This 25-song, single-CD anthology collects the cream of the recordings the Flying Burrito Brothers made while Gram Parsons was in the band. Since their career has taken in many more years and recordings than that relatively brief juncture, some might question whether it's a comprehensive or balanced overview. On the other hand, the majority of l...

This 25-song, single-CD anthology collects the cream of the recordings the Flying Burrito Brothers made while Gram Parsons was in the band. Since their career has taken in many more years and recordings than that relatively brief juncture, some might question whether it's a comprehensive or balanced overview. On the other hand, the majority of listeners would agree that the Parsons era of the Burritos was by far the most significant and best phase of the band. Sin City has everything from the first two Burritos albums, The Gilded Palace of Sin and Burrito Deluxe, as well as the single "Train Song" and a couple of other stray Parsons-era cuts, "Six Days on the Road" and "Close Up the Honky-Tonks." All 25 of these songs, plus 18 others (including a few on which Parsons plays that don't show up on Sin City), are on the more comprehensive two-CD set Hot Burritos! The Flying Burrito Brothers Anthology 1969-1972. That two-CD set thus still gets the nod for the best Flying Burrito Brothers comp. But for those looking for the core Parsons-Burritos tracks, or a more concise and consistent collection, Sin City serves its purpose well, with decent annotation (though likewise condensed in quantity from what you'll read in the Hot Burritos! booklet). ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi