Rhino Entertainment's High Fidelity Premium Vinyl Series continues with a pair of classic LP reissues from influential country rock performers Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, both of whose lives and music were inseparably entwined. Included are Gram Parsons' second and final studio album (and his undeniable masterpiece), Grievous Angel (Reprise Records, 1974), along with Emmylou Harris' classic fourth studio album, Luxury Liner (Warner Brothers Records, 1976). The Rhino High Fidelity series has enhanced its status as the crème de la crème of LP reissues with this latest batch, both of which easily surpass any versions of either album I have in my collection. Albums in the series are manufactured in Germany, and both arrived encased in heavy, tip-on, Stoughton-style jackets that are exceptionally well-executed and very faithful to the originals. Each album package is beautifully realized; the jackets are finished with high gloss coatings that highlight the crisp album artwork that's been sourced from the Warner/Reprise archives. And each features a stylized OBI strip which enhances their appearance and collectability. A newly-designed but classic-looking LP label for the Rhino High Fidelity imprint also adds to the exclusivity of the LPs, which are truly among the finest high-end reissues currently available. The 180 gram LPs are strictly limited to 5000 numbered copies, are exclusively available from rhino.com, and can be ordered HERE.
Lacquers for both LPs were cut from the original analog stereo master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio using an all-analog, AAA mastering process, and the 180 gram LPs were pressed at Optimal in Germany. The LPs are inserted into black paper inner sleeves that are lined with rice paper, which helps protect them from scratching and prevents accumulation of paper dust as well as reducing static build-up. Each album includes a stylish fold-out insert with recording notes and informative essays from artists and original session personnel; the superb new liner notes for Luxury Liner were provided by music producer and Emmylou Harris archivist James Austin, and the liner notes for Grievous Angel include a new introduction from Gram Parsons' daughter Polly Parsons. The Rhino High Fidelity series is every audiophile's dream come true, and these reissues are models of perfection in terms of production, packaging, and the exceptionally high quality of the transfers.
Gram Parsons, Grievous Angel. 180 Gram Reprise LP, $39.98 MSRP
Gram Parsons' debut album, 1973's GP was recorded with very little advance preparation; Parsons referred to his particular distillation of country rock as "Cosmic American Music." The recording sessions were dogged by his ongoing addiction to heroin and his excessive drinking, all in the aftermath of his unceremonious dismissal from the Flying Burrito Brothers. GP didn't chart upon release, things weren't going particularly well for Parsons, and the only constant in his life at the time was the undying support he got from his close friend and harmonist in his touring band, Emmylou Harris. Mid-1973, Parsons booked time at Wally Heider's Studio 4 in Hollywood, and unlike the sessions for GP, he'd actually written a few songs in advance of his arrival. But on the first day of recording, he arrived at the studio significantly later than everyone else, significantly more impaired than anyone else, and required the assistance of Emmylou just to get into the studio. Shortly thereafter, however, his energy level increased, his mood improved, and the recording sessions proceeded more purposefully. Though to complete the new album, he still had to write more songs, do a few covers, and eventually recycle songs that were left off GP or were culled from earlier in his career. And by all accounts, his addictions didn't go away, he simply did a better job of concealing them.
The sessions featured Gram Parsons on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Emmylou Harris on harmony vocals, James Burton on lead guitar, Glenn Hardin on piano and keyboards, Emory Gordy Jr. on bass, and Ron Tutt on drums—Burton, Hardin, Gordy, and Tutt were all veterans of Elvis Presley's touring band. Herb Pederson filled in on acoustic and electric rhythm guitars, and Al Perkins played pedal steel guitar. Other guest artists included his former Flying Burrito Brother bandmate Bernie Leadon, fiddler Byron Berline, and Linda Ronstadt provided background vocals. Despite the rocky start, the recording sessions proceeded relatively well, with most everyone involved having a favorable impression of the studio experience. In mid-September, Gram Parsons mixed the new album at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, then set out for Joshua Tree, where he was found dead on September 19, 1973 of a fatal overdose of morphine and excessive alcohol consumption. Gram Parsons was only 26 years old at the time of his death; his widow, unhappy with his close relationship with Emmylou Harris, scrubbed any mention of her from the album credits. She also replaced the cover art that originally featured both Parsons and Harris, designed a new cover, and renamed the album Grievous Angel. Gram Parsons was credited as the album's producer; upon its release in January 1974, it peaked at number 195 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Grievous Angel isn't an audiophile recording by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a highly influential album of particular merit in the canon of country rock. And it's definitely an album any lover of the genre needs to have a deep immersion in. You can definitely hear traces of it in so much music—especially the Southern California music scene—that came following its release. All that said, the Rhino High Fidelity series LP reissue of Grievous Angel has lifted this recording to a level of goodness and newfound clarity it's never previously occupied. Kevin Gray's remaster and new lacquers have given us the version of this record we always hoped existed—and the LP pressing from Optimal is magnificent! Rhino's new LP handily trashed my Reprise label original. You can hear a much greater level of separation in Gram Parsons' and Emmylou Harris' voices; on songs like "Return of the Grievous Angel," "Hearts on Fire," and "$1000 Wedding," while their voices mesh together in perfect harmony, you can easily visualize each of them within the recorded soundstage. Even side two's "fake live track," "Medley Live from Northern Quebec," which combines "Cash on the Barrelhead" with "Hickory Wind," has a greater sense of realism and clarity on the Rhino LP compared to my original LP. Emmylou's harmony vocals on "Hickory Wind" has always made this recording of the song the definitive version, despite all the zany studio trickery and the fake live crowd. Parsons' and Harris' duet on the Everly Brothers' "Love Hurts" is simply astonishing, even though Scottish band Nazareth took their version to the Top Ten later in the same year. The vocal duet on "Ooh Las Vegas" is spectacular; Emmylou's take on the track a couple of years later helped propel her album Elite Hotel to the number one spot a couple of years later. "In My Hour of Darkness" is the album's closer, and it's a very poignant finale to a career cut tragically short.
Emmylou Harris, Luxury Liner. 180 Gram Warner Brothers LP, $39.98 MSRP
Before Emmylou Haris met Gram Parsons, she'd just about given up on actually pursuing her dream of a music career. At the point when she was ready to pull the plug, some of the members of Parsons' former group, the Flying Burrito Brothers, happened to hear her singing at the Cellar Door in Washington, DC. And were so impressed, they fired off a call to Parsons to let him know they'd found the duet partner he'd been looking for. Emmylou Harris credits Gram Parsons with renewing her faith in following her dream, and introducing her to his love of country rock music, which she soon came to embrace wholeheartedly. While Parsons' death came as an incredible shock, she soldiered on, brokering her own record deal through Gram Parson's label contacts. Her third studio album, 1975's Elite Hotel, reached number one on the Billboard country album charts, with album sales propelled by a pair of number one singles.
Expectations were high when she entered the studio to record the follow up, Luxury Liner. And she assembled a cast of top notch musicians, which in addition to Emmylou on acoustic guitar and vocals included the likes of James Burton and Albert Lee on lead electric guitars; Brian Ahern and Rodney Crowell on acoustic and electric guitars; Hank DeVito on pedal steel guitar; Glenn Hardin on piano and keyboards; Emory Gordy Jr. on bass; and Ricky Skaggs on fiddle. A-list backup singers included Dolly Parton, Nicolette Larson, Herb Pederson, and Fayssoux Starling. There was never any need for Emmylou to worry; Luxury Liner was an artistic and commercial triumph, also reaching the number one spot on the Billboard country album charts. Its December 1976 release helped cement her growing reputation as the new queen of country music. Luxury Liner was recorded in Los Angeles throughout 1976 on producer Brian Ahern's own Enactron Mobile Studio truck; Ahern also shared engineering credits on the album with a cast of studio professionals.
