Another very cool thing about the Keith Richards' book, Life (2010), is the credit that he gives to other musicians for inspiring/helping him and the Stones. The sections that treat the early years of the band and their blues purist attitude are great, as are the tributes that he gives to Chuck Berry and Gram Parsons. The former name has been associated with the Stones since their inception. Not only did they record a whole whack of his songs, but Keith, by his own admission, stole (or is it borrowed?) virtually every lick that he played. Here's "Bye Bye Johnny", the first song on their first EP (from January, 1964): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdBKH4-6q1w. But Parsons' influence on the band wasn't as well known (before this book, to me, anyway), but now I hear it loud and clear. I hope that his charismatic style and true love of country music will inspire other rockers to keep that door to the past (and future) open as well. Here's "Dead Flowers" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YRdxHHFKvQ) and "Juanita" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvquxLSW64M&feature=related) for your consideration and enjoyment.

The Flying Burrito Brothers' The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969) contains two consecutive oddly-named tracks ("Hot Burrito #1" and "Hot Burrito #2") written by Gram Parsons and the bassist, Chris Ethridge, that were probably one of the high points of Parsons' short, great career. The two songs are different in almost every way despite the titles, and they still strike me as the kind of work that widens the conceptual possibilities of a style of music. As Dylan had done for both folk and rock, Parsons did for the combination of rock and country.

I was hoping to be able to provide links to both tunes, but it seems like full versions are not available at the moment, due to copyright issues or something. This video, apparently part of a documentary that I haven't seen yet, is the best that I can do at the moment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-od3vmRaLHE, but really, the whole album is a must-listen.

After his work on the Byrds' classic, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, Gram Parsons left the group and took Chris Hillman with him. Together they formed the songwriting team that was at the center of one of my favourite groups of all time, The Flying Burrito Brothers. Their first album, the sublimely-named, The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969) is a perfectly proportioned blend of country, rock, soul and fun. Because Parsons' singing, writing and performing is based on a kind of naive exuberance, the listener can't help but feel a part of things and root for him. This song and video, "Christine's Tune" with Hillman and then Parsons alternating lead vocal duties and then combining to provide an Everly Brothers-influenced harmony, is a good example. It's the album's first track and features some psychedelic pedal steel from the virtuosic Sneaky Pete Kleinow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BITiY8M_oDo. More on this record tomorrow.

The Byrds' sixth album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968) was the first country-rock album and probably one of the most important recordings in popular music. The driving force behind its sound was the band's newest member, Gram Parsons, a twenty-one year-old Harvard theology student from central Florida, who gave up university life when he heard country music (Merle Haggard, according to the legend). After moving to Los Angeles, he formed the International Submarine Band, with whom he recorded one album, Safe at Home (1968). Then came the Byrds, who followed his influence into making the ground-breaking recording mentioned above. Parsons wrote two songs for the record (the rest were covers): "Hickory Wind" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VX-GdOTw9A) and "One Hundred Years from Now" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_9AXakWgxQ&feature=related). More on the short, brilliant career of GP tomorrow.