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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: Rhino / Wea
Salesrank: 23693
Released: June 20, 2006 |
| Our Price: $12.91 |
| Used Price: $10.45 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
This definitive biography chronicles a Southern Gothic saga and is a fascinating look at "the Grievous Angel" and the heartbreakingly beautiful music he created. Dispelling myths that have grown to surround Gram, Fallen Angel shows us the essence of his artistry; it is a truly revealing account of his life and ongoing influence. Fallen Angel features music from Gram Parsons’ groundbreaking career with The International Submarine Band, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, as well as his highly acclaimed solo albums. Featured interviews include Peter Buck, James Burton, Emmylou Harris, Chris Hillman, Phil Kaufman, Bernie Leadon, Avis Bartkus Parsons III, Gretchen Parsons Carpenter, Diane Parsons, Polly Parsons, Keith Richards, Dwight Yoakam, and more.
Description of Gram Parsons - Fallen Angel:
Cynics have suggested that death is a shrewd career move for some artists, and when it comes to singer-songwriter Gram Parsons, whose life, work, and demise are chronicled in Fallen Angel, they may be right. Although undeniably talented, Parsons never had a hit and made just six albums, and only one of them (the Flying Burrito Brothers' The Gilded Palace of Sin) is a bona fide classic. That's one reviewer's opinion, anyway. Yet three decades after he died (in 1975, at age 26), Parsons is revered as a country rock pioneer, a significant influence on Keith Richards and the Rolling Stones, and a colossal talent who never got his due. While that may all be true, what's beyond dispute (and it's confirmed by the great majority of those interviewed in director Gandulf Henning's documentary) is that Parsons was a screw-up, a drunk and drug abuser who squandered his opportunities and dug himself an early grave, even by rock star standards. It wasn't all his fault. Any kid with a family background like his (his father committed suicide and his mother died from the ravages of alcoholism… possibly with the assistance of her second husband, Parsons' stepfather, who was a big drinker himself) is bound to have, shall we say, issues; Parsons was also well off financially, a fact that many interviewees (most notably Chris Hillman, who played with him in the Byrds and the Burritos) suggest might have attributed to his lack of driving ambition. Richards, duet partner Emmylou Harris, and other former bandmates are on hand to tell the tale, along with his widow, various surviving relatives, and close friends and associates. There's lots of Parsons' music on the soundtrack, as well as excerpts from a couple of Burritos promo films and some interesting footage of him singing with Harris. In the end, the film's most haunting moments concern the events that followed Parsons' death, when road manager Phil Kaufman commandeered (stole, actually) his casket and drove it to California's Joshua Tree National Monument, where he set it on fire, apparently according to the singer's wishes. Now that is the stuff of legend. --Sam Graham
Gram Parsons - Fallen Angel Reviews:
GRAM PARSONS "FALLLEN ANGEL" DVD 
2008-11-08 - THIS IS AN EXCELLENT AND VERY COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENTARY/BIOGRARPY OF AN AMERICAN, "COSMIC AMERICAN MUSIC" LEGEND, GRAM PARSONS. IT COVERS GRAM'S LIFE FROM CHILDHOOD, THROUHGOUT HIS LIFE AND CAREER. IT COVERS HIS BIRTH IN WINTERHAVEN, FLORIDA. HE WAS BORN TO A WEALTHLY SOUTHERN FAMILY WHO OWNED NEARLY HALF OF THE ORANGE GROVES IN FLORIA. IT COVERS THAT HE MOVED TO WAYCROSS, GEORGIA AS AN EARLY CHILD, AND THE INFLUENCE THAT HIS SOUTHERN UPBRINGING HAD ON HIM.
THIS DVD CONTAINS INTERVIEWS FROM FAMILY MEMBERS, FORMER BAND MEMBERS. IT FEATURES: PETER BUCK, JAMES BURTON (OF ELVIS'S TCB "Taking Care of Business" Band), EMMYLOU HARRIS, CHRIS HILLMAN (OF THE BURRITO BROTHERS), PHIL KAUFMAN, BERNIE LEADON, AVIS PARSONS III, GRETCHEN PARSONS CARPENTER (GRAM'S WIDOW), DIANE PARSONS, POLLY PARSONS, KEITH RICHARDS (OF THE ROLLING STONES), AND DWIGHT YOAKAM.
