Customer Reviews

Hot Burritos! The Flying Burrito Brothers Anthology (1969 - 1972)

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

What made the early work of the Flying Burrito Brothers stand out above any other country-rock fusions of the time was Gram Parson's brilliant stew of straight country, rock and roll, and R&B. _Hot Burritos!_ does an incredible job of presenting this classic music with shimmering remastered sound.

Tracks 1-11 on disc one comprise the complete _Guilded Palace of Sin_ album. These 11 tracks alone are worth the price of this 2-CD set. Standouts include "Christine's Tune", "Hot Burrito #1", "Hot Burrito #2", and the coutrified protest song "My Uncle".

Next is the first domestic CD release of the rollicking single "The Train Song." Good, but it's an indication of the disarray the group was beginning to succomb to.

Tracks 13-23 present _Burrito Deluxe_ in its entirety. It has a much looser sound than _Guilded Palace_ and few memorable songs. "Cody Cody" easily lives up to the high standard set by the first album and their version of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" is simply gorgeous.

Disc two is where the problems start. The first 7 tracks are from an aborted covers album and represent Parsons' last recordings with the Burritos. Pleasant, but they sound tossed off.

Tracks 8-17 (_The Flying Burrito Brothers_) were recorded after the ousting of Parsons and the hiring of new singer Rick Roberts. Here we see the group leaning heavily towards a more pop AOR sound (such as that produced by the Eagles a year later). These tracks are okay, but definitely not up to the standard of _Guilded Palace_ and _Burrito Deluxe_. Standouts from this period included the pretty "Colorado", "Hand to Mouth", and "Why are You Crying" (featuring some stunning banjo picking by Burrito and future eagle Bernie Leadon).

_Hot Burritos!_ is rounded out by a great track written by Gene Clark ("Here Tonight") and two ineffectual live numbers from the original Burritos' "farewell" album.

Overall, this is essential listening. Those interested only in the Gram-Parsons era of the group would be best served by the earlier compilation _Farther Along_ but _Hot Burritos_ does an excellent job in tracing the evolution of this pioneering band.

How do you know if a band is just a good band or a legendary one? By the amount of times they re-package the same material over and over again. The Burritos are legendary. I'm not complaining. I love it! I have every song on this two CD set but I bought it anyway for the liner notes. The Parsons-era Burritos recorded only two albums but the following are a list of some of the compilations: 1. Farther Along: The Best of the Flying Burrito Brothers. This is the official A&M greatest hits package. (contains different version of Sing Me Back Home and a truncated version of Dylan's I Shall Be Released)

2. Dim Lights, Thick Smoke and Loud, Loud Music An import from the great Edsel Records out of England (contains the version of Sing Me Back Home which is on this package, but also includes, Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down, Crazy Arms, Green Green Grass of Home and several others)

3. Sleepness Nights - this is a hybrid of FBB outtakes and Gram Parsons solo outtakes which are worth the price of admission alone. The FBB selections are all covered elsewhere.

4. Hot Burrito - Yes there was already a release by A&M called Hot Burrito which was a single CD which contains all the aforementioned songs in another configuration. Hard to find.

5. Close Up The Honky Tonks - originally a Dutch release on A&M but I have never found on CD. But yes you guessed it, all the songs can be found elsewhere.

6. Out of The Blue - more of the same

The repackaged Burritos, including this CD, more than triples the output of the FBB w/Gram Parsons. WHY? I'll tell ya why since you been good enough to read this far my friend, COSMIC AMERICAN MUSIC. If your an old fan, then sit back and enjoy what you already have enjoyed before. If you are a new fan, then make room in your CD collection because you will quickly add another 10 to 15 CDs to your collection. If your curiosity is peaked by what you have heard on these discs, particularly Disc One, then you will pass GO and move onto to the Gram Parsons solo material which will take you back to the Sweetheart of the Rodeo by the Byrds which may spill over into The Notorious Byrd Brothers by the Byrds. If not you may even go so far as to search out the Gram Parsons-led International Submarine Band's 1968 release Safe at Home. Now you're in trouble because you may search out Dillard & Clark's two great albums, The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard and Clark and Through the Morning, Through the Night. By now you are hopeless and you're searching out Clarence White's work with the Kentucky Colonels i.e. Long Journey Home which is their live recording at the Newport Folk Festival. Somewhere in between you'll end up back in the Byrds catalog for Ballad of Easy Rider and Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde and you may even venture off into the Eagles or Steve Earle or Elvis Costello. By now you're strung out and useless. Those damn Flying Burrito Brothers. God Bless 'em.

