#1 Record/Radio City

Big Star | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: June 16, 2009
• Release Date: June 16, 2009
• Label: Stax
• Copyright: (C) 2009 Concord Music Group Inc.
• Record Company Required Metadata: Music file contains unique purchase identifier. Learn more.
• Total Length: 1:18:54
• Genres:
• ASIN: B002CAAJ7K
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,836 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two great albums, sharper sound and detail no 5.1, August 16, 2004

By 

WTDK "If at first the idea is not absurd, the... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: #1 Record/Radio City (Hybr) (Audio CD)

The first two seminal Big Star albums come to SACD with terrific sound full of nice details. Just a warning, though, both albums are presented in remastered stereo (done by Fantasy staff engineer George Horn)but not in 5.1 Surround Sound. It's possible that the tapes the final stereo masters were drawn from are too badly damaged to do a 5.1 mix, or Fantasy just didn't want to bother. Either way, it's something to be aware of when purchasing this terrific twofer.

There's nothing in the way of new information in the booklet. The liner notes from the 1992 CD release are used again. There's less photos. The original booklet had copies of the front cover of both albums. This one doesn't. Curiously, the cropped picture on the cover of the band shows up twice. The second time they flipped the negative evidently to make it look like it's a different shot.

What can one say about two power pop classics that helped define the short lived heyday of the genre? As important as Badfinger and The Raspbarries seminal releases the optimistically titled #1 Record allowed the band to put all the goods on the table. Brilliant songs, performances and guitar riffs abound all over the first album. Although many folks give the first album 5 stars, I'd have to differ. Some of the music hasn't aged quite as well as it should have. The second album is, in my humble opinion, the better of the two despite not having Chris Bell's direct involvement. Alex Chilton sings as if his life depends on it.

There are no additional bonus tracks or rarities included here (although there are probably some that exist). It's a pity that Fantasy chose not to dig into the vaults and pull out additional material for this re-release to make it worthwhile for the small, devoted core of music fans that will purchase this SACD.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Stellar Music and unbelievable Sound Quality!!, October 28, 2004

By 

Arvind Mohindra (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: #1 Record/Radio City (Hybr) (Audio CD)

First and foremost both the individual albums - #1 Record and Radio City are stellar albums epitomizing or rather considered to be originators of the concept of "power pop"

Liner Notes begin by quoting Encylopedia Britannica - Big Star: American band that during its brief existence in the early 1970s helped define power pop, a style in which bright melodies and tunefully boyish vocals are propelled by urgent rhythms (Encylopedia Britannica).

Incidentally, Rolling Stones recent listing of Top 500 albums of all times gives due credit to Big Star by putting in all 3 studio albums ever released by the band at # 403 (Radio City), # 438 (#1 Record), and # 456 (Third/Sister Lovers). Very few bands have indeed 100% of the catalogue in Top 500 listing. (Incidentally, Nick Drake's all 3 albums make it to Top 500 albums - would love to get them on SACD versions).

# 1 Record and Radio City differ in style due to Chris Bell's departure in second album (though he contributed on a few tracks but was not credited). Notable songs from both albums are Feel, Ballad of El Gordo, In the street (which was recently covered by Cheap Trick for TV series That '70s Show - hate the version by Cheap Trick! they had their moments at Budokan but this was not their moment), and notable September Gurls. ST 100/6 is a great track - under one minute and just breathtaking! Alex Chilton is superb and Chris Bell is equally great at taut compositions and great vocals.

Kudos to Stax / Fantasy for putting this album out (along with others such as Leo Kottke - 6 & 12 string guitar, Issac Hayes - Shaft, etc.)

The sound is simply unbelievable. I have a reasonable collection of Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs, SACDs, DCC and other audiophile recordings and this recording is just stellar for the era it was recorded in. The transfer to SACD is beautiful and i am awaiting for the Third / Sister Lovers to be out on SACD to be able to hear Kanga-Roo (notably covered by Jeff Buckley - orginally by Alex Chilton from the third album)

Simply awesome sound! and beautiful music! stellar combination!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Music, No Strings Attached, August 3, 2008

By 

Private Quentin Tarantino Fan "Formally Known... (nowhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: #1 Record/Radio City (MP3 Download)

While scouring reviews for this album (in a different version), I read somebody classifying two different ways to listen to Big Star: As what they are, or a band that's so great and important that, if you don't like it, your obviously musically retarded and can't appreciate good music. And they certainly were important. Big Star was a major influence on a___load of artists like R.E.M. , The Replacements, Tom Petty, Cheap Trick, and more. With all that in your mind, which road should you take (alright, that's the stupidest question I've ever asked).

Well, take the first one. Music snobs will tell you that this band is the best, but that kind of hampers the experience. When hype comes and bites you, your probably under quite a bit of pressure to come to their conlusions. Besides, concentrating on the musical influence would probably just diminish the real impact of the music, and how great the music is on it own (if it's great). So, with mindset one in mind (actually, I never really gave two _______ about who they influenced when listening to Big Star), that was the one I chose when listening to the music of this band.

For individual reviews of each album, see Radio City and #1 Record, and you'll know why I wrote about each album separately.

Did I, once deciding on whether or not these guys are good (Oh, it was SO hard, ha ha ha!), look to see their mark? You got me. But the bands that I give a damn about, the ones that are influenced by Big Star, really don't sound too much like them. Who am I kidding, those bands really sound a lot different from Big Star. Which is a testament that Big Star really is a good group. Namely, they don't sound like a weak, prototype for the bands that influenced them. And no group can do their songs like Big Star, every single group has done a pretty awful job at covering their music, save for Cheap Trick. Example, take Wilco's cover of Thirteen. They just had to slaughter it with sappy strings, and who was singing? Sounded AWFUL. Proof that many bands can't pull off songs like this, ever. Indeed, no matter what, Big Star will never be replaced, or never be imitated (the bands influenced by them stand out and don't sound like knock offs of the band).

Really, when you pretty much get two albums remastered, well, to me it goes to a five star average, and since that you get both albums for the price of one, it really makes the deal even sweeter. So yeah, get it.

9/10