I've owned Luxury Liner from the day of its release way back when, and have listened to the album countless times in the years that followed. My original Warner label LP is an excellent disc, but it's no match for Rhino's new reissue, which has the kind of warmth and midrange clarity that the original can't touch. Thank Kevin Gray's new remaster and lacquers for all the goodness that pours forth from the grooves of this Rhino High Fidelity series LP reissue. All the songs here are covers with the exception of "Tulsa Queen," which Emmylou co-wrote with Rodney Crowell. The album kicks off with Gram Parsons' "Luxury Liner," and it's among the most rocking tunes on the album, with an incredible lead guitar solo from Albert Lee. Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho & Lefty" gets its very first cover here, and Emmylou's mellifluous voice gives us a sentimental tale for the ages. "Making Believe" was nominated for a Grammy award that many believe was stolen by Crystal Gayle—regardless, Emmylou's poignant vocal is absolute perfection! Her cover of Chuck Berry's "(You Never Can Tell) C'est la Vie" is a countrified rave-up of his original that's probably best known from John Travolta and Uma Thurman's dance scene in Pulp Fiction. "When I Stop Dreaming" is a country weeper in the grand old tradition, but Emmylou's plaintive vocal with backing from Dolly Parton and Fayssoux Starling totally sucks you into the song's goodness. "Hello Stranger" is a song popularized by country music royalty the Carter family; Emmylou's acoustic guitar picking at the song's intro is unmistakable—while she's a much better player than she gets credit for, everyone just goes on about her perfect voice! "She" is another Gram Parsons tune co-written with Flying Burrito Brother Chris Etheridge that weaves a tale of a singer from the deep South that could easily be Emmylou's own backstory—and yes, "she sure could sing!" "Tulsa Queen" closes the album, and it's a magisterial, slow-burning track that combines another perfect Emmylou vocal with some great supporting work from James Burton on guitar and Hank DeVito on pedal steel.
The Rhino High Fidelity Series LPs Don't Disappoint!
You can see the components that occupy my dual audio systems by clicking on my name in the header above. I used the tube-based, all-analog setup to evaluate both Rhino 180 gram LP reissues of Grievous Angel and Luxury Liner. That system has been recently updated with a new pair of XSA Labs Vanguard standmount compact monitor loudspeakers, which incorporate many of the hallmarks of classic British monitor designs like LS3/5A, but with a slightly more substantial cabinet. The Vanguards have truly elevated playback in my near-field, all-analog setup, and they run in tandem with a Caldera 10 subwoofer that bolsters the bottom end with additional octaves of exceptionally tuneful bass. The system also incorporates the excellent PS Audio Stellar phono preamp, and as usual, LP playback was handled by my ProJect Classic EVO turntable that's mounted with an Ortofon Quintet Bronze MC cartridge. The upgraded PrimaLuna EVO 300 tube integrated amplifier now features a matched quad of Sovtek 6550 power tubes and a matched pair of NOS Brimar 12AU7 input tubes. This vintage, but modern system provides the kind of sumptuous analog sound that's totally apropos for classic AAA LPs like those from the Rhino High Fidelity series. The Vanguard loudspeakers in combination with tube amplification offer a lush, but also powerful sound that hearkens to analog glory days of yore, and they present music that's powerful and dynamic with stunning realism!
Optimal's LP surfaces were pristine, and were not only exceptionally glossy, but also free of any visible defects; both LPs were also razor-flat and perfectly centered. The Rhino High Fidelity series LPs are among the quietest reissues out there, with deathly black backgrounds and nonexistent groove noise. My upgraded analog system presented these albums with impressive realism in the listening room, and this very familiar music flowed forth from my system like never before. My first exposure to Gram Parsons came during his brief tenure with the Byrds that resulted in the classic album Sweetheart of the Rodeo—I knew then he was an artist with a singular vision. His performances on Grievous Angel hearken back to that time, but also feel like a logical extension. His presence has impacted and informed so much of country rock—this album is a stone classic, and kudos to Rhino for taking it to the next level with the Rhino High Fidelity treatment. The thread between Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris runs deep between these two albums; it's so obvious in listening to them again now. I've seen Emmylou multiple times in concert; I'm a huge fan, and Luxury Liner is one of the cornerstones of her album catalog. This new reissue is unquestionably its ultimate edition. The Rhino High Fidelity series presents each of these classic albums with the finest sound quality I've ever heard, on any system, bar none.
I give Rhino an A+ for their latest installment in the series and its first exploration of classic country rock—and there are a number of gems from the genre in the WEA vaults that would be perfect for a Rhino High Fidelity makeover. As always, the album packages are superb, and visually are light years beyond the appearance of both my original LPs of Grievous Angel and Luxury Liner. These albums will never sound any better than they do here; Kevin Gray has once again outdone himself, and his new transfers give each of these classic titles greater levels of warmth, clarity, and palpable realism than they've ever experienced, easily besting my originals. Both LPs have been in heavy rotation here since showing up last week. Thanks to Grace Fleisher at Shore Fire Media, and everyone at Rhino for the opportunity; the latest batch of Rhino High Fidelity series LPs come very highly recommended!
Rhino Entertainment
All images courtesy of Rhino Entertainment and the author
