Big Star - #1 Record (1972) (1 Viewer)

Was introduced to Big Star through the beautiful cover versions appearing on all those great This Mortal Coil albums, and through reading interviews with the likes of Teenage Fanclub, Galaxie 500 and similar types. They sounded right up my street, but I'm still struggling all these years later. I just can't get passed that voice (Chris Bell). The Alex Chilton stuff fares a lot better.

I've gone off Thirteen over the years, but still really like Ballad Of El Goodo, When My Baby's Beside Me, and Try Again.

But, I still love what I initially imagined them to be, and I still quite like a lot of what they actually turned out to be. Mainly tough, I prefer the bands they influenced.

Edit: Watch the Sunrise has just come on... forgot how nice this one was :)
 
Just completed my third full listen of this just now. I had 2 other attempts that I needed to abort (for various reasons, none relating to the music itself).

It gets a big thumbs-up from me. As I said in an earlier post in the thread, this was completely new to me. New in the sense that I'd never even heard of it (or of the band).

They seem to be a band that are happy to wear their influences on their sleeve, and I'm reminded of a lot of other bands, particularly from the 60s (the byrds, the beatles, etc), at different points of the record. Then there are shades of 70s glam rock (Don't Lie to Me). Its great.

And maybe I'm way out here, but I'm actually reminded a bit of Field Music too. Have FM ever cited these as an influence? FM wouldn't have anything as melodic or as catchy as whats on here, but I'm definitely feeling similarities.

The earlier comments here about the interchanging between the 2 songwriters/singers, was helpful when listening. I think it definitely interrupts, or prevents any kind of natural flow to the album (as a new listener anyway). But its interesting all the same. I'd favour the more uptempo numbers on there - I haven't looked into which of the 2 are responsible for these and who does the more maudlin stuff (such as Thirteen).

Theres a big back catalogue for me to get through, and the comments about how the next couple of albums are arguably even better than this one make me want to check them out (I listened to half of the next one on spotify). I'll definitely get around to it.

I think this is the second album (new to me) on album club that I've liked enough to want to go out and buy.

It'd be a solid 7/10 on the ratings scale, but seeing as thumped has to be awkward and do it out of 5, I'll round up to 4.
 
There isn't really a big back catalogue. Just the next one (Radio City) and then Third/Sister Lovers (which is very different). Everything is just comps/knockoffs/out-takes/whatever + the album they did when they reformed (hardly essential).
 
The Live album from 1974 is really good. They were just a 3 piece by then, Chilton will all the vocals (apart from one song).
 
Listening to Chilton's solo album Like Flies on Sherbert. It's a mix of Chilton originals and covers. Messy, druggy but pretty good.
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Not really doing it for me, this album. This kinda west-coasty 70s sunshine rock isn't my cuppa tea. The odd thing about it I do like though, like The Ballad of El Goodo and the one with the phaser that someone was complaining about. I love phasers! I'm not so mad about flangers. A lot of the guitar playing here is pretty naff but some of it sounds to me a bit like it might have influenced Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy album - the sharp interlocking zingy melodic rhythm playing on things like In The Street.
 
WTF?! Whole bands' careers have been founded on that guitar style, whole bands!!
Yeah, I'm aware that their guitars have been very influential, but in that respect i don't get it at all. Very ordinary guitar playing! I like the song writing in a couple of songs and some of the harmonies, I can see their influence more from that side of things
 

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