New Big Star: "Dony"
Power pop pioneers Big Star are back with In Space the band's first new studio album in thirty years. Posies Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow join the legendary Alex Chilton and drummer Jody Stephens. Original Star Chris Bell left the group for a solo career (highglight: the beautiful "I Am The Cosmos" ... I will post later), but died in a car crash in '78. Speaking of the '70s, you probably know the song "In the Street" because Cheap Trick tweaked it for the theme to That '70s Show.
If you don't own #1 Record and Radio City, go get those NOW. I think they package them together. If you're already a fan, and need new jangle pop for sunny summer afternoons, In Space doesn't disappoint. Dig the way the sax (!) solo morphs into guitar on this opening track.
Big Star - "Dony" (MP3 Link Expired)
Big Star's new album drops 9/27.
UPDATE: As promised....
Chris Bell - "I Am The Cosmos" (MP3 Link Expired)
Posted at 5:02 PM
First post. I was just about to put this up and you beat me to it. Guess it's time to hit the stream. I am so, so glad this album is good.
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BTW, Chris died in a motorcycle accident, Gummer. Just thought I should correct that.
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Did a car hit his motorcycle?
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You would think that living in Memphis, people who tell the story when you're growing up could at least get it right. My brother told me that when I was 15, I've never checked up on him. Standing corrected.
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they do package #1 record and radio city together, just got it a few weeks ago-and i think it's great. "thirteen"-wow. i was wondering if this site has posted the cribs before or what people thought of them. i bought there first record which was ho hum, but the new one, especially "mirror kissers", is awesome. they seem to have missed the hype, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
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you compounded your error with the whole "gummer" thing, too. Better to quit when you're behind.
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Cool, I like it.
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Serious internet. Next time, I'll call him Scott if that's okay with you.
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Great song. Chilton sounds fantastic.
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innnarestin'
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Hey is JB and anagram for gummers bitch?
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"Thirteen" is such a great song even Garbage couldn't fuck it up. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh dis.
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If you want a real treasure, search out Alex Chilton's cover of "Volare," a classic in any era. Also, drummer Jody Stephens is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. If you run into him at the India Palace buffet up the street from Ardent Studios where he works in Memphis, he'll be happy to talk with you as long as the curry lasts.
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Chris Bell died when he fell asleep at the wheel of his car and ran into an utility pole. I just got done with a video shoot today where Terry Manning was interviewed about his role in recording the first two Big Star records. Great guy with a heck of a story!
H.
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Nice. I saw Big Star at Bumbershoot in 2000. As great as the set was the encore was even better - Duke of Earl (!) and a gorgeous little pop song called Paddy Girl. Does anyone know the song I am speaking of? Who did it originally? It's been killing me ever since I heard it.
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This Mortal Coil does a good cover of "I Am the Cosmos," as well. In fact, I didn't know it *was* a cover until I got their box set a while back, that included the original versions of their covers. They also did Bell's "You and Your Sister" (featuring Kim Deal and Tanya Donnelly) as well as Big Star's "Kangaroo" and "Holocaust."
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This is so great! I've been waiting for this for some time (it's been in the freakin' can, it seems like, forever.)
With this release, and releases from Teenage Fanclub, The Posies, Sloan, Brendan Benson... is safe to say there's another power pop revival?
The Posies cover of "I Am the Cosmos" is one of my favorite covers ever. They also did a mean "Feel" from #1 Record.
You know, originally That 70's Show wanted to use "Surrender" by Cheap Trick for the theme, but Rick Nielsen refused, so they got permission from Bell's estate to do "In the Street," had someone else record it, and added the Surrender-ish "We're All Alright, We're All Alright" at the end.
Cheap Trick realized their mistake only after That 70's Show got popular (by Season 3,) and then offered to do the theme (messing it up, IMHO.) I think that's when the show jumped the shark.
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Yay!!!!!
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great great great BIG STAR !!!! If you want there are some mp3 of konnor (indie-electronic, feedback, lo-fi) now on www.indiefordummies.blogspot.com. Bye good work!!!!1
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it wasnt a motorcycle crash... he crashed his car
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Crash Smash Duh! Its the music silly...
Here's Some Big Star - Sister Lovers
http://rapidshare.de/files/3827983/Bigstar1.zip.html
http://rapidshare.de/files/3829301/bigstar2.zip.html
My opinion is Alex Chiltons best work was with the Box Tops and I'm sure record sales would prove that also, so here's three Box Top
Singles. sorry they are in M4A format so only if you have a I-Pod or I-Tunes....
http://rapidshare.de/files/3834954/Boxtops.zip.html
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Chilton has independent solo stuff out too yo.
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Not a bad song at all. I would say Alex Chilton's best work was undoubtedly with Big*. To be honest, I don't see how u can say record sales prove anything about the quality of an artists work.....some of the biggest selling albums of the last decade here in UK were Spice Girls and Robbie Williams !!
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Just listen and you be the judge, it was only my humble opinion...and I didn't take Scotts name in vain by invoking the slanderous nickname of gummer either.
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Pretty good, yeah. His voice sounds good, even it sounds a lot different now than it did then. Then again, in the Boxtops, he sounded again completely different. The production is very very similiar to the classic Big Star records, except with a less muted snare. Interesting indeed.
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Wow. Thanks for that. Nobody sings like Alex Chilton.
BTW, the new Posies album is reviewed today on p-fork....it's worth a listen..
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If it ain't got Chris Bell, then it ain't Big Star.
But I like this song...
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Yeah, because Radio City is totally not Big Star.
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Wow, I've only heard rumors about this -- I didn't think I'd ever actually hear it. Especically since most people only had bad things to say about it and after listening to this track, I think I'd have to agree. It's definitely boring and middle of the road and with the weakest chorus ever:
Surely you're aware
You're blowing my mind
The sun in your hair
Seems to stop time
And that sax solo?! That alone would have killed it for me.
WHY ALEX WHY?!
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"Patty Girl" was originally by Gary and the Hornets. I think one of the Fanclub guys suggested they cover it. Not the greatest song in the world to put the Big Star name on for the first time in 20 years, nor is the original "Hot Thing". Still, the reunion shows are great. Never thought I'd see those songs done live and Ken & Jon do the harmonies justice.
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Thanks for the Patty Girl info! You know, it's one of those things where the memory is probably much better than hearing the original, but by the same token it is nice to know I wasn't just imagining it.
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I never travel far without a little Big Star
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Noone ever said "why Alex why" about "Jesus Christ",same corny sax sound.
As a old Big Star fan I have to say I'm ambivalent about "In space", some good songs and some average stuff but let's remember that the teen angst that made the early songs so compelling is hard to come by when you're 50.
Let's not expect the Big Star of old and just let a bunch of old guys have some fun.
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