Personnel: Gram Parsons (vocals, acoustic guitar); Emmylou Harris (vocals); Herb Pedersen, Bernie Leadon (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); James Burton (electric guitar); Al Perkins , Buddy Emmons (pedal steel guitar); Alan Munde (banjo); Byron Berline (mandolin, fiddle); Hal Battiste (baritone saxophone); Glen D. Hardin (piano); Steve Snyder (vibraphone); Emory Gordy (bass instrument); N.D. Smart II, Ronnie Tutt (drums); Linda Ronstadt (background vocals).

In the year before his death in the fall of 1973, Gram Parsons recorded two superb solo albums, and Warner Brothers has conveniently reissued them in their entirety on a single compact disc. Since many of the same musicians played on both G.P. (released in January of 1973) and Grievous Angel (which appeared in stores almost exactly a year later), the two albums flow together quite well as a single set. And while no bonus tracks were added, the booklet features well-written essays on Parsons from John M. Delgatto and Marley Brant, the complete liner notes from both albums, and lyrics for all the songs on the disc (which weren't included in the original vinyl issues). While the material and performances on G.P. are a shade stronger than on Grievous Angel, both albums have more than their share of pearly moments, and this disc is a treat from start to finish; James Burton's guitar leads are chicken-pickin' at its smartest and most tasteful, Al Perkins' pedal steel is the definitive sound of country & western heartache, fiddler Byron Berline effortlessly reveals how he became one of Nashville's leading session musicians, and Parsons' duets with the young Emmylou Harris are nothing less than sublime. And would anyone who loves either country or rock really want to be without a CD that includes songs like "A Song for You," "The New Soft Shoe," "Big Mouth Blues," "$1,000 Wedding," or "In My Hour of Darkness"? While the definitive Gram Parsons collection has yet to be compiled, G.P./Grievous Angel gives you everything you really need from his solo career, and these 20 performances are among the most influential and satisfying music the genre of country-rock would ever produce. ~ Mark Deming

In the pursuit of what he labeled "Cosmic American Music," Gram Parsons--with the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and as a solo artist--helped invent country-rock, forever changing the relationship between the two genres. GP, released in 1973, and GRIEVOUS ANGEL, released posthumously in 1974, are the only two studio albums on which Parsons served as the lone bandleader. With the help of Elvis Presley's backing band and a then unknown singer named Emmylou Harris on harmony vocals, Parsons wrapped up bluegrass, honky tonk, traditional country, R&B, and rock & roll in one delicious package.

Compiled here on one CD, both GP and GRIEVOUS ANGEL are packed with country-rock classics like the character sketch ballad "She," the boot-tapping "That's All It Took," and the irresistibly rocking "Big Mouth Blues," while "Return of the Grievous Angel" is an all-time Parsons gem and one of his most beautiful duets with Harris. The albums flow together perfectly, with the strength of the songwriting and musicianship guaranteeing no missteps along the way (even the covers of "Love Hurts" and a rave-up version of the Louvin Brothers' "Cash on the Barrellhead" sparkle). In addition to its status as one of the quintessential, defining documents of country-rock, GP/GRIEVOUS ANGEL is still a beautiful, satisfying listen decades after its release.