"Crooked Piece Of Time: The Atlantic & Asylum Albums (1971-1980)" by JOHN PRINE - Including The Albums "John Prine" (October 1971 USA, February 1972 UK), "Diamonds In The Rough" (October 1972 USA), "Sweet Revenge" (October 1973 USA, May 1974 UK), "Common Sense" (April 1975 USA), "Bruised Orange" (July 1978 USA), "Pink Cadillac" (August 1979 USA) and "Storm Windows" (August 1980 USA) - Guests Include Steve Goodman, David Bromberg and Wayne Perkins on Guitars with Producers Arif Mardin, Steve Goodman, Steve Cropper and many more (October 2020 UK Rhino/Atlantic/Asylum 7CD Remasters in a Clamshell Box Set with Mini LP Repro Artwork Card Sleeves and Replica Inserts for Each Release - Dan Hersch, Dave Schultz and Bill Inglot Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...Reading Old Love Letters..."

What a trip – the memories! I'm playing the stripped-back bareknuckle acoustic guitar and voice of John Prine's "Sour Grapes" from his second album "Diamonds In The Rough" in 1972. Can it really be 50-years on. He was wise, articulate, funny as Robin Williams and such a great chronicler of life in all its weird screwed up cradle to the grave lunacy – it hurts. Laugh and stare, I don't care...Prine moans in "Sour Grapes" - his mannerisms and head so young and full of promise and songs - his uniquely touching music sailing out of my speakers in gorgeous clarity. "The Great Compromise" is the same, a track I reckon will slaughter many a nostalgic heart in its beautiful simplicity. "Angel Of Montgomery" from the debut LP too that so many have covered...

 

Having said all that, I'd be the first to admit that Prine and his world-weary whine is an acquired taste and albums like "Common Sense" and the awful mess that is "Pink Cadillac" drop a star straight away. And I also think (perhaps controversially) that like John Martyn, his albums from the 90s only saw him get better and better, defying the rep that his best work all came from the Seventies. I mean check out Prine's "The Missing Years" from 1991 and "Lost Dogs + Mixed Blessings" from 1995 on his own Oh Boy Records – each a quiet CD masterpiece few know about and should. But man Rhino has done right here by his starting legacy with this gorgeous sounding mini Box Set. Lots to cogitate...details... 

 

UK, EUROPE and USA released 23 October 2020 - "Crooked Pieces Of Time: The Atlantic & Asylum Albums (1971-1980)" by JOHN PRINE on Rhino/Atlantic/Asylum R2 643404 - 603497846504 (Barcode 603497846504) is a 7CD Remastered Clamshell Box Set with Seven Mini LP Repro Artwork Card Sleeves each with Fold-out Replica Lyric/Credits Inserts that plays out as follows:

CD1 "John Prine" (44:44 minutes):

1. Illegal Smile [Side 1]

2. Spanish Pipedream

3. Hello In There 

4. Sam Stone

5. Paradise 

6. Pretty Good 

7. Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven No More [Side 2]

8. Far From Me

9. Angel From Montgomery 

10. Quiet Man 

11. Donald And Lydia 

12. Six O'Clock News 

13. Flashback Blues 

Tracks 1 to 13 are his debut album "John Prine" - released October 1971 in the USA on Atlantic Records SD 8296 and February 1972 on Atlantic K 40357. Produced by ARIF MARDIN - guest musicians include members of Elvis Presley's house band - Reggie Young and Steve Goodman on Guitars, Bobby Emmons on Organ, Leo LeBlanc on Pedal Steel Guitar, Mike Leach and Gene Chrisman on Bass and Drums. 

CD2 "Diamonds in The Rough" (38:40 minutes):

1. Everybody [Side 1]

2. The Torch Singer 

3. Souvenirs 

4. The Late John Garfield Blues 

5. Sour Grapes 

6. Billy The Bum

7. The Frying Pan

8. Yes I Guess They Oughta Name A Drink After You [Side 2]

9. Take The Star Out Of The Window

10. The Great Compromise 

11. Clocks And Spoons 

12. Rocky Mountain Time 

13. Diamonds In The Rough

Tracks 1 to 13 are his second studio album "Diamonds In The Rough" - released October 1972 in the USA on Atlantic Records SD 7240 and November 1972 in the UK on Atlantic Records K 40427. Produced by ARIF MARDIN - guest musicians included Steve Goodman and David Bromberg on Guitars, Dobro and Other Instruments with Steve Burke of Jacob's Creek on Bass and Drums.

CD3 "Sweet Revenge" (39:01 minutes):

1. Sweet Revenge [Side 1]

2. Please Don't Bury Me 

3. Christmas in Prison 

4. Dear Abby 

5. Blue Umbrella 

6. Often Is A Word I Seldom Use

7. Onomatopoeia [Side 2]

8. Grandpa Was A Carpenter 

9. The Accident (Things Could Be Worse)

10. Mexican Home 

11. A Good Time 

12. Nine Pound Hammer

Tracks 1 to 12 are his third studio album "Sweet Revenge" - released October 1973 in the USA on Atlantic Records SD 7274 and May 1974 in the UK on Atlantic Records K 40524. Produced by ARIF MARDIN.

CD4 "Common Sense" (32:05 minutes):

1. Middle Man [Side 1]

2. Common Sense  

3. Come Back To Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard

4. Wedding Day In Funeralville 

5. Way Down 

6. My Own Best Friend [Side 2]

7. Forbidden Jimmy 

8. Saddle In The Rain 

9. That Close To You

10. He Was In Heaven Before He Died

11. You Never Can Tell 

Tracks 1 to 11 are his fourth studio album "Common Sense" (last for Atlantic) - released April 1975 in the USA on Atlantic Records SD 18127 and July 1975 in the UK on Atlantic Records K 50137. Produced by STEVE CROPPER - guests include J.D. Souther, Glenn Frey of The Eagles, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Wayne Perkins.

 

CD5 "Bruised Orange" (32:50 minutes):

1. Fish And Whistle [Side 1]

2. There She Goes 

3. If You Don't Want My Love 

4. That's The Way The World Goes Round 

5. Bruised Orange (Chain Of Sorrow)

6. Sabu Visits The Twin Cities Alone [Side 2]

7. Aw Heck

8. Crooked Piece Of Time 

9. Iron Ore Betty 

10. The Hobo Song

Tracks 1 to 10 are his fifth studio album (first for Asylum) "Bruised Orange" - released July 1978 in the USA on Asylum Records 6E-139 and August 1978 in the UK on Asylum Records K 53084. Produced by STEVE GOODMAN - guests include John Burns and Diane Holmes

 

CD6 "Pink Cadillac" (37:26 minutes): 

1. Chinatown [Side 1]

2. Automobile

3. Killing The Blues 

4. No Name Girl

5. Saigon

6. Cold War (This Cold War With you) [Side 2]

7. Baby Let's Play House 

8. Down By The Side Of The Road

9. How Lucky

10. Ubangi Stomp 

Tracks 1 to 10 are his sixth studio album (second for Asylum) "Pink Cadillac" - released August 1979 in the USA on Asylum 6E-222 and October 1979 in the UK on Asylum K 52164. Produced by KNOX and JERRY PHILLIPS -  

CD7 "Storm Windows" (32:55 minutes):

1. Shop Talk [Side 1] 

2. Living In The Future 

3. It's Happened To You 

4. Sleepy Eyed Boy 

5. All Night Blue 

6. Just Wanna Be With You [Side 2]

7. Storm Windows 

8. Baby Ruth 

9. One Red Rose 

10. I Had A Dream

Tracks 1 to 10 are his seventh studio album (final for Asylum) "Storm Windows" - released August 1980 in the USA on Asylum 6E-286 (no UK release). Produced by BARRY BECKETT. Wayne Perkins and Barry Beckett are guest musicians.

