That Won't Keep You Warm At Night

Gram Parsons died in 1973 at age 26, leaving behind a legacy that’s as pervasive as it is crushing. Given fifty more years to make music, who knows what he could have accomplished. 

In his brief time, he birthed a new form from the parts and pieces of country, folk, gospel, rock, soul, R&B and more–what he called “Cosmic American Music.” This took shape on his albums with the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, as well as his solo efforts. You could argue it influenced the Rolling Stones just as they swung into their apex of creative achievement; Parsons was one of many hangers-on who haunted the halls of Nellcote in 1971 as they recorded the bones of Exile on Main St. Tug the thread that connects the Rolling Stones to rock history and suddenly the whole thing starts to wobble. That makes it almost impossible to calculate Parsons’ impact on American music. 

Parsons recorded “Hot Burrito #1” with the Flying Burrito Brothers for their 1969 album The Gilded Palace of Sin. Co-written with bassist Chris Ethridge, it’s become known as “I’m Your Toy.” It’s a great example of how Parsons wove together elements of twang and soul balladry to create an aching, piercing recording. The song is one of those Elvis Costello covered on his 1981 country record Almost Blue. 

One of the big reasons EC’s Almost Blue works is the straight-up clear-eyed committment of all the players involved. It’s not a goof, or a lark, or a send-up; whether the Attractions are deep devotees of the lush classic Nashville sound, they adapt immediately and bring their own unique angle to the proceedings. 

“I’m Your Toy” is a showcase for an incredible performance by Steve Nieve on piano and organ. There’s reserved feeling in Costello’s vocal, and a resigned wistfulness in John McFee’s pedal steel guitar. But the emotional core of the song is in Nieve’s playing, not just his solo but the riffs and runs he constructs in the gaps between the vocal lines, or alongside McFee’s guitar. It’s one of many moments where Nieve isn’t just accenting the song but driving it in his own way; if the words being sung are one emotional arc for the listener, then Nieve’s piano is another path to follow toward the same destination. 

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