The Flying Burrito Brothers-The Gilded Palace of Sin

For fans of: The Byrds, the brief parts of "Gimme Shelter" where people are not being beaten to death, appearing to enjoy country music

I've often heard great bands describe as "the band for people that typically hate X genre," but what does that phrase even mean? When Outkast is called rap for people that hate rap, does that make them any less connected to the lyricism of other hip hop groups? When Mastodon is labeled as metal for hipsters, does that mean they are better or worse in heavy metal standards? Is Converge any less punk because they reach beyond the average hardcore audience? What makes these bands so broadly appealing anyway? If the goal of every artist to affect as many people as possible why does this description sound like an insult? Regardless of the answer, one could certainly call The Flying Burrito Brothers the exception to the general snobbish music dictum that states that country music is objectively terrible, but why? The guitar twangs in that familiar, detestable way. The harmonized singing clearly reflects a homey style, and the lyrics often deal with the old country standards: God, government and girls, and yet, I found myself incessantly listening to this album. Why?

The Flying Burrito Brothers reflect everything that is good about country music, and completely ignore the cliches that have overtaken its modern incarnation. In this band we see a group of confused young men, like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Joe Strummer or Nas, standing on the outside of society. In their eyes is reflected a vast incomprehensible edifice of sin and alienation. Rather than become part of this detestable thing, these men stand against it. In these songs is the simplicity that used to be typical in America's country and folk tradition, going all the way back to Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, and beyond. Every man is a sinner, and every man is tired of his lot, but he is also independent and demands change to the cruel and uncaring world he lives in, even though he knows deep down that he does not really deserve any relief. Country music is the way the masculine spirits of American men and Women can be expressed with openness and sensitivity, and isn't that why we hate country music? It lays us bear, it forces the average American to show that he or she is actually weak and scared and ready to die at any moment, it makes our hearts weep and our souls scream for satisfaction. In the end, this is what the Flying Burrito Brothers do better than any other country musician.

Bottom Line: The Flying Burrito Brothers, like Outkast or Mastodon or Converge, are meant for a broader audience not because they do not reflect the cliches and drawbacks of their mother genre, but because they wear those cliches with pride and translate them into their purest form. The music of the Flying Burrito Brothers may sound like standard country rock, but it presents this music as something much greater than we generally perceive it. It's country rock for punks, for loners and losers, for fuck-ups as well. It's country rock for anyone who thought that maybe, if they tried hard enough, their life could be better.