Hot Burritos: The True Story of The Flying Burrito Brothers [Paperback]

John Einarson (Author), Dwight Yoakam (Foreword), Chris Hillman (Collaborator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2008

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Einarson is the author of 12 books including the critically-acclaimed Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of The Byrds' Gene Clark (Backbeat Books, 2005), voted among the 20 best books of 2005 by Uncut and Record Collector. Musician and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Chris Hillman is a founding member of folk-rock pioneers The Byrds, country-rock rebels The Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas, Souther, Hillman and Furay, and the Desert Rose Band. He is a widely respected musical innovator and is regarded as one of the founding fathers of country rock.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Jawbone Press (November 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1906002169
• ISBN-13: 978-1906002169
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #414,826 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book, But Not Without Its Flaws..., November 29, 2008

By 

Matt - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Burritos: The True Story of The Flying Burrito Brothers (Paperback)

Let me first admit something- the Gram Parsons myth has grown far too big for its britches and continues to grow at rapid rates. When I first gravitated to the genre known as "country-rock" a few years ago, I was hard-pressed to find any albums by Parsons or the Burrito Brothers. But a little later, not only did I begin to notice previously unavailable CDs at my local music stores, but vinyl re-releases, myriad books, and even a full-length movie about the self-destructive southern boy (the mildly amusing "Grand Theft Parsons"). And they were all popping up within months of each other! Somehow, Parsons finally found favor with the rock and roll gatekeepers and, boy, were the floodgates opened!

It goes without saying that fellow travelers on these country-rock backroads were gradually reduced to footnotes. Case in point: the ever-meticulous, self proclaimed "professional" musician Chris Hillman, a man whose odometer has logged more miles as a country-rock "pioneer" than any other. So with the help of veteran country-rock writer John Einarson, Hillman has set out to inject truth into the bloated "Parsons myths," at least during his stint with the Flying Burrito Brothers from 1968-1970. The duo even go as far as to call the work "the true story" of the Burrito Brothers- and since five former members offer their sentiments, my response is "fair enough."

So how is the book? Quite good, actually. Unlike Einarson's "Desperados," "Hot Burritos!" is well organized (chronologically), flows easily, and beautifully printed on high quality paper. Where "Desperados" read like a dry honors thesis, "Hot Burritos!" is an inspired and lovely account of a mediocre live band that put out one very good studio album and a handful of clunkers. The Burrito Brothers are nothing if not interesting, though, and "Hot Burritos!" succeeds in engaging the reader's curiosity.

BUT...

Einarson and Hillman may have gone a little too far in the opposite direction. Beyond illuminating the story of the Burrito Brothers with factual empiricism to contain the Parsons myth, one gets the sense that Hillman at times seems to create his own myth. Not only was Parsons a self-destructive songbird who couldn't stay out of his own way, as Parsons biographer David Meyer openly admits in his spectacular "Twenty Thousand Roads", Hillman seems to suggest that, beyond his vocals on "Hot Burrito #1" and "Hot Burrito #2", Gram did not contribute a single musical work of merit. In other words, besides those two tracks, Gram Parsons was useless, according to Hillman.

He never explicitly states this, of course- it's more of a subtle, gradual build-up. But it's there. Hillman dismisses both the International Submarine Band and Parsons' solo albums "GP" and "Grievous Angel" as if they were the work of some out of tune, high school garage band. I guess this is a matter of taste, but the enthusiasm with which Hillman rejects these works (which are often dubbed classics in their own right) is surprising. Personally, I couldn't help but laugh when reading his take on the Parsons original "$1000 Wedding," which read something like this:

"I hated $1000 Wedding. That's when I stood up and said 'This is not a good song.' [...] We all hated that song." (page 215, by the way)

Strong stuff, Chris. And Einarson CONCURS- "the song later appeared on Parsons's second solo album [...] it's not one of his finest hours" and the demo on the 2007 release "Avalon Ballroom" album "confirms Hillman's view of the song." Now, I beg the reader to read the spotlights of these tracks on [...] reviews of their respective albums and at least realize how diametrically-opposed these statements sound. This tune (and the Parsons solo albums as wholes, of which Hillman thinks little) is far from an agreed-upon throwaway.

Don't get me wrong- this is a great book! But Chris Hillman, take note- be sure to caution your sense of realism without showing the "sore lieutenant" syndrome that Meyer points out in his book!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars strange book, January 3, 2009

By 

M. Frost "JohnnyCashFan" (Alexandria, Va) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hot Burritos: The True Story of The Flying Burrito Brothers (Paperback)

First, this is a beautiful book, in terms of its binding, layout and photography.

The narrative itself...well...

The book chugs, with overlong quotes, particulary from "co-author" Chris Hillman ("co-author" is in quotes because Hillman appears to be an interview subject in the book, not its author), often repeating the same points over and over again.

There are lots of errors throughout the text -- names and places misspelled. (One example: DJ Ralph Emery is called "Emory" in the text and "Emor" in the index.) Both of these faults could have been fixed by a good copy editor, but it makes you wonder about how reliable the facts offered by the book are.

Even more importantly, there's the paradox that Hillman appears to be completely dismissive of the Burritos in general and Parsons in particular. Parsons and the Burritos are repeatedly characterized as undisciplined, untalented, unprofessional, junkies and posers. If all that's true, why should or do we care about the band 40 years after its first album? Why write a book whose main audience is the fanbase of the band you contend was completely overrated?

This is not to say a book about the Burritos -- or any band -- should whitewash its problems. But, somewhere in here, authors Einarson and Hillman (if he is truly a co-author...again, that's a little unclear) forget that, indeed, the Flying Burrito Brothers made some great, groundbreaking music, particularly when Gram Parsons was associated with the group.

Although informative at points, this book ultimately feels like a hatchet job. One can imagine Hillman stewing over the past decades while Gram Parsons's legend grew ever larger. But, in setting the record straight, Hillman goes too far. In Hillman's narrative, Parsons is never around (if the story is to believed -- and maybe it should be, no one else was there -- Parsons didn't even have much to do with the writing of Sin City or Wheels, even though those songs seem to bear the mark of his personality and writing style). He's never sober, doesn't like rehearsing and lacks a real connection to the Burrito's music. By contrast, the talented Hillman's only fault appears not being assertive enough.

Was it Hillman's intent to take Parsons down a notch or two (or 200)? That's the ultimate message of this book: Think you like the Burrito Brothers and Gram Parsons, bucko? Well, you're wrong. But in marginalizing Parsons, Hillman ultimately does the same to himself: If the Burritos were nothing special, what does that say about Hillman, whose reputation over the years has relied so much on his Burrito work?

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a book about EVERYONE in the Flying Burrito Brothers, November 28, 2008

By 

Tom (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Burritos: The True Story of The Flying Burrito Brothers (Paperback)

I first become a fan of the Flying Burrito Brothers in 1972. Prior to that, like most rock music listeners, I wouldn't have been caught dead with a Merle Haggard or bluegrass record. But Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons, and company opened up my mind to the beauty and joy of country music.

I've witnessed the gradual elevation of former-Burrito, Gram Parsons, to immortal status over the last thirty-five years. In `Hot Burritos,' John Einarson with FBB co-founder, Chris Hillman, debunk the Parsons legend with a hard-hitting history of the pioneering country-rock band that puts the contribution of each member in proper perspective.

Is Chris Hillman's criticism of Parsons motivated by jealousy? Parsons's flamboyant personality and self-inflicted early demise gave birth to a legend that continues to grow with each passing year while Hillman's unparalleled contributions to country-rock go largely unrecognized in comparison. There's no doubt that Gram Parsons had flashes of brilliance throughout his short career with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and as a solo artist. Yet, he never had the discipline to realize the full extent of the gifts he was given. I agree with Hillman in that, although I tried and tried, I found nothing in Parsons's two solo albums to compare with his `Gilded Palace of Sin' songs except for `She.'

To serious Burrito fans, the slights to Hillman and the rest of the band members in the race to exploit the Parsons legend are glaring:

- Several books have been written about Parsons, but none about the Flying Burrito Brothers until now.

- The A&M 1976 release of "Sleepless Nights" is billed as Gram Parsons - The Flying Burrito Brothers with Gram solo on the cover.

- The A&M 1988 release of "The Best of the Flying Burrito Brothers: Farther Along" includes not one song from the post-Parsons Burritos. The 'blue' album and the live "Last of the Red Hot Burritos" had a lot of great stuff, most of it better than the songs from `Burrito Deluxe.'

- The A&M 2001 "20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Flying Burrito Brothers" includes no songs from the post-Parsons Burritos.

The Amoeba Record's 2007 "Gram Parsons With The Flying Burrito Brothers: Live At The Avalon Ballroom, 1969" gives Parsons headline billing and features a solo Gram on the cover.

`Hot Burritos' does much more than just put Parsons's contributions in their rightful perspective. The origins of the band and its ultimate ending are dealt with nicely. Each of the four albums is critiqued and there's a wealth of interesting information coming from first-hand interviews with former Burritos and associates. Similar to his other books I've bought, "Desperados: The Roots Of Country Rock," "Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark," and "There's Something Happening Here: The Story Of Buffalo Springfield," Einarson uses a plethora of primary sources to give a factual account of the Burritos. Chris Hillman gives the reader information about the band that simply could not be found elsewhere.

Sadly, the Flying Burrito Brothers never found their niche while the band existed. However, to their everlasting credit, they've been turning on countless people to the beauty of country music through their recordings for the last forty years. Thanks for the music, Chris, from the Byrds, Burritos, Manassas, Souther, Hillman, and Furay, Desert Rose Band, and the solo albums. Thanks especially for turning me on to bluegrass. And thanks for the great Gospel tunes in your later albums.