Amazingly, The Burritos debut masterpiece- Gilded Palace of Sin, is not available on CD, nor is the equally fine followup-Burrito Deluxe. This 2 CD set corrects that. Disc 1 includes both of these albums in their entirety. Disc 2 is more scattershot. Cover versions and the departure of Gram Parsons from track 8 forward make this part of the anthology less essential listening. A&M has kept their single disc anthology - Farther Along in print but it's missing 2 songs from "Gilded". For a few bucks more you get better liner notes, better sound and one of the greatest Country-Rock albums ever in Gilded Palace of Sin, in full.

The Flying Burrito Brothers are perhaps the best band to epitomize what is now called "country-rock." They directly rode the heels of the Byrds classic country album, "Sweetheart of the Rodeo." For the newcomer, both the amount of material on this 2-disc set, and the sound might be a bit too much. When I first heard the Burrito's material 5 years ago that CD sat virtually unheard (perhaps because I was not used to the pedal steel sound, which band member Sneaky Pete Kleinow excellently plays). I guess I was just not ready for their pioneering sound. However, I would advise anyone who wants to sample some of the most influential and critically acclaimed material of the 60s and early 70s to buy this set. The first CD is certainly the strongest, and it consists entirely of songs on which Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman performed. Gram and Chris, as many already know, were members of the Byrds and credited with co-founding "country-rock." The material from FBB's first album, "Gilded Palace of Sin" stands out, and fortunately the entire album is here. The material from their second album "Burrito Deluxe" is weaker, but still stellar. For this latter album FBB added ex-Byrd Michael Clarke and future Eagle Bernie Leadon. Highlights of the first CD are the protest song, "My Uncle," the soulful, "Dark End of the Street," and the cover of the Rolling Stones hit, "Wild Horses." But again, every song is excellent and groundbreaking (Clarence White, guitarist extraordinaire and Byrds member, guests on "The Train Song."). The second CD is often panned, but in reality it is filled with some very good material, especially the first seven tracks where Gram and the boys belt out inspired versions of country standards (such as "Break My Mind"). However, the last 13 tracks on the 2nd disc lack the critically acclaimed combination of country and rock, as the Burritos slipped into a more slick and polished country-pop sound. Keep in mind Gram Parsons left here and future Firefall founder Rick Roberts took over as lead singer. While different than the first disc, the material is very similar to the Eagles sound, which is not a bad thing at all. Highlights from the second disc include "Six Days on the Road," "Here Tonight" where Gene Clark sings, and the Rick Roberts penned song, "Colorado." Overall, this collection, which goes on for about 130 minutes, is an excellent deal, and is essential to any country or rock collection. The 24-bit mastered sound is far superior to the previous FBB hits collection, "Farther Along." Since this set includes the entire first three Flying Burrito Brothers albums, various other songs which never made it to an original Burritos album, and live tracks (although the 2 live tracks are the weakest on the album), it will satisfy the true fan, but possibly might overwhelm the newcomer. However, to all newcomers: Trust me, listen to the material, maybe over and over again if you have to, you WILL come to appreciate it. By the end of the first week you will be singing along to every tune in your car.

The "Gilded Palace of Sin" was a landmark country-rock LP that, in 1969, brought out all the best qualities of Gram Parsons as singer, composer and interpreter. His cronies were utmost professionals; their personal involvement and innovative musical contribution to Gram Parsons' vision heightened his achievements. Kudos - in particular - to Chris Hillman for his vocals, songwriting and guitar playing contributions, as well as to Sneeky Pete Kleinow who was always devising new ways to make his steel guitar soar and sing. A ***** album is ever there was one!

After the 11 songs from the first LP, this compilation includes a single A-side titled "The Train Song" which never did anything for me. I wonder who chose to let the Burritos be coproduced by Johnny Guitar Watson?
Rating: no rating !!

