I was never much of a Parsons fan; I couldn't get past the country cliches, I think (it's a definitely a foreign genre for me).

On the other hand...

Ah see, that's why I don't like to smile; you might be left hanging smiling... or Sly Stone might catch you smiling... a-gain.

I got all excited cuz I was going "OH, I just read some liner notes of his this afternoon!!" ...but it was Graham Parker. Still, I suspect you might be familiar? Squeezing Out Sparks? The CD reissue is a mandatory purchase, due to these ^ very liner notes about how Jack Nitzsche got Parker's band together, and the (bonus) live versions of "Protection" and "Mercury Poisoning" define intelligent hard rock.

Guy wrote some great short stories, too. Carp Fishing on Valium. It's fun to play is-it-fiction-or-is-it-memoir? with some of 'em.

I'll have to track that song down now.

edited cause I can't spell "now"

[Edited on Feb 05, 2006 8:12AM]

Gram Parsons - I haven't looked into his music, but have been meaning to

reminds me of something Jeff Tweedy said when he was still part of the alt.country outfit Uncle Tupelo about alt.country itself

... he said he was listening to traditional americana and punk music - and the traditional country music was much more emotionally fucked-up and hardcore than the punk

Stewie says 'meow.'