HE WAS A SON OF THE SOUTH, PLUS AN AMERICAN MUSIC LEGEND!!!
GRAM'S MUSIC WAS LEGENDARY FOR BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN COUNTRY MUSIC AND ROCK AND ROLL. HE LIKED TO CALL IT "COSMIC AMERICAN MUSIC".
HIS MUSIC WAS VERY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL!!! A LOT OF HIS MUSIC HAD GOSPEL UNDERTONES OR INFERENCES.
GRAM'S MUSIC PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND DURING MOST OF THIS DVD.
THIS DVD CONTAINS PARTIAL PERFORMANCES BY GRAM. IT CONTAINS A GOOD PARTIAL PERFORMANCE OF GRAM SINGING "HOT BURRITTO #1 (I'M YOUR BOY). YOU CAN SEE THE SINCERITY AND "PURE EMOTION" HE PUTS INTO THIS EMOTIONAL SONG ABOUT LOVE AND LOST.
THIS DVD COVERS HIS MUSICAL CAREER IN THE INTERNATIONAL SUBMARMINE BAND, THE BYRDS, THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS, AND HIS SOLO ALBUMS (WITH EMMYLOU HARRIS SINGING ALONG).
MOST OF HIS CAREER WAS SPENT IN CALIFORNIA. HE LOVED THE JOSUHA TREE NATIONAL PARK.
THIS DVD COVERS HIS EARLY DEATH AT THE JOSUHA TREE PARK LODGE. IT COVERS THE CONTROVERY OVER THE STEALING OF HIS BODY, WHERE IT WAS PARTIALLY BURNED IN THE JOSUHA TREE PARK. ACCORDING TO HIS MANAGER, GRAM HAD MADE A PACT WITH HIM, THAT IF EITHER ONE DIED, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BE PUT IN THE GROUND, BUT INSTEAD BE CREMATED WITH THEIR ASHES SPREAD IN THE JOSUHA TREE PARK. HIS MANAGER STOLE GRAM'S BODY AND ATTEMPTED TO BURN IT IN THE JOSUHA TREE PARK, BUT HE LEFT IT THERE, AND ONLY PART OF HIS BODY ACTUALLY BURNED.
HOWEVER, A REMAINING FAMILY MEMBER (APPARENTLY WITH THE AUTHORITY) HAD THE REMAINS OF GRAM'S BODY COLLECTED AND HAD THEM SENT TO NEW ORLEANS, WHERE THEY WERE BURIED IN METARIE, NEAR NEW ORLEANS.
THIS IS A GREAT DVD, ABOUT A GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC LEGEND, WHO DIED WAY TOO SOON. HOWEVER, HIS MUSIC WILL LAST FOREVER!!!
THIS IS A GREAT DVD ABOUT THE STORY OF THE LEGENDAY GRAM PARSONS AND HIS LEGENDAY "COSMIC AMERICAN MUSIC".
THE BOOK "TWENTY THOUSAND ROADS" THE BALLAD OF GRAM PARSONS AND HIS COSMIC AMERICAN MUSIC, IS AN EXCELLENT COMPANION TO THIS DVD. THE DVD AND THE BOOK ARE BOTH GREAT, AND I RECOMMEND THEM BOTH!!!
GRAM PARSONS "FALLEN ANGEL" DVD
2008-11-07 - THIS IS AN EXCELLLENT DOCUMENTARY/BIOGRAPHY OF THE LEGENDARY GRAMS PARSONS, WHO BRIDGED THE GAP BETWEEN COUNTRY MUSIC AND ROCK AND ROLL, AND BECAME KNOWN AS "THE FATHER OF COUNTRY ROCK" OR AMERICAN 'COSMIC' MUSIC, OR "ALTERNATIVE COUNTRY. IT IS VERY COMPREHENSIVE, AND VERY WELL PERSENTED MAKING IT A VERY ENJOYABLE DVD TO WATCH AND ENJOY.
GRAM WAS BASCIALLY A SOUTHERN BOY, BORN TO A RICH FAMILY IN WINTERHAVEN, FLORIDA, WHO MOVED TO WAYCROSS GEORGIA AS AN EARLY CHILD, AND GREW UP IN WAYCROSS GEORGIA. HIS FAMILY WAS ONE OF THE WEALTHLIST FAMILIES IN THE SOUTHEAST, AND WAS INTO THE ORANGE GROVE AND ORANGE BUSINESS.
HIS MUSIC WAS AND STILL IS VERY SPECIAL AND UNIQUIE!!! HIS MUSIC PLAYS DURING THE BACKGROUND DURING MOST OF THIS DVD.
It covers Gram's family before he was born, it covers his live from childhood and all throughout his career and even his death and events after his death.
The dvd features inteviews from family members, former band members, friends, former managers, including: Peter Buck, JAMES BURTON(HE WAS ELVIS PRESLEY'S "TCB" GUITARIST AND IS IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME AS AN INDUCTED "SIDEMAN", EMMYLOU HARRIS (SHE WAS IN GRAMS LAST 3 ALBUMS -"GP", "GRIEVOUS ANGEL" AND GRAM PARSONS AND THE FALLEN ANGEL BAND (LIVE), CHRIS HILLMAN (HE WAS IS THE FLYNING BURRITO BROTHERS BAND WITH GRAM), PHIL KAUFMAN, BERNIE LEADON, AVIS PARSONS III, GRETCHEN PARSONS CARPENTER (GRAM'S WIDOW), DIANE PARSONS, POLLY PARSONS, KEITH RICHARDS AND DWIGHT YOAKAM.
THE DVD COVERTS HIS SUCESS WITH THE BYRDS, THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS, AND HIS HIGHLY ACCLAMIED SOLO ALBUMS (WHICH FEATURED EMMYLOY HARRIS): "GP" AND "GRIEVOUS ANGEL"
Tale of tragic excess overtaking talent
2008-09-19 - This absorbing documentary on Gram Parsons tells his story with remarkable ease, considering the often tragic details rendered by members of his family, friends and fellow musicians. Original Byrd Chris Hillman tells an amazingly clear-eyed story of his lengthy and turbulent friendship with Parsons, and it is heartening to find that Hillman is fair in his appraisal of Parsons's personality as well as his musical gifts. Many touching remeniscences are given by Parsons's half-sister Diane, in fact her honesty moved me nearly to tears.
I can only hope that a documentary of this quality might be produced about the life and career of Gene Clark. I'm sure Chris Hillman would contribute many fascinating insights.
But for anyone remotely intrigued by Gram Parsons, this film is a solid and beautifully produced telling of his lifestory.
Sam Graham, Bogus Editorialist 
2008-05-02 - I take serious umbrage with Sam Graham's drive-by shooting, disguised as an Amazon editorial, of Gram Parsons - Fallen Angel Sam, before you write this review off as a typical fan rant, maybe you should think about what you are actually contributing to the art of valuable criticism.
Alright, maybe you never knew about the strange facts surrounding Parson's death and ensuing funeral pyre. But to aggrandize that over the great contributions Parsons made to the genre is something I would expect from an editorial coming from Fox Network or some other bogus, sensationalistic outlet - certainly NOT from an Amazon editor.
Your introductory statement ("Cynics have suggested that death....") was a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, you felt compelled to follow it with "Although undeniably talented, Parsons never had a hit and made just six albums, and only one of them.... is a bona fide classic. That's one reviewer's opinion, anyway." Since when is 'That's one reviewer's opinion, anyway" considered professional criticism? Isn't that already implied by the fact the you are an official Amazon reviewer, and presumably paid for this tripe you are spewing?
If your definition of a 'bonafide classic' is tied to album sales and popularity, then your ability to discern and recommend (or not) must seriously be called into question. This sophomoric piece of writing is something we would expect from a community college student's term paper, certainly NOT from an Amazon *editor*.
Great history of Gram.
2008-03-23 - I loved this DVD. A lot of footage I had never seen. Gives you a real feel for who he was. It is tragic that his life ended so soon. One is left to wonder what other genius work he would have produced. If you love Gram Parsons, you will love this!
