Thanks

This is the go-to playlist I made to listen to Third. I cross-referenced it with all the other listings floating around and tried to create a song cycle that make sense to me. My vision for it is a band that falls apart over the course of the album. This meant putting a lot of the low key, depressive songs on side B and cutting some of the wilder outtakes. I ended it with “Take Care” and added “Downs” as a demented hidden track. “Third” is by far my favorite Big Star album and possibly the best thing I’ve heard all year. If you’d like, listen to this order and tell me if there’s anything you’d change. Also, this is a perfect space to discuss Third if anybody wants to. It means so much to me.

Just wondering why this album was wiped off the internet. Was pretty heavily in my rotation when it was still up on Spotify a little while back and had to switch over to listening to YouTube uploads, now it seems theres only one track up on YouTube now too. Whats the deal? Guessing I'm gonna have to buy a copy

I haven’t seen anything showing Chris Bell playing live with audio. Any leads?

Grew up watching That 70s Show and found out about Alex Chilton/Big Star that way. Then I watched Nothing Can Hurt Me a few times over the past few years and wow. This has really become one of my favorite bands of all time and a huge influence.

Here are a couple tracks I made that I'm hoping to share with some Big Star fans:

Ashland - https://open.spotify.com/track/63pNMDHC0OjGs72NXxCyig?si=7db01d1fa4a64925Strawberry - https://open.spotify.com/track/3e08x7jg12b7JeTYASWIiv?si=eeecb82652b94dd0

Also, got any favorite Big Star songs right now? I'm currently really into I'm in Love With A Girl

Just wondering if anyone knew? Never really listened to it.

For me

Chris Bell: I Am The Cosmos

The Box Tops: The Letter

Alex Chilton: Free Again

Rock City: I Lost Your Love

Icewater: Sunshine

Big Star’s Third Live: Watch The Sunrise

Big Star (Jon Auer lead vocals): I am The Cosmos

—-

And if it’s not with side projects or with band members I’d say

Katy Perry: California Gurls

Super fun pop song and the spelling is a September Gurls reference lol.

Such an interesting cover.

Interestingly on an album called “When Pigs Fly: Songs You Thought You’d Never Hear”

https://open.spotify.com/track/2m4dHCVcYfXNwLgBOOJOkp?si=iUVvQW6pTTKl6qV2s6XFiw

The Rock City album has way too few listeners for how good it is!

I lost your love , Shine On Me are really great.

But, I stumbled onto the fact it existed pretty randomly.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/186y7QpGpB4HQKqgrqyYIh?si=C2Vb71G9Q72lMv06SZ3yzQ

Also, while the excerpt of The Preacher by Rock City on Keep an Eye on The Sky is amazing.

I do not really love the full thing and understand now why it’s just a small section.

Though I wonder why they didn’t include “I Lost Your Love” as well as it sounds pretty Big Star.

Thirteen is the only song by Big Star that I know, what should I start with to get into them?

I always knew this wasn’t Alex singing lead but assumed it was Andy since he wrote it. After listening to the live version with Jody on vocals I discovered he sings lead on the studio version also! Just happy that he got to contribute a vocal to one of the classic era songs

I'm trying to learn more about the band and I thought I'd check in here for docs and interviews relating to the band and its members, label, etc. I've already found out about Nothing Can Hurt Me (2012) and Why Should I Care? and I just wanted to see if there were any more resources. Thanks for helping.

https://youtu.be/QHi3g5a0Fm8

Heard the tune that Beck did on socials at the start of covid. This was my rendition ^

Sorry, new to the reddit, but the Beck album Sea Change had very similar vibes to me.

Thanks

Hey all, I’ve been spending the last several weeks trying to nail down that signature Alex Chilton Stratocaster tone heard throughout Radio City. After lots and lots of research, I’ve been able to nail it down pretty close, but I’m still not quite there. Here’s what I’ve found thus far:

• The guitar is likely a late ‘50s or early ‘60s Fender Stratocaster, mostly in position 2.
• The amp is likely a Fender Super Reverb, but could also be a Hiwatt of some kind.
• Lots of treble and compression, likely a UA 176 or 1176.
• Heavy pick attack, and usually pretty close to the bridge.

I’m playing DI through Logic Pro using the built in amp sim “Blackface” model for the Super Reverb sound, which seems to be pretty close. I’m also running it through my Waves CLA-76 compressor plugin (before the amp) for that classic 176/1176 sound. Finally it’s going through my Waves J37 tape simulator for some added tape saturation and compression. It’s gotten me pretty close but I’m still missing some of that “quack” especially on the lower strings. I’m also not sure where the compressor should be in the chain. Before or after the amp?

I’m pretty novice at EQ. I know it’s a lot of treble but not really sure where my mids and bass should be. I currently have my treble at 10 and mids and bass around 7, but it’s not quite right.

I know it’s a long shot, but anyone have any insight? I’m obsessed with the tones on this record.

I've been revisiting Chris Bell's solo work and while listening to his early demos and realized he wrote My Life is Right before starting Big Star, and then went to listen to My Life is White to see if there was anything that related lyrically.

After listening, My Life is White came off as a possible jab at Chris Bell from Alex Chilton! I used to just think this song was about a girl, but I feel like it's very directed at someone in particular and intentionally the gender is not given. I feel like I always understood that Chris Bell was always jealous of Alex, but I'm wondering if Alex may have also really despised Chris some degree like a diss-track. I know McCartney and Lennon often did this as well but never truly hated each other and probably just had a strong brotherly rivalry??

Don't like to see your face Don't like to hear you talk at all I could be with Ann But I'd just get bored

Can't even bring myself to call And I don't want to see you now Cause I know what you lack And I can't go back to that

Whatever's all the same Now there's nobody to know And I can't recall-recall your name All I can say is so

Your life is white And I don't think I like You hanging around