Big Star

The Stax org was in such disarray in the early '70s that it's a wonder the records even got out there as much as they did. I've read that each of the first two albums only got into the marketplace in ridiculously small quantities...4000/5000 is a number I've seen.

I don't know if they "define" any era. A post above maintains that to define era, their records would've have to been bought by somebody. So I guess they were one of the first true indie/critic's bands...the reviews were mostly glowing. In retrospect they do seem to define the period much better than any number of more popular acts, though. I see nothing wrong with revisionist nostalgia myself.

For a long time I loved them without reservation, then went thru a period during which I'd just heard them too much. For a lot of us they were like the Beatles, the absolute gold standard of pop records. Now I just accept them as a great pop band, period, and wish people would quit gushing about them so much, or maintaining that they weren't really all that good. As a live band they seem to have sucked; but I can't think of any better-conceived record than "Radio City." Such style. And they seem to define not an era but a state of mind, one epitomized by the Eggleston "red ceiling" photo that graced the original "RC" LP...bad dreams and vibes in an oversexed room, distilled into melancholy, perhaps? With a few good times vaguely recalled? Maybe that's the '70s, I don't know.

Interesting to see what the new Big Star album will be like...

of course, Chilton & company could scrape a chalkboard with rusty chisels and this guy would say it's the best thing ever.

(I think I listen to Third the most, too)

I wonder how committed Chilton is to the whole idea of Big Star these days. Probably not very. I didn't think much of "Hot Thing."

guys seriously I love "Ballad of El Goodo" so much

I want to be in a band that covers this

don't make me say a bunch of shit about it, just fire back re: yes this would be a pretty good thing to do, be in a band that covers this

yeah

I purchased the Blitzen Trapper song 'Summer Town' just because the vocal hook reminded me of BS' 'Thirteen.'

iiiiijjjjj where do you live?

Ya know, Evan Dando covered "El Goodo".

'Thirteen'>>'El Goodo'

fucking love them. i honestly feel sad for anyone who who passes them by.

drooone otm but it doesn't even matter

overrated Grandpappy Indie (VU notwithstanding); not worthless, but nor are Wishbone Ash, for goodness sake
-- mark s, Wednesday, October 17, 2001 5:00 PM (5 years ago)

"overrated"

overrated Grandpappy Indie (VU notwithstanding); not worthless, but nor are Wishbone Ash, for goodness sake

-- mark s, Wednesday, October 17, 2001 5:00 PM (6 years ago) Bookmark Link

ENLIGHTENING

uh x-post

and 'mod lang' is what needs to get cover treatment

"Mod Lang" is quite easy to play, so a cover would be cool.

and somehow, strangely, Big Star lives on.
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&interface=shepemp&event=257724
wish i could go ... is this one of them Don't Look Back things? Are they playing Radio City in its entirety?
i'll also take this opportunity to say that Alex Chilton probably has one of the top 5 singing voices in rock and roll history. Serious.

Actually, listening to Radio City and Third, Alex Chilton kind of reminds me of a vanilla Barrett Strong Rude from Lethem's "Forttress of Solitude." Moments on Third definitely sound fucked up enough to come from three-week coke binges.

That being said "Blue Moon" and "Stroke it Noel" totally PWNs! The former is better than "Thirteen" (which, sadly, contains no oboes).

sweet jesus this band is good. they seem to have such a unique and effortless ear for hook and melody. such a pleasure to listen to.
and on another note, 'i'm in love with a girl' appeared on a shuffle the other day. i was feeling a little absent-minded and it took me about 30 seconds to recall who it was without checking. such a sweet, simple song and yet it feels about 20 years ahead of its time.

"i'll also take this opportunity to say that Alex Chilton probably has one of the top 5 singing voices in rock and roll history. Serious."

Agreed. Vulnerability and attitude in brilliant proportion.

yeah, i'll concur there

Sweet, poppy, cool, but also kinda fucked up. Quite obviously on Third, but also the hatefully desperate vibe on "Life Is White," and "She's a Mover" is some MANIC shit. I loved them when I was younger -- I was listening to "Thirteen" when I was 13 (funny how i hear it differently now -- so I was amazed when I put their records on about a month ago and they sounded better than ever. It's true, they will always somehow sound contemporary, like any inspired true-believing rock&roll, hey hey my my

Hes got a good range on Like Flies On Sherbert too, a bit more free than the Big Star stuff

I love that album! It was a recent discovery for me. It's absolute proof that he was in complete sympathy with all things Rock n Roll. "Hey! Little Child" is amazing with its "Whold Wide World" beat* and Chuck Berry-level teenage lechery.

"Oh little fool, are you learning anything in school
maybe you might drop out, maybe travel somewhere down south
Hey hey little child"

*is there a better name for this beat? I had heard it all my life, but it never really came to life until I heard the Wreckless Eric song

hehe! very observant. I really dont know though, have to do some research...

Radio City: best guitar and drum sound, ever. perfect. archetypal.

@people explosion:

it's called the "Cha-Cha".

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JC0Wa3P_dO0&fmt=18

from the dvd accompanying the Oxford American Best of the South issue this month

that is sweet! thanks.

the 'aptly titled number one record' thing's kind of off though, right? i thought that lazy stax distribution meant that they never really did much, sales-wise.

i'm seeing them in a couple of months. i think i'd maybe prefer to see alex play skewed guitar solos and clichés stuff alone, but, still, way exciting.

aptly titled 'cause it was their first.

cool video!

"Hey! Little Child" is a cha-cha. xp

why in the world would they couple this footage with that tune?

aptly titled 'cause it was their first.

ahhh, thanks.

have the ardent studio sessions been discussed here yet?

I think what the fella meant was that it was No 1 Record as in it's NUMBER ONE, man. As in, Fuckin A, totally bodacious etc.

have the ardent studio sessions been discussed here yet?

is that the thank you friends comp? i think this is where i heard about it. i was pretty excited to hear the demo of downs, because there's a story about the recording of it in the book. apparently they were playing it, when some ardent a & r guy bowled in saying, this could be a HIT!, this song has POTENTIAL!, and so alex said 'i want to use a basketball for the snare drum'. well good.

Could someone explain where the song "Jesus Christ" came from? That is to say, they never had, to my knowledge, any other songs with any religious content and yet it seems to be unironic in its sentiment. The "we're gonna get born now" perhaps belies this a small bit.

"it seems to be unironic in its sentiment."

are you kidding. just listen to the way chilton sings the verses.

"they did rejoice/fine and pure of voice/and the wrong shall fail/and the right prevail": this couplet seems so completely trite that maybe it has to be ironic given that the album as a whole is about fucky uppyness, but I dunno, does chilton discuss it anywhere?

also there's loads of incongruous, disconcerting elements to the music which are clearly mocking or doubting the chorus.

mm, i don't know. he likes playing around with traditional song forms, and i've heard him intro it live as his 'christmas song'. maybe it's just him writing a carol.

I've been put off by most of Jason's solo stuff, but this sounds pretty good.

He had a few solo releases with embossed birds or something on the cover, with improv drone things that were pretty tedious.

I like alll eggleston's photos with pretty grrrls
My favourite is the drugged chick in the flowery dress lying on the lawn with a camera
I also like the one of the black girl in church
idk about the "best" but those are up there

The Radio City tribute at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles has added a second night on Oct 8, if anyone's interested.

https://www.lodgeroomhlp.com/shows/big-stars-radio-city-50th-anniversary-2/

Best Eggleston photo is the untitled one of the lady in a yellow dress with an updo sitting like she’s waiting for a bus.

Linked upthread of course

Big Star

So if you'd like this on vinyl or a possibly better-sounding CD than the Ryko:

Big Star
Live On WLIR
Release date: January 25, 2019

Pre-Order CD $16.98

Pre-Order 2-LP $29.98

Description
Remastered and restored performance originally recorded and broadcast in 1974
Big Star recorded their second album, Radio City, as a trio, after the departure of founding member Chris Bell. When it came time to tour, original bassist Andy Hummel decided to return to school to pursue his engineering education. With this departure, Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens recruited fellow Memphis native John Lightman to take over on bass duties, and the band readied their live set.

That set is on display as Big Star recorded a radio session at Ultrasonic Studios in New York for broadcast on the city’s preeminent WLIR. Nearly two decades later, those recordings were issued as Live in 1992. Omnivore Recordings is proud to reintroduce those recordings, restored and remastered from the original tapes, as Live On WLIR, on CD—and, its first official release on LP.

