Customer Reviews

Flying Burrito Bros & Last of the Red Hot Burritos

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very welcome release of the Flying Burrito Brothers 3rd and 4th albums on one CD. There must have been previous CD releases of these two albums as they are individually for sale second hand on Amazon but at a price of approximately $100! The eponymous Flying Burrito Brothers record was released in 1971, a follow up to Burrito Deluxe and before that The Gilded Palace of Sin. Gram Parsons had left the band and was something of a Rolling Stones groupie at their Exile on Mainstreet sessions in France.
His replacement was Rick Roberts who went on to have commercial success with his own band Firefall. So the Band is Chris Hillman, Rick Robertd, Bernie Leadon, Pet Kleinow and Michael Clarke. The direction here is more a matter of creating main-stream pop songs with country instrumentation whereas the band's two previous albums were more focused on taking country songs and putting them in a rock beat format. The record then sets a template for the bands that followed (Eagles, Poco, Pure Prairie League etc) and of course Bernie Leadon is a member of the Burritos here and soon to become an Eagle. The first song however is actually a country song (White Line Fever) written by Merle Haggard and given the rock treatment. Rick Roberts contributes most of the writing on the following 9 songs, 2 on his own and 4 co writes with Hillman. All these songs are fine country rock songs with good hooks and believable themes and on Colorado Rick sounds very much like a younger Gram Parsons. The remaining two songs are covers and very excellent ones at that. Gene Clark's Tried so Hard is excellent and it was great that this song got another airing outside of Clark's version on his first solo LP. Bob Dylan's Ramona is the other cover and for me the album's highlight. It's almost as if the song was written for the country rock treatment. Very evocative - helped of course by the superb lyrics. Overall the production is that of excellent harmony singing with a rock beat, guitars and the country flavourings of pedal steel and banjo. There aren't many grand country rock CDs but this is one of them.
The latter half of the CD is filled by Last of the Red Hot Burritos which was a live album recorded in 1972. The line up was now augmented by the addition of Al Perkins, Byron Berline, Kenny Wertz and Roger Bush while Sneaky Pete had quit to do session work. This version of the Burritos was the most cohesive in a live sense and this collection recorded by Jim Dickson is a great listen. There are 4 songs covered from the Burritos first 2 albums and 6 cover songs of Bakersfield classics and bluegrass anthems. Overall the emphasis is on the virtuosity of the musicians with blistering steel and banjo solos and a frenetic rock beat. A fabulous document of what was going down.
Shortly after this Hillman joined Stephen Stills in Manassas and Rick Roberts formed Firefall and the essential Burrito period was over. Bernie Leadon went off to help form the Eagles and country rock went to its commercial peak.
Here we have an essential country rock re release. Buy now!

Nice package of the final two Burrito albums.The 3rd is probably the weakeast of the three studio lps, but there are some good moments; "Can't you Hear me Callin'" and "Tried So Hard" most notable.Rick Roberts replaced Gram Parsons for this record, and some of his stuff is a little too commercial for what the Burritos had been doing.Not enough of Sneeky Pete and Bernie Leadon on this album either. The "Last of the Red Hots" cd smokes, with newcomer Al Perkins on steel and guitar burning it up, along with Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke.Good material, although the loss of Bernie Leadon is felt here as well. The bluegrass set is okay; could have done without the overplayed "Orange Blossom Special'.Two bonus tracks, both Gene Clark songs are included: the 45 version of "Tried So Hard", and Gene's "Here Tonight", with him on lead vocals;two of the best things from the third lp sessions.The only complaint would be not including more bonus material, some which has shown up on other issues. A good package for those who don't have the cds already.Nice liner notes.

This two-for-one rerelease of "The Flying Burrito Bros" and "The Last of the Red Hot Burritos" is an invaluable addition to the cuurently available albums in the Flying Burrito Bros catalog. A must for any Flying Burrito Bros fan.

The album "Flying Burrito Brother's" is one of the classics of the original alternative country scene in the 70's. The band at this time consisted of Chris Hillman on vocals/bass; Rick Roberts (Firefall) on vocals/guitar; Bernie Leadon (Eagles) vocals/guitar/banjo; Sneaky Pete Kleinow on pedal steel; and Michael Clarke on drums.

