Line #88 Music/BigStar


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bs.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Big Star, circa 1972. Left to right: Andy Hummel, Jody Stephens, Chris Bell, Alex Chilton.]]
3	[floatboxright:
4	Influences:
5	+Music/TheBeatles, Music/{{The Rolling Stones\|Band}}, Music/TheByrds, Music/OtisRedding, Music/SimonAndGarfunkel, Music/TheKinks, Music/MarcBolan
6	Influenced:
7	+Music/{{REM}}, Music/TheReplacements, Music/TheBangles, Music/TeenageFanclub, Music/ThePosies, Music/ThisMortalCoil, Music/{{Wilco}}, Music/{{Kiss}}, Music/PrimalScream, Music/HisNameIsAlive, Music/TheMarsVolta, Music/ElliottSmith
8	]
9
10	Big Star was a legendary '70s PowerPop band from Memphis, UsefulNotes/{{Tennessee}}, well known for their complete failure to gain mainstream commercial success (and subsequent embrace by the indie scene) and for remaining a significant influence on AlternativeRock.
11
12	Their classic lineup was as follows:
13
14	* Alex Chilton - vocals, guitar
15	* Chris Bell - vocals, guitar
16	* Andy Hummel - bass
17	* [[GenderBlenderName Jody Stephens]] - drums
18	\
19
20	The band formed in 1971, when Chilton (former lead singer with the '60s blue-eyed soul group The Box Tops, of "The Letter" fame) joined Bell, Hummel and Stephens' band Icewater. Taking the name "Big Star" from a regional grocery store chain, they were quickly snatched up by Ardent Records, a subsidiary of the famous soul/R&B label Creator/StaxRecords. Stax had hit a bad spell at the time and its future was uncertain, so the hope was that Big Star would become successful enough to stave off the company's decline.
21
22	The band's first album, the humorously-titled ''#1 Record'', was quickly recorded at Ardent Studios with label founder John Fry as [[RecordProducer producer]] and released in 1972. While it did obtain widespread acclaim from critics, Stax's financial difficulties translated into an inability to get the album into stores, torpedoing the goal that the title playfully alluded to. The album itself nevertheless proved to be a landmark in the establishment of PowerPop, thanks to its catchy Music/TheBeatles-plus-Music/TheWho-influenced songwriting, and several of its songs have remained widely celebrated in the genre, such as "Feel", "The Ballad of El Goodo", "In the Street" (later covered by Music/CheapTrick as the theme song to ''Series/That70sShow''), and "Thirteen". Meanwhle, one other song – the chaotic, [[Music/TheRollingStonesBand Stonesy]] rock of "Don't Lie to Me" – would predict the group's sonic evolution.
23
24	With ''#1 Record'' bombing in stores thanks to Stax's horrendous distribution, [[CreativeDifferences tension and fights erupted between bandmates]], to the point that Bell left the band towards the end of 1972. Chilton, Hummel and Stephens carried on as Big Star, and – with Fry once again in the producer's chair – recorded another album, ''Radio City''. In contrast to the polished production of ''#1'', ''Radio City'' had a rawer, more chaotic and underproduced edge to it, drawing more from the Who and the Stones than the Beatles, and with more WordSaladLyrics. Sadly, ''Radio City'' bombed just as hard in stores as its predecessor despite rave reviews, due to a dispute between Stax and its distributor Creator/ColumbiaRecords, but still managed to produce at least one classic power pop song, "September Gurls" (later covered by many artists, including Music/TheBangles). Other highlights included "O My Soul", "Back of a Car", "Daisy Glaze", and "I'm in Love with a Girl".
25
26	Tired of the lack of success, Hummel left the band after ''City'''s release, choosing to finish his final year at college instead. Undaunted, Chilton and Stephens re-entered the studio with new RecordProducer Jim Dickinson and a group of session musicians. Plenty of material resulted from the sessions, but no label interest was forthcoming. Big Star finally threw in the towel and disbanded in late 1974, and their third album – initially titled ''[[ChronologicalAlbumTitle 3rd]]'' – was subsequently released in 1978. It was later reissued by Creator/{{Rykodisc}} as ''Third/Sister Lovers'' in 1992 with [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition additional tracks]]. [[AdaptationExpansion The 1992 edition has effectively supplanted the earlier version]].
27
28	''3rd'' served to only amplify the messy sprawl of ''Radio City'', with its material taking a much [[DarkerAndEdgier bleaker and more desperate tone]], reflecting tensions within the band's inner circle, heavy drug and alcohol abuse (particularly in regards to Chilton), and Chilton's dissatisfaction with years of getting [[ScrewedByTheNetwork fucked around by incompetent record companies]]. ''Third'''s critically acclaimed material largely alternated between rough, chaotic power pop and hauntingly bleak ballads, but the album still managed to provide a few more songs that would retrospectively be deemed classics, such as the depressing ballads "Big Black Car", "Kangaroo", and "Holocaust", and the oddball Christmas-themed power pop "Jesus Christ", which soon became a mainstay on college radio stations every December.
