Big Star: Radio City (1974)

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.

Radio City is Big Star's second album and the first to be entirely written by Alex Chilton. Co-founder Chris Bell left the band before the recording of the album and while he is believed to have been involved in some of the songwriting he is not credited as such. The album is a bit more experimental than #1 Record and also sacrifices much of the harmonies that dominate that album. That doesn't mean Radio City is any less effective however. There is still no lack of amazing melodies and the loss of Bell enabled Chilton to incorporate more of his weird tendencies and they all work wonderfully. Drummer Jody Stephens also gets to do a lot more in the way of drum fills throughout the album. There's also not as much of a difference on this album between the rockers and the ballads with most of the songs having elements of both or falling somewhere in the middle.

"O My Soul" is a fantastic opener. It's a mix of hard rock and sweet ballad with a lot more instrumental interplay than Big Star had previously shown. "Life is White," "You Get What You Deserve" and "Back of a Car" all are great examples of "jangle pop" done perfectly. "She's a Mover" and "Mod Lang" are the closest thing the album has to straight forward rock songs. "What's Going Ahn" and  the short closing track "I'm in Love With a Girl" show their acoustic side off well with "Love With a Girl" being a personal favorite.

No review of Radio City would be complete without a mention of "September Gurls." To me this song represents power pop at it's finest. Jangly guitars, a beautiful melody, memorable lyrics and emotional singing all combine in perfect symmetry. It's one of my favorite songs of all time and in the last year or so I've fallen in love with it even more.

The lyrics on Radio City expand beyond failed relationships (although that aspect is still prominent). Chilton sings a lot more about fame or more accurately a lack of fame, than ever before. You can also get a much better feel for his disdain for the record industry here as well.

Is Radio City better than #1 Record? I can't decide. While I miss the harmonies the experimentation and inclusion of "September Gurls" make up for it. Like so many other great bands with more than one classic album the best one to me is the one I'm listening to at the time. You simply can't go wrong either way.

Rating: 5/5