In 1968, the Flying Burrito Brothers released The Gilded Palace of Sin on A&M Records,selling a disappointing 400,000 copies. Almost forty years later, front man Gram Parsons, is still spoken of with almost messianic reverence. Patron saint of alt-country, emblazoned with a shining cross, dead at 26. Overshadowed by Parsons, this album remains an anomaly in the country rock genre, a map in miniature of a moment in music, and warrants discussion as more than part of the Gram Parsons legacy. “The events leading up to the American cosmic musician's smoldering coffin being found rocking in the winds of Joshua Tree Park could have been this book's thematic shadow. Instead, Proehl's studied and droll historical lessons on the 1960s cultural milieu triumph. Nudie Cohn's extravagant country suits, genre authenticity, the lofty origins and dismissal of groupie culture, and the Hells Angels killing of Meredith Hunter add up to a captivating read.” ― Under the Radar Magazine “Proehl firmly and successfully argues for the album's historical weight: how it ponders America's past, present, and future with equal import. He casts a bold, penetrating eye to the literary and historical contexts of Palace's 11 tracks. EAch dissection is original, though some are more convincing than others.” ―Charles A. Hohman, PopMatters.com Bob Proehl runs No Radio Records - a record store and label based in Ithaca, NY. He is also the publisher and editor of Tugboat Captain Press, a poetry imprint.