The follow-up LP, "Burrito Deluxe" appeared within 15 months of the first and, at the time, I found it to be a major let down. Although definitely a lesser work, I have grown more appreciative of it as its actual strenghts have grown on me.
The LP was pleasant and well above average, but after the magnificence of "Gilded Palace of Sin", it suffered by comparison. Also, I cannot help but feel that there was less drive, less enthusiasm from everybody involved. My favourite track is the "cover" of the Stones' "Wild Horses" (which could actually have been co-composed by Parsons). Other favourites are "Cody, Cody" and "Lazy Days". I would rate this album *** ½.

The second CD begins with seven tracks that first appeared on "Farther Along", "Close up the Honky Tonks" and Gram Parsons' "Sleepless Nights".
These tracks seem to be work-in-progress of country covers; they are rather well recorded but they sound average and rather perfunctory to me when compared with the songs recorded by the original artists. I do not think that these recordings would have been released at the time had Parsons not perished most tragically and so young. Rating : **.

Tracks 8 - 17 were released on the Flying Burrito Brothers' third, eponymous LP. This is the second line-up from the band, with Rick Roberts "replacing" Gram Parsons. Well, Parsons could not really be "replaced" but Hillman obviously did not want to remain the sole leader/singer/songwriter of the band. Rick Roberts was a good singer and a good writer to boot. While the music on this record leans more towards the West Coast / singer-songwriter scene than towards Parson's vision, I must say that I have liked this 1971 LP at first listen. The album is chock-full of good songs, well sung and well arranged. The well-known Haggard cover "White Line Fever" is really superior to the Parsons sung "demo" covers of two Merle Haggard's tunes placed at the beginning of this CD. Colorado, Four Days of Rain, All alone, ... are among my favourites but there really is no dud track on this album. I rate it *****. This does not mean that I find it as good (and certainly not as influential) as the "Gilded Palace of Sin" but it very good in its own sweet way. I would say that this LP holds its ground when compared with favourites of mine such as "Pickin' Up The Pieces" (Poco) or, well, the first LP by The Eagles. It is also a splendid opportunity to appreciate Hillman's characteristically exquisite bass guitar playing one more time. Sneeky Pete Kleinow also shines throughout while Leadon ... well Leadon is always good on whatever stringed instrument happens to lay around.

Track # 18 is a version of Gene Clark's "Here Tonight" (covered and sung by Hillman on the third album) and recorded by Clark himself with the Flying Burrito Records (and also much earlier on his very first solo Columbia LP). I prefer Clark's rendition to Hillman's but I wonder why this take appeared on "Close Up The Honky Tonks" because it has much more of a polished Byrds / LA sound. Anyway, it's pretty good to have around. I rate this track *****.

The last two tracks were recorded live for the fourth LP titled "Last of The Flying Burrito brothers" which I duly bought upon release. Although less lethargic than the tracks from "Close Up the Honky Tonks", they are not that remarkable either. I would rate this, their fourth album for A&M, ** ½.

It should be pointed out that the sound of this CD is very, very good. The booklet is also informative, including quotes from Chris Hillman.

This compilation is THE definitive overview of the Flying Burrito Brothers' oeuvre!

The Burritos' early years (let's face it, the only stuff that matters) have been repackaged many times before, especially here in Europe, but this is the definitive compilation. All the Gram Parsons-era masters are present and correct: the first two LPs; an early single-only release; and the aborted sessions from a proposed third album of cover tunes. Also present, at long last, is the untitled third LP, sans Gram, but with Chris Hillman and Rick Roberts at the helm. It's never been available on CD before. Disc #2 signs off with three more rarities - two live cuts and "Here Tonight" which features Gene Clark sitting in on his own composition. In fact the Burritos would become something of a retirement home for ex-Byrds! This is all the Burritos you'll ever need (though the diehard may want to seek out the 1972 live double LAST OF THE RED HOT BURRITOS, which I don't think has had a CD release yet). This is an intelligently compiled collection of wonderful music and I can't recommend it highly enough. Why can't all CD retrospectives be done this way? Well done A&M. Great cover photo too!

A&M Records finally cleared out(???) its vaults and re-released the majority of the three studio albums recorded by the original Flying Burritos plus snippets from the live "Last of the Red Hot Burritos".

Which makes "Hot Burritos" a comprehensive, but by no means complete compilation of Flying Burrito Brothers music.

