Big Star: The Short Life, Painful Death, and Unexpected Resurrection of the Kings of Power Pop (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: track listing, alligator man, big black car, Big Star, Chris Bell, Alex Chilton (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Memphis' Big Star had a short and tumultuous life in the early to mid '70s, but its legacy and impact are still felt today; Paul Westerberg, Peter Buck of REM, Matthew Sweet and Ryan Adams have all loudly sung the praises of this cult band that carved out a unique brand of power pop that went unheard by the masses after poor distribution, infighting, substance abuse and poor tour support coalesced to sink the band. If it weren't for the evangelism Big Star inspired in rock writers, they probably wouldn't have even made a second album, let alone a third. Jovanovic (Nirvana: The Complete Recordings, Perfect Sound Forever: The Story of Pavement) has an eye for detail, but this book is strictly for hardcore fans. His near-molecular dissection of band members' musical histories grows tiresome as more time is spent discussing the minutiae of the band's existence and recordings than their contributions to pop and rock music as a whole. While Jovanovic explains the factors that contributed to the band's downfall, he never fully explains why Big Star means so much to its small but devoted and influential following. That said, those who love the band will be in heaven with the fruits of Jovanovic's meticulous research: he includes an exhaustive discography, concert list and even a list of Big Star songs covered by other bands. Timed to coincide with the release of In Space, the band's first album of all-new music since 1975, this definitive biography is the ultimate Big Star reference. Photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Entertaining and informative." —Time Out Chicago

"Too fascinating to pass up." —Ruminator Review

"[Will] satisfy even the most knowledgeable . . . Big Star fan." —Harp Magazine

"Goes some way toward clarifying the story of the band." —Nashville Scene

"Big Star served as a Rosetta stone for a whole generation of musicians."  —Peter