29
30	While Big Star failed to become what their name and debut album envisioned them to be, they were eagerly embraced by the emerging AlternativeRock scene at the beginning of TheEighties - the first wave of popular alt-rock bands led by Music/{{REM}} were nicknamed "jangle pop" and owed an obvious debt to Big Star. Later on, DreamPop supergroup Music/ThisMortalCoil helped re-awaken interest in Big Star through their covers of "Kangaroo" and "Holocaust". Chilton went on to a erratic solo career, and Chris Bell put out a well-received single, "I Am the Cosmos"/"You and Your Sister" (both of which were later covered by Music/ThisMortalCoil on their 1991 album ''Music/{{Blood}}'') before dying in a car accident in December 1978. Bell's funeral was held the next day, which happened to be Chilton's birthday. A posthumous album of Bell's post-Big Star recordings, also titled ''I Am the Cosmos'' and including both sides of the single, was released via Creator/{{Rykodisc}} in 1992.
31
32	Chilton revived Big Star in 1993 alongside old mate Stephens and new blood Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of Music/ThePosies. A new album, ''In Space'', followed in 2005 to a predictably mixed reception.
33
34	In March 2010, Chilton [[http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/arts/19chilton.html died]] [[DiedDuringProduction the day before Big Star was to perform at South by Southwest]]. Immediately, the music websites of the internet exploded with grief. Andy Hummel also died in July the same year after a two-year struggle with cancer, leaving Jody the only remaining original member of the band.
35
36	!!Discography:
37	* ''#1 Record'' (1972)
38	* ''Radio City'' (1974)
39	* ''3rd'' (1978)
40	* ''Live'' (1992)
41	* ''Columbia: Live at Missouri University 4/25/93'' (1993)
42	* ''Nobody Can Dance'' (1999)
43	* ''In Space'' (2005)
44
45	----
46	!!Tropes:
47	* AdaptationExpansion: Arguably comparing the 1992 and 1978 versions of ''Third/Sister Lovers''.
48	* ADayInTheLimelight: Right at the end of their career, Jody contributes one of the highlights of ''Third/Sister Lovers'' with "For You".
49	* AutoErotica: "Back of a Car" is a subversion. The narrator attempts to initiate lovemaking in the car, but finds he isn't ready to go through with it.
50	* BaroquePop: ''Third/Sister Lovers''
51	* BalladOfX: "The Ballad of [[ElSpanishO El Goodo]]". Also a NonAppearingTitle.
52	* CatholicSchoolgirlsRule: "She's A Mover":
53	--> ''She, the devil you know\
54	She finds herself in Catholic school\
55	She's wild''
56	* ChristmasSongs: "Jesus Christ". Probably [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative the best power pop tune about Jesus' birthday]].
57	* CompilationRerelease: Stax reissued the first two albums on one CD in 1992. A double LP set collecting both albums was also released in the U.K. in 1978.
58	* CoverVersion: On ''Third/Sister Lovers'', we have: "Femme Fatale" by The Music/VelvetUnderground, "Nature Boy" by Music/NatKingCole, "'Till the End of the Day" by Music/TheKinks, and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Music/JerryLeeLewis.
59	** The band's own songs have been covered in turn, the most frequent ones being "Thirteen" (by Music/{{Garbage}}, Music/ElliottSmith, Music/{{Wilco}}, Kathryn Williams and others), "September Gurls" (by Music/TheBangles, The Searchers and Superdrag), "Kangaroo" and "Holocaust" (by Music/ThisMortalCoil). Music/TheMonkees did "Jesus Christ" for their ''Christmas Party'' album. Notably, Chilton said that the Big Star cover he liked the most was Garbage's version of "Thirteen".
60	* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Radio City'', ''Third/Sister Lovers''.
61	* UsefulNotes/{{Depression}}: "Holocaust" is a tearful description of its symptoms.
62	* DolledUpInstallment: Everyone involved seems to agree that ''Third'' wasn't intended as a Big Star album, but it's still not clear whether the plan was to release it as an Alex Chilton solo album, or whether it was technically supposed to be a side project by Chilton and Stephens under the name Sister Lovers. Either way, by the time it got taken off [[TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment the shelf]], it was retroactively credited to Big Star.
63	* DownerEnding:
64	** Chilton's death effectively ended the band.
