GP / Grievous Angel
On his two early-1970s solo albums, collected here on one disc, Gram Parson lends his fragile, aching tenor to music that's the definition of what he called "country soul." Neither of these titles is quite as strong as the work Parsons had previously done with theByrdsand theFlying Burrito Brothers, but with originals as great as "She" and "In My Hour of Darkness"--not to mention backing fromEmmylou Harrisand the core of Elvis's early-'70s band--bothGPandGrievous Angelstill stand as country-rock classics.--David Cantwell