Hot Burritos! The Flying Burrito Bros. Anthology 1969-1972
This overview of the heyday of the flagship band of 1970s country-rock illustrates why the genre became such a force in its time--and why it flagged as the decade progressed. Its ascent can be attributed to the vision and charisma of band cofounderGram Parsons. Parsons's legend has grown to such a point that one must question its validity. Was hethatcrucial in shaping the genre? The answer is provided through the course of the first disc and a solid portion of the second in this smartly assembled double set. Parsons and partnerChris Hillmanbrought together influences ranging from Stax soul to theEverly BrotherstoHank Williamsto create a sound that is inventive, inviting, clever, and a little weird. Parsons's two Burrito albums--1969's landmarkThe Gilded Palace of Sinand its patchwork follow-up,Burrito Deluxe--are here in their entirety, as are some Gram-era oddities. The handful of post-Parsons tracks that weigh down disc 2 augur country-rock's demise. Hillman and new recruit Rick Roberts create pleasant enough music that simply lacks the flair Parsons brought to nearly everything he recorded in his 26 years.--Steven Stolder