Hot Burritos: The True Story of The Flying Burrito Brothers

by John Einarson

Forty years ago, former Byrds Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons released The Gilded Palace Of Sin, the debut album by their new band, The Flying Burrito Brothers. Desperados in sequined Nudie suits fired by a dream to pull rock music back from the psychedelic abyss and return it to its pure and simple country roots, The Flying Burrito Brothers were avatars of a whole new genre that still thrives. Although a connoisseurs choice from the off, that debut and the band's subsequent releases didn't sell too well, but The Flying Burrito Brothers have since transcended cult status to earn universal respect and admiration. Widely regarded as the original country-rock band, you can hear their influence in mainstream mid-70s country-rock (The Eagles, Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt) the current crop of Nashville country-pop (Alan Jackson and Brad Paisley), and the whole alt.country/Americana underground. Previously guarded about the group's history, Hillman offers an intimate portrait of his doomed bandmate Gram Parsons, and a colourfully detailed, deeply insightful, hard-hitting and personal account of one of contemporary music's most respected and innovative bands.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[Calvin]

I've always been a big fan of Chris Hillman, much more than Parsons. I always felt he never got the credit he has deserved, especially as he has gotten lost in the shadow of the Grevious Angels Legend-A shame, as his body of work over the last 45 years is pretty incredible.

[Cooper Strader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about the Burrito brothers! All burrito fans will love!

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The good - lots of great information and insights from nearly every major player connected with the Burritos, including their own honest assessments of their highs and lows.

The bad - every piece of research and every quote obtained does NOT need to be included in the book. Endless accounts of how mediocre the Burritos were as a live band doesn't reinforce the point - it just beats the reader's interest down to nothing.

The aside - Hillman - the quiet, sincere one - comes across as very passive-aggressive, and more than a little determined to diminish the "legend" of Gram Parsons. No doubt Parsons was a diva and impossible to rely on, and I don't doubt Hillman had every reason to be frustrated, but to outright dismiss all Gram's recordings with Emmylou is just absurd. Parsons made three great albums (SWEETHEART, GILDED PALACE, GP) - all of them in conjunction with someone who helped keep him on task and in focus. And he made some other, very mediocre albums where his abuses and lack of dedication were very apparent. He's a complicated figure, but post-Gram Burrito output shows they might have been a better live band, but they couldn't generate memorable material. Gram's story is a tragedy, because MAYBE he COULD'VE been an all-time great, but he only showed up glimpses of that potential. And to be totally frank, maybe less passive-aggressive support could have (but probably wouldn't have) helped him straighten out. Addiction and generational trauma are very real things. But so is being a spoiled rich boy who won't do the work required to achieve greatness.

(Also, the very inappropriately named GRAM PARSONS ARCHIVE CD is much better than the authors of this book want to give it credit for being. It's certainly not must-have. The band itself is low in mix, but the band sounds good and Gram - while maybe not perfectly in key - sings with buckets of emotion.)

[Don Gorman · Rating 2 out of 5]

(1 1/2). You gotta explore, take chances, give things a try. That's why I sought out this book. I so enjoyed the Chris Hillman memoir a couple of weeks ago I thought I would try this on the Burrito Brothers. I was always a big fan, I have 5 of their albums (yes, I have the vinyl). It was a mistake. There is tons of information here, but the emphasis is on tons. Every player in every session, every problem that every player had with anyone, just a mass of tedious information and not a lot of fun, juicy and personal stuff. The Hillman book covered almost everything in here and was a much better read. I am a total music nut so I marked it up, but I probably should not have. An iconic band that was never a big success even though they were a big musical influence. Pretty boring stuff.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fine bio by Einarson, this time chronicling a band somewhat less-known than his usual subjects. Now regarded as a country-rock influence, the band at the time was neither a recording or touring success for much of its short career. Mainly known now as the brief high point of Gram Parson's recording catalog. All living ex-members were interviewed and provide sometimes contradictory insights into the band's history. But this is a well-researched and written book, a worthwhile addition to your music biography library.

