Gram Parsons - Fallen Angel | 
| Director: Gandulf Hennig
Actors: Peter Buck, Gretchen Parsons Carpenter, Elvis Costello, Pamela Des Barres, Emmylou Harris
Studio: Rhino / Wea
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $12.94
You Save: $7.04 (35%)
New (15) Used (5) from $12.76
Rating:  36 reviews
Sales Rank: 27990
Format: Color, Dvd, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: RHID970422D
UPC: 603497042227
EAN: 0603497042227
ASIN: B000A0GY32
Theatrical Release Date: February 28, 2006
Release Date: June 20, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Wea-des Moines Video Release Date: 06/20/2006
Amazon.com
Cynics have suggested that death is a shrewd career move for some artists, and when it comes to singer-songwriter Gram Parsons, whose life, work, and demise are chronicled in Fallen Angel, they may be right. Although undeniably talented, Parsons never had a hit and made just six albums, and only one of them (the Flying Burrito Brothers' The Gilded Palace of Sin) is a bona fide classic. That's one reviewer's opinion, anyway. Yet three decades after he died (in 1975, at age 26), Parsons is revered as a country rock pioneer, a significant influence on Keith Richards and the Rolling Stones, and a colossal talent who never got his due. While that may all be true, what's beyond dispute (and it's confirmed by the great majority of those interviewed in director Gandulf Henning's documentary) is that Parsons was a screw-up, a drunk and drug abuser who squandered his opportunities and dug himself an early grave, even by rock star standards. It wasn't all his fault. Any kid with a family background like his (his father committed suicide and his mother died from the ravages of alcoholism… possibly with the assistance of her second husband, Parsons' stepfather, who was a big drinker himself) is bound to have, shall we say, issues; Parsons was also well off financially, a fact that many interviewees (most notably Chris Hillman, who played with him in the Byrds and the Burritos) suggest might have attributed to his lack of driving ambition. Richards, duet partner Emmylou Harris, and other former bandmates are on hand to tell the tale, along with his widow, various surviving relatives, and close friends and associates. There's lots of Parsons' music on the soundtrack, as well as excerpts from a couple of Burritos promo films and some interesting footage of him singing with Harris. In the end, the film's most haunting moments concern the events that followed Parsons' death, when road manager Phil Kaufman commandeered (stole, actually) his casket and drove it to California's Joshua Tree National Monument, where he set it on fire, apparently according to the singer's wishes. Now that is the stuff of legend. --Sam Graham
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| Customer Reviews: Read 31 more reviews...
 Apallingly Uninformed "Pro" Reviewer - Amazon Gimme a Break! April 23, 2009
West Vernon Wig-Wag (Mt. Vernon, New York)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
As another customer has warned below, do not be misled by the professional Amazon reviewer's comments above. I'm pretty sure that it's the majority consensus among music critics and fans that know Parsons' music, that Parsons was not likely to have run out of gas after the first few albums he made. His immense talent was just maturing when he died, and it's almost certain that he would have continued to make at least a few more tremendous albums. As for the product review calling his life story a "Southern Gothic saga", that just makes me ill. Here's a pretty good definition of "Southern Gothic" literature from Wikipedia: "Southern Gothic authors commonly use deeply flawed, grotesque characters for greater narrative range and more opportunities to highlight unpleasant aspects of Southern culture, without being too literal or appearing to be overly moralistic." I don't know of any fans or critics that know Parsons work and the story of his life that could associate terms like "grotesque", or even "deeply flawed" with Parsons. Sure he led a hard-drinking rock star life, but was this "Southern Gothic", i.e. "grotesque" and "deeply flawed"? I thinks that's a load of bunk. They're just sensationalizing something that happened after he was already dead (cremated in the desert) and trying to cash in on this one relatively insignificant event, since it may hold some lurid appeal to some demographic. Parsons work was rich in melodicism, profoundly poetic, and deep with feeling. Certainly, he took the pleasures of the bottle too far like so many other great creative talents. Not a minor point, but not something that rises (or descends) to the level of "gothic" or "grotesque". My advice: if you have an interest in Parsons, start with his music (a great intro: "Sacred Hearts & Fallen Angels: The Gram Parsons Anthology"), read a bit about his life, then watch the movie. But whatever you do, before you form an opinion about Gram Parsons, definitely consult more knowledgeable critics than the one Amazon hired.
