Big Star's Radio City (33 1/3) [Paperback]

Bruce Eaton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 2009 | Series: 33 1/3 (Book 65)

Released when ELP and Elton John were plodding from one packed stadium to the next, Radio City was a radical album influenced by records that were already deemed oldies and yet sounding like a lean electrical jolt from the future. Here, Bruce Eaton examines the key ingredients of Radio City's lasting appeal- and through extensive interviews with all of those involved, gets to the heart of the cult of Big Star.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 "The 33 1/3 series is always a fun read for record obsessives, and Bruce Eaton's coverage of the greatest album of all time here is no exception...Much has been made of the drama and tragedy surrounding Big Star- but the focus here is music...Any fan of the album will find this a quick, worthwhile read." —Under the Radar Magazine

"What Eaton's book has going for it is a personal connection to Chilton that provides him with rare access to the somewhat reclusive icon and an insistence on focusing more on the music itself and the circumstances of its recording rather than the more familiar personality-based story of the band's brief initial life." —The Memphis Flyer

"...[Eaton's] been able to interview Chilton in depth, plus other principal players in the LP's conception including Big Star members Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel and Ardent Records founder John Fry. The emphasis is on music so we learn about their influences..."

Mojo, November 2009

"Bruce Eaton's thorough investigation into the history of rock music's most influentially unrecognised acts of the '70s, Memphis, Tennessee's Big Star, and the recording of their second album Radio City, does much to clear up decades of misinformation and mythology, shedding light on session recordings, the artists present and how the album was pieced together. It's that kind of detailed musical reporting that the 33 1/3 series is known for. Eaton's own personal history of playing in a backing band with Alex Chilton (Big Star's vocalist/songwriter) adds a neat spin and the interviews contained with the band members and album producer, all casting their thoughts back a good 30 years to reflect on a busy time for the band, are flawless...recreating the scene after the fractious fall-out of the departure of original member Chris Bell and how they picked up the pieces to create Radio City is retold and relived, in studio and on-stage by the people who were there. It's about as an authoritative and informative an exposition as you could hope for...the 33 1/3 series are a fascinating and revealing collection of books. Written by music fans for music fans, this series will never grow old, never grow boring, and goes far into explaining the mysticism and appeal behind these priceless bodies of work, for your own personal pleasure or just in case you happen to know someone who just doesn't understand."

Webcuts Music, 2009

"Un must have pour tous les maniaques de la grande etoile, et pour tous les autres aussi."

magic, September 2009

"Page-turning celebration of Big Star's power-pop masterpiece...[Eaton] elicits fresh interviews with those who were in the room at the album's conception. That includes the recalcitrant Chilton and John Fry, the George Martin figure whose engineering expertise was a crucial part of the album's sound. Eaton has a gift for locating the album's slippery, unknowable essence in a tale whose epic sweep spans 17^th century Canterbury and New York's Mudd Club in the early 1980's. Compacted with enthusiasm, this is a concise, effective primer in Big Star history."

Classic Rock Magazine, January 2010

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 “The 33 1/3 series is always a fun read for record obsessives, and Bruce Eaton’s coverage of the greatest album of all time here is no exception…Much has been made of the drama and tragedy surrounding Big Star- but the focus here is music...Any fan of the album will find this a quick, worthwhile read.” –Under the Radar Magazine

"…[Eaton’s] been able to interview Chilton in depth, plus other principal players in the LP’s conception including Big Star members Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel and Ardent Records founder John Fry. The emphasis is on music so we learn about their influences…"

Mojo, November 2009

"Bruce Eaton’s thorough investigation into the history of rock music’s most influentially unrecognised acts of the ’70s, Memphis, Tennessee’s Big Star, and the recording of their second album Radio City, does much to clear up decades of misinformation and mythology, shedding light on session recordings, the artists present and how the album was pieced together. It’s that kind of detailed musical reporting that the 33 1/3 series is known for. Eaton’s own personal history of playing in a backing band with Alex Chilton (Big Star’s vocalist/songwriter) adds a neat spin and the interviews contained with the band members and album producer, all casting their thoughts back a good 30 years to reflect on a busy time for the band, are flawless…recreating the scene after the fractious fall-out of the departure of original member Chris Bell and how they picked up the pieces to create Radio City is retold and relived, in studio and on-stage by the people who were there. It’s about as an authoritative and informative an exposition as you could hope for…the 33 1/3 series are a fascinating and revealing collection of books. Written by music fans for music fans, this series will never grow old, never grow boring, and goes far into explaining the mysticism and appeal behind these priceless bodies of work, for your own personal pleasure or just in case you happen to know someone who just doesn’t understand."

Webcuts Music, 2009

"Page-turning celebration of Big Star’s power-pop masterpiece…[Eaton] elicits fresh interviews with those who were in the room at the album’s conception. That includes the recalcitrant Chilton and John Fry, the George Martin figure whose engineering expertise was a crucial part of the album’s sound. Eaton has a gift for locating the album’s slippery, unknowable essence in a tale whose epic sweep spans 17^th century Canterbury and New York’s Mudd Club in the early 1980’s. Compacted with enthusiasm, this is a concise, effective primer in Big Star history."

Classic Rock Magazine, January 2010

About the Author

Bruce Eaton is a writer and jazz concert producer who lives near Buffalo, NY. He is the author of two successful business books. He played bass and guitar with Alex Chilton on dates in Buffalo, Toronto and New York, and set up Chilton's notoriously distastrous 1981 tour.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (May 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826428983
• ISBN-13: 978-0826428981
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #236,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book about a great album, May 31, 2009

By 

James Peak "James Peak" (Billings, MT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Star's Radio City (33 1/3) (Paperback)

Bruce Eaton's lovingly written Radio City is a brief but moving tribute to the Big Star album of the same name. The book insightfully explores the origins of such classic tunes as September Gurls and Back of a Car. The book relies heavily on new, detailed quotes from the people who were there, and includes a number of rare photographs. For all Chilton, Bell, and Big Star Fanboys (and gurls).

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-read!, June 1, 2009

By 

Lawrence Martin Jacobson "heavenstomurgatroid" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Star's Radio City (33 1/3) (Paperback)

I've read many of the (generally excellent) 33 1/3 series and this is far and away my favorite. The author strikes the perfect balance between telling the story of the album's creation and evaluating the work itself. Radio City is an album that's long overdue for serious - and extended - critical consideration. (Lots of critics' raves fall into the "best album ever!" category, but don't add much else.) This book remedies that oversight. BUY IT NOW!!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential for Big Star fans, October 6, 2009

By 

David Weiden - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Star's Radio City (33 1/3) (Paperback)

Not being overly familiar with the 33 1/3 series, I wasn't even aware that this book had been recently published. However, I spied it at Twist & Shout Records in Denver last week and had to get it, given that I'd just gotten the Big Star box set. Simply put, the book is great. It thoughtfully delineates John Fry's role in the development of the band as well as the circumstances regarding Chris Bell's departure. Perhaps the best part of the book is the excellent and engaging prose--it's a page-turner for sure. If there's a weakness in the book, it's the relatively scant amount of text situating Big Star in the larger musical landscape. In other words, I would have liked to have read more about how Radio City both embodied and transcended the power pop genre. Overall, an excellent contribution to both Big Star and rock music lit.