In honor of the life of Alex Chilton (he passed away yesterday) I feel it is appropriate for a couple quick write ups on the first 2 Big Star records. Even though they are usually purchased as a combo pack I will be reviewing each individually because they both have different feels.
It's hard for some people to listen to Big Star for the first time and be impressed. You've undoubtedly heard the many bands they've influenced and that can make the music seem less groundbreaking than it was. There weren't many bands playing the power pop style of music at the time (Badfinger, The Raspberries perhaps) and none of them were nearly as good. Big Star never achieved any commercial success but they were one of the most influential bands of the 70's with R.E.M. and The Replacements being among their notable fans and devotees.
The first Big Star album #1 Record was released in 1972 and is the only Big Star record in which Chris Bell plays an equally large a role as Chilton. Their recording relationship was modeled after Lennon and McCarthy so they share co-writing credits on almost every song ( bassist Andy Hummell's "The India Song" and "My Life is Right" attributed to Bell and Eubanks being the exceptions). I honestly have a hard time distinguishing who sings lead on certain tracks but they work so well together in harmony it doesn't really matter.
Big Star was excellent at combining loud rockers with acoustic ballads while always providing memorable vocal lines. Album opener "Feel" establishes the overall feel of the album very well.It features a mix of electric and acoustic instruments and a first glimpse of Big Star's amazing harmonies. "Don't Lie to Me" and "When My Baby's Beside Me" are both excellent examples of their loud rock. Either one could have been a huge hit under the right circumstances. "In the Street" is probably the most well known of all their songs due to a Cheap Trick cover version being the theme song for That 70's Show. The Big Star version is much better as it doesn't contain the generic feel of the cover.
The rest of the album focuses on slower songs. "The Ballad of El Goodo" and "Thirteen" are two of the most beautiful songs ever recorded. "Goodo is electric and "Thirteen" is acoustic but both are equally as impressive. The second half of the album is slightly weaker but that's only because of how amazing the first half is. The second half is almost entirely acoustic with "My Life is Right," "Try Again," and "Watch the Sunrise" being standouts. Any one of them would be the best song 90 percent of most bands will ever right. Here they're almost afterthoughts.
Lyrically on #1 Record Big Star tended to focus on the pains of relationships and the contrast between the sunny melodies and the dark lyrics is one of the most interesting things about the album. It's easy to get caught up in the vocals without actually listening to what they're saying but once you do it opens up a whole new level of appreciation.
#1 Record is definitely an all time classic album but whether it's even Big Star's best is debatable. My only complaint is that I wish there was one more rocker on the second half of the album but that's a very minor problem as pretty much every song is fantastic.
Rating 5/5
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