Farther Along February 21, 2009
Stuart Hayes
For any fan of Gram Parsons this is a must have. The film is not your usual "Star" documentary. However, for me, it brought a kind of strange closure and a greater understanding of who Gram actually was. I am all the more grateful for having experienced his art because of it. Since I live near where he rests, I visited and made several rubbings of that place. When my wife & I visited there was no vase, as shown in the film, just a circular marker. I understand that this has been changed to, perhaps, a more fitting monument to his memory. I don't expect to visit the site again. All I need is the honesty of his voice. Finally, I would ask that those of us who love his music sign the petition to have Gram inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. An honor he so richly deserves.
Great video December 19, 2008
lk669 (Cleveland, OH)
This video is excellent. Contains interviews with Gram Parsons' family, friends, and contemporaries, as well as nice photos.
GRAM PARSONS "FALLLEN ANGEL" DVD November 8, 2008
Gary Covington (LA)
THIS IS AN EXCELLENT AND VERY COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENTARY/BIOGRARPY OF AN AMERICAN, "COSMIC AMERICAN MUSIC" LEGEND, GRAM PARSONS. IT COVERS GRAM'S LIFE FROM CHILDHOOD, THROUHGOUT HIS LIFE AND CAREER. IT COVERS HIS BIRTH IN WINTERHAVEN, FLORIDA. HE WAS BORN TO A WEALTHLY SOUTHERN FAMILY WHO OWNED NEARLY HALF OF THE ORANGE GROVES IN FLORIA. IT COVERS THAT HE MOVED TO WAYCROSS, GEORGIA AS AN EARLY CHILD, AND THE INFLUENCE THAT HIS SOUTHERN UPBRINGING HAD ON HIM.
THIS DVD CONTAINS INTERVIEWS FROM FAMILY MEMBERS, FORMER BAND MEMBERS. IT FEATURES: PETER BUCK, JAMES BURTON (OF ELVIS'S TCB "Taking Care of Business" Band), EMMYLOU HARRIS, CHRIS HILLMAN (OF THE BURRITO BROTHERS), PHIL KAUFMAN, BERNIE LEADON, AVIS PARSONS III, GRETCHEN PARSONS CARPENTER (GRAM'S WIDOW), DIANE PARSONS, POLLY PARSONS, KEITH RICHARDS (OF THE ROLLING STONES), AND DWIGHT YOAKAM.
HE WAS A SON OF THE SOUTH, PLUS AN AMERICAN MUSIC LEGEND!!!
GRAM'S MUSIC WAS LEGENDARY FOR BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN COUNTRY MUSIC AND ROCK AND ROLL. HE LIKED TO CALL IT "COSMIC AMERICAN MUSIC".
HIS MUSIC WAS VERY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL!!! A LOT OF HIS MUSIC HAD GOSPEL UNDERTONES OR INFERENCES.
GRAM'S MUSIC PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND DURING MOST OF THIS DVD.
THIS DVD CONTAINS PARTIAL PERFORMANCES BY GRAM. IT CONTAINS A GOOD PARTIAL PERFORMANCE OF GRAM SINGING "HOT BURRITTO #1 (I'M YOUR BOY). YOU CAN SEE THE SINCERITY AND "PURE EMOTION" HE PUTS INTO THIS EMOTIONAL SONG ABOUT LOVE AND LOST.
THIS DVD COVERS HIS MUSICAL CAREER IN THE INTERNATIONAL SUBMARMINE BAND, THE BYRDS, THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS, AND HIS SOLO ALBUMS (WITH EMMYLOU HARRIS SINGING ALONG).
MOST OF HIS CAREER WAS SPENT IN CALIFORNIA. HE LOVED THE JOSUHA TREE NATIONAL PARK.