65	** Chris Bell died suddenly, and in obscurity, at the age of 27.
66	* DramaticTimpani: Leading into the choruses of "Jesus Christ".
67	* EitherOrTitle: ''Third/Sister Lovers''.
68	* EverythingIsAnInstrument: The bouncing basketball in "Downs". After John Fry told Alex that the song was a potential hit, [[WriterRevolt he sabotaged its chances of success by replacing the percussion with a basketball.]]
69	* {{Gayngst}}: Chris.
70	* GenreThrowback: The band played melodic pop influenced by UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion at the height of ProgressiveRock.
71	* GenderBlenderName: Jody Stephens is a guy.
72	* GreatestHitsAlbum: Despite not actually ''having'' any hits, they've still managed to get several of these, as well as a comprehensive 4-CD box set called ''Keep an Eye on the Sky''.
73	* IAmTheBand: ''Third'' is essentially an Alex Chilton solo album except for Jody Stephens' "For You".
74	* IntercourseWithYou: There's probably at least a bit ''somewhere'', but it's kinda hard to make it out with all the WordSaladLyrics. For what it's worth, "Thirteen" hints at this.
75	** The bridge of "September Gurls":
76	---> When I get to bed late at night,\
77	That's the time she makes things right.\
78	Ooh, when she makes love to me.
79	* LighterAndSofter: ''#1 Record''
80	* LineOfSightName: The band name was taken from a Big Star supermarket located across the street from Ardent Studios.
81	* LiveAlbum:
82	** ''Columbia: Live at Missouri University 4/25/93'', a reunion concert in which Chilton and Stephens were joined by Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow from Music/ThePosies (who would also appear on the studio album ''In Space'').
83	** Then there's a live-in-the-studio set recorded in 1974 and finally released 18 years later as, simply, ''Live''.
84	* LyricalColdOpen: "Back of a Car":
85	-->''Sitting in the [[TitleDrop back of a car]]....''
86	* LyricalDissonance: Melodic, jangly power pop songs about despair and hopelessness.
87	** And in reverse: "Big Black Car" features a chorus of ''Nothing can hurt me/Nothing can touch me'', sung in possibly the most resigned, depressed voice imaginable over a slow ballad backing.
88	* MinisculeRocking: "ST 100/6" (0:58), "Morpha Too" (1:28), "I'm In Love with a Girl" (1:47), and "Downs" (1:51).
89	* NewSoundAlbum: ''Third/Sister Lovers'' had a BaroquePop sound that was somewhere between the Left Banke and Music/TheZombies' ''Music/OdesseyAndOracle'' more than it sounded like Music/TheWho
90	* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: According to the documentary ''Nothing Can Hurt Me'', Chris Bell, frustrated by ''#1 Record's'' lack of commercial success, erased the album's multi-track tapes.
91	* NonAppearingTitle: Several, including "The Ballad of El Goodo", "Thirteen", "ST 100/6", "Daisy Glaze", and "Mod Lang".
92	* PepTalkSong: "The Ballad of El Goodo" is about staying true to yourself in the face of "unbelievable odds".
93	* PowerBallad: The trope hadn't really been codified yet, but with its soft opening leading into a rousing chorus, then the later verses rocking out a bit more, "The Ballad of El Goodo" has most of the elements in place.
94	* {{Rockumentary}}: ''Nothing Can Hurt Me'' (2012). See [[http://bigstarstory.com/main_index.html here]] for info.
95	* ShoutOut:
96	** "Thirteen" has the lyrics: ''Tell him what we said about [[Music/TheRollingStonesBand "Paint It Black."]]''
97	** And in reverse, Music/KatyPerry's manager is a huge fan of the band and asked her to name her song "California Gurls" as a tribute after Alex died. We promise this is the last time we'll say "Big Star" and "Katy Perry" in the same sentence.
98	** The count-off that starts "She's a Mover" is reminiscent of Music/TheBeatles' "Taxman."
99	** In "Daisy Glaze", Chilton quotes the "Nullify my life" line from the Music/VelvetUnderground's "Heroin".
100	** "Big Black Car" alludes to [[Music/MarcBolan T. Rex]]'s [[Music/ElectricWarrior "Life's a Gas"]] with the line "Driving's a gas/It ain't gonna last".
101	* TheSomethingSong: "The India Song".
102	* StepUpToTheMicrophone: Andy Hummel on "The India Song," and Jody Stephens on "Way Out West" and "For You."
103	* StudioChatter: Heard at the beginning of "She's a Mover" and "Don't Lie to Me".
104	* VocalTagTeam: Chilton and Bell, on ''#1 Record.''
105	* WordSaladLyrics: Chilton was especially fond of these.

Context Music / BigStar