After turning the Byrds into a country rock band on the 1968 Sweetheart of the Rodeo album, Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman left that band to form their own. The idea behind the Flying Burrito Brothers was to draw more rock fans to listen to country, and vice versa. If they weren't the first country rock band, they were certainly one of the most influential, mixing '50's-style country with '60's folk-rock sensibilities. The original lineup featuring Parsons and Hillman is considered by purists to be the only genuine Burrito Brothers lineup. However, the original incarnation of the band dissolved by 1972, and for decades afterward, different bands used the same name, and some of those lineups featured no original members. Thus, sorting out this band's (or the band name's) complete history is quite difficult. The first three studio albums that featured Parsons and/or Hillman are compiled in their entirety on the 2000 release Hot Burritos! The Flying Burrito Bros. Anthology 1969-1972. Most other Burritos albums were recorded by different versions of the band. At the start of the millennium, the Flying Burrito Brothers were declared defunct. However, before his death in January 2007, original member "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow formed a band called Burrito Deluxe, whose surviving members continued without him as The Burritos. And then, those post-Kleinow Burritos evolved into yet another band calling themselves...The Burrito Brothers. So, the saga continues...
The 1972 live album Last of the Red Hot Burritos was supposed to be the band's swan song. To demonstrate the band's constant tendency toward lineup changes, Chris Hillman was the only original member left at the time of these performances, and many different musicians participated in different songs that are contained here. Those include original Byrds drummer Michael Clarke, future Firefall leader Rick Roberts, and three members of Country Gazette. The 11 songs are wonderfully performed; Side 1 is more country than rock, while Side 2 is more rock-oriented. The fourth-through-sixth tracks feature delightful fiddle playing by Byron Berline. Last of the Red Hot Burritos was a decent would-be farewell album. (Note: Import CDs are available from Australia and Japan).
Track Listing:
1. Devil In Disguise (Christine's Tune)
2. Six Days On The Road
3. My Uncle
4. Dixie Breakdown
5. Don't Let Your Deal Go Down
6. Orange Blossom Special
7. Ain't That A Lot Of Love
8. High Fashion Queen
9. Don't Fight It
10. Hot Burrito #2
11. Losing Game
Hillman left the band by the time of that album's release, and Roberts became the Burrito Brothers' leader after all of 18 months with the band. The 1973 double-album Live In Amsterdam (also known as Six Days On The Road, and not to be confused with the Relix release Live In Amsterdam 1985) documents a 1972 performance by the Roberts-led version of the band. This lineup included the same three Country Gazette members as before (Berline, guitarist Kenny Wertz, and bassist Roger Bush) and three others. The album shows this lineup in good form, with the Country Gazette guys adding a strong bluegrass flavor. Showing equal skill at interpreting FBB songs from the first three albums, cover songs and traditional rags, this little-known version of the band is proven to be respectable on its own terms. Live In Amsterdam is worth searching out. (Note: Live In Amsterdam is going to be reissued on Record Store Day 2024 on the Liberation Hall imprint, in a 1,200-copy limited double-LP edition).
The following year, the Ariola label also released Blue-Grass Special (incorrectly spelled with a hyphen). Recorded live at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, this album's selection results in an eight-track overlap with Live In Amsterdam. This shorter album is actually more uneven than the double-album; the first side is negligible, but the second side delivers the goods. Nearly all the songs on that side were included on Live In Amsterdam, but the exception ("Listen To The Mockingbird") is a worthwhile track featuring Berline imitating various bird noises with his fiddle. It's more fun to hear this lineup in larger doses on the double-album.
Track Listings:
LIVE IN AMSTERDAM
1. Six Days On The Road
2. The Image Of Me
3. Four Days Of Rain
4. My Uncle
5. Bugle Call Rag
6. Shenandoah Valley Breakdown
7. Sing Me Back Home
8. Hands To Dedication
9. White Line Fever
10. Why Are You Crying
11. Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms
12. The Salty Dog Blues
13. Wild Horses
14. She Thinks I Still Care
15. The Wild Side Of Life (I Didn't Know God Did Make Honky Tonk Angels)
16. Ruebin's Train/Foggy Mountain Breakdown
17. Dixie Breakdown
18. Colorado
19. She Makes Me Lose My Blues
20. Sin City
21. Devil In Disguise
22. Roll Over Beethoven
23. Six Days On The Road
BLUE-GRASS SPECIAL
1. Orange Blossom Special
2. Bugle Call Rag
3. Uncle Penn
4. Shenandoah Valley Breakdown
5. Don't Let Your Deal Go Down
6. Oklahoma Breakdown
7. Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms
8. Salty Dog Blues
9. Listen To The Mockingbird
10. Ruebin's Train
11. Foggy Mountain Breakdown
12. Dixie Breakdown
In September 1973, after recording two solo albums, founding member Gram Parsons died from an overdose of morphine and tequila. The Flying Burrito Brothers soon began to attain a posthumous reputation, and A&M Records saw fit to release two-record compilation albums on both sides of the globe: Honky Tonk Heaven (in France and the Netherlands), and Close Up The Honky Tonks (in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Spain). Both of these releases are now out of print, and have been overshadowed by other compilations; in fact, there are now more compilations of the Parsons era than would seem necessary. But these two albums do each contain several songs (marked with asterisks below) that are still unavailable on any other U.S. release to this day.
Honky Tonk Heaven consisted entirely of previously unreleased tracks, many of which have since turned up on later collections. However, eight of the tracks are still rarities. One of them, a cover of Larry Williams' 1957 song "Boney Maroney", shows a lighter side of Parsons than usual. Their cover of Creedence's "Lodi" is the only Burritos song sung by bassist Bernie Leadon; this gives it novelty value, but it would have been better sung by Parsons or Hillman. "Beat The Heat" is a short and lively bluegrass instrumental penned by "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow. "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" and "Payday" are both sung by Chris Hillman; they are decent tracks that would have fit in well on the second album. Rick Roberts sang the lead vocals on "In My Own Small Way" and "Feel Good Music"; these tracks, as well as "Did You See", are in keeping with the more commercial-leaning sounds of the self-titled third album.
Close Up The Honky Tonks contains one record's worth of songs compiled from the first two albums, 1969's Gilded Palace of Sin and 1970's Burrito Deluxe, along with the non-album single "Train Song". The second record contained previously unreleased tracks, the first five of which were recorded during Parsons' time with the band, while the last six were recorded after Parsons left the group and Hillman became the leader. Six of these tracks are still rarities, including three ("Beat The Heat", "Did You See", and a differently spelled "Bony Maronie") which were also included on Honky Tonk Heaven. The other three, placed at the end of the fourth side, are live cover songs from the Last of the Red Hot Burritos-era lineup (Hillman, Clarke, Roberts, Al Perkins, Kenny Wertz). This quintet rocks out (in countrified fashion, of course) as they cover '50's rock classics from Chuck Berry, the Drifters, and the Everly Brothers. (Note: Close Up The Honky Tonks was released on CD in the U.K. in 2012 by the BGO reissue label).
Track Listings:
HONKY TONK HEAVEN
1. Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down
2. Angel (aka "Your Angel Steps Out Of Heaven")
3. Close Up The Honky Tonks
4. Green, Green Grass Of Home
5. Break My Mind
6. Just Because
7. Dim Lights
8. Crazy Arms
9. Boney Maroney *
10. Sing Me Back Home
11. Six Days On The Road
12. To Love Somebody
13. Honky Tonk Woman
14. Lodi *
15. Together Again
16. Did You See *
17. Beat The Heat *
18. Pick Me Up On Your Way Down *
19. Payday *
20. In My Own Small Way *
21. Feel Good Music *
22. Here Tonight
CLOSE UP THE HONKY TONKS
1. Hot Burrito #2
2. Do Right Woman
3. Wheels
4. Sin City
5. Christine's Tune
6. Hot Burrito #1
7. God's Own Singer
8. If You Gotta Go, Go Now
9. High Fashion Queen
10. Cody, Cody
11. Wild Horses
12. Train Song
13. Close Up The Honky Tonks
14. Sing Me Back Home
15. Bony Moronie *
16. To Love Somebody
17. Break My Mind
18. Beat The Heat *
19. Did You See *
20. Here Tonight
21. Money Honey *
22. Roll Over Beethoven *
23. Wake Up Little Susie *
Another result of the growing reputation of the Burrito Brothers was a regrouping of sorts. Original members "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow (steel guitar) and Chris Ethridge (bass) became part of a new FBB band with latter-day Byrds drummer Gene Parsons (no relation to Gram), fiddler Floyd "Gib" Guilbeau (formerly of Swampwater and Nashville West), and guitarist Joel Scott Hill (formerly of Canned Heat). This lineup recorded the next official FBB release.
At the time of it's release, 1975's Flying Again was attacked by critics as an odious desecration that shamelessly exploited and disgraced the Flying Burrito Brothers' name. But for non-purists, Flying Again is not offensive; it's just boring. Slickly produced by Norbert Putnam (who would turn Jimmy Buffett into a pop star a few years later), the album sounds like a typical '70's middle-of-the-road country record, perhaps even blander than most. By the time of this album's release, the country-rock genre that the Burritos helped to pioneer had become fashionable, but the band that was once ahead of the curve was now sadly behind it. With the exception of one Gene Parsons spotlight vocal on his own "Desert Childhood", the lead vocal duties alternate between Guilbeau and Hill. But their individual personalities are lost in Putnam's production. The cover songs (such as George Jones' "Why Baby Why") come off slightly better than the band's originals ("Hot Burrito #3"? I don't think so!).
History seemed to repeat itself when bassist Ethridge was the first to leave this version of the band. He was replaced by the late Skip Battin, yet another ex-Byrd, and the band recorded 1976's Airborne. This album was less slick and more spirited than Flying Again, but not much better. There are a few good songs to be found here, most notably Stevie Wonder's "She's A Sailor" (which features Stevie on piano), "Northbound Bus", and "Toe Tappin' Music". But on the whole, Airborne is spread out pretty thin, and fades quickly from memory. And so ended another chapter from the Burritos' history.
Track Listings:
FLYING AGAIN
1. Easy To Get On -- (Brown)
2. Wind And Rain -- (Parsons/Guilbeau)
3. Why Baby Why -- (Jones)
4. Dim Lights, Thick Smoke -- (Maphis/Fidler/Lee)
5. You Left The Water Running -- (Penn/Franks/Hall)
6. Building Fires -- (Penn/Christopher/Dickinson)
7. Desert Childhood -- (Parsons)
8. Bon Soir Blues -- (Guilbeau/Maxwell)
9. River Road -- (Guilbeau)
10. Hot Burrito #3 -- (Ethridge/Guilbeau/Hill/Kleinow/Parsons)
AIRBORNE
1. Out Of Control -- (Guilbeau/Parsons)
2. Waitin' For Love To Begin -- (Kleinow/Guilbeau)
3. Toe Tappin' Music -- (Guilbeau)
4. Quiet Man -- (Prine)
5. Northbound Bus -- (Barclay)
6. Big Bayou -- (Guilbeau)
7. Walk On The Water -- (Guilbeau/Hill)
8. Linda Lu -- (Sharpe)
9. Border Town -- (Hill/Lawson)
10. She's A Sailor -- (Wonder)
11. Jesus Broke The Wild Horse -- (Glick/Krause)
The same year that Airborne was released, the Burritos' original label released another new dose of the real thing. Giving dual billing to Gram Parsons and the Burrito Brothers, Sleepless Nights contains three fine duets (marked with an asterisk below) between Parsons and Emmylou Harris that were recorded during the sessions for his second and final solo album Grievous Angel. The other nine tracks were recorded by the Burritos (Parsons, Hillman, Bernie Leadon, Kleinow, Clarke) in 1970 shortly before Parsons left the band. These tracks are mostly remakes of country classics, along with a rootsy rendition of the Stones' "Honky Tonk Women". These songs sound unfinished, but that's not a bad thing in this case. Parson's subtle tenor is almost stripped bare, making these sad songs about hard drinking and lost love genuinely heartbreaking. This may be what country music is all about.
Track Listing:
1. Brand New Heartache *
2. Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down
3. Sing Me Back Home
4. Your Angel Steps Out Of Heaven
5. Crazy Arms
6. Sleepless Nights *
7. Close Up The Honky Tonks
8. Together Again
9. Honky Tonk Women
10. Green, Green Grass Of Home
11. Dim Lights
12. The Angels Rejoiced Last Night *
Between two different FBB lineups, Kleinow and Guilbeau briefly played in a band called Sierra (not to be confused with a female gospel trio of the same name). The quintet was rounded out by sometime Burrito Brothers drummer Mickey McGee, ex-Swampwater bassist Thad Maxwell, and latter-day Steppenwolf guitarist Bobby Cochran. Their only album was released in 1977. The self-titled album, produced by the late Felix Pappalardi, was a departure from the usual FBB sound. Sierra consisted mainly of overwrought '70's pop, often loaded with strings and horns (the latter provided by the Tower Of Power Brass Section). The album's better moments come from Guilbeau (the FBB-worthy "Farmer's Daughter") and McKee ("Honey Dew" is a Spiral Starecase-like shuffle). But 7 of the 11 tracks are sung by Cochran, who was a capable instrumentalist (as proven by the bluesy "I Found Love"), but a cloying singer. Cochran also gets five demerits for his composition "You Give Me Lovin'", an almost note-for-note ripoff of the Eagles' "Already Gone".
Track Listing:
1. Gina
2. Farmer's Daughter
3. Honey Dew
4. I Found Love
5. Strange Here In The Night
6. I'd Rather Be With You
7. If I Could Only Get To You
8. She's The Tall One
9. Don't Plant Roses
10. You Give Me Lovin'
11. Let Me Live
Two top contenders for the most misleading use of the FBB name would be the albums Flyin' High and Burrito Country, both of which were released in 1978 on small labels. Both of these in-name-only FBB albums are actually Gib Guilbeau compilations(!), consisting of songs he recorded several years earlier with various musicians.
Flyin' High, released by J.B. Records, is a Cajun country patchwork containing three songs ("Fiddle Man", "Bon Soir Blues", "Alberta") from Guilbeau's self-titled 1972 solo album; three songs ("Bayou Bayou", "Let Your Mind See", "When The Morning Comes") recorded with his Swampwater mates; and three songs ("Ridin' High", "Just Want To Love You", "Shangaloo") recorded with vocalist Chuck Morgan. The most interesting track is a cover of Johnny Cash's "Home Of The Blues", recorded a decade earlier by Nashville West (Guilbeau, Clarence White, Gene Parsons, Wayne Moore). Likable but unimportant.
Burrito Country, released on a mysterious label called Brian, follows a similar template. (It even contains one of the same songs: "Don't You Be Here" is the same song as "When The Morning Comes" on Flyin' High). The packaging is as uninformative as can be, failing to even give songwriting credit to Carole King and Gerry Goffin for "I'm Goin' Back". This record contains songs Guilbeau recorded with his mates from Nashville West ("No Matter Where You Go", "Goin' Back", "Still A Little Something"); Swampwater ("Look Out Your Window", "Take Me To Her House", "River Road"); and fellow session musicians ("Loose Talk"). That having been explained, there is nothing wrong with the tracks assembled here, although their '60's origins are usually quite obvious. Two of the high points are "Empty Words Of Love" and "In The Morning", recorded with Clarence White and James Burton; those tracks are reminiscent of vintage Byrds.
Track Listings:
FLYIN' HIGH
1. Ridin' High
2. Just Want To Love You
3. Bayou Bayou
4. Let Your Mind See
5. Fiddle Man
6. Bon Soir Blues
7. Alberta
8. When The Morning Comes
9. Home Of The Blues
10. Shangaloo
BURRITO COUNTRY
1. Loose Talk
2. Look Out Your Window
3. No Matter Where You Go
4. Take Me To Her House
5. I'm Goin' Back
6. Empty Words Of Love
7. Don't You Be Here
8. In The Morning
9. River Road
10. Still A Little Something
A significant chapter in FBB history began in 1979, when Kleinow, Gilbeau, and Battin reunited under the name Burrito Brothers, and added vocalist and multi-instrumentalist John Beland to the lineup. Beland and Guilbeau had been bandmates in Swampwater (a pioneering country-rock band in its own right) a decade earlier, and the old chemistry between the two really clicked. This lineup recorded two full-length albums for the Curb label, and scored several minor hit singles on the country charts.
1981's Hearts On The Line and 1982's Sunset Sundown both consist of mellow mainstream country music, and are well done on that level. Beland and Guilbeau did most of the writing on both albums, and the results are fairly impressive. Although the music of these Burrito Brothers was certainly more commercial than that of the original Parsons-Hillman combo, it seems old-fashioned in comparison to the slickness of today's country music. Although these albums are not in the same league as the early FBB, they are at least respectable on their own terms. Despite its updated production, the low-key Hearts On The Line is not very far removed from Gram Parsons' heartbroken cowboy music. By contrast, Sunset Sundown (which only pictures Beland and Guilbeau in the cover photos) is loaded with radio-friendly pop sounds.
Notes: The songs marked with an asterisk below are now available on the 2001 compilation Best Of Burrito Brothers (Curb D2-77970). The demo versions of every Beland and Guilbeau composition from these two albums, which were quite good, were released on Hollywood Nights 1979-82 (Magnum CDSD 067), which is also now out of print. These same demos have also been released, in whole or in part, under other various titles. These titles include The Gold Collection, Masters, Too Much Honky-Tonkin' 1979-82, Louisiana, and the second disc of Honky Tonk Nights.
Track Listings:
HEARTS ON THE LINE
1. That's When You Know It's Over -- (Beland/Guilbeau)
2. She's A Friend Of A Friend -- (Beland/Guilbeau) *
3. Isn't That Just Like Love -- (Leigh)
4. She Belongs To Everyone But Me -- (Beland/Guilbeau) *
5. Why Must The Ending Always Be So Sad -- (Beland)
6. Family Tree -- (Dycus/Barnes)
7. Damned If I'll Be Lonely Tonight -- (Beland/Guilbeau/McGee)
8. Does She Wish She Was Single Again -- (Leigh/Blackford) *
9. Too Much Honky Tonkin' -- (Beland/Guilbeau)
10. Oh, Lonesome Me -- (Gibson) *
SUNSET SUNDOWN
1. If Something Should Come Between Us (Let It Be Love) -- (Beland/Guilbeau) *
2. Louisiana -- (Beland/Guilbeau)
3. I'm Drinkin' Canada Dry -- (Cymbal/Roberts) *
4. When You're Giving Yourself To A Stranger -- (Beland/Guilbeau)
5. What's One More Time -- (Leigh)
6. Run To The Night -- (Beland/Guilbeau)
7. How'd We Ever Get This Way -- (Beland/Guilbeau)
8. Coast To Coast -- (Beland)
9. Closer To You -- (Beland/Guilbeau) *
10. Save The Wild Life -- (Putman/Kirby)
Live From Gilley's was a promo-only LP recorded at the original Gilley's nightclub in Pasadena, Texas in 1982. It was part of a series of country radio shows recorded at the venue and broadcast through the Westwood One network. It features Beland and Guilbeau (backed by Skip Edwards, Richard Bowden, Mark Vidito, and Red Zinvetti) playing a set containing songs from the two Burrito Brothers studio albums, cover songs (some of which were frequently played by various FBB lineups), and one song (“Louisiana Saturday Night”) that was pitched to the duo for studio recording but rejected by their producer. It’s a fun set, showing occasional irreverence but being totally mindful of commercial considerations. Even when they were performing sad songs (“Blue and Broken Hearted Me”, “Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down”), it was clear that these Burrito Brothers were aiming to entertain.
