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Sheesh.I actually bought the bootleg of one of these Avalon shows almost 20 years ago and thought it was awful even then. Sneaky Pete was LOUD and the rest of the band (save Hillman, more than likely) was totally wasted.I suppose it's a blessing and a curse that this release is credited to Gram Parsons, rather than the Flying Burrito Brothers. Gram was obviously drunk/wasted, they had either unplugged his guitar or it was never miked, and the performance was absolutely atrocious. The rumors that the original lineup of the FBB was a somewhat shoddy and inconsistent live band are confirmed in these recordings. I'm sure this is a performance the Chris's (Hillman and Etheridge) would rather forget.And the sound quality is no better than the bootleg I bought 20 years ago.Flame away, Grampires. But the fact is, this is a substandard recording/performance by a band that temporarily caught fire for one terrific album.THE GILDED PALACE OF SIN.
If you can tolerate lousy, horrible, and flat sound that has no bass or treble, then this is a killer selection of songs and a must have for GP admirers. If you cannot, save your money. This may be the worst sounding CD I have ever heard.
It's like taking a trip in a time machine. This is a rare recently-discovered recording of two 1969 shows at the Avalon Ballroom (discovered in theGrateful Dead archives). Live recordings of Parsons are rare and this one indicates the breadth of material hecovered along with introductions of songs and banter. If only there were film or videotape of this performance. Kudos to Amoeba Records and the Grateful Dead archive ownersfor making this disc available to the legions of Parsons fans.
After all "new" albums of recycled Flying Burrito Brothers material, this is a real treat. It is easy to pick out Chris Hillman's harmonies as well. The Burritos sound great live, a little ragged, but that is some of their charm--the beginnings of alt-country at its best. The mix is excellent and Gram's breaking vocals come across better here than on some of their studio albums. A great sound from a band like no other. The material on this CD is a rare find.
The quality is not that of today's live performances and its apparent that the FBBs were young and not as polished as they became with more experience. These performances have been hidden away for nearly 30 years. When I heard that these two live shows were being produced, I was ecstatic. However, these are amazing CDs for fans of Gram and the Flying Burrito Bros. I became a fan of Gram after he passed away so I never thought I would experience the feeling of being in the audience during a live show. These two CDs take you back to 1969, when Gram was a mere 23 years old. To the people responsible for getting these out, THANK YOU. You'll feel like you were there at the Avalon Ballroom in 1969.
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