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Thoughts on Big Star

I've read a little about Big Star after getting two of their songs on a southern music CD sampler. I really like "For You" and "Stroke it Noel". After sampling some of their other stuff I found that I also like "September Gurls".

I really like those three songs but I'm having a hard time finding other stuff of theirs that I like.

Just wondering if anyone else is into them, which albums you might like best, which songs you like best, best approach to getting into them, which recordings/format you prefer? 

They seem to have been one of those 'influential' bands with critical acclaim and with a strong but small following. Sometimes I find that I just don't see the magic in some 'cult' bands of that sort but liking the three songs mentioned above I feel like they might be worth getting to know. My only streaming is low end iTunes....for now.
n80
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,717 posts
 

Big Star is another band with two visionaries/songwriters/singers, each very different from each other in some ways, similar in others. Others have included The Beatles, The Stones, Rockpile, The dB's, Uncle Tupelo, The Jayhawks, and The Move.

Though Alex Chilton gets more attention, Chris Bell was just as interesting, as well as troubled. He died at only 27 years old.

stevecham
3,340 posts
 
The brief combination of Chilton/Bell was unique and special. Their voices together were wonderful, their musical collaborations sublime. Alex sang harmony with Chris on his You and Your Sister from Bell's I Am The Cosmos, which, I believe, was the last time the two recorded together. Chris is greatly missed.
n80 OP
2,116 posts
 
I have that song! It also came on one of the Oxford American Southern Music CDs. I did not know Chilton sang on the song. 

I have  been exposed to tons of great music that I never would have heard otherwise through those CDs. I’ve been getting them for close to 20 years. Some of the few that I’ve missed are selling for over $100 on eBay. 
maplegrovemusic's avatar
maplegrovemusic
1,113 posts
 
I am surprised no one has mentioned the sound quality of their records ? The three cd's I have from Big Star I would rate as the worse I have , in a 10k + collection. 
boxer12
8,656 posts
 
The three separate albums released recently (within the last couple years) as demo's, rough cuts, finals of their 3rd album, are all recorded well (on vinyl at least). 
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