Track Listing:
1. Intro by Jim Duncan
2. She's a Friend of a Friend
3. I'm Drinking Canada Dry
4. Isn't That Just Like Love
5. Too Much Honky Tonkin'
6. Commercial + Jim Duncan
7. Blue and Broken Hearted Me
8. Six Days On The Road
9. Louisiana Saturday Night
10. Commercial + Jim Duncan
11. The Bottle Let Me Down
12. If You Got The Money
13. That's The Way Love Goes
14. Commercial + Jim Duncan
15. Family Tree
16. Does She Wish She Was Single Again
17. Commercial + Jim Duncan
18. Diggy Liggy Lee
19. Jole Blon
20. Orange Blossom Special
21. Outro by Jim Duncan
The post-1982 FBB story is quite confusing. Some time after Sunset Sundown, that lineup split up, and for the remainder of the '80's the members would regroup and disband in several different configurations. There were recordings (mostly live) from different lineups released in the mid-to-late '80's, all of which bore the Burrito Brothers name (with or without the "Flying" part). But it wasn't until decade's end that Kleinow, Beland, and Guilbeau were all in the band together again.
In 1985, a lineup consisting of Kleinow, Battin, singer/multi-instrumentalist Greg Harris and drummer Jim Goodall toured Europe. This lineup recorded no new studio material, but released no less than three live albums. Two were released in the U.S. on the Relix label, and the other was released only in Holland.
CABIN FEVER
The first of the two Relix albums, Cabin Fever, is a ramshackle collection of substandard performances. Harris' voice is usually grating, and the sound quality is often muddy. The only interesting moments come at the end when the band takes on two Byrds covers. Battin's vocal on "Mr. Spaceman" gives the song an amusing backwoods dimension, but Harris' turn on "Bugler" makes one yearn for Clarence White.
Track Listing:
1. Wheels
2. Hot Burrito #2
3. Hickory Wind
4. Do Right Woman
5. Uncle Pen
6. Louisiana Man
7. She Belongs To Me
8. Six Days On The Road
9. Mr. Spaceman
10. Bugler
LIVE FROM EUROPE
The same lineup was heard to slightly better effect on Live From Europe. Recorded live in the studio for an October 1985 Holland radio show, this disc has much better sound than Cabin Fever. Harris' voice is easier to take on this one, though his hoarse and twangless singing gives some of the songs a sweaty pub-rock feeling. One of the high points comes near the end, as Battin takes the spotlight for the odd piano numbers "Citizen Kane" (his old Byrds tune) and "Don't Go Down The Drain" (from one of his solo albums). Note: the same concert was utilized for the 1997 release Live From Amsterdam 1985 (Relix RRCD 2090), which contained the complete concert in sequence and with five additional songs. The bonus tracks were pretty good ones, but the concert proved to be quite tiresome in its unabridged state. Those bonus tracks are marked with an asterisk in the second track listing below.
Track Listings:
LIVE FROM EUROPE
1. Streets Of Baltimore
2. Cash On The Barrelhead
3. Mystery Train
4. Christine's Tune (Devil In Disguise)
5. Take A City Bride
6. Come a Little Closer
7. Blue Eyes
8. Citizen Kane
9. Don't Go Down The Drain
10. Help Is On Its Way
LIVE FROM AMSTERDAM 1985
1. Streets of Baltimore
2. Cash On The Barrelhead
3. Help Is On Its Way
4. Star of the Show *
5. Christine's Tune (Devil In Disguise)
6. Take A City Bride
7. Burrito Jam *
8. Come A Little Closer
9. Wheels *
10. Blue Eyes
11. Citizen Kane
12. Don't Go Down The Drain
13. Mystery Train
14. You Ain't Going Nowhere *
15. Uncle Pen *
FLYING BURRITO BROS. LIVE
Flying Burrito Bros. Live was released only in Holland on the Marlstone label. Recorded at the Altstadt venue in that country, this well-recorded album features yet another 1985 performance from that same lineup. A little of Harris' craggy voice goes a long way here, but the instrumentation is fine. Kleinow in particular shines. Note: this album was released on CD in the same country in 1987 by the Disky label, with very shoddy packaging.
Track Listing:
1. Streets Of Baltimore
2. Cash On The Barrelhead
3. Help Is On Its Way
4. Roll On Brother
5. Come A Little Closer
6. Star Of The Show
7. Spittin' Image
8. Sin City
9. Christine's Tune (Devil In Disguise)
10. Foggy Mountain Breakdown
11. Sitting In A 747
12. Mystery Train
BACK TO THE SWEETHEARTS OF THE RODEO
Beland and Guilbeau recorded a double album in 1986 and '87 under the name Burrito Brothers, titled Back To The Sweethearts Of The Rodeo. (This album was originally released in Europe as The Burrito Bros. Farewell Album. We know better.). The duo and six other musicians recorded the songs independently, without having to answer to a record company, and the spirit shines through in this amazingly consistent collection. The 13 songs on the first disc are all Beland/Guilbeau originals. They are generally in the same vein as the early-'80's albums, with a bit less polish. On "Gold Guitar" and the title track, the duo sing about the music business like true industry vets. The second disc contains five Beland/Guilbeau songs, two that Guilbeau wrote with others, and eight covers (including songs from the Everly Brothers, Buck Owens, and Gene Clark). Either of these discs would be worthwhile on its own; listening to both of them is a very entertaining and satisfying experience. The duo's finest hour.(Note: Back To The Sweethearts Of The Rodeo was reissued by the Synergie OMP label in 2011, but the two discs were sold separately. To make matters even more confusing, the label also issued Disc One as Sweetheart of the Rodeo the same year).
