The Flying Burrito Brothers

Gram Parsons casts a long shadow in the history of the Flying Burrito Brothers, but while he started the band, he didn't finish it, and the rest of the group continued to make music after he moved on to a solo career. This CD from the Australian Raven label contains the third and fourth Flying Burrito Brothers' albums, recorded in the wake of Parsons' departure and with Chris Hillman taking the reigns as the group's leader. The self-titled third album, with Rick Roberts signing on as lead singer, lacks the spark of the Burritos' instant-classic debut, but if nothing else it's more consistent and better focused than Burrito Deluxe (recorded as Parsons was growing tired of his own creation), and the brief appearance of Gene Clark on his classic "Tried So Hard" suggests that adding another Byrds alumnus to the act could have returned this band to greatness. The album's chief drawback is in the songwriting, as the covers and contributions from outside writers tend to outshine what Roberts and Hillman brought to the sessions, but this was still a better than average country rock band that knew its way around the studio. They were also a crack live act, and Last of the Red Hot Burritos captured the band playing a set of tunes from their studio albums, some acoustic bluegrass chestnuts, and some classic R&B tunes before an audience of rowdy fans on what was supposed to be the group's final tour. (It was indeed Hillman's swan song with the Burritos, but pedal steel man Pete Kleinow obtained rights to the name and toured under the Burritos banner well into the '90s.) By the time Last of the Red Hot Burritos was recorded, Hillman was the only original member left, but this lineup more than delivers the goods, and their respect for the music is clear and audible throughout. Raven has done a fine job of remastering both albums, and Ian McFarlane's liner notes offer a fine overview of this period in the band's career. This is a worthwhile release for fans of classic country rock. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide