Following the somewhat disappointing
Burrito Deluxe,
Gram Parsons and
the Flying Burrito Brothers parted ways, leaving the band -- especially co-founder
Chris Hillman -- with a huge void to fill.
Hillman needed not only a new songwriting partner, but also a strong singer to share the vocal duties. For its eponymous third album, the group decided on
Rick Roberts, a singer/songwriter with a strong, clear tenor who had headed west after leaving college in South Carolina. It's apparent that
Roberts owes more to the L.A. country and folk-rock that
Hillman had been mining with
the Byrds than to the traditional country influences that
Parsons had brought to the original
Burrito Brothers. And whereas
Chris Hillman was great in a support role behind
Parsons and during his days with
the Byrds behind
Roger McGuinn or
Gene Clark, his role as co-leader with someone who lacks that sort of forceful personality only brings his weaknesses to the fore. On the previous two
Burrito recordings,
Hillman co-wrote much of the best material and helped
Parsons to realize his vision of "cosmic American music." But here the sound is much closer to that which bandmate
Bernie Leadon would go on to record a year later with
the Eagles. And while tracks like
Roberts' plaintive "Colorado,"
Gene Clark's "Tried So Hard," and the
Hillman-
Roberts collaboration "All Alone" are fine examples of the genre, there's little else on this album that truly lives up to the band's name. Much of what's lacking can be found in the performances, but even the most upbeat tunes lack any real oomph, while at times the singing can be less than compelling.
The Flying Burrito Brothers is a solid if unspectacular country-rock record. ~ Brett Hartenbach