Alan Parsons Project – I had heard the occasional track, especially by Colin Blunstone (see B) and knew that Alan was initially a record producer and engineer. He made a series of albums with guest session players and singers; these were concept albums – true prog-rock in a way. I think I may have bought a couple on vinyl years ago. I have a double album – The Definitive Collection – a compilation. Not bad but ultimately a bit boring, maybe as this collection lacks cohesion. Anyway, a pleasant listen but hard to pinpoint any tracks as distinctive.
Gram Parsons – another dead hero I am afraid. Gram’s real name was Ingram Connor 3rd, and he was from a wealthy family, but in the Sixties played in a number of bands, including one album (Sweetheart Of The Rodeo) with The Byrds (see B). He was a notorious drug addict and hung out with Keith Richards, who wanted him to join The Stones. However, he drifted around and released 2 solo albums before his early death in 1973 at age 26. He had a soulful voice and wrote beautiful songs in an Americana style. He has influenced many later artists, but was fairly unknown during his life. I have his 2 albums on one CD GP/Greivous Angel. From ‘73 and the latter posthumously released in 1974. Almost timeless melodies and playing, and a sweet voice. But somehow it seems very ephemeral and just glides past my consciousness. Still – favourite songs are ‘We’ll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning’, ‘The New Soft Shoe’ and ‘Love Hurts’. Many years later, in fact in 1999, his one-time lover and co-singer Emmylou Harris (see H) managed to persuade a few players to record a tribute album to Gram – Return Of The Grevious Angel. Featuring amongst others Elvis Costelloe, Lucinda Williams, The Pretenders, David Crosby and Steve Earle and produced by Emmylou who sings on a couple of tracks, the album recreates songs Gram wrote or sung on. A very nice compilation and the varied singers give it enough to keep you interested. Fave tracks are – ‘She’ (Emmylou), ‘High Fashion Queen’ (Steve Earle and Chris Hillman) and ‘Hickory Wind’ (Gillian Welch).
Tom Petty – One of the first MusiCassettes I bought was in 1976 – FM; it was a compilation of American FM Radio tracks, mostly from American albums not readily available in England at that time. The one that I liked best was ‘American Girl’ by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I then saw an advert for Tom playing live at Hammersmith Odeon in a couple of days’ time. I went and saw him and was blown away; knowing only the one song and Tom having just the one album out, I was singing along to every song’s chorus and it was really one of the best concerts ever. That first album was self-titled Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers released also in 1976 and I still love it; it sounds fresh and to the point even now – basically it is pretty straightforward rock and roll, but with Tom’s sneering, almost Dylanesque vocals adding the required amount of attitude the album really rocks. Best songs ‘Breakdown’, ‘Luna’ and of course ‘American Girl’. A great start, which he followed up with You’re Gonna Get It in 1978. Not such an immediate album but not bad at all. Best songs – ‘When The Time Comes’, ‘Listen To Her Heart’ and ‘Baby’s A Rock’n’Roller’. Much better was his third Damn The Torpedoes (1979); much better songs somehow, or is it something else which makes you love one album and not another? Who knows? The first three songs are brilliant ‘Refugee’, ‘Here Comes My Girl’ and ‘Even the Losers’ but there isn’t a poor song on the record. This was the big breakthrough album for Tom and the Heartbreakers, where they finally became superstars. Next was Hard Promises (1981). Another good record, though for me it was a slight disappointment after Torpedoes…still I quite like ‘The Waiting’ and ‘Nightwatchman’. I used to have all his records (almost) on vinyl but am still catching up on CD. My next is Southern Accents (1985) which contains 3 songs co-written by Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics) who also co-produced these tracks. Stewart’s style is evident and is pretty good really; it seems to add a certain change of style, which was maybe coming anyway. Best songs are ‘Don’t Come Around Here No More’, ‘Spike’ and ‘The Best Of Everything’. By now the band were moving into a more conventional rock sound, maybe losing that radical edge along the way. Tom also dropped the band for a handful of solo albums. I tended to stop buying his albums, but did occasionally. Next is 1991s ‘Into the Great Wide Open’. This seems much better, more focused, better songs – the sound is now much less ‘rock’n’roll’ and more commercial too; Tom’s voice is crystal clear and the production superb; Jeff Lynne again, who seems to get the best sound from almost everyone he produces. Fave tracks are the hit single ‘Learning To Fly’, ‘Two Gunslingers’ and ‘All Or Nothing’. I don’t know why but I stopped buying Tom’s records around this time – maybe just too many others to listen to. But my last by him was a solo effort – though impossible to tell, as it sounds very similar to his other albums – Wildflowers (1994). I may get round to the others someday. But Wildflowers is an okay album too, though it doesn’t exactly excite me – best songs are ‘Time to Move On’, ‘It’s Good To be King’ and ‘Crawling Back To You’. And that is almost it. Tom and the Heartbreakers shared almost a year of tours with Bob Dylan, and I have a handful of bootleg concerts from that tour. Of Course, Tom made two records with the Travelling Wilbury’s (see T). I also have a double album of hits Anthology…..which is brilliant, though, like so many artists, I really love the early songs before they became Superstars. Tom died far too early at just 66…that was an incredible 5 years away…how time flies.