Gram Parsons had already been kicked out of the band by this time, and the group wasn't doing well in the charts. But this album really needs to be heard by folks who hail from the country-rock era. It includes the Merle Haggard classic "White Line Fever" and Dave Dudley's "Six Day's on the Road."

But with Gram gone, the Bakersfield influence was waning. This album really gave Rick Roberts a chance to stretch his musical wings. His song "Colorado", though a bit sentimental really show cased his tenor voice. The mournful "Just Can't Be" gives a glimpse into what would become the Firefall sound. "Hand to Mouth" and "Why Are You Crying" set a tone typical of acoustic guitar country-rock that was oft imitated.

But the best song on the album "Flying Burrito Brothers" is by far "Four Days of Rain." This tune was later covered by the New Grass Revival on their album "When the Storm is Over." While Sam Bush and the boys did a remarkable job of that tune, there is nothing like hearing the original. This song is also on the more sentimental side, but it captures the feeling of the Colorado mountain town, long-haired country music scene like none other ever written.

The Burrito's will always be Gram's band, but Chris and Rick did an outstanding job on this album. It's a "must own" for 70's country rock fans.

It often gets argued that the Flying Burrito Brothers were never the same after Gram Parsons got tossed by his ex-partner Chris Hillman at the end of June 1970. And there's no point denying it--they were indeed a different unit after the erratic but unquestioned "Cosmic American Music" genius abdicated. But the Burritos, in many ways, became a much tighter outfit under Hillman and ace country-rock guitarist Bernie Leadon; and the subsequent hiring of Rick Roberts was in many ways a boon to their standing. They still couldn't get any loving in America (though as evidenced by their performances in Europe in late 1970, they were big elsewhere), but the band was advancing at least musically, as can be gauged by this collection, which combines their self-titled 1971 release with their final album, the live compilation LAST OF THE RED HOT BURRITOS.

On the self-titled album, Hillman and Roberts set the pace with a combination of solid songwriting collaborations ("Hand To Mouth"; "Just Can't Be"), Roberts' own originals ("Four Days Of Rain"; and "Colorado", a much-loved country-rock classic to be further immortalized by Linda Ronstadt just two and a half years later), and some cover songs from their musical past ("Tried So Hard" by Gene Clark; "To Ramona" by Bob Dylan) And while the overt country sound has been toned down to something more mainstream, there's still enough of it in the band's cover of Merle Haggard's "White Line Fever", and Roberts' own "Why Are You Crying", the last track on the album and one done with just Roberts' guitar and Leadon's bluegrass banjo. This album almost certainly set the table for what was to come when Leadon helped to form the Eagles later in 1971.

LAST OF THE RED HOT BURRITOS (released in March 1972), meanwhile, covers live performances the group gave at various venues, including Dartmouth, in the late summer and fall of 1971, by which time both Leadon and the legendary original steel player Sneaky Pete Kleinow had left and had been replaced by Al Perkins (on steel) and Kenny Wertz on guitar and banjo. Along with various other guys from Hillman's San Diego bluegrass roots and fiddle legend Byron Berline, this meant that the Burritos' live shows, as captured on this part of the CD, touched on solid R&B-style rock ("Don't Fight It"), classic Burritos material ("Devil In Disguise"), and hard-driving bluegrass (a sizzling cover of the Flatt and Scruggs classic "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down").

Given the fact that the Burritos had originally been formed in 1968 as a straight C&W outfit comprised of longhair types, a definite no-no at a time when being longhaired meant being tagged by the country crowd as a Commie, the band was probably fated to minimal commercial success from the start. Still, there's no question that they helped change people's perceptions of just how relevant country music could be minus its narrow-minded, reactionary trappings. Their original "twang" admittedly suffered a bit with the canning of Gram Parsons, but the intent that the others, especially Hillman, had of bringing two disparate styles together was the right one; and this 2-CDs-in-one collection proves it.

This release includes the FBBs third and fourth albums, and last, with Chris Hillman. They were also the first two without Gram Parsons, the bands founder and chief creative force, who had been fired by Hillman for undependability.

