One of the b-sides on the Dinosaur Jr. single, Get Me which was released around this time, was a cover of Hot Burrito #2 originally recorded by The Flying Burrito Bros for their 1969 debut album, The Gilded Palace of Sin. Peel admitted that he hadn’t heard Dinosaur Jr.’s version but was going to use the fact that it was out there as an opportunity to play a live version of the track from Last of the Red Hot Burritos, a 1972 live album which Peel regarded as one of his favourite live albums ever, even though he couldn’t remember what it was called when cueing the record up.
Listening to the file of the show last year, I was delighted that Peel gave a Flying Burrito Bros recording a spin rather than, at that point, waiting to play Dinosaur Jr.’s competent but unexciting version. I’d fallen in love with The Flying Burrito Bros ever since hearing their version of Dark End of the Street on a free CD of Mojo Magazine’s best albums of 2003. For Christmas 2004, I’d asked for The Essential Byrds ostensibly so I could listen to more of their 1965-67 content, but I really liked some of their country music sound too, most profitably explored from the band’s point of view on 1968’s Sweetheart of the Rodeo album. The fact that Gram Parsons breezed into and out of The Byrds in less than six months, sparking both a musical reinvigoration within the band and persuading bassist Chris Hillman to jump ship with him on his new project meant I had to check them out. I bought the superb compilation album, Sin City, which gathered together the first two Flying Burrito Bros albums and a handful of b-sides and bonuses. I was bowled over both by the quality of material and how effortless it all sounded.
Listening to the file of the show last year, I was delighted that Peel gave a Flying Burrito Bros recording a spin rather than, at that point, waiting to play Dinosaur Jr.’s competent but unexciting version. I’d fallen in love with The Flying Burrito Bros ever since hearing their version of Dark End of the Street on a free CD of Mojo Magazine’s best albums of 2003. For Christmas 2004, I’d asked for The Essential Byrds ostensibly so I could listen to more of their 1965-67 content, but I really liked some of their country music sound too, most profitably explored from the band’s point of view on 1968’s Sweetheart of the Rodeo album. The fact that Gram Parsons breezed into and out of The Byrds in less than six months, sparking both a musical reinvigoration within the band and persuading bassist Chris Hillman to jump ship with him on his new project meant I had to check them out. I bought the superb compilation album, Sin City, which gathered together the first two Flying Burrito Bros albums and a handful of b-sides and bonuses. I was bowled over both by the quality of material and how effortless it all sounded.
I had, as previously established regarded country rock as a bit of a bore, but The Flying Burrito Bros made it sound alive with excitement and fun. Their enjoyment in what they were doing was infectious and it came over to the listener in tracks like Christine’s Tune (Devil in Disguise), My Uncle, Six Days on the Road and Older Guys.
They worked quickly to consolidate their success, but alas the conflicts and tension which had characterised The Byrds were equally evident in The Flying Burrito Bros. Parsons was effectively fired from the band after the completion of their second album, Burrito Deluxe in 1970, principally due to having lost interest in them and his intention to worship at the altar of his friend and lifestyle inspiration, Keith Richards. It backfired badly as he was dead by 1973. Although the band continued on into 1971, the exodus of key band members continued. At an astonishingly fast rate, the band lost pedal steel guitarist Sneaky Pete Kleinow, lead guitarist Bernie Leadon who went on to be a founder member of Eagles, drummer Michael Clarke and bassist Chris Ethridge, who had co-written Hot Burrito #2 with Parsons. By the time they came to record the contractually demanded Last of the Red Hot Burritos, Hillman was the only original member still with the band and shortly afterwards, he would join Clarke in a highly anticipated but short-lived reformation of the original line-up of The Byrds.
The live recording of Hot Burrito #2 only adds a minute on to the original which is a relief given some of the self-indulgence we might associate with the phrase “a live recording from 1972”. The performance is stunning though with Al Perkins providing that all important steel guitar work. After playing it, Peel implored anyone thinking of starting a band to think about including a steel guitar player due to the incredible variety of sounds that could be brought out of it.
Video courtesy of Tom Rosendale
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