The 15 track set features material from the band’s two releases, as well as a cover of “Motel Blues” by Loudon Wainwright III (which originally appeared on his classic 1971 sophomore release, Album II).

With new, updated liner notes from Memphis writer/filmmaker, Robert Gordon (who won a Grammy® for his essay in 2010’s Big Star boxed set Keep An Eye On The Sky) and an interview with John Lightman by Chris Bell biographer Rich Tupica (There Was A Light: The Cosmic History Of Big Star Founder Chris Bell), Live On WLIR enters the Big Star canon in the form it deserves. Because, you know, you get what you deserve.

CD / 2-LP TRACK LIST:
SEPTEMBER GURLS
WAY OUT WEST
MOD LANG
DON’T LIE TO ME
O MY SOUL
INTERVIEW
THE BALLAD OF EL GOODO
THIRTEEN
I’M IN LOVE WITH A GIRL
MOTEL BLUES
IN THE STREET
YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE
DAISY GLAZE
BACK OF A CAR
SHE’S A MOVER
LP does not include a download card.

― dow, Thursday, November 8, 2018 6:37 PM (six years ago) bookmarkflaglink

got this on CD for $7 today. great set!

Recently on The Beatles (thread): a link to Ardent studio wizard Terry Manning's report of a mysterious delivery:
https://repforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php?topic=5997.0

After that, these posts on Rolling Obituary 2025:

Remembering Terry Manning (1947–2025)

We are heartbroken to say goodbye to our dear friend Terry Manning, who passed away on March 25, 2025. A brilliant and innovative engineer, producer, musician, and a vital part of Ardent Studios’ history, Terry’s influence on music is immeasurable.

Terry wasn’t just a studio genius—he was family. In Ardent’s early days, he helped shape the sound of some of the most iconic records ever made, working with artists like Al Green, Big Star, and Isaac Hayes. During his time at Stax Records, Terry worked alongside Otis Redding, and The Staple Singers, helping to craft the timeless sound of Memphis soul.

In 1970, Terry played a pivotal role in mixing and mastering Led Zeppelin’s third studio album, Led Zeppelin III. The band entrusted Terry with the crucial task of finalizing the album. Terry Manning, serving as the engineer, collaborated closely with guitarist and producer Jimmy Page to refine the album’s sound. Their combined efforts during these sessions contributed to the album’s distinctive blend of hard rock and acoustic elements.

Terry’s collaboration with ZZ Top spanned several albums, but his work on their 1983 release, Eliminator, stands out as a testament to his innovative approach to music production. Recognizing the evolving musical landscape, Terry and the band incorporated synthesizers and drum machines, blending ZZ Top’s traditional blues-rock roots with contemporary sounds. This fusion resulted in chart-topping hits like “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” and “Legs,” propelling the album to sell over 11 million copies in the U.S. alone with a Diamond Certification.

Beyond his work behind the console, Terry was a passionate artist in his own right. He released his own music, explored photography with the same dedication he brought to engineering, and constantly pushed creative boundaries. But most of all, he was a kind, funny, and endlessly inspiring presence—a true innovator who made everyone around him better.

Rest in peace, Terry. Your legacy will continue to inspire generations to come

— Ardent Studios

― Lithium Just Madison (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, March 26, 2025 6:20 PM (six days ago) bookmarkflaglink

Wow... thirty+ years ago I showed up at Ardent barefoot and kinda drunk and asked for a tour. The receptionist said I couldn't do a tour because REM were in the studio, but she did let me touch Big Star's white Fender amp which were in the hallway

― Andy the Grasshopper

Also on there, posted by James Blecch:

John Fry: I remember the day the first Beatles single came in on Veejay. We put that on and said, “What in the world? Who are these guys and what are they doing on Veejay? Veejay doesn’t have stuff like this—how did this happen?” It was the last sort of sound you would expect to come in on a Veejay record [the label’s bread and butter was r&b artists like Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, and The Impressions]. That attracted as much attention as anything else. When we got curious—we being John King and me and to a lesser extent, by the radio days, Fred Smith because he was in the process of going off to Yale—we would go to any length to track it down. We were going to find out what this music is and where it came from and what’s going on.

One more---I prob posted this way upthread---Manning and the Hi Rhythm Gang were working on a track for Ann Peebles, when he got an emergency call: Memphis High School prom band didn't show! So they headed down there, and tried out the new track:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5lyZHzReSk