973

Chris Hillman is the voice you hear in Hippie Boy

https://coolspod.com/products/shopcoolpod-3d-custom-gram-parsons-nudie-suit-apparel-v2-1

“Yes you loved me
And you sold my clothes”

that Live 1973 album is such a lovely thing, i listen to it a lot

shit, i don't listen to it enough!

no one has asked for it, and this would convince zero juries of my peers, but i have to give my excuse anyway:

i have his GP and Grievous Angel LPs, along with Notorious Byrd Brothers, and i played the crap out of them. but 1) when i moved i left all my LPs behind except for like 20. GP and Grievous Angel are among the chosen.

But my terrible shame is that I'm not sure I've even heard the Live 1973 album at all. gonna fix that tonight.

*tip of the hat*

it has a lot of warmth imo
and i love that version of “we’ll sweep out the ashes”

Thanks for the rec! Listening now and Lordy Gram struck some kind of gold getting Emmylou for backing vocals.

there’s an alternate reality where the Grateful Dead have Emmylou instead of Donna.

it’s stunning to realize emmylou had only recorded her first album just a few years prior, she’s still so new and young but so incredible already… her harmonies with gram are lightyears above what he’d done w hillman

i mean, apples and oranges really but still

His death was an absolute classic.