The Flying Burrito Brothers album features founding members Hillman and Sneaky Pete Kleinow, along with Bernie Leadon and Michael Clarke who joined for their second album, and Rick Roberts who was hired to replace. Parsons, Hillman, and Clarke were all former Byrds, while Leadon (formerly of Dillard & Clark) would leave the group to co-found the Eagles and Roberts would found Firefall. Although Kleinow has played pedal steel as a session performer for many recordings (including the Byrds, the Rolling Stones, and the Eagles), Kleinow's chief claim to fame was as a stop-action animator, originally for Gumby, but more importantly for movies like the Empire Strikes Back and the Terminator. The Flying Burrito Brothers album is a very solid and enjoyable country-rock album with solid singing and songwriting, and superb musicianship. Similar in sound and quality to any of the Eagles first four albums, as well as to any albums by Hillman's highly successful Desert Rose Band in the late 80s. "Tried So Hard" should have been a major hit. Maybe four stars on its own.

Last of the Red Hot Burritos was intended to be the band's last album. By the time it was recorded, Leadon had left to join the Eagles and Kleinow had decided that movie and session work paid better. Kleinow was replaced by Al Perkins, while Leadon was replaced with guitarist/banjoist Kenny Wertz. However, since Wertz was already a member of the progressive bluegrass band, the Country Gazette, other Gazette members, virtuoso fiddler Byron Berline and acoustic bass player Roger Bush, were also (temporarily) added to the Burritos. The result is an amazing performance of country, bluegrass, and hard rock which represents a terrific country-rock band at their live best. Maybe four and a half stars on its own.

The last two songs are excellent compositions and performances by former Byrds' lead singer & songwriter Gene Clark, which feature Clark on harmony vocals on the single version of "Tried So Hard" and on lead vocals on "Here Tonight".

Great to find all my old vinyl on CDs. Younger friends want to know who this "new artist" is that they have never heard before.

As we Burrito freaks call it, The Blue LP, was easily the best FBB Lp without Gram involved...er sort of. Gram's influence is still here, you see.

Anyway, if only these guys [Bernie, Pete, Rick, Chris & Michael] could've kept it together...this version of FBB could've kept the FBB tradition as a 5* Band throughout the Life of the FBB. Unfortunately...this isn't the case. It all ends after these 2 Lp's. I saw them perform w/out Gram & Rick afterwards and...well...they were just Ordinary w/out either. No wonder Chris went forward w/ Manassas.

I asked Gram during tours after the split, where Rick was, his reply was that Rick Roberts had a fear of flying. I believe that's also the reason the FBB w/ Gram didn't sell out, Gram didn't like to travel. You see, he's been known to take a train to the East onto NY to record a LIVE lp. Then took the famous East to West Canadian tour w/ the Grateful Dead, Janis, Ian & Sylvia, The Band and a LOT more from the Festival Express. Just get the DVD, you'll see. :) I bought it, too.

The Blue FBB, IMHO, is the 3rd overall best music delivered by this amazing group. This LP, by itself shoulda/woulda/coulda been considered a Super Group even w/out Gram [my favorite singer/songwriter of All-Time] Parsons!

The music Rick Roberts performed w/ Firefall pales in comparison to this FBB Blue LP and his 2 Solo Lp's; Windmills / She Is A Song!

As for the Green Live Lp, nice Bluegrass, love it, but really...it's not the FBB music we've come to know w/ the first 3 Studio Lp's. However, LIVE...it's great stuff...and folks in Amsterdam saw this group w/out Gram too...LIVE!

The Flying Burrito Brothers' third album is often is often overlooked, partly because legend Gram Parsons had left the group before the album was recorded and released in 1971. It is both a shame and injustice if the album is forgotten, as it is at least equal to the group's second album "Burrito Deluxe".

Parsons was replaced by singer and songwriter Rick Roberts, and Roberts shows fine capabilities in both fields on this album. As songwriter he contributes to no less than 7 numbers - the best, however, are those written with Byrd legend Chris Hillman, whom I personally regard as the group's key member.

The three Hillman / Roberts songs "Hand To Mouth," "Just Can not Be" and "All Alone" are among the album best. It is however the three cover versions that stand strongest in the picture. In particular, Gene Clark's "Tried So Hard", with lead vocal by Hillman is a highlight.

Opening number "White Line Fever" sounds like a song Parsons also would have liked to sing, and Dylan's "To Ramona" can hardly be delivered better.

A very good album, here paired with the live album "Last of the Red Hot Burrito" from 1972, which shows the same band-constellation at their best.

Bonus numbers are two Gene Clark songs. On "Here Tonight" helps Clark himself on vocals, and "Tried So Hard" is an early single-version of the album track.