Categories : Folk + Roots.
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Rating: 3 / 5 Reviewer: Trent McMartin |
Avoiding any resemblance to a cohesive narrative, John Einarson has collected reflections on The Flying Burrito Brothers from former group leader Chris Hillman and other ex-bandmembers and associates. Discussing the ongoing fascination people have with the long defunct group, Hillman tells Einarson, “Here we are 40 years later and the Burritos are bigger now than they ever could have been back in 1968. Why? Because of the myth of Gramâ€(long deceased cult-hero and ex-Burrito Gram Parsons).
Despite his obvious admiration for Gram Parsons and The Flying Burrito Brothers, Einarson’s laissez-faire approach here does a disservice to the group’s story. His over-reliance on quotes coupled with a scarcity of third person narrative makes for something that reads more like a newspaper article than a long form non-fiction book. Einarson also has a tendency to go multiple paragraphs without any quote identification, causing readers to constantly look back to check the source. Monotonous, jumbled and contrasting at times, Hot Burritos has enough depth and insight to appeal to hardcores, but lacks the fluidity to lure those seeking for a well-written rock biography.