 

The Clamshell Box Set has a gorgeous painting by JOSHUA PETKER on its cover and a really clever inclusion is fold-out two-side paper replica pages for each album that offers punters those all-important lyrics. The Mini LP Repro Artwork Card sleeves are full versions front and rear - no borders like those 5CD capacity wallet versions in the "Original Classic Album" series. The 20-page booklet sports new liner notes from writer/fan DAVID FRICKE with tracks lists at the rear for each album (no credits or catalogue numbers). It's nicely done, but the big game hunter goes to the Audio provided by a team of three Sound Engineers - the deeply experienced duo of DAN HERSCH and BILL INGLOT (long-time associates with Rhino) and DAVID SCHULTZ. Take a track like "Storm Windows" (his last album for Asylum) - it rises and falls like "The Last Resort" by The Eagles and needed clarity in the quiet passages and muscle for the big crescendo chorus - and it gets both. To the tunes...

Many will reach for the doped-up classics of "Illegal Smile", "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven No More" or the kicked-off Noah's Ark "Sweet Revenge" and the brill live name-check of "Dear Abby" for a bewildered giggle, but a box set like this allows you to soak up deep album cuts like the raw and lyrically astute "Pretty Good", the country-jaunt of the strangely sunny "Blue Umbrella" or the duo that end his superb stripped-back second LP - both "The Rocky Mountain Time" and his Acapella cover of the 1920's Gospel song "Diamonds In The Rough" impressing so much. You have to love a singer who tells you that Venus De Milo can have his arms when he goes even if his country-fied cover of Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell" stills feels like a mistake. 

The title track "Common Sense" offers us a fabulous threesome backing vocals crop of legend - J.D. Souther with Glenn Frey of The Eagles and Jackson Browne while the witty "Come Back To Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard" has Bonnie Raitt doing the cool b-vox. Glenn Frey also plays Guitar on "My Own Best Friend" while Producer and pal Steve Goodman does guitar on "Forbidden Jimmy" alongside Booker T & The MG's bassist Donald "Duck" Dunne. Diane Holmes puts in some lovely support vocals on the pretty "That's The Way That The World Goes Round" from "Bruised Orange", Mike Utley on Organ with Corky Siegal on Piano add loads to the title track of that underrated album and "Sabu Visits..." has an almost Tom Waits world-weary sadness about its hard-done-by characters. 

The "Pink Cadillac" album from 1979 is largely awful to me, that distorted guitar on "Saigon" where Prine barely seems able to hold a note and that cod Rock 'n' Roll palsy-walsy shit with Sun Records legend Billy Lee Riley on "No Name Girl". At least stuff like the shuffling "Cold War" over on Side 2 has something in it, but again his Rockabilly stab at "Let's Play House" sounds like a drug-addict was given the microphone. Howard Levy and Leo Le Blanc both put in some lovely Organ and Pedal Steel playing on the pretty "Down By The Side Of The Road" and "How Lucky" feels like the acoustic sparseness of the debut and in a good way. A patchy album ends however on the echoed Harmonica "Ubangi Stomp" and Asylum Records must have been wondering why they signed up for this copycat rendition any fool could do.  

After the debacle of the second Asylum album and with not even one cheap assed cover version in sight, his last set of originals for the label "Storm Windows" does a lot to reestablish faith in his songwriting prowess. Tracks like the witty "Living In The Future" and the longing in "Sleepy Eyed Boy" show his lyrical and musical chops had only taken a sabbatical the year prior. "All Night Blue" is a straight-up Country Rock tune - his band of players in John Burns on Guitars and Leo LeBlanc on Pedal Steel once again doing the classy-players business. Rocker "Baby Ruth" gets a muscular makeover - cool.And on it goes...

 

John Prine was lost to us in April 2020 aged 73 to a battle with Covid-19 that left him ravaged in his final year - something he didn't hide (maybe in order to raise awareness). His Irish wife Fiona Whelan (as per his wishes) spread half his ashes in the Green River in Kentucky. 

 

Rhino have done warm reissue compilations before, but there feels like an earnest effort with this John Prine one to honour his great storytelling ability. Float away on this one...

"Curtis" by CURTIS MAYFIELD – September 1970 US Debut Solo Album on Curtom Records, February 1971 in the UK on Buddah Records – featuring One Song in the Bonuses co-written with Donny Hathaway (September 2000 US Rhino Expanded Edition CD Reissue and Remaster with Nine Bonus Tracks – Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

 

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"...Move On Up..."

American reissue specialists Rhino are one of my favourite classic catalogue reissue labels in the world and they have repeatedly done the legacy of Chicago’s mighty Curtis Mayfield and his socially conscious brand of Soul and Funk proud.

 

They started out with the fabulous "People Get Ready! The Curtis Mayfield Story" Long Box Set in February 1996 – a 3CD overhaul of his entire career from 1961 with The Impressions to solo 1990 material before his horrible demise in late 1999 – its 51-Tracks covering vinyl outings on ABC-Parkway, Curtom, Boardwalk, CRC and RSO Records.

 

They followed that in March 1997 with a 2CD Deluxe Edition 25^th Anniversary Edition of his most famous and popular record – the Blaxsploitation "Superfly: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" LP from July 1972 (USA) on Curtom Records and March 1973 (UK) on Buddah Records.

 

This dinky little CD Remaster from September 2000 of his "Curtis" album from late 1970 marked the exploration of his solo catalogue proper. There’s a plethora of goodness to wade into, so lets get to the wild and free...

 

US released September 2000 - "Curtis" by CURTIS MAYFIELD on Rhino R2 79932 (Barcode 081227993221) is an Expanded Edition CD Reissue and Remaster of his Debut Solo Album with Nine Bonus Tracks (the September 2000 UK CD is catalogue number Rhino 8122-79932 (Barcode 081227993221) with the same tracks and annotation – they play out as follows (77:54 minutes):

 

1. (Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go (7:51) – Side 1

2. The Other Side Of Town (4:01)

3. The Makings Of You (3:43)

4. We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue (6:06)

5. Move On up (8:54) – Side 2

6. Miss Black America (2:58)

7. Wild And Free (3:16)

8. Give It Up (3:49)

Tracks 1 to 8 are his debut solo LP "Curtis" – released September 1970 in the USA on Curtom Records CRS 8005 and February 1971 in the UK on Buddah Records 2318 015. Produced by CURTIS MAYFIELD (all songs written by him) – it peaked at No. 19 on the US Billboard charts (didn’t chart UK)

 

ALBUM NOTES: The Full-Length Version "(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go" at 7:51 minutes was edited down to 3:26 minutes for a 45-single release in November 1970 on Curtom CR-1955 with the LP cut of "The Makings Of You" on the flipside. The "People Get Ready! The Curtis Mayfield Story" Long Box Set from February 1996 offered the full-length LP cut – this September 2000 CD also offers the rare single edit (see Bonus Track 17).

 

BONUS TRACKS:

9. Power To The People

10. Underground

11. Ghetto Child

12. Readings in Astrology

13. Suffer

14. Miss Black America

Tracks 9 to 14 are 1970 and 1971 publishing demos

15. The Makings Of You (Tracking Session, Take 32)

16. (Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go (Track Session, Takes 1 & 2)

17. (Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go (Single Edit – see NOTE above)

 

BONUS NOTES:

Tracks 9, 11 to 14 are Previously Unissued in the USA

Track 13 is a co-write with Donny Hathaway

Tracks 15 and 16 are Previously Unissued 

 

The 16-page booklet is pleasingly in-depth, British Ambassador of Soul DAVID NATHAN being truthful in his top-class new liner notes about Curtis' debut and not just reverential for the sake of it. The text is accompanied by some gorgeous photos of the great man with his family - his daughter on Daddy's shoulders - live shots and so on. The see-through CD tray lets you see a rear inlay that advertise six other CM-related reissues including the "Superfly" 2CD set, "Roots" and "Curtis/Live!". 

Longstanding Audio Engineers for Rhino DAN HERSCH and BILL INGLOT have handled the Remasters using first generation tapes and wow-city comes to mind. I can only imagine they employed loving attention to these important transfers - taking for instance Track 15 where the Backing Tracks (Take 32) of "The Makings Of You" might quite possibly be the prettiest Soul Instrumental you've ever heard - and in sparkling audio too. To the record and beyond...

 

After a monologue about the Book of Revelations and people not paying enough attention to the good book, Curtis shouts Sisters, Brothers, Whities and of course the dreaded n-word. It still comes as an uncomfortable shock to me to listen to it. But as an opening statement to your debut solo LP, "(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go" was such a powerful statement and a way of clearly parking his Impressions Soft-Soul career once and for all. The Side 1 opener is almost eight-minutes long, funky as the subject matter in its title, has a weird almost Psych swirling ending and makes no bones about difficult and contentious subject matters. This is a conscientious diatribe that works and makes you think – name checking drug-peddling crackers amidst his own neighbourhood running alongside Police and Political corruption fuelling the misery. What are we going to do, he asks? It appears in 2022, we’re still getting to grips with it.

 

But that is whomped in my book by the gorgeously effective "The Other Side Of Town" – a brother regaling how it feels to be depressed about the area you are restricted to – little sister hungry – hand-me-down shoes on his even younger brother – no jobs – hard to stay on the straight and narrow with so much easy-money temptation. Following that comes the equally sweet very Donny Hathaway strings, vibes and brass of "The Makings Of You" - the song on the album that probably most resembles his old Impressions style of beauty-and-message combined. And ending Side 1, not for the first time does CM appeal for smarts on the part of his community in "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue" (stop killing each other and thereby falling into Jim Crow's sick patterns of thought) - the Remaster really kicking in when the song goes into that tambourine and tabla section about two minutes in - fantastic audio. I personally think it's one of the album's forgotten nuggets as he asks of the listener to 'get yourself together' and 'let me love in my own way'... Great stuff. 

 

Side 2 opens up with the joy of "Move On Up". My God - when I think about how many young white kids in Ireland and England heard this and hit the dancefloor - getting down to its multiracial message and killer funky rhythms - those flicking guitars and sexy brass charts (over eight minutes of them) - all combining in one of those rare moments when Soul Music got both the head vs. heart so damn right. Even now in May 2022 - 52 years after it hit the shops - it makes me weepy and glad to be alive. And was that his daughter who delivers the killer spoken dialogue at the beginning of "Miss Black America" when Daddy asks his little girl what she wants to be when she grows up and whomps Pops with that line that spoke so much of Black Pride and celebrating Womanhood.

 

Bringing in the brand new, embracing the changes and respect for everybody's right (could really be outa-site) is what CM wants in the chipper and lovely "Wild And Free" - the Remaster almost too in yer face when those brass punches hit home.  

A genius move to start the nine bonus tracks with the demo of "Power To The People" which feels exactly like its title sounds - a stripped down version of a socially conscious song that fits in with the depth of the recorded album (the remastered audio is staggeringly good too). Fans have known and loved the echoed funky-funky cool of "Underground" in its finished form - here we get the demo - sinister in its fuzzed-up guitar and his growling vocals as he hammers "Underground". 

 

And again you're taken back by the finished quality of "Ghetto Child" in Demo form - great Bass and shimmering guitar - another sexy Funky winner that could easily be mistaken for Donny Hathaway - and when is that ever a bad thing. Curtis can see some relationship-trouble coming in the dangerously edgy "Readings In Astrology" - a far darker guitar-driven mean streak in Demo form - I'm your man and I'm just trying to do right - he pleads with just a little frustrated anger in his delivery.  And what a blast to hear the Engineer recording Takes 1 and 2 of "(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go" and saying "...that's a Hell of a statement!" before the band gets super-tight into the Funky Groove (almost as if to spite him?). It stops at 2:26 when Curtis cuts it - only to restart almost immediately. Brilliant...

 

You could of course argue that like Margin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Bobby Womack and Donny Hathaway - you buy everything they ever did in the first three of four years of the Seventies where all seemed to be reaching musical heights that still leave us breathless fifty years on. 

 

1970's "Curtis" on Curtom Records is a masterpiece only made better by a great Rhino Expanded Edition CD Reissue that socks-it-to-ya on Audio and Extras too. We're all going to go to Funky Chicago for the Soul-Conscience Show. Oh how I miss him...

