Record Boy Ink:

When a tribute album is released, you could usually find Record Boy running the other way. For one thing, the artist being paid tribute to is rarely involved in any way with the project and the choice of participants and the material they cover is often disastrous to my ears.

"Return of the grievous angel…a tribute to Gram Parsons" (Almo Sounds) is easily the best realization of a true tribute CD.

For those of you who don’t know about Gram Parsons, here’s a brief background... joined the Byrds in 1968, a 21 year old wunderkind, and is largely credited for the advent of country rock. His time spent hanging out with the Rolling Stones produced "Wild Horses". Following his brief Byrd stint, Parsons founded the Flying Burrito Brothers, only to be tossed out of his own group after their second lp because of drug induced erratic behavior. Parsons then discovered one of the greatest American treasures since the California gold rush…Emmylou Harris, recorded a couple of much heralded solo lps which introduced Emmylou to the world, and then overdosed at the ripe old age of 26.

For over 25 years Emmylou has tirelessly fronted the Gram Parsons bandwagon, protecting his legacy and introducing his music to new generations of musicians and fans. What makes "Return…" work where so many other tributes have failed is Emmylou’s direct involvement in the entire project. The song selection is excellent and the matching of song to musician is brilliant. Consider that the participants on this record include artists who began their careers in the ‘60s (David Crosby, Chris Hillman), ‘70s (Pretenders, Elvis Costello), ‘80s (Steve Earle, Victoria Williams) and ‘90s (Beck, Evan Dando, Julianna Hatfield, The Mavericks…). This wide scope of performers demonstrates the thought and care poured into this project.

If you’ve ever wondered how Chrissie Hynde would sound singing a duet with Emmylou Harris, this is the place to find out. Both Beck and Sheryl Crow turn in their finest recorded vocal performances to date in their duets with Emmylou on this record. Sheesh, if I knew I was gonna have to sing a duet with Emmylou, I’d see a vocal coach immediately too! Brilliant performances by the latest alternative country artists (Whiskeytown, Gillian Welch) add depth and timeliness to this worthy project. Lucinda Williams’ deft handling of the title track (with David Crosby harmonizing. hey it just occurred to me that maybe he is the Walrus.. have ya seen him lately?) makes it sound like it could be one of her very own songs. Even the normally somnolent Margot Timmins of Cowboy Junkies sounds engaged with Parsons material!

Have I dropped enough names here yet? There is something here for anyone who appreciates outstanding songwriting coupled with great performances. The fact that this Gram Parsons tribute album came out so good and compelling is a tribute to Emmylou Harris as well.

Add this CD to your list of things to do today.