Let us also get a few things straight here. Granted, the Flying Burrito Brothers was the vision of Gram Parsons in this twisted genius' quest to make "Cosmics American Music"...but it was also the vision of Parson's fellow former Byrd and songwriting partner, Chris Hillman. And one must also not neglect the role of Gumby animator - turned - Steel Guitar virtuoso Sneeky Pete Kleinow. Because of Parsons' short life in the fast lane, much has been made of his role. But Hillman was an equal partner, and without Kleinow, or Chris Ethridge, Michael Clarke and later Bernie Leadon, Parsons would never have achieved his mythic status. Carrying on, Chris Hillman continues to produce quality music today music today just as he did then with the Burritos, and until his recent heart surgery, Sneeky Pete was a mainstay with the John Beland-Gib Guilbeau Burritos.

All the favorites are here."Sin City", "Wheels", "High Fashion Queen", "Christine's Tune" and more...These were songs that truly bridged the gap between Redneck and Hippie, even if they didn't agree on anything else, and to this day have left an strong impact on the music of Country stalwarts Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakum, Marty Stuart, and others.

Don't forget too, that the Burritos, having been spawned from the Byrds also propelled the Eagles into the stratosphere. Both Glenn Frey and Don Henley used to spend their evenings watching Parsons and Hillman, and eventually pilched Burritos' guitarist Bernie Leadon for their own embryonic band.

The real gem here is the inclusion of FBB's Third album, the eponymous self-titled album crafted by Chris Hillman and Rick Roberts after the departure of Gram Parsons. Found, Lost, then found again at the beginning of the 1990s and promptly lost again, "The Flying Burrito Brothers" album reflected Hillman's commercial sensibility. His version of Merle Haggard's "White Line Fever" should have been a giant hit for the band, but didn't go anywhere, and neither did Hillman's pensive rendition of Gene Clark's "Tried So Hard" and "Can't You Hear Me Calling" and the clear-voiced Roberts' "Colorado" - which later appeared re-arranged by Stephen Stills in Manassas.

Ironically while Hillman's "White Line Fever" failed to make an impression with the record buying public, Gib Guilbeau's version in a later incarnation of the Burritos became a minor Country hit, actually denting the fickle American charts.

"The Flying Burrito Brothers" was a solid blend of folk, country and rock, but its failure discouraged all involved. Bernie Leadon was the first to depart, joining the aforementioned Eagles. Sneeky Pete, citing the concrete fact that he was making much more doing sessions than staying with a band that was on its last legs, followed. And finally it was Hillman, Roberts, Clarke, Al Perkins and Kenny Wertz, leading the last charge of the Burritos which in a way became the first cavalry charge of Stephen Stills' Manassas, which Hillman and Perkins promptly joined, and the first stirrings of Firefall, the band formed by Rick Roberts and Mike Clarke.

There are a couple of notable omissions, including Hillman's swirling "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" and the live Burritos version of the Byrds' "100 Years From Now", which can be found on that grand import, "Out of the Blue". The liner notes and rare photos too, are a bit different between the import and this compilation.A suggestion: Get both albums, if only for that wonderful third album.

Don't get me wrong -- I love the FBB and "The Gilded Palace of Sin" is probably my favorite album of all time, but the sound on this compilation is absolutely horrid. I can only hope that the hack who was in charge of the remastering has a trial pending --if so, I'll gladly be a witness for the prosecution. Granted, these songs were never lushly produced in the first place (and that's always been part of their weird, otherwordly charm), but the sound on this release has been so artlessly altered that the feel of the original recordings is simply no longer present. On speakers it's not quite as noticable, but on headphones it's a nauseating nightmare. Do yourself a favor and stick with your original vinyl copies of these tunes and avoid this disgusting, mutant beast like the plague. (I can think of one good thing to say about this release: it contains the catchy, semi-rare single "The Train Song", which was previously quite hard to come by....).

To say that the Flying Burrito Brothers were an innovative and influential band is just one piece of the whole wide enchilada.

What "Mr. Excess" Gram Parsons and the steady, inspired and inspiring Chris Hillman crafted in 1968 - namely "Cosmics American Music" - had an immediate impact of two of the major acts of that time and now - The Rolling Stones and The Eagles.