"Sacred Hearts And Fallen Angels: The Gram Parsons Anthology" by GRAM PARSONS featuring The International Submarine Band (Bob Buchanan, Chris Etheridge, Donnie Owens with guest Glen Campbell), The Byrds (with Roger McGuinn, John Hartford and Chris Hillman) and The Flying Burrito Brothers (with Chris Hillman, "Sneeky" Pete Kleinow, Chris Etheridge, Bernie Leadon (of Eagles), Byron Berline, Michael Clarke, Leon Russell) and Solo Album guests Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt (May 2001 UK Warner Strategic Marketing/Rhino 2CD Compilation – 46 Tracks with One Previously Unreleased – Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Luxury Liner..."

Ingram Cecil Connor III (his real name) is a Bovril Artist – you either worship at the lapels of his nudie suit or you view it as barf on an otherwise perfectly clean white tuxedo. People either love or hate Gram Parsons and his honky tonks.

What you won't be, however, is unimpressed by the sheer hard work and effort that went into this obvious reissue labour of love for Rhino Records of the USA (way back in 2001). And if ever a groundbreaking musician deserved accolades for smashing down hither too impenetrable barriers (America's youth and its misunderstanding or even loathing of what they saw as hick Country music) – then Florida's GRAM PARSONS in your boy (brutally taken from us in September 1973 aged only 23). Let's get with the fallen angel...

UK released May 2001 (reissued 21 June 2004) - "Sacred Hearts And Fallen Angels: The Gram Parsons Anthology" by GRAM PARSONS on Warner Strategic Marketing/Rhino 8122-76780-2 (Barcode 081227678029) is a 46-Track 2CD Compilation of Remasters covering his entire career from 1968 to 1970 with The International Submarine Band, The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Bros through to his two solo albums of 1973 and 1974 (including material with The Fallen Angels and posthumous releases from years later). Newly remastered from original tapes by BILL INGLOT and DAN HERSCH – it plays out as follows:

CD1 (77:55 minutes):

1. Blue Eyes

2. Luxury Liner

3. Do You Know How It Feels To Be Lonesome

4. I Must Be Somebody Else You've Known

5. Miller's Cove

6. Knee Deep In The Blues

Tracks 1 to 6 by THE INTERNATIONAL SUBMARINE BAND - "Safe At Home" LP released April 1968 in the USA on LHI Records LHI-S-12001.

7. Hickory Wind

8. You're Still On My Mind

Tracks 7 and 8 by THE BYRDS - "Sweethearts Of The Rodeo" LP released July 1968 in the USA on Columbia CS 9670 (Stereo)

9. The Christian Life

10. You Don't Miss Your Water

11. One Hundred Years From Now

Tracks 9 to 11 by THE BYRDS - "Sweethearts Of The Rodeo" outtakes first issued on "The Byrds", October 1990 US 4CD Box Set on Columbia 46773

12. Christine's Tune (Devil In Disguise)

13. Sin City

14. Do Right Woman

15. Dark End Of The Street

16. Wheels

17. Juanita

18. Hot Burrito No. 1

19. Hot Burrito No. 2

Tracks 12 to 19 buy THE FLYING BURRITO BROS. - "The Gilded Palace Of Sin" LP released February 1969 in the USA on A&M Records SP-4175 and April 1969 in the UK on A&M Records AMLS 931

20. High Fashion Queen

21. Older Guys

22. Cody, Cody

23. Wild Horses

Tracks 20 to 23 by THE FLYING BURRITO BROS. - "Burrito Deluxe" US LP released May 1970 on A&M Records SP-4258 and A&M Records AMLS 983 in the UK

24. Sing Me Back Home

Track 24 (and Track 1 on CD2) by THE FLYING BURRITO BROS. - first issued as unreleased tracks on the "Close Up The Honky Tonks" 2LP compilation released June 1974 in the USA on A&M Records SP-3631 and July 1974 in the UK on A&M Records AMLH 63661

CD2 (78:36 minutes):

1. To Love Somebody (as per Track 24 on CD1)

2. Still Feeling Blue

3. We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning

4. A Song For You

5. Streets Of Baltimore

6. She

7. The New Soft Shoe

8. Kiss The Children

9. How Much I've Lied

Tracks 2 to 9 are from his first solo debut LP "GP" as GRAM PARSONS – released January 1973 in the USA on Reprise MS 2123 and March 1973 in the on Reprise K 44228 (reissued April 1976 using the same K 44228 catalogue number but with Warner Brothers corporate logo on the label). 

10. Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man

11. That's All It Took

12. California Cotton Fields

Tracks 1 to 12 by GRAM PARSONS and THE FALLEN ANGELS - Posthumously released LP "Live 1973" issued February 1982 in the USA on Sierra Records GP 1973

13. Return Of The Grievous Angel

14. Hearts On Fire

15. Brass Buttons

16. $1000 Wedding

17. Love Hurts

18. Ooh Las Vegas

19. In My Hour Of Darkness

Tracks 13 to 19 are from his second and last official studio album "Grievous Angel" as GRAM PARSONS – released January 1974 in the USA on Reprise MS 2171 and June 1974 in the UK on Reprise K 54018.

20. Brand New Heartache

21. Sleepless Nights

22. The Angels Rejoiced Last Night

Tracks 20 to 22 are from posthumous GRAM PARSONS and THE FLYING BURRITO BROS. LP "Sleepless Nights" - released April 1976 in the USA on A&M Records SP 4578 and June 1976 in the UK on A&M Records AMLH 64578.

From the outer card slipcase through to the two individual card digipaks housing two themed label CDs and a fantastic chunky 52-booklet - "Sacred Hearts And Fallen Angels: The Gram Parsons Anthology" reeks of class and dedication on the part of its compilers. CD1 for instance repros the Lee Hazelwood Industries logo for the February 1968 American "Luxury Liner" 45 on LHI 45-1205 (from the "Safe As Milk" album) - while CD2 goes to the solo career and gives us a tan label of his February 1974 American single for "Love Hurts" on Reprise REP 1192. Beneath each see-through CD trays is memorabilia – an American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Membership Form for a 19 July 1967 engagement (guaranteed by Lee Hazelwood) while CD2 has a handwritten note to Rick Grech. It’s a testament to detail.

The 52-page booklet too is crammed full of GP goodness - an introduction by the first lady of Country Rock Emmylou Harris and Rhino's James Austin – an in-depth career discussion by Holly George-Warren and thereafter a track-by-track breakdown. Throughout there are beautiful photos of all the key players, pictures of the various bands he was in and on to the solo year of 1973, outtakes from album covers and finally massively in-depth reissue credits. Musicians include Glen Campbell guesting on two International Submarine Band tunes - Roger McGuinn, John Hartford and Chris Hillman when GP was with The Byrds - Chris Hillman, "Sneeky" Pete Kleinow, Chris Etheridge, Bernie Leadon (of Eagles), Byron Berline, Michael Clarke when he was with The Flying Burrito Bros. and guests like Leon Russell, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. There is a lot here. The Audio comes courtesy of two long-time Rhino-associated engineers – BILL INGLOT and DAN HERSCH – and as ever – it all sounds so damn good. Like most fans I've had the Flying Bros twofer on A&M Remasters CD and the GP Warner Brothers one too since the 90s - but this 2001 original master tapes trawl trumps the lot. To the music...

Although Lee Hazlewood had an eye for talent and a love for a tune with a Pop-Country bint as was evidenced in so many of his Pop hits - even Lee probably didn't think The International Submarine Band would amount to much (poor sales kind of proved it). But that doesn't stop a tune like "Luxury Liner" sounding like it had been pedal-steeling around for decades instead of coming out of a bunch of under 20-year olds (Donnie Owens guests on Guitar). GP's talent for a great hooky ballad immediately leaps out at you too when listening to his co-write on "Do You Know How It Feels To Be Lonesome?" Glen Campbell guests on guitar for two - "I Must Be Somebody Else You've Known" and "Miller's Cove" - both with the best audio I've heard for this notoriously bootlegged album.

Guitarist Bob Buchanan co-wrote the mighty "Hickory Wind" with Gram for the Byrds-do-Country 1968 album "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo" - tall pines and oak trees in South Carolina. John Hartford plays Banjo and Guitar while Lloyd Green plucks that Pedal Steel. Jukebox Honky Tonk kicks in with "You're Still On My Mind" - an empty bottle and a broken heart sounding 'so' good. Cleverly this Anthology then reaches for three of the then new "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo" outtakes on "The Byrds" 1990 4CD Box Set - a lilting cover of William Bell's 1961 Stax hit "You Don't Miss Your Water" alongside a GP original - the nobody knows song "One Hundred Years From Now".

The Flying Burrito Bros open their account with the jaunty "Christine's Tune (Devil In Disguise)" that soon descends into The Everly Brothers doing distorted guitar. Chris Hillman and Gram drag us down to "Sin City" - three years to pay or a stint in the poor house. Both the Chris Moman/Dan Penn Soul covers - "Do Right Woman" and "Dark End Of The Street" now have slow Countrified arrangements that work – while – the two parts of "Hot Burrito" sound like Todd Rundgren on Bearsville. There was an increasing sophistication to "Burrito Deluxe" – it’s tracks feeling like a dry run for the Eagles emerging sound and that Rolling Stones tie-in on "Wild Horses" always blows me away.

CD2 brings us large chunks of the two official albums - eight of the eleven on January 1973's "GP" with eight of the ten on January 1974's "Grievous Angel" and of course those stragglers afterwards ("Sleepless Nights" and the "Live 1973" posthumous compilation). Sticking with "GP" - fans will thrill to the stunning audio on "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning" - the Pedal Steel of Al Perkins (from Stephen Still's band Manassas) clear as a bell – the song bolstered up by Emmylou Harris giving it some of passion's guilt in her ache. That's followed by the duo-tenderness of "A Song For You" - a superb GP original. Traditional Country infuses the uprooted 'our kin in Tennessee' Tompall Glaser and Harlan Howard song "Streets Of Baltimore" - that Glen Hardin piano so beautifully clear and complimentary.

So many would cover the inherent heartbreak in "She" - a stunning co-write with Chris Etheridge - hallelujah. I'd forgotten how subtle the Byron Berline fiddle is in the quietly gentle mix of "The New Soft Shoes" - beautifully judged harmony vocals too and that perfectly complimentary pedal steel and solo. Rik Grech provided the life ain't easy tune "Kiss The Children" where our sap in on the barroom floor dreaming of whiskey instead of his loved ones. The final cut from "GP" is a co-write with Pam Rifkin on "How Much I've Lied" - a 'losing you was a silly thing to do' tale of dumbass infidelity. It's not the full album, but man what a classic in the Country Rock vein "GP" is.

The live rendition of "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man" with Emmylou’s sympatico harmony vocals is fabulous and the burst into flames at the mere mention of her name in "That's All It Took" – another lilting woe-is-me ballad. The pedal-steel band brings it all bopping home with the dad, mom and family relocation hopefulness in "California Cotton Fields".

The "Grievous Angel" followed his hurtful loss in September 1973 from substance-related issues - gone at 23 with his star rising. Rhino offer a 'Remix' Of "Return Of The Grievous Angel" and it kicks like a mule. Again guitarists James Burton and Al Perkins hit the main spots with guest shots from Herb Pedersen and Bernie Leadon (of Eagles). Faves include "Ooh Las Vegas" which Deacon Blue named a 2CD compilation of rarities after - while the Bryants and The Everly Brothers would have been proud of "Brand New Heartache" - all finished off with a cover of The Louvins' "The Angels Rejoiced Last Night" - a story song of gambling and church with an uncredited advert for the "GP" album as it fades out.

For sure this much Country-Rock in one go might test a young un's patience in 2020 - but my God what a superbly handled tip of the Stetson to Gram Parsons. Rejoice indeed...