11 Jun "Rhino set adds to Parsons' legacy"
Chicago Sun-Times
by Mary Houlihan
Gram Parsons recorded just a handful of albums, each of which continues to get better with age. Now, thanks to a recently discovered cache of master tapes, Rhino is adding another chapter to the singer-songwriter’s legacy.
“Gram Parsons: The Complete Reprise Sessions,” due out June 20, is a three-disc set featuring remastered versions of Parsons’ two solo albums, “GP” and “Grievous Angel.” On these albums, which feature otherworldly harmonies with Emmylou Harris, Parson scales the creative heights of his short career. The final disc includes 16 previously unreleased outtakes from the two albums’recording sessions, as well as three covers.– two Boudleaux Bryant songs (“Brand New Heartache” and “Sleepless Nights”) and the Louvin Brothers'”The Angels Rejoiced Last Night.”
But what is unique here are the interviews with Parsons. In the days before music videos and incessant interviews, little was available in Parsons’ own voice. So it’s haunting to get an audio picture as he talks about performing at the Opry, singing with Harris and the downside of being accepted in Nashville.