Return of the Grievous Angel

So I've already had a chance to check out the aforementioned Gram Parsons documentary Fallen Angel, released on DVD yesterday. A 2004 production by the BBC, the film is really quite excellent, full of revelations even for a die-hard Gram fan like myself. Placed in context of his friends, and more particularly his family, the famous drunken stunt by Phil Kaufman seems pretty stupid (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you're on your own to find out). Though Kaufman was no doubt motivated by friendship and loyalty, it's quite heartbreaking to hear how much pain and confusion that incident caused his family. Though Gram's passing was quite tragic in itself, the documentary probes the bottomless pit of tragedy that essentially was his immediate family's story and places his brilliant music in an even more revealing light.

In addition to the DVD, yesterday also saw the release of the 3-disc The Complete Reprise Sessions, a perfect and brilliant tribute to Gram's two perfect and brilliant solo recordings for Reprise in 1972 and 1973. Though the 2001 Rhino collection Sacred Hearts & Fallen Angels was a great overview of his work, both solo and with his various bands (The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers), I felt that the solo material was poorly handled.

As an example, I'll cite the inclusion of a "remix" of "The Return of the Grievous Angel," possibly my favorite song of all time. Not only did the mix truncate the guitar solo, it deleted a portion of the soaringly brilliant refrain at the end of the song. Huh? I mean, who's dumb fuckin' idea was that?!? Anyway, the new set makes up for that transgression many times over. First of all, Gram's solo discs GP and Grievous Angel are packaged in their own cardboard sleeves, which approximate the original LP packaging. Included with each of these discs are some interviews and performances, which are pretty cool (though they should have been placed together on a separate disc).

But the great leap forward here is the sound. I mean, finally - FINALLY - these discs receive a mastering job that shows off their true brilliance (they were hastily released to CD on a single combo disc in the early '90's). I can tell you in no uncertain terms that the sound quality FAR exceeds that of even the 2001 compilation. "$1000 Wedding", for example, just sounds stunning. I can hear so much more detail than I had ever noticed. And I tell you this not as some high-end audiophile - in fact, I'm listening to these discs on my iPod and can still hear the difference. I'm just floored and so grateful for Rhino for revisiting these albums again.

Not only that - and that would be plenty - but there is a third disc of alternate takes, that truly live up to that description. The joy of Gram's solo albums is the interplay of his and Emmylou's voices, and now you get to hear all those intricate harmonies re-imagined in alternate versions. "Return of the Grievous Angel #1" is just unbelievable - nearly every line takes a different turn than its previously released predecessor. "Hickory Wind" (weirdly cluttered up with recorded crowd noise on the original version), is cleaned up and slowed down somewhat, revealing yet another gorgeous rendition of the song (Gram's version with The Byrds is still quite definitive). Overall, The Complete Reprise Sessions is a treasure trove that will hopefully become the essential Gram Parsons document for generations to come.

Gram Parsons is one of rock's most tragic live-fast-die-young stories, particularly because his output actually proves his greatness, not just his lost potential (though there is a mountain of that). His two solo records are stone-cold classics of the highest order, and I will be eternally grateful to Rhino for giving them the treatment they so richly deserve. The DVD is an equally satisfying and long-overdue treat.