The impact though, has not been just short-term as it has also directly influenced the careers of Emmylou Harris, Beck, Dwight Yoakam, Sheryl Crow, Wilco and Whiskeytown, to name just a few.

"Hot Burrito" is exactly that - a splendid retro - though not necessary complete - package of Flying Burrito Brothers music from the seminal "Gilded Palace of Sin" to the final "Last of the Red Hot Burritos" (by not complete I noticed that Hillman's spirited rendition of "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" and a wonderful version of "One Hundred Years" recorded live are conspiciously missing here - but available on "Out of the Blue" - see below).

Unlike that excellent import - "Out of the Blue", "Hot Burritos" greatest assets are the country tracks recorded by Parsons with the band shortly before his departure - including "Dim Lights", and (contrary to the opinions of other reviewers) the inclusion of virtually the entire third and post-Parsons "Flying Burrito Brothers" album release. This fine third album has been unavailable for nearly a decade, and it is a fine foretaste of what Chris Hillman would later accomplish in his excellent Desert Rose Band.

Granted, these songs do lack the grit of a Gram - but after years of frustration and unacceptance, the Hillman-Rick Roberts team opted for commercial viability - and there are some fine moments here - including a bittersweet Hillman take on Dylan's "To Ramona", the Hillman version of "White Line Fever" which, though not going hitsville nonetheless paved the way for Gib Guilbeau's post-Hillman-Parsons-Roberts Burritos to dent the Country charts.

There's also Robert's superlative "Colorado" - a song which Stephen Stills later twisted the lyrics and content for his version of the song on the first Manassas album; and Hillman's powerful "Hand To Mouth" and his version of fellow ex-Byrd Gene Clark's "Tried So Hard". Bernie Leadon contributes fine stringbender in conjunction with Sneaky Pete's fine pedal steel on these tracks.

Ironically while Hillman's search for commercial viability eluded him here, The Eagles picked up on what the Burritos tried to accomplish here and one the first two Hillman-Parsons Burrito albums and "took it to the limit".

Just to show that good guys win out in the end though, the commercial success that eluded Hillman in the Burritos was later found with the superlative Desert Rose Band, ironically using much of the same formula that the Burritos used before.

Whether its for those famous Hillman-Parsons tracks including "Sin City", "Wheels", "Devil In Disguise" and "Wild Horses" or for the covers of Merle Haggard tunes - or the aforementioned Hillman and Roberts contributions, "Hot Burrito" is a must for Burrito fans - but do pick up the "Out of the Blue" import too - for those tracks left off here as well as the great photos.

This compiliation also proves why the Flying Burrito Brothers should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - they were WAY AHEAD OF THEIR TIME!

This 2 cd set is a most marvelous find for several reasons:

1). The fact that "Burrito Deluxe," the final Gram Parsons' era lp, has long been out of print. It's an interesting, if ultimately disappointing, listen. It's obvious that Gram was no longer interested in the band by this point. Indeed, he was with the Rolling Stones more during this period.

2). Even more important than "Burrito Deluxe" is the re-issuing of the "Flying Burrito Brothers" (1971), the first Rick Roberts offering. An amazingly wonderful effort that takes up most of the 2nd disc, this lp is the real gem of this set. It by itself is worth the asking price of this cd set.

3). Interesting odds and ends from 3 other lps that are out of print- "Last of the Red Hot Burritos," a live colection, "Sleepless Nights," and "Close Up the Honkey-Tonks," which features a great cameo appearance by Gene Clark.

The beauty of this collection lies in the band itself, and what competent musicians they were (and still are). It's easy to peg the Burritos as Gram Parsons with other musicians. This collection proves that Gram was just one part of the band- and the band sounded better in many cases without him than with him. Indeed, their 3rd lp is much better than "Burrito Deluxe." We see the emergence of soon to be Eagle Bernie Leadon as a wonderful guitarist, the growth of Chris Hillman, who was to a point always a country musician (even the early Byrds lps include country songs at Hillman's insistence), and the underrated Sneaky Pete. The musicianship is what made the Burritos as great as they were, and the fact that Gram Parsons was part of this band adds to its overall importance.

This 2 cd set, therefore, is of the upmost imporyance, and should be part of any reputable collection. A wonderful collection.