THIS DVD COVERS HIS EARLY DEATH AT THE JOSUHA TREE PARK LODGE. IT COVERS THE CONTROVERY OVER THE STEALING OF HIS BODY, WHERE IT WAS PARTIALLY BURNED IN THE JOSUHA TREE PARK. ACCORDING TO HIS MANAGER, GRAM HAD MADE A PACT WITH HIM, THAT IF EITHER ONE DIED, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BE PUT IN THE GROUND, BUT INSTEAD BE CREMATED WITH THEIR ASHES SPREAD IN THE JOSUHA TREE PARK. HIS MANAGER STOLE GRAM'S BODY AND ATTEMPTED TO BURN IT IN THE JOSUHA TREE PARK, BUT HE LEFT IT THERE, AND ONLY PART OF HIS BODY ACTUALLY BURNED.
HOWEVER, A REMAINING FAMILY MEMBER (APPARENTLY WITH THE AUTHORITY) HAD THE REMAINS OF GRAM'S BODY COLLECTED AND HAD THEM SENT TO NEW ORLEANS, WHERE THEY WERE BURIED IN METARIE, NEAR NEW ORLEANS.
THIS IS A GREAT DVD, ABOUT A GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC LEGEND, WHO DIED WAY TOO SOON. HOWEVER, HIS MUSIC WILL LAST FOREVER!!!
THIS IS A GREAT DVD ABOUT THE STORY OF THE LEGENDAY GRAM PARSONS AND HIS LEGENDAY "COSMIC AMERICAN MUSIC".
THE BOOK "TWENTY THOUSAND ROADS" THE BALLAD OF GRAM PARSONS AND HIS COSMIC AMERICAN MUSIC, IS AN EXCELLENT COMPANION TO THIS DVD. THE DVD AND THE BOOK ARE BOTH GREAT, AND I RECOMMEND THEM BOTH!!!
GRAM PARSONS "FALLEN ANGEL" DVD November 7, 2008
THIS IS AN EXCELLLENT DOCUMENTARY/BIOGRAPHY OF THE LEGENDARY GRAMS PARSONS, WHO BRIDGED THE GAP BETWEEN COUNTRY MUSIC AND ROCK AND ROLL, AND BECAME KNOWN AS "THE FATHER OF COUNTRY ROCK" OR AMERICAN 'COSMIC' MUSIC, OR "ALTERNATIVE COUNTRY. IT IS VERY COMPREHENSIVE, AND VERY WELL PERSENTED MAKING IT A VERY ENJOYABLE DVD TO WATCH AND ENJOY.
GRAM WAS BASCIALLY A SOUTHERN BOY, BORN TO A RICH FAMILY IN WINTERHAVEN, FLORIDA, WHO MOVED TO WAYCROSS GEORGIA AS AN EARLY CHILD, AND GREW UP IN WAYCROSS GEORGIA. HIS FAMILY WAS ONE OF THE WEALTHLIST FAMILIES IN THE SOUTHEAST, AND WAS INTO THE ORANGE GROVE AND ORANGE BUSINESS.
HIS MUSIC WAS AND STILL IS VERY SPECIAL AND UNIQUIE!!! HIS MUSIC PLAYS DURING THE BACKGROUND DURING MOST OF THIS DVD.
It covers Gram's family before he was born, it covers his live from childhood and all throughout his career and even his death and events after his death.
The dvd features inteviews from family members, former band members, friends, former managers, including: Peter Buck, JAMES BURTON(HE WAS ELVIS PRESLEY'S "TCB" GUITARIST AND IS IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME AS AN INDUCTED "SIDEMAN", EMMYLOU HARRIS (SHE WAS IN GRAMS LAST 3 ALBUMS -"GP", "GRIEVOUS ANGEL" AND GRAM PARSONS AND THE FALLEN ANGEL BAND (LIVE), CHRIS HILLMAN (HE WAS IS THE FLYNING BURRITO BROTHERS BAND WITH GRAM), PHIL KAUFMAN, BERNIE LEADON, AVIS PARSONS III, GRETCHEN PARSONS CARPENTER (GRAM'S WIDOW), DIANE PARSONS, POLLY PARSONS, KEITH RICHARDS AND DWIGHT YOAKAM.
THE DVD COVERTS HIS SUCESS WITH THE BYRDS, THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS, AND HIS HIGHLY ACCLAMIED SOLO ALBUMS (WHICH FEATURED EMMYLOY HARRIS): "GP" AND "GRIEVOUS ANGEL"
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