Track Listing:
DISC ONE
1. Back To The Sweethearts Of The Rodeo
2. Burning Embers
3. Red Shoes
4. Shoot For The Moon
5. Moonlight Rider
6. Carry Me
7. Baby Won't You Let Me Be The One
8. Gold Guitar
9. True, True Love
10. I'm Impressed
11. Let's Do Something Crazy
12. You're A Fool To Love
13. Mean Streets
DISC TWO
1. Like A Shadow
2. I Don't Believe You Met My Baby
3. My Heart Skips A Beat
4. Take A Message To Merry
5. Last Call
6. Burn The Midnight Oil
7. Should We Tell Him
8. You're Running Wild
9. This Could Be The Night
10. My Shoes Keep Walkin' Back To You
11. You Should Know Me By Now
12. I've Got A New Heartache
13. Roadmaster
14. One Man Woman
15. Do You Know Mary Lou
SOUTHERN TRACKS
The French release Southern Tracks contains ten studio tracks and two live ones recorded by different lineups in the late '80's. The liner notes clearly cannot be trusted: the two live tracks are supposedly from a 1988 European tour, but they were actually recorded in April 1989 at the Civic Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Also, the credits insinuate that Beland, Guilbeau, and Kleinow played on all the tracks together, but this was not the case. Of the ten studio tracks, four (marked with a single asterisk below) were recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama by Beland and Guilbeau. Three other tracks (marked with a double asterisk) were recorded by another lineup featuring Guilbeau, Kleinow, and Guilbeau's son Ronnie. The other three (marked with a triple asterisk) were solo recordings by John Beland. The collection is at least not as inconsistent as you would expect, but it's not very impressive. Most of the tracks aren't far removed from the mainstream country of their other, better '80's studio albums. Southern Tracks is interesting only because it represents a particularly obscure part of the band's history. Beland comes off best on the tracks he is involved in.
Track Listing:
1. Crazy Horses *
2. Born For Honky-Tonkin' **
3. Armed And Dangerous **
4. Shelly's Little Girl *
5. Thunder Road ***
6. Matchbox ***
7. She's Your Lover Now *
8. Love Minus Zero ***
9. They Want To Hang A Bad Boy **
10. My Believing Heart *
11. Christine's Tune (live)
12. My Bucket's Got A Hole In It (live)
ENCORE - LIVE IN EUROPE
In May 1990, the reunited trio of Kleinow, Beland, and Guilbeau played three concert dates in France and Spain. Thirteen songs culled from these performances make up the 1991 CD Encore - Live In Europe. Not to be confused with the 1986 Relix Records release Live From Europe, Encore is a top contender for best FBB live album by a post-Hillman lineup. The quality of the sound recording is not great, but the performances are remarkably tight and muscular for a trio that (according to the liner notes) hadn't performed together in several years. The songs include old FBB standards as well as a few Beland/Guilbeau tunes. (Speaking of which, the songwriting credits on the CD are inaccurate, and are hopefully rectified below; whoever credited "Wild Horses" to Guilbeau ought to be smacked!).
Track Listing:
1. Dim Lights, Thick Smoke -- (Maphis/Fidler/Lee)
2. You Ain't Going Nowhere -- (Dylan)
3. Hickory Wind -- (Parsons/Buchanon)
4. White Line Fever -- (Haggard)
5. Sweet Little Colette -- (Beland/Guilbeau)
6. Big Bayou -- (Guilbeau)
7. Sweet Suzanna -- (Guilbeau)
8. Wild Horses -- (Jagger/Richards)
9. Silverwings -- (Haggard)
10. Help Wanted -- (Beland/Guilbeau)
11. Cannonball Rag -- (Trad. Arr. Kleinow/Guilbeau/Beland)
12. When It All Comes Down To Love -- (Beland/Guilbeau)
13. Wheels -- (Parsons/Hillman)
From Another Time is a live album recorded during a 1976 tour by the same lineup (Kleinow, Ethridge, Guilbeau, Hill, Gene Parsons) that recorded the Flying Again album. From Another Time makes a better case for this lineup than that studio album did. The quintet does equally well performing old and new FBB songs from their time, along with the expected covers (including "White Line Fever" and two George Jones songs). The recording quality isn't always consistent, but the band's playing is. Note: this same disc was issued in January 2007 as the first disc of the 2-CD set Honky Tonk Nights.
Track Listing:
1. Diggi Diggi Li
2. Wheels
3. Dim Lights, Thick Smoke
4. Faded Love
5. Devil In Disguise
6. Building Fires
7. Bon Soir Blues
8. White Line Fever
9. Sin City
10. She Thinks I Still Care
11. Why Baby Why
12. Close Up The Honky Tonks
The 1992 Relix CD Sin City is a live recording from 1976 featuring the Airborne-era lineup. (Please do not confuse this with the 2002 compilation of Parsons-era material, or with a popular bootleg of a Parsons-era concert. No one named Gram or Chris participated in this Sin City). This lineup consisted of Kleinow, Guilbeau, Battin (misspelled "Barton" on the back cover), Joel Scott Hill, and Gene Parsons. The CD contains a languid set of none-too-tight performances, crippled by an apparent lack of enthusiasm. Many of the songs (especially the cover of Bob Wills' "Faded Love") don't sound like they were well rehearsed. Hill comes off best, and he's not one of the better FBB vocalists. The last five tracks, labeled as encores, are the best ones.
Track Listing:
1. White Line Fever
2. Faded Love
3. Wheels
4. Do Right Woman
5. If You Got The Money
6. Take A City Bride
7. Waiting For Love (aka "Waitin' For Love To Begin")
8. Why Baby Why
9. Hot Burrito #2
10. Sin City
11. Orange Blossom Special
12. Close Up The Honky Tonks
13. Beat The Heat
14. Will The Circle Be Unbroken
If anyone is curious about a 1993 European compilation called The Live Collection released on the Castle label, it simply contains 20 tracks which were previously released on Live From Europe (Relix RRCD 2022) and Close Encounters To The West Coast (Relix RRCD 2044), and even has the same cover art as the latter. The same 20 tracks are currently compiled on a European compilation called Relix Collection.
In case you haven't heard those two live albums...
The tracks from Live From Europe (the first ten) were performed in Amsterdam in 1985 by Kleinow, Battin, fiddler/vocalist Greg Harris and drummer Jim Goodall. The "rock" half of the country-rock equation is more noticeable than usual here; Harris' hoarse and twangless vocals add a sweaty pub-rock feeling to the countrified arrangements. A special treat near the end features Battin on piano, singing his old Byrds song "Citizen Kane", and another song ("Don't Go Down The Drain") from one of his solo albums.
