a nod to the beautiful Alex Chilton/Big Star

i don't think many obscure songwriters have their names praised and life commemorated on the floors of congress, but this is one atypical instance where such a thing occurred.



alex chilton has made music that has left an indelible, deep mark within my heart. he has conveyed inexpressible emotions through his songs that are both celebratory and haunting, and the fact that he is not more heavily lauded and appreciated is simply maddening. big star is comparable to the velvet underground in their sphere of influence, in the pervasive reach of their recordings but in an entirely dissimilar way. big star didn't necessarily invent or reinvent anything, but more pointedly made music that was disarmingly honest and stark at times, and it's more for their spirit and conviction than the sounds they explored that they are beloved and revered. which isn't to in any way slander or impugn the music itself, because it is beautiful above all, possessing at times an incredible sensitivity. there's no real use in diving into the ephemera and trivia surrounding the band or its crushing lack of success, because the back story to everything is inconsequential, and what matters is the music.

i'm not exactly partial to the first record, despite the fact it contains songs as remarkable as "thirteen" and "ballad of el goodo"...but there's just too much of chris bell (chilton's foil) for my taste (despite the fact that bell's solo album, "i am the cosmos" is quite good). chilton's songs are all i remember clearly from it, and its most rewarding quality is the fact it anticipates the perfection and artistic depths of their sophomore album (sans bell) "radio city," featuring "september gurls," "get what you deserve," "o my soul," and my favorite "daisy glaze."



"radio city" was the last of the "classic" big star sound (though that's still something of a misnomer), typified by the heavy rhythm section and jangling, crystalline guitar arrangements. following "radio city" big star assembled to record an untitled record that remained unreleased for a couple of years due to its lack of structural coherence, manic compositions and - i guess - lack of commercial appeal. eventually the record was released as "3rd," and then re-released in the 90s with a rearranged track listing under the title "sisters lovers." i'm preferential to the track order of the first release, as the the re-release makes the album seem much more fractured than it actually is. "3rd" is filled with a mournful air, string sections that seem to rise unexpectedly from the ether. it follows its own logic and is comparable - in atmosphere - to nico's "marble index." it is not so much an album of songs as it is a gorgeous, mysterious place in which the body deliquesces. big star of course disbanded and chilton went on to a solo career that is absolutely puzzling at times, though not without its charm. he died recently from a heart attack at 59 and left behind a body of work that will forever be inextricably tied to my heart.




here are my two favorite big star records (more chilton-related works will be uploaded soon, too)

big star #1 record and radio city:

http://rapidshare.com/files/185028410/BgStr-12-0.rar


3rd (with original track listing)

http://rapidshare.com/files/181751418/Third_Sister_Lovers.zip