MUSIC SCENE
MUSIC REVIEWED BY BOB JONES

Gram Parsons Archive, Vol. 1: Live at the Avalon Ballroom 1969 - Amoeba Records

The Flying Burrito Brothers

Gram Parsons Archive, Vol. 1: Live at the Avalon Ballroom 1969

The late Winter Haven native Gram Parsons single-handedly made it cool for rock musicians up and down Laurel Canyon, the heart of the LA music community, to listen to traditional country music. Though never an official member of the band The Byrds, Parsons was the driving force behind that group's country record "Sweetheart of the Rodeo." After that LP, Gram and Byrds founding member Chris Hillman started The Flying Burrito Brothers, releasing their first record, The Gilded Palace of Sin, in 1969. It has become the blueprint for the alt-country movement and country rock in general. Live at the Avalon Ballroom is a never-released two-disc set of two live performances recorded just before that first release. Found in the vaults of The Grateful Dead's archivist, a man known as Owsley, Live at the Avalon Ballroom highlights the raw talent and beautiful vocal harmonies between Parsons and Hillman. Unfortunately, because it was recorded through the soundboard and misses the noise of the ballroom crowd and sound of the ballroom, it has the feel of a high quality bootleg but a bit of an empty sound overall. It's not a good place to start for the uninitiated. That's still The Gilded Palace of Sin, which features many of the same songs, including the five original songs as well classic country tunes. With a life story that has spawned at least two movies and two books, this Florida native, who died at the tender age of 26, is a legend in American music. This set is an interesting record of Parsons in his prime, but the poor sound quality makes it just that, a primitive field recording for hardcore fans only.

Distortion - Nonesuch Records

The Magnetic Fields

Distortion

The ever clever Stephen Merritt will always have the shadow of his 1999 critically acclaimed epic three-disc set 69 Love Songs hanging over his shoulder, a very high standard to live up to. But Distortion is a record that should please fans and critics alike. "California Girls" is his answer to Brian Wilson's song of the same name, with the unabashedly homosexual Merritt ticking off reasons why he hates California girls. In fact the aptly named Distortion, due to the recording quality and cynicism, seems to be retaliation from the love songs (of which there were 69 of) from the box set. The theme from this record seems to be a repudiation of love. There are songs like "I'll Dream Alone" and "Drive on Driver." Although we in Southwest Florida are, for the most part, inoculated from the harshness of winter, this is very much a cold record aptly released in the harsh month of January. All that being said, Merritt's sense of humor keeps Distortion from being a complete downer of a record. Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket is a part-time Magnetic Fields band member, and like his dark children's books there is a sense of humor in Distortion that keeps it from being just a record to sulk to.