― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 10 January 2004 01:41 (twenty years ago) link
I bought #1 Record/Radio City when I still didn't have as much knowledge of music (believe I bought a copy of a Phantom Planet CD the same day, so this was a little less than 2 years ago). And I only bought it because I remembered reading a review of it in a friend's copy of Rolling Stone and being fascinated so I had that imprinted in my brain and eventually picked it up. Replace Big Star with Pavement and Rolling Stone with Spin and thats the same way I got into Pavement a year or so before that. So my point is Big Star or any of their albums are not overrated. Big Star isn't one of those bands I have recordings of because they are rockcrit favs and I am only a casual fan of them. I listen to Big Star all the time and feel passioniately about the music blah blah blah.
― christhamrin (christhamrin), Saturday, 10 January 2004 01:43 (twenty years ago) link
I'm also a huge Posies fan whose love for Big Star is somewhat lukewarm, so while I appreciate them, it's more for their influence than their actual music. I'm gradually finding more to enjoy about them, though.
― Al (sitcom), Saturday, 10 January 2004 06:29 (twenty years ago) link
― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Saturday, 10 January 2004 08:44 (twenty years ago) link
That's the received wisdom. The first album has a hard rockperversity and dark jolt they never chose to go back to forthe length of an entire record. "In Color" might as well have been a different band -- good but not tough soundinglike the first, production's completely different. I never cared for "I Want You to Want Me." It was Cheap Trick's "Beth"on "Budokan."
Third album didn't get very far at the time of release. It was"Budokan," the import edited for the screaming leedlegirl and boys who are still girls in Japanese-land that kept them alive, putting some of the same tunes in front of an American audience for a second time with packaging no one domestically had the brains to think of.
I played an odd-sized EP released after "Dream Police" called "Found All the Parts" a bit, too. Epic put it out in a series with acouple other bands, I think, none of which went anywhere.
― George Smith, Saturday, 10 January 2004 09:09 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Saturday, 10 January 2004 09:09 (twenty years ago) link
― christhamrin (christhamrin), Saturday, 10 January 2004 11:40 (twenty years ago) link
― Douglas (Douglas), Saturday, 10 January 2004 18:04 (twenty years ago) link
― Scott Bloomfield, Monday, 12 January 2004 05:48 (twenty years ago) link
― Orbit (Orbit), Monday, 12 January 2004 06:14 (twenty years ago) link
It is true that Big Star didn't sell a lot of records and this, of course, makes their music less good than Peter Frampton's. In fact, Peter Frampton is exponentially better - I'd tell you how much but I'm not especially good at math.
― christhamrin (christhamrin), Monday, 12 January 2004 07:07 (twenty years ago) link
― leigh (leigh), Monday, 12 January 2004 12:35 (twenty years ago) link
This above statement is 100% OTM.
― Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 12 January 2004 12:41 (twenty years ago) link
― harveyw (harveyw), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:10 (twenty years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:16 (twenty years ago) link
The songwriting isn't always great but it's the way it's done that matters; and as an expression of stasis that still "rocks" or whatever, Radio City is hard to beat...
― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 12 January 2004 16:01 (twenty years ago) link
― David Nolan (David N.), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 01:04 (twenty years ago) link
tl;dr but fuck you miccio for this thread btw i'm drunk
― matt p (Matt P), Thursday, 15 January 2009 11:13 (fifteen years ago) link
listening to radio city i almost feel guilty for enjoying myself so much. there's definitely something dark and unnerving about it, but its so tuneful and consistently engaging in such an uplifting way. 'back of a car' breaks all kinds of records for number of hooks within the one song, 'what's going ahn'' has a sort of tragic wisdom about it and is glorious in its resigned melancholy and measured soul-searching, and 'september gurls' is blissfully carefree. it's a real shining jewel - good fun, tender, naive, and wise all at once.
― Charlie Howard, Thursday, 15 January 2009 13:47 (fifteen years ago) link
yeahhhhhh!!!!! took me so long to fall in love with this album. the thing is, lol, i was like my first love was with #1 record because all of the impacted guitars and immediate hooks.... but radio city has so much space.. wait for it.. hook.. wait for it.. fuk you??? and funk you. i think the key here is to listen to jody stephens the fucking drummer.... AMAZING. he just KILLS and everything else kills but it just follows along on certain songs you know?
― matt p (Matt P), Thursday, 15 January 2009 13:55 (fifteen years ago) link
Taking Sides: Bangles' "September Gurls" vs Big Star's "September Gurls"
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Thursday, 15 January 2009 13:58 (fifteen years ago) link
I just bought Keep an Eye on the Sky wit a little help from the US govt and also drunk.,Radio City rules all time.
― Trip Maker, Sunday, 14 March 2010 02:34 (fourteen years ago) link
My mom hates this record.
― Mr. Snrub, Sunday, 14 March 2010 02:43 (fourteen years ago) link
I tried to get into this, didn't really gel outside of the big hits. maybe another try is in order
― but actually it is impossible to have a penis on the body of a mermaid (dyao), Sunday, 14 March 2010 02:44 (fourteen years ago) link
from what I remember I would agree with the OP
"#1 Record" >> "Radio City". The latter has "September Gurls", which as a song is perfect in every possible way, but the album generally lacks those wonderful vocal harmonies that Chris Bell provided on the debut.
― Tied Up In Geir (Geir Hongro), Sunday, 14 March 2010 02:50 (fourteen years ago) link
This record is more consistent than #1 Record. Both are great, though.
― slagterm, Sunday, 14 March 2010 02:52 (fourteen years ago) link
As for Cheap Trick, they would never ever get better than the "Heaven Tonight" album, which has the slickness and production values the first two are in lack of, plus it is also stylistically more varied, but without ever losing touch of pop songwriting at its best.
― Tied Up In Geir (Geir Hongro), Sunday, 14 March 2010 02:53 (fourteen years ago) link
lol @ "big hits"this is the best big star record
― more like soccidental (velko), Sunday, 14 March 2010 02:54 (fourteen years ago) link
SBd you and Bruns and every other amusical cunt just in case it really was yr moms
― Tibetan 'buca the Dead (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 14 March 2010 02:55 (fourteen years ago) link
Oh yeah...after ten years of trying to like Big Star I've given up--there's no there. As Woody Allen once wrote, "another one for the Academy of the Overrated" (and he should know!)
― iago g., Monday, 15 March 2010 17:19 (fourteen years ago) link
there's no there there. there.
this record is underrated.
― tylerw, Monday, 15 March 2010 17:20 (fourteen years ago) link
^^^^^
― Mr. Que, Monday, 15 March 2010 17:21 (fourteen years ago) link
i know who iago g. is
― velko, Monday, 15 March 2010 17:21 (fourteen years ago) link
go ahead, spill it velko! the name's doug eklund...who are you?
― iago g., Monday, 15 March 2010 17:22 (fourteen years ago) link
hi doug
― velko, Monday, 15 March 2010 17:22 (fourteen years ago) link
hey doug big star rules
― Mr. Que, Monday, 15 March 2010 17:23 (fourteen years ago) link
i just think that the shorthand for this record being, you know, "classic power pop" isn't quite nailing what is so great about it. it's classic power pop, but it's a lot more too. Recent thing that knocked me out while listening: the end of "What's Going Ahn," that anguished Chilton vocal echoing back and forth, the booming drums, that brutal guitar. It's genius.
― tylerw, Monday, 15 March 2010 17:23 (fourteen years ago) link
this record is wonderful
― ciderpress, Monday, 15 March 2010 17:26 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah, I know, I know, everyone loves them, great. i kinda just felt like trolling, some of their stuff is OK--Radio City is sure a lot better than #3 sister lovers or whatevs. the question is, who are you, velko? you get one more chance after this!
― iago g., Monday, 15 March 2010 17:27 (fourteen years ago) link
hey doug sister lovers is golden
― Mr. Que, Monday, 15 March 2010 17:28 (fourteen years ago) link
my name is rafael
― velko, Monday, 15 March 2010 17:28 (fourteen years ago) link
rafael what? one more shot then you get a big old piece of chicken
― iago g., Monday, 15 March 2010 17:31 (fourteen years ago) link
i don't really like big star but i do love the chris bell record and recently i've been thinking of buying those cheap big star reissues and forcing myself to like them, do i do it in the name of science?
― Joint Custody (ian), Monday, 15 March 2010 17:32 (fourteen years ago) link
do it in the name of spring
― Mr. Que, Monday, 15 March 2010 17:33 (fourteen years ago) link
rafael is also my last name
― velko, Monday, 15 March 2010 17:33 (fourteen years ago) link
someone was telling me that big star was music for the beach & firm young tits. xp
― Joint Custody (ian), Monday, 15 March 2010 17:34 (fourteen years ago) link
i would add beer and warm, pre-summer breezes to that list
― Mr. Que, Monday, 15 March 2010 17:35 (fourteen years ago) link
que otm
― k3vin k., Monday, 15 March 2010 17:35 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah, my guitar teacher (who had never heard "O My Soul" before I played it for him) described it as a "Strat master class."
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 18 March 2023 14:26 (one year ago) link
lol Footloose is so similar. Sounds like something a guitarist does to warm up his fingers tbh.
― Maggot Bairn (Tom D.), Saturday, 18 March 2023 14:29 (one year ago) link
Every time I hear twang my default ref is Duane Eddy.
― the very juice and sperm of kindness. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 18 March 2023 14:34 (one year ago) link
one time I read the book "Heaven is Real" for funsies which is not very fun and kind of distressing however at the end of the book there is a picture of the man a toddler recognized as Jesus
― Florin Cuchares, Saturday, 18 March 2023 14:47 (one year ago) link
https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2019/12/14/6183dc8a-3d9f-409a-b4e2-d4cc944f3259/thumbnail/640x860/6bc4a044ac9f825340caf6d86b81bccb/Prince-of-Peace-hi-res.jpg
― Florin Cuchares, Saturday, 18 March 2023 14:49 (one year ago) link
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3c/Kenny_Loggins.jpg/440px-Kenny_Loggins.jpg
I was pretty old before I realized that Loggins had a long and storied career before his '80s run, both with Messina and without. "Keep the Fire" is totally sophisticated yacht rock with a track that features Michael Jackson on backing vocals.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 18 March 2023 14:53 (one year ago) link
Electric Prunes bassist Mark Tulin, on their 1968 touring guitarist:
The one positive aspect of the tour was playing with Kenny Loggins. I know where he's at now, but at that time he was a hard-core rocker and a pure joy to watch play. He went full-bore, full-out every night. Then back at the hotel he'd play some great song he'd just written. He was one talented son of a bitch.
― Halfway there but for you, Saturday, 18 March 2023 15:44 (one year ago) link
Oh! Is this the thread from which sprung “terrifyingly consistent” and it referred to Jody’s drumming? I’m so happy
― touche pas ma planète (flamboyant goon tie included), Saturday, 18 March 2023 16:27 (one year ago) link