One of the things about people who are collect music like I do is that we love to be able to say "Oh xyx, I knew them years ago when they released their first album / single / fan cassette".
There may be a few bands I can make that claim for but Big Star and their 1972 No 1 Record are not one of them. I did not hear them until at least 25 years later despite earlier urging by The Coat who tried to introduce me through Alex Chilton's idiosyncratic solo work. Therefore like many people perhaps the first song that I really became aware of them was hearing Cheap Trick's cover of In the Street as the theme to That 70's Show.
It is sometime also hard to understand why some bands become popular while others write and record as good if not better songs and miss the boat. For Big Star their counter would have been The Raspberries who enjoyed a string of hits in the early 70's while Big Star languished. Now it is Big Star who are revered and who have award winning movies made about them while The Raspberries (undeservedly in my opinion) are now almost forgotten.
Big Star came together in Memphis after Alex Chilton left The Box Tops (who had their first hit with The Letter when Alex was only 15). After leaving he formed Big Star with and shared writing with Chris Bell.
They recorded three albums in total but the third was released much later after the band had split
There may be a few bands I can make that claim for but Big Star and their 1972 No 1 Record are not one of them. I did not hear them until at least 25 years later despite earlier urging by The Coat who tried to introduce me through Alex Chilton's idiosyncratic solo work. Therefore like many people perhaps the first song that I really became aware of them was hearing Cheap Trick's cover of In the Street as the theme to That 70's Show.
It is sometime also hard to understand why some bands become popular while others write and record as good if not better songs and miss the boat. For Big Star their counter would have been The Raspberries who enjoyed a string of hits in the early 70's while Big Star languished. Now it is Big Star who are revered and who have award winning movies made about them while The Raspberries (undeservedly in my opinion) are now almost forgotten.
Big Star came together in Memphis after Alex Chilton left The Box Tops (who had their first hit with The Letter when Alex was only 15). After leaving he formed Big Star with and shared writing with Chris Bell.
They recorded three albums in total but the third was released much later after the band had split
My introduction to Big Star proper was the twofer CD Big Star and Radio City - two great albums put together. So many good songs. Thirteen, The Ballad of El Goodo, Don't Lie to Me are just a few.
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