GP / Grievous Angel [CD]

So, if you're a fan of Alt.country, this is essential listening- ever wondered where Ryan Adams got his youthful arrogance, or from where Lambchop borrowed their sublime orchestration? It's all here. And if you're not- then buy this record, you might be surprised, and if you can't be swayed by the sheer quality on display, I'm sure you can send it back.

The other thing that strikes me, listening to these albums now, is that they sound much nearer to traditional country than rock music. This may in part be due to the changes in country music over the thirty years since. Several instruments used on these albums would find a hard time getting on a contemporary country album – in particular, steel guitars are a rarity these days where once they were standard. Of course, if you compare this to a truly traditional country album, you'll hear the difference easily enough – but then listen to a rock album or a contemporary country album and you'll hear a much bigger difference.

The songs here are a mix of originals and covers. Hickory wind is both – it was written by Gram but first recorded for the Byrds album, Sweethearts of the rodeo, so the version here is a cover. Cash on the barrelhead is a cover of a Louvin Brothers song. This very song was later covered by Dolly Parton and appeared on her classic album, Grass is blue, while Emmylou was clearly impressed – she later covered several Louvin songs. Other covers include I can't dance (Tom T Hall), Streets of Baltimore (Tompall and the Glaser brothers), That's all it took (George Jones), Love hurts (originally recorded by the Everly brothers, it provided Jim Capaldi with a British top five hit in 1975) and Cry one more time (J Geils band). The final track, In my hour of darkness, features Linda Ronstadt as well as Emmylou, so this is the first time they recorded together.

So, what is Gram's legacy, apart from his own recordings? He helped Emmylou into the big time and also introduced her to Linda. He introduced Emmylou to the music of the Louvin Brothers. He was an influence on the Eagles, Dwight Yoakam and what is now known as the alt-country movement. All of these are important, but some might have happened anyway. Some accord Gram a God-like status, while others dismiss him as a no-hit irrelevance. The truth lies somewhere in between. In any case, the two albums paired on this CD are worth listening to in their own right, regardless of their historical significance.