[Allan Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Einarson has written a number of entertainingly authoratative books on American West Coast music and this is a good example of his work.

Based on extensive contributions from the survivors of the era, it provides a more balanced history of the Flying Burrito Brothers without the Parsons-mania that often overwhelms the reality.

[Evan Barden · Rating 3 out of 5]

A biased but likely fair telling of the Burrito's story from the perspective of Chris Hillman along with others. Not super compelling but informative and fun for any fan!

[Joe Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book wasn't kind to Parsons, but wasn't unfair to him, either. He's clearly had his fair share of analysis and morbid fascination. I felt like the book went out of its way sometimes to dismiss the quality of the first two albums, especially Burrito Deluxe (certainly more deservedly), and makes it unanimous that the early line-up couldn't play, especially GP, but also Michael Clarke. The book actually becomes more enjoyable towards the end when GP's more or less out of the picture and the band starts to pick up some steam. I certainly found myself going back and paying more attention to the live album and looking around for a copy of the blue album.

Also enjoyable was the way that the book weaved together the various members of bands that stemmed mostly from the Byrds, but also other proto-country rock bands. Of course the Eagles make loads of appearances, but I mostly enjoyed seeing Stills' Manassas band come together (spoiler alert!). And don't get me started on Firefall!

[Bill Keithler]

While this book was interesting in its treatment of a small piece of popular music, an opportunity was missed to expand the purview beyond the period of three years during which Chris HIllman was in the Flying Burrito Brothers. The FBB were a (now) legendary band, among the pioneers of country rock, and overshadowed by the myth of Gram Parsons. But Hillman has a much larger story to tell--as one of the founding members of the Byrds, and subsequent to the demise of the Burritos, a reasonably successful and certainly well-respected musician and performer active even now as he approaches his 70's. It is the untold portions of Hillman's life that would make this book better.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Einarson, a superb rock biographer, and Chris Hillman, the musician who founded the Flying Burrito Brothers with Gram Parsons, give us the unvarnished story of the band. The book is not a glorified tale of the legendary tragic myth of Parsons; Hillman refuses to be sucked into the doomed cult hero persona that envelops his former bandmate. He is unflinching in his reflections about Parsons.

This is a well-rounded account of the many incarnations the band underwent as Hillman persevered with the Burritos.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book for fans of the Flying Burrito Brothers
Fans of Gram Parsons or the (non-flying) Burrito Brothers might need a cautionary note however. From what I recall of the time -- this book seems pretty accurate - it could have used a diligent copy editor to remove redundancies.
A good book for those interested in the history of Country Rock music.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly pedestrian biography. The author relies a lot on interview quotes from Chris Hillman and other band members. Hillman seems to hold a grudge against Gram Parsons, perhaps justifiably so, but it comes across as sour grapes and petty. I had to go look up some old Burritos video clips on YouTube after finishing this book!

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent account of the rise and fall of The Flying Burrito Brothers. Written with extensive cooperation from Chris Hillman, so it's coming straight from the horse's mouth. I loved the book. A very fun read.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tells the FFB story from Chris Hillman's p.o.v. Tries & often succeeds in debunking the GP legend. It's long and at times tedious. But essential for hardcore fans like me.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book should have been subtitled "That damn Gram!" since the main purpose of it seems to be to trash the reputation of Gram Parsons.

[Jim Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book of excruciating details about Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman, and their lives in their bands.

[Daniel Callister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome. I learned a whole lot about some of my favorite bands and artists by reading this book. A must for any fan of the genre. Maybe a little biased against Gram.

[Daniel Callister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome. I learned a whole lot about some of my favorite bands and artists by reading this book. A must for any fan of the genre. Maybe a little biased against Gram.

[Bliss · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written, and pretty much a waste of time.