Gram Positive

I've been a fan of Gram Parsons since Grievous Angel, but I guess he was dead by the time that was released in 1974. Return to Sin City: A Tribute to Gram Parsons (2005), the film of a tribute concert thrown by his daughter, is also a bit late, bu it’s always a good time for Gram Parsons.

The concert features a broad range of musicians who worked with or were inspired by Parsons, backed by members of his bands. We get Jim Lauderdale, Jay Farrar from Son Volt, Raul Marlo, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, John Doe, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Dwight Yoakum, Norah Jones, Keith Richards, and the House of Blues Gospel Choir. Sadly missing is Emily Lou Harris, his collaborator on the last solo projects.

The songs are both the hits (Drugstore Truck Driving Man, Hickory Wind, Wild Horses) and some of the back catalog (Big Mouth Blues, Sleepless Nights). Some were written by Parsons, some he had sung and made his mark with. I mostly liked the renditions - these folk understand the songs - except for Yoakum’s oddly stretched out phrasing on Sin City.

The backup musicians were pretty hot, as you might expect. Al Perkins, who did a lot to define country rock, played lap and pedal steel guitar. One of the guitarists (I’m pretty sure it was Doug Pettibone) played with a B-Bender - a device that raises the pitch of the B string when you press the guitar down against the strap. It was invented by Clarence White and Gene Parsons of the Byrds, and the almost-pedal-steel effect was a big part of their sound. It was fun to see it in action.

All that said, there was something weird about some parts. I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise, but Keef was fairly creepy, leering and mashing on Norah Jones and any woman who got too close. And Parsons’ daughter, who had some good things to say about the dangers of drugs and self-harm, seemed kind of on edge, a little wired. It could just have been stage fright.

All in all, some great songs, great musicians, and if I got some weird vibes, well, Parsons was at best, a grievous angel.