I am trying to follow the Gram Parsons/Chris Hillman story through and would like to buy a Burrito Brothers CD. Trouble is, there are so many listed. Originally, Pete Kleinow played steel and then Al Perkins and then Kleinow came back.

rob

And that is basically the end of the relationship between Hillman and Parsons, a short relationship by some standards, but quite fruitful.
Their first project together was of course the Byrds album 'Sweetheart Of The Rodeo'from 1968, which is a great album, with Red Rhodes, Jay Dee Maness, John Hartford, Lloyd Green and Clarence White among the sidemen. The CD version has rehearsal tracks and outakes and is wonderful.

There's a new book on GP coming out, the writer Jason Walker is from Sydney, Australia and is currently in the US finishing it off. It should be good.

The best ISB song, IMO, was "Truck Driving Man, which was only available as a B-side (not on the LP). It is currently available on the GP import "Warm Evenings, Pale Mornings, Bottled Blues".

I believe the original poster's intent was to find the best steel on a GP-related album. For that, I would have to go with the Byrds' "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo". After that, definitely the live set he did with Neil Flanz in 1973, which is now available on CD from Rhino Records.

Joe

1. The Byrds Box set which contains the original Sweethearts of the Rodeo recordings with the steel of Jay Dee Manness and Lloyd Green right out in front and with Gram dominating on vocals;

2. The Gram Parsons CD containing his two solo albums "GP" and "Greivous Angel". Al Perkins and Buddy Emmons do some great steel stuff and Bernie Leadon and James Burton do some great dobro and steel stuff. Emmylou is on both albums, Linda Ronstadt and Herb Pederson are on the Greivous album doing vocals. Byron Berline on fiddle...;

3. And get that 3 album, 2 cd compilation mentioned already containing the Guilded Palace of Sin, Burrito Deluxe and the 3rd Flying Burrito Bros. album.

Try Nesmith's "Magnetic South", "Loose Salute" or "Nevada Fighter". All feature Red Rhodes on steel, as well as Linda Ronstadt's ex-drummer Johnny Ware. Or just pick up one of the best-of's available.

I just ordered "Magnetic South/Loose Salute" on one CD from Amazon, I am really looking forward to hearing it.
I also think another much over-looked person from that era was Rick Nelson. There are two great compilation CDs on Edsel that cover most of the stuff he did with the 'Stone Canyon Band' Thanks again

P.S. Also ordered Dire Straits' 'On the night'VHS starring P.F.

Right on about Nez - note an album -not ‘country’ per se save for a few tasty guitar licks - called "Wichita Train Whistle" that Mike did in 1967, while he was still in the Monkees.

In June 1968 Nez recorded, IMHO, the template for what would become country rock, "Listen to the Band" in Nashville with musicians (including Lloyd Green on steel), Some of whom would go on to form Area Code 615.

Other albums that predate the Burritos were Rick Nelson's "Bright Lights and Country Music" in 1966 and "Country Fever" in 1967, both of course pre Stone Canyon (formed in May 1969)

Also, a highly underrated artist (inexplicably so) and a significant influence on country rock would be John Stewart. "California Bloodlines" by John Stewart was released in 1968

IMHO the whole Gram Parsons mystique is extremely overrated - largely due to the mythology surrounding his extracurricular activities/early demise. He definitely had an enormous talent, but people like Mike Nesmith, Chris Hillman, Rick Nelson and John Stewart were artistically every bit his equal, if not more so - they just didn't happen to die young. What if Parsons were still around, wasted but still alive, recycling the tunes with a bunch of pickup musicians at some dive. Geez, he couldn't even squeeze into the Nudie suit

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Greg Simmons
Custodian of the Official Sho~Bud Pedal Steel Guitar Website
shobud.cjb.net

I was a big fan of Gram's long before he died. I like to think that maybe we'll shake hands someday in the hereafter, where no one is wasted and we all fit into our Nudie suits!

Since this topic isn't about steel guitarists, I'm moving it to the more general "Music" part of the forum.

Case in point, I'm a huge Emmylou Harris fan, and we all know the Gram connection/influence on her.

I wanted to note that this genre didn't arise out of a vacuum or from a single source - hopefully people who only know of GP will search out and listen to the other artists mentioned as well.

Hey, even if I had a Nudie suit, I probably couldn't get into it - and I don't look to hot in my "original nudie suit that I got for my birthday" either

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Greg Simmons
Custodian of the Official Sho~Bud Pedal Steel Guitar Website
shobud.cjb.net

Rick Nelson's 1966 and 1967 albums are truly tastey, with Clarence White on rhythm and James Burton on lead. Only downside is that there's no steel.

By 1969 there were country-rock bands not only all over L.A, but in Australia, the U.K and even as far flung as Nashville.