Big Star - #1 Record/ Radio City

Seldom is a band so influential so ignored. While they were originally around, they only released 3 albums, the first two of which were combined for this one later re-release. #1 record came out in 1972, Radio City in 1974. There was another release, called Third, that came out in 1978. This was all until a one-off reunion in the early 90s with the late Chris Bell and absent Andy Hummel replaced by Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer of the Posies joining original members Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens. The band has since released a live recording as well as a fourth studio album with this lineup, and if you're REALLY lucky, you may be in the right place at the right time and see one of their very infrequent live shows, as I did in 2000, their first in 7 years, and only the second since the 70s. But enough of this, on to the music. Simply put, it's astonishing that this music was released in the early 70s. It sounds too EVOLVED to have been made at that stage in pop music. Songs like "The ballad of El Goodo" and "Thirteen" showcase the excellent guitar interplay of Chilton and Bell, and "Back of a car" and "My life is right" are almost peerless blueprints for the elusive perfect pop song. No pop song, however, is more perfect than "September gurls", which has been held up as a holy grail for 34 years and covered from everyone from the Replacements (live) to the Bangles (on record) and anyone else with a good ear for a tune and a guitar (anywhere, always). So what's the downside? Only "The india song", the only tune penned by bassist Andy Hummel. It's the weakest on the CD, but compared to non Big Star songs, it's actually not too bad. I only skip past it about half the time. You'll recognize "In the street" as having been adapted and re-recorded by Cheap Trick to be used as the theme from "That 70s show" with the outro from "surrender" thrown in for good measure. The original is fantastic, perfectly capturing the essence teen ennui. Throw in "Way out west" and "Feel" and "Don't lie to me" and "Mod Lang" and "You get what you deserve" and every other song, then watch this and go buy the damn thing already. Two albums for the price of one. Best deal around.