#Big star

[analogodyssey1994]

Alex Chilton, Photographed by William Eggleston

[guessimdumb]

Big Star - O, Dana (1978)

This might just be my favorite Big Star song, kinda halfway between Sister Lovers' falling to pieces vibe, and the hard pop of the first two records.

And girl, if you're listening I'm sorry, I can't help it

[marylily-my-beloved]

Lily ‘everyone knows you’re too good for me don’t they?’ Evans

[jt1674]

[chelsamander]

[rolloroberson]

Rare photo of the original members of Big Star live at Athens College.

[musickickztoo]

Andy Hummel

January 26, 1951 – July 19, 2010

[loveisfarout]

[whatsthesound]

Alex Chilton & Lesa Aldridge, "I'm So Tired" (1975)

Sister Lovers is my touchstone album of all, but maybe for that reason -- somehow feeling like digging too deeply wouldn't be a good thing -- had put off digging into Complete Third until now.

But my.... The duets with Lesa Aldridge are really something, suddenly bringing to mind that Alex Chilton never really seemed to ever perform or play with women. And also, all the tapes with her parts were said to have been destroyed by him so of course curious about these fragments....

[psychedeliclush]

( INFORMATION AND EXAMPLES OF EACH GENRE UNDER CUT )

PROGRESSIVE ROCK !

Artists: Yes, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Genesis, ELO (Electric Light Orchestra)

Most popular Era: Early - Mid 70s

Basic definition: Prog rock is known for its classical influences and lengthy, complicated compositions. Originating in the early 70s, the genre would take the world by storm when bands like King Crimson and Pink Floyd rose to prominence. Prog rock is usually associated with experimental rock, and whilst there is some overlap, experimental rock aims to ignore traditional rock structures as a whole, whilst prog simply tries to rearrange them.

Song examples:

POWER POP !

Artists: Blondie, Cheap Trick, Big Star, The Romantics, The Knack, Nikki and the Corvettes

Most popular Era: Late 70s - 80s

Basic definition: A crossover of rock and pop, power rock is the more aggressive predecessor of pop rock. Known for its catchy hooks and upbeat tempos, power pop paved the way for timeless classics such as "What I Like About You" by The Romantics and "Hanging on the Telephone" by Blondie. The genre was most popular around the late 70s to 80s, and would go on to influence many bands to this day.

Song examples:

[fortheturnstiles]

Alex Chilton, Andy Hummel, and Jody Stephens of Big Star by William Eggleston (x)

[strawberriesbones]

she wrote this about them

[littlewhispersmokesigns]

Alex Chilton rockabilly moodboard

[orangetruckercap]

Big Star, #1 Record

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Big Star - Performance Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts, March 31, 1974

Summer re-runs ... return!

Haven’t seen this show posted around too much, which is a little surprising, given the scarcity of Big Star bootlegs out there. It captures (in pretty solid sound quality) the band playing in Cambridge, MA in the spring of 1974 – opening for Badfinger! Power pop heaven. I believe this gig took place around the same time as the officially released Big Star Live disc, and features bassist John Lightman in place of Andy Hummel. As noted in the MC’s intro, this must’ve been a bit of a bummer gig for Big Star, as the night before their van was stolen, along with all of their equipment.

But the guys make the best of it, sounding inspired and tight throughout their 45-minute set. They play some tunes from #1 Record and Radio City, but oddly (or maybe not so odd, given Alex Chilton’s later propensity for non-original material), almost half of the setlist is made up of covers. Maybe the most interesting of these is (as far as I know) the only known Big Star version of the Velvet Underground’s “Candy Says.” Remarkable that, along with his later cover of “Femme Fatale,” Chilton was so tuned into the softer side of Lou Reed’s songwriting at this point in the 70s. Most of the proto punk/punk scene focused on the other extreme of his stuff, right? But, as we all know, Chilton was way more sensitive than most! He knew good material when he heard it. Big Star’s “Candy Says” is a loose affair (“We don’t know it very well,” Alex jokes), but as with most things Chilton touched, it’s a gorgeous thing. 

[rolloroberson]

Chris Bell of Big Star recording at Ardent Studios in Memphis. Photographed by Frank Bruno.