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Edith Grove
IMO, and I'm far from an expert on Gram, I think Gram might have had desire for Mick as a front man, but was more of a "kindred spirit" with Keith.
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hbwriter
--In my opinion at least - I'll say up front I find Gram Parsons to be one of the most over rated - if not THE most over rated musician in history. I simply don't get it - i find the voice weak - the songs weak - to me he is a guy with lots of money and but a little talent - but who seemed to think that style, attitude and a general ability to glom on to what others is what made the artist. A couple of strong moments? Sure. Some good writing? Yes. But those sorts of artists are a dime a dozen. The Eagles nor the Stones nor a host of other artists did not directly "lift" Gram's "cosmic american music" (so pretentious is that term) as many suggest - in the great cauldron of musical stew, things happen - period.,
But I digress - for all the Keith-becoming-Gram-becoming-Keith mythology that exists - I find the most telling thing about Gram to be this video - in which he lays out a thin, bordering pathetic mime, or at least what he perceives to be a mime - of Mick Jagger. As he has in other videos as well. Forget the alleged Keith connection with Gram - I think Keith was just a cozy front row seat for Gram to observe the true object of his desire - Jagger
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Title5Take1
I don't know his music enough to judge it, but did change my attitude a bit about his bailing on the Byrds. I'd read more than once he was to go to South Africa with the Byrds, and then Keith told him, "South Africa is totally segregated. Worse than Alabama." So, in moral protest, Parsons declined to go to South Africa. I thought, How noble. But then I recently read another member of the Byrds say, "It was easy for Gram to back out of South Africa. He was a rich kid with family money! The rest of us Byrds had to go to South Africa or starve."
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stonesrule
Jagger was fearful for Keith and for the band. Almost everyone who cared about Keith was fearful.
Music is one thing. The big bond for Keith and Gram was H.
I've never said this before in these endless IORR threads. And I probably will regret it.
I was at Nellcote in 1971. Couldn't wait to leave. Keith was a mess and poor little Marlon was stuck in the middle. I knew Gram from LA. Never wanted to be around him.
The next time I saw him he was coming up from the terrace of the villa with its magnificent view of the Mediterranean and slowly moving into the house. Gram and his long blonde hair and pasty face looked like the angel of death. A terrible image that haunted me for a long time.
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hbwriterQuote
Title5Take1
I don't know his music enough to judge it, but did change my attitude a bit about his bailing on the Byrds. I'd read more than once he was to go to South Africa with the Byrds, and then Keith told him, "South Africa is totally segregated. Worse than Alabama." So, in moral protest, Parsons declined to go to South Africa. I thought, How noble. But then I recently read another member of the Byrds say, "It was easy for Gram to back out of South Africa. He was a rich kid with family money! The rest of us Byrds had to go to South Africa or starve."
right - on many levels he was a poser - he could AFFORD to look and act the part - plus, he screwed over so many bandmates, was EXTREMELY unprofessional on many levels - yet he gets a pass because "hey man, without, gram - no eagles - no wild horses , no - " BS
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hbwriterQuote
Title5Take1
I don't know his music enough to judge it, but did change my attitude a bit about his bailing on the Byrds. I'd read more than once he was to go to South Africa with the Byrds, and then Keith told him, "South Africa is totally segregated. Worse than Alabama." So, in moral protest, Parsons declined to go to South Africa. I thought, How noble. But then I recently read another member of the Byrds say, "It was easy for Gram to back out of South Africa. He was a rich kid with family money! The rest of us Byrds had to go to South Africa or starve."
right - on many levels he was a poser - he could AFFORD to look and act the part - plus, he screwed over so many bandmates, was EXTREMELY unprofessional on many levels - yet he gets a pass because "hey man, without, gram - no eagles - no wild horses , no - " BS
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stonesrule
Jagger was fearful for Keith and for the band. Almost everyone who cared about Keith was fearful.
Music is one thing. The big bond for Keith and Gram was H.
I've never said this before in these endless IORR threads. And I probably will regret it.
I was at Nellcote in 1971. Couldn't wait to leave. Keith was a mess and poor little Marlon was stuck in the middle. I knew Gram from LA. Never wanted to be around him.
The next time I saw him he was coming up from the terrace of the villa with its magnificent view of the Mediterranean and slowly moving into the house. Gram and his long blonde hair and pasty face looked like the angel of death. A terrible image that haunted me for a long time.
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mickschix
I agree, Chris. I bought Gram's anthology and it STINKS, to put it mildly...awful voice, just plain garbage. I believe he was a user that Keith, in his drug addicted state, let hang on and mooch off the band...a real wanna be. I was annoyed at myself for buying into the crap and buying the cd. Total waste.
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stonesrule
Jagger was fearful for Keith and for the band. Almost everyone who cared about Keith was fearful.
Music is one thing. The big bond for Keith and Gram was H.
I've never said this before in these endless IORR threads. And I probably will regret it.
I was at Nellcote in 1971. Couldn't wait to leave. Keith was a mess and poor little Marlon was stuck in the middle. I knew Gram from LA. Never wanted to be around him.
The next time I saw him he was coming up from the terrace of the villa with its magnificent view of the Mediterranean and slowly moving into the house. Gram and his long blonde hair and pasty face looked like the angel of death. A terrible image that haunted me for a long time.
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stonesrule
Jagger was fearful for Keith and for the band. Almost everyone who cared about Keith was fearful.
Music is one thing. The big bond for Keith and Gram was H.
I've never said this before in these endless IORR threads. And I probably will regret it.
I was at Nellcote in 1971. Couldn't wait to leave. Keith was a mess and poor little Marlon was stuck in the middle. I knew Gram from LA. Never wanted to be around him.
The next time I saw him he was coming up from the terrace of the villa with its magnificent view of the Mediterranean and slowly moving into the house. Gram and his long blonde hair and pasty face looked like the angel of death. A terrible image that haunted me for a long time.
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hbwriter
...In my opinion at least - I'll say up front I find Gram Parsons to be one of the most over rated - if not THE most over rated musician in history...
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rollmops
I'm listening to Parson's "She" right now and it is a great song.
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24FPS
Maybe Gram just happened to be in the right place at the right time to influence Keith, who always had a bent toward country western music. TOMK is right in pointing out that there were others, like Nesmith & Ricky Nelson, that had gone in that same general direction Gram went. But of course none of those people found themselves in Keith Richard's orbit. I think Gram was a muse to Keith. But to hang close with Keith at that time probably required you shoot smack with him. And when Gram lost his soul he was dismissed. I don't think Gram is overrated. He might be over idolized. He did influence a lot of people and wrote some good music. He had the ears of Keith Richards, which expressed itself in some lovely ways on some music we cherish. He seems like a talented, mixed up guy who tried a little too hard. Think the Stones haven't seen a few of those?
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stonesrule
I've never said this before in these endless IORR threads. And I probably will regret it.
I was at Nellcote in 1971.