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Vero grande innovatore della musica americana, Gram Parsons nell’estate del 1973 registrò il suo ultimo disco, Grievous Angel, uscito postumo nel gennaio 1974. La sua musica è una finissima miscela di devastante bellezza fatta di country, rock e soul. L’originalità di questa formula, già precedentemente sperimentata coi Byrds e i Flying Burrito Brothers, messa a punto nel primo disco solista “GP”, dell’anno precedente, venne portata a compimento in questo lavoro, al quale contribuirono in maniera determinante le eccellenti armonie vocali di Emmylou Harris (all’epoca compagna di Parsons), la chitarra elettrica di James Burton (chitarrista di Elvis Presley) e la chitarra acustica e il dobro di Bernie Leadon (mai abbastanza lodato polistrumentista degli Eagles).
La desolazione del territorio, di certi spazi immensi, in queste composizioni è avvicinata all’inconsolabilità di certi stati d’animo, come se una certa solitudine fosse davvero incolmabile, sterminata come un deserto. La forza di questa disperazione, la profondità del suo richiamo, è il tessuto connettivo della musica di Parsons. I suoi veicoli di espressione sono il country, col quale dipinge meravigliosamente l’eco di certi spazi sconfinati, il rock, che infonde dinamismo e immediatezza comunicativa alla materia, e il soul, che anima tutto di passione purissima, a tratti accecante. Trovato morto a 27 anni in una hacienda nel deserto, nei pressi di Joshua Tree, aveva già scritto pagine indimenticabili come “Hickory Wind”, in “Sweetheart of Rodeo” dei Byrds (1968), oppure “Sin City”, in “The Gilded Palace of Sin” dei Flying Burrito Brothers (1969), e ancora “She”, in GP, splendida ballata dedicata a Emmylou Harris. Ma è Grievous Angel il più formidabile disco di Parsons, compendio perfetto di quella che lui chiamò “Cosmic American Music”, scintilla creatasi dal riflesso visionario che gli restituiva il cielo notturno sopra il deserto del Mojave, dove si recava con Keith Richards a prendere i trip (la Wild Horses degli Stones è di quel periodo folgorante).
E’ qui che a momenti il songwriting di Parsons è colata lavica che si solidifica, si ferma e dà forma alla complessità di una storia (“$ 1000 Wedding”), che altre volte risplende meditazioni amorose (“Brass Buttons”), si illumina sulle pieghe dei ricordi (“Hickory Wind”, dal vivo) oppure si manifesta come una lacerante introspezione, complice lo stupendo spartito di Boudleaux Bryant (“Love Hurts”).
Spirito musicale eccelso e inquieto, anima sdrucita e sofferente, nell’ultimo pezzo implorava “In my hour of darkness / In my time of need / Oh Lord grant me vision / Oh Lord grant me speed“ (“In My Hour Of Darkness”).
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01 Return of the Grievous Angel (04:19)
Won't you scratch my itch sweet Annie Rich
And welcome me back to town
Come out on your porch or I'll step into your parlor
And I'll show you how it all went down
Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels
And a good saloon in every single town
Oh, and I remember something you once told me
And I'll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
`Cause I headed West to grow up with the country
Across those prairies with the waves of grain
And I saw my devil,
and I saw my deep blue sea
And I thought about a calico bonnet from
Cheyenne to Tennessee
We flew straight across that river bridge,
last night a half past two
The switchman wave his lantern goodbye
and so long as we went rolling through
Billboards and truckstops pass by the grievous angel
And now I know just what I have to do
And the man on the radio won't leave me alone
He wants to take my money for something
that I've never been shown
And I saw my devil,
and I saw my deep blue sea
And I thought about a calico bonnet from
Cheyenne to Tennessee
The news I could bring I met up with the king
On his head an amphetamine crown
He talked about unbuckling that old bible belt
And lighted out for some desert town
Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels
And a good saloon in every single town
Oh, but I remembered something you once told me
And I'll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
03 I Can't Dance (02:20)
I can't dance
I never could
I guess my feet don't match
I'd get out there on the floor but
I'm afraid of hurtin' my back
I can't dance
I guess I'm just one of the unfortunate few
So just for a little bit, Baby I'll come out and dance with you
But I can't dance and I'm feelin' so good, yeah
Some of us can, some of us can't
Some of us wih that they could dance
I can't dance
I guess I'm just one of the unfortunate few
So just for a little bit, Baby I'll come out and dance with you
I can't dance and I'm feelin' so good, yeah
Some of us can, some of us can't
Some of us wish that they could dance
I can't dance
I guess I'm just one of the unfortunate few
So just for a little bit, Baby I'll come out and dance with you
Yeah, just for a little bit, Baby I'll come out and dance with you
Yeah, just for a little bit, Baby I'll come out and dance with you
04 Brass Buttons (03:27)
Brass buttons, green silks and silver shoes
Warm evenings, pale mornings, bottle of blues
And the tiny golden pins that she wore up in her hair
Brass buttons, green silks and silver shoes
My mind was young until she grew
My secret thoughts known only by the few
It was a dream much to real to be leaned against too long
All the time I think she knew
Her words still dance inside my head
Her comb still lies beside my bed
And the sun comes up without her, it just doesn't know she's gone
Oh, but I remember everything she said
Brass buttons, green silks and silver shoes
Warm evenings, pale mornings, bottle of blues
And the tiny golden pins that she wore up in her hair
Brass buttons, green silks and silver shoes
05 $1000 Wedding (05:00)
It was a $1000 wedding supposed to be held the other day
And with all the invitations sent, the young bride went away
When the groom saw people passing notes
Not unusual, he might say
But where are the flowers for my baby
I'd even like to see her mean old mama
And why ain't there a funeral, if you're gonna act that way
I hate to tell you how he acted when the news arrived
He took some friends out drinking, and it's lucky they survived
Well, he told them everything there was to tell there along the way
And he felt so bad when he saw the traces
Of old lies still on their faces
So why don't someone here just spike his drink
Why don't you do him in some old way
Supposed to be a funeral
It's been a bad, bad day
The Reverend Dr. William Grace was talking to the crowd
All about the sweet child's holy face and the saints who sung out loud
And he swore the fiercest beasts
Could all be put to sleep the same silly way
And where are the flowers for the girl
She only knew she loved the world
And why ain't there one lonely horn and one sad note to play
Supposed to be a funeral
It's been a bad, bad day
Supposed to be a funeral
It's been a bad, bad day
07 Love Hurts (03:40)
Love hurts, love scars,
Love wounds and mars
Any heart not tough nor strong enough
To take a lot of pain
Take a lot of pain
Love is like a cloud
Holds a lot of rain
Love hurts
Mmm, love hurts
I'm young I know but even so
I know a thing or two I've learned from you
I've really learned a lot
Really learned a lot
Love is like a stove
Burns you when it's hot
Love hurts
Mmm, love hurts
Some fools think of happiness
Blissfulness togetherness
Some fools fool themselves I guess
But they're not fooling me
I know it isn't true
Know it isn't true
Love is just a lie
Made to make you blue
Love hurts
Mmm, love hurts
Love hurts
Mmm, love hurts
Oh, love hurts
08 Ooh Las Vegas (03:29)
ooh, Las Vegas, ain't no place for a poor boy like me
ooh, Las Vegas, ain't no place for a poor boy like me
every time I hit your crystal city
you know you're gonna make a wreck out of me
well, the first time I lose I drink whiskey
second time I lose I drink gin
third time I lose I drink anything
'cause I think I'm gonna win
ooh, Las Vegas, ain't no place for a poor boy like me, no
ooh, Las Vegas, ain't no place for a poor boy like me
every time I hit your crystal city
you know you're gonna make a wreck out of me
well, the queen of spades is a friend of mine
the queen of hearts is a bitch
someday when I clean up my mind
I'll find out which is which
ooh, Las Vegas, ain't no place for a poor boy like me
ooh, Las Vegas, ain't no place for a poor boy like me
every time I hit your crystal city
you know you're gonna make a wreck out of me
well, I spend all night with the dealer
tryin' to get ahead
spend all day at the Holiday Inn
trying to get out of bed
ooh, Las Vegas, ain't no place for a poor boy like me
ooh, Las Vegas, ain't no place for a poor boy like me
every time I hit your crystal city
you know you're gonna make a wreck out of me
09 In My Hour of Darkness (03:42)
In my hour of darkness
In my time of need
Oh, Lord grant me vision
Oh, Lord grant me speed
Once I knew a young man
Went driving through the night
Miles and miles without a word
With just his high-beam lights
Who'd have ever though they'd build such
a deadly Denver bend
To be so strong, to take as long as
it would till the end
In my hour of darkness
In my time of need
Oh, Lord grant me vision
Oh, Lord grant me speed
Another young man safely strummed his
silver string guitar
And he played to people everywhere
Some say he was a star
But he was just a country boy,
his simple songs confess
And the music he had in him,
so very few possess
In my hour of darkness
In my time of need
Oh, Lord grant me vision
Oh, Lord grant me speed
Then there was an old man
Kind and wise with age
And he read me just like a book and he
never missed a page
And I loved him like my father
And I loved him like my friend
And I knew his time would shortly come
but I did not know just when
In my hour of darkness
In my time of need
Oh, Lord grant me vision
Oh, Lord grant me speed
Oh, Lord grant me vision
Oh, Lord grant me speed
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