The other ten tracks (from Close Encounters) were recorded in Japan in 1978. (In fact, the album was originally released that year as Live From Tokyo). This lineup -- Kleinow, Guilbeau, Battin, Harris, drummer Ed Ponder -- play with enthusiasm for an equally enthusiastic crowd. The tone of these performances is lively and upbeat, a far cry from Gram Parsons' original lonesome cowboy vision. Significantly, this version of Merle Haggard's "White Line Fever" was a minor country chart hit in 1979, paving the way for the success of the Beland/Guilbeau Burrito Brothers.
Track Listing:
1. Streets Of Baltimore
2. Cash On The Barrelhead
3. Mystery Train
4. Christine's Tune (Devil In Disguise)
5. Take A City Bride
6. Come A Little Closer
7. Blue Eyes
8. Citizen Kane
9. Don't Go Down The Drain
10. Help Is On It's Way
11. Big Bayou
12. White Line Fever
13. Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)
14. There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight
15. Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms
16. Hot Burrito #2
17. Colorado
18. Rocky Top
19. Six Days On The Road
20. Truck Drivin' Man
During the 1990's, the Flying Burrito Brothers continued to disband and regroup in different forms. Many of the '90's FBB releases were live albums recorded many years earlier, but three new studio albums emerged over the course of the decade.
The first of these, Eye Of A Hurricane, was released in 1994. The liner notes claim that it was "recorded during the sweltering summer of '93", but most sources claim that it was actually recorded in '91. The lineup was most promising: Kleinow, Beland and Guilbeau were joined by original FBB bassist Chris Ethridge, veteran Australian singer-songwriter Brian Cadd, and veteran session drummer Ron Tutt (who had played on Gram Parsons' solo albums). Unfortunately, the disappointing album sounds mainly like an uninspired attempt at contemporary commercial country for the Garth Brooks market, without the usual timelessness of the FBB sound. Cadd is unexpectedly allowed to dominate much of the album, but (with the exception of the standout "Angry Words") his songs have little resonance. The usual chemistry between Beland and Guilbeau seems to be missing here; their contributions mostly sound tired. "Smile", the tender ballad that closes the album, was written and sung by Ethridge, who (surprise!) left the band shortly after the recordings.
Track Listing:
1. Wheel Of Love
2. Like A Thief In The Night
3. Bayou Blues
4. Angry Words
5. Rosetta Knows
6. Heart Highway
7. I Sent Your Saddle Home
8. Jukebox Saturday Night
9. Arizona Moon
10. Wild, Wild West
11. Eye Of The Hurricane
12. Sunset Boulevard
13. Smile
Not to be confused with any other FBB compilation, Relix Records Best Of The Flying Burrito Brothers contains 13 tracks from the four Relix live albums mentioned earlier. In short, it contains tracks that were recorded in 1976, 1978, and 1985. It offers five tracks apiece from Close Encounters and Sin City, two high points from Live From Europe, and the only worthwhile track ("Mr. Spaceman") from Cabin Fever. It's about as unessential as compilations get, but if you want a sampler of the Relix albums without having to collect 'em all, then go for it.Note: The 2009 European CD Relix Collection uses the same cover art, but contains the complete Live From Europe and Close Encounters tracks, along with "Mr. Spaceman" from Cabin Fever.
Track Listing:
1. Big Bayou *
2. Wheels **
3. Christine's Tune (Devil In Disguise) ***
4. White Line Fever *
5. Mr. Spaceman ****
6. Faded Love **
7. Hot Burrito #2 *
8. Citizen Kane ***
9. Truck Drivin' Man *
10. Sin City **
11. Rocky Top *
12. Do Right Woman **
13. Close Up The Honky Tonks **
* -- from Close Encounters To The West Coast
** -- from Sin City
*** -- from Live From Europe
**** -- from Cabin Fever
The 1996 release Double Barrel (often erroneously referred to as "Double Brothers") was recorded in 1984 by Beland and Guilbeau with five supporting musicians. It basically contains more of the same mainstream country found on Hearts On The Line and Sunset Sundown, without the studio polish or Kleinow's pedal steel. The album is consistently pleasant, if unexceptional. The old-fashioned pop sounds of "New Shade Of Blue" (featuring background vocals by the Jordanaires) and "I'm Confessing" reveal Guilbeau's '50's roots. (Note: Double Barrel was reissued in 2011 by the Synergie OMP label).
Track Listing:
1. She's Single Again
2. New Shade Of Blue
3. Price Of Love
4. Ain't Love Just Like The Rain
5. One More Time
6. Sailor
7. No Easy Way Out
8. Tonight
9. Hearts In My Eyes
10. Ain't Worth The Powder
11. Late In The Night
12. I'm Confessing
13. Let Your Love Do The Talking
The 1997 album California Jukebox quickly went out of print when its original distributor folded, but it has been reissued on the Icehouse label. That's a good thing, because the album is excellent. It has a very polished sound, but it's a far cry from the slickness of most contemporary country music. Sounding the way a John Hiatt album might if he used outside songwriters, California Jukebox contains some Beland and Guilbeau originals (which are very good) and an intriguing selection of cover songs, including some from such contemporary country-rockers as the Jayhawks ("Two Hearts") and Son Volt ("Windfall"). Perhaps those younger bands were teaching these old dogs new tricks, but these seasoned session musicians could have easily held their own against any of them. One high point: a guest appearance from the late Waylon Jennings on Rodney Crowell's "I Ain't Livin' Long Like This". California Jukebox is pure listening pleasure from start to finish. Knock the latter-day Burritos all you want; this album does Gram Parsons' legacy proud.
Track Listing:
1. San Fernando Road -- (Beland)
2. Windfall -- (Jay Farrar)
3. Sweet Susannah -- (Guilbeau)
4. Back To Bayou Teche -- (Sonny Landreth)
5. California Jukebox -- (Beland)
6. Buckaroo -- (Bob Morris)
7. Tomorrow We'll Do It Again -- (Ron Knuth)
8. World Without You -- (Beland)
9. Dance, Dance, Dance -- (Neil Young)
10. Willin' -- (Lowell George)
11. Two Hearts -- (Mark Olson, Gary Louris)
12. I Ain't Livin' Long Like This -- (Rodney Crowell)
13. Take A Walk On The Edge -- (John Beland, Brian Cadd)
14. My Baby's Gone -- (Hazel Houser)
15. CJB Revisited -- (Beland)
The 1999 studio album Sons Of The Golden West apparently marks the official end of the Flying Burrito Brothers. The album was released on the Grateful Dead's imprint and was distributed by Arista. It received better promotion than most other latter-day Burritos releases -- and stirred up a stronger backlash against them, which was probably the reason that the FBB name was officially retired soon after. Kleinow and Guilbeau had both departed from the band due to health problems, and the most senior member of the 1999 lineup was Beland -- who first joined the band a full decade after its original inception. It seemed that the Flying Burrito brand name had been stretched as far as it could go.
Sons of the Golden West is a very modern country album, with first-rate production by Beland, vibrant rock and roll stylings, a stellar cast of guest musicians (Alison Krauss, Ricky Scaggs, Delbert McClinton, the Oak Ridge Boys), and a song about alien spacecraft ("Area 51"). "Honky Tonkin" and "Honky Tonk Blues" rattle like snakes in the desert, while ballads such as "Anyone Else But You" and "Up On Sycamore" sound appropriate for contemporary country radio. Not to say that the album ignores the FBB roots; "Genuine Healer" and Merle Haggard's "Mama's Hungry Eyes" (on which Haggard duets with Larry Patton) are just the types of melancholy tunes that Gram Parsons used to do. "Down At The Palomino" doesn't mention Gram by name, but it is a nostalgic reminiscence of the Southern California country scene from Gram's day. One pleasant surprise comes at the end: "Ode To Gram" threatens to be a mushy paean to the FBB founder; instead, it's an amusing and irreverent tale (written and sung by Patton) of a confused "hippie" who showed up at a Burrito Brothers gig expecting to see Parsons perform -- about a quarter-century after his death! Sons of the Golden West is certainly a shining asset to Gram's legacy, but the long Burrito trail may as well end here.
Note: the Australian version of the album, titled Honky Tonkin, was released in the U.S. in 2002 on One Way Records (One Way OW 35186). That version omits "Ode To Gram" in favor of "Wheel Of Love" from Eye Of A Hurricane, and also contains two live bonus tracks ("Willin'" and "You're Still On My Mind") from a 1998 Norway concert.
Track Listing:
1. Sons Of The Golden West
2. Honky Tonkin
3. Area 51
4. Mama's Hungry Eyes
5. Pioneer Zephyr Train
6. When I Was A Cowboy
7. Down At The Palomino
8. Genuine Healer
9. Pull This
10. Anyone Else But You
11. Honky Tonk Blues
12. Up On Sycamore
13. Locked Away
14. Ode To Gram
As if Airborne and Relix's Sin City hadn't already given us enough of the 1976 lineup, Relix released another live album by that same lineup in 1999. The Bicentennial Burritos contains 11 songs culled from three '76 concerts by that quintet (Kleinow, Guilbeau, Battin, Joel Scott Hill, Gene Parsons). In comparison to other live FBB albums, The Bicentennial Burritos at least has a more cleaned-up sound quality than most -- but enough already. The world doesn't need any more disposable performances of "Sin City" and "Christine's Tune". A few FBB originals from the period ("Toe Tappin' Music", "Bon Soir Blues") and an unexpected cover of Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock And Roll" are this album's only points of interest.
Track Listing:
1. Orange Blossom Special
2. Toe Tappin' Music
3. Old Time Rock And Roll
4. Sin City
5. Close Up The Honky Tonks
6. Do Right Woman
7. Bon Soir Blues
8. Diggy Liggy Li
9. Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)
10. Easy To Get On
11. Christine's Tune
One post-2000 FBB offshoot was a quartet called Brothers, led by Gib Guilbeau. Gib was the Brothers' only connection to the Flying Burrito variety. In fact, their album Children of the Fifties is technically a reunion album for Gib and his old buddies from the title decade. The other three members (Wayne Moore, Darrell Cotton, and Ernie Williams) are long-time friends and sometime collaborators of his, dating back to the 1950's (the CD closes with a 10-minute excerpt from a 1957 radio show that Gib, Darrell, and Ernie played together on). On Children of the Fifties, the four old codgers attempt to recapture the vintage rock and country sounds of their pre-Beatles youth. By way of covers and a few authentic-sounding originals ("You've Been Torturing Me", "Poor Boy's Dream"), this band of brothers does surprisingly well at evoking that era. When the lead vocal is taken by Williams ("Teen Angel", "Donna", "Indian Love Call") or Cotton ("Danny Boy"), the '50's sound is so genuine that you expect to hear scratches in the vinyl. A sweet nostalgia trip.
Track Listing:
1. We Shall Rise Above It All
2. Poor Boys Dream
3. That'll Be The Day
4. It's Only Make Believe
5. Blue Blue Day
6. Teen Angel
7. You've Been Torturing Me
8. You're The Reason
9. Only The Lonely
10. Singing The Blues
11. Ashes Of Love
12. Donna
13. Just Before Dawn
14. Young Love
15. Danny Boy
16. Peggy Sue
17. Indian Love Call
18. Bonus Track: Hinkley Valley Boys -- Radio Show 1957
Kleinow's post-2000 FBB offshoot was a band called Burrito Deluxe, whom he played with up until his death in 2007. True to the Burritos tradition, the lineup of Burrito Deluxe constantly changes, and apparently will continue to do so (the band has decided to continue without Kleinow).
On Georgia Peach, the first Burrito Deluxe CD, Kleinow was supported by a smorgasbord of musicians, including country journeyman Tommy Spurlock (who also produced); bluegrass musicians Carlton Moody (of the Moody Brothers) and Willie Watson (of Old Crow Medicine Show); session drummer Rick Lonow (who had often worked with June Carter Cash); and Garth Hudson from The Band (who plays keyboards on "Hickory Wind"). Georgia Peach is presented as a tribute to both Kleinow and Gram Parsons. Besides having a mushy song called "G.P." and a spoken-word Gram intro tacked onto "She Once Lived Here", the album also contains versions of a few songs that we associate with Gram (i.e. "Wheels", "Hickory Wind", "Christine's Tune"). These renditions of those songs sound like nothing new if you've followed any part of Burritos history. Also, this band's version of "Call It Love" (which was co-written by Rick Lonow and Ronnie Guilbeau) will sound rather bland to anyone who has heard Poco's version. The less familiar songs are OK, making Georgia Peach passable old-fashioned country fare, but it's nothing to search hard for unless you're loyal to the brand name.
Track Listing:
1. Wheels
2. Secret of Life
3. Cash On The Barrel Head
4. Hickory Wind
5. Bluest Brown Eyes
6. She's Still The Queen
7. Streets of Baltimore
8. Call It Love
9. Christine's Tune
10. Old Memories
11. She Once Lived Here
12. Louisiana
13. Feels Like A Heartache
14. G.P.
The Whole Enchilada was made by a more concrete lineup of Burrito Deluxe, consisting of Kleinow, Moody, Hudson, Lonow, and bassist Jeff "Stick" Davis (formerly of Amazing Rhythm Aces). The result is more focused and fully realized than Georgia Peach, and (for once) no one seems to be trying to get by on past glories. The Whole Enchilada is a heartfelt effort from five musicians who seem committed to their music. Although the band still has the word "Burrito" in its name, this is a forward-looking album which makes no claims of extending anyone's legacy. The 13 well-produced tracks mix old and new country styles surprisingly well. Moody is the full-time lead vocalist this time around, and he consistently does a fine job throughout. Their cover of the Box Tops classic "The Letter" is a nice surprise, but a nicer surprise is the emphasis on well-written originals. "You Got Gold" is full of clever couplets. "Ezekial's Wheel" captures a strong feeling of Southern gothic. "Rex Bob Lowenstein" spins an amusing tale of a free-spirited disc jockey. In the sunset of his career, Kleinow shines as brightly as ever on the pedal steel instrumental "Sister".
Track Listing:
1. You Got Gold
2. The Letter
3. Woman Like You
4. Sister
5. Ezekial's Wheel
6. Zydeco Ball
7. Everywhere I Go
8. All I Had Left (Left With You)
9. Memphis Money
10. Way Back In The Mountains
11. Baton Rouge
12. Last Letter Home
13. Rex Bob Lowenstein
After decades in which countless FBB live albums made by post-Parsons lineups were released, a live album featuring the original lineup was finally issued in 2007. The 2-CD set Live At The Avalon Ballroom 1969 documents two precious San Francisco shows from April of 1969, recorded shortly after the release of the FBB debut album The Gilded Palace Of Sin. Sure enough, the lineup consisted of Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman, Chris Ethridge, "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, and Michael Clarke. In this setting, the band’s ‘50’s country aesthetic sounds even more authentic than it did on their studio recordings. Parsons’ tenor and Kleinow’s pedal steel are the dominant instruments that set the general tone; the only vocals that Hillman is credited with are the “backup” kind. In addition to the FBB originals and country covers, the band further blends genres by bringing r&b songs into their repertoire, some of which appeared on that first album (Aretha Franklin’s “Do Right Woman”, James Carr’s “Dark End Of The Street”) and some that didn’t (Little Richard’s “Lucille”, Delaney and Bonnie’s “Get Ourselves Together”). The show recorded on the first disc emphasizes an old-fashioned country feeling; the show recorded on the second disc sometimes allows a few signs of ‘60’s psychedelia to slip in, mainly by way of Kleinow’s fuzzy pedal steel effects. Live At The Avalon Ballroom 1969 embodies the original Flying Burrito Brothers concept as well as any album ever released under the name. It’s essential for aficionados of Parsons and the FBB.
The last two tracks on Disc 1 are home recordings from Gram Parsons. The first is a 1969 demo for the Parsons composition “Thousand Dollar Wedding”, which turned up on his final solo album Grievous Angel. Gram’s spontaneous singing and piano playing make the demo nearly as effective as the finished version of the haunting ballad. The cover of the Everly Brothers’ “When Will I Be Loved” was recorded by Gram and his friends two years earlier in 1967. It was clearly an informal practice session, but it sounds quite good for one of those, and it suggests that Gram already had his musical priorities set.
Track Listing:
DISC 1 – April 4, 1969
1. Close Up The Honky Tonks
2. Dark End Of The Street
3. Medley
a. Undo The Right
b. Somebody’s Back In Town
4. She Once Lived Here
5. We’ve Got To Get Ourselves Together
6. Lucille
7. Hot Burrito #1
8. Hot Burrito #2
9. Long Black Limousine
10. Mental Revenge
11. Sin City
Special Bonus Tracks – Previously unreleased home recordings
12. Thousand Dollar Wedding (recorded in L.A. 1969)
13. When Will I Be Loved (recorded in NYC 1967)
DISC 2 – April 6, 1969
1. Medley
a. Undo The Right
b. Somebody's Back In Town
2. She Once Lived Here
3. Mental Revenge
4. We’ve Got To Get Ourselves Together
5. Lucille
6. Sin City
7. You Win Again
8. Hot Burrito #1
9. Hot Burrito #2
10. You’re Still On My Mind
11. Train Song
12. Long Black Limousine
13. Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)
14. Do Right Woman
The 2012 U.K. release Devils In Disguise is a live album recorded in Philadelphia in 1971, around the time of the release of the self-titled third album. The lineup consisted of Hillman, Leadon, Roberts, Al Perkins (replacing Kleinow on pedal steel) and Michael Clarke. This CD is sourced from a popular bootleg, which in turn was sourced from a July 1971 live radio broadcast on WMMR-FM. (The first track, “Six Days On The Road”, fades in at the middle). This concert finds the post-Kleinow, pre-Country Gazette quintet performing very much in an old-fashioned country mode, mostly in contrast to the relative slickness of the third album. The exceptions are Gene Clark’s “Tried So Hard” and the Roberts-penned “Four Days Of Rain” and “Colorado”, which noticeably possess a Southern California folk-rock vibe indicative of the time period. Otherwise, the band was seemingly continuing in the same “Cosmic American Music” vein as the first two albums recorded with Gram Parsons. Perkins does a fine job playing the pedal steel, and gets his own showcase on “Steel Guitar Rag”. The band does a few bluegrass instrumentals (“Shenandoah Valley Breakdown” and “Dixie Breakdown”), foreshadowing the Country Gazette-aided sounds of Last Of The Red Hot Burritos, which was recorded within months of this concert. Devils In Disguise preserves a good concert by this little-known FBB lineup.
Track Listing:
1. Six Days On The Road
2. One Hundred Years From Now
3. My Uncle
4. Four Days Of Rain
5. She Made Me Lose My Blues
6. Shenandoah Valley Breakdown
7. Why Are You Crying
8. Dixie Breakdown
9. Can't You Hear Me Calling
10. White Line Fever
11. Colorado
12. Steel Guitar Rag
13. Christine's Tune
14. Do Right Woman
15. Dark End Of The Street
16. Tried So Hard
17. Hot Burrito #2
18. Wake Up Little Suzie
See also Byrds , Gram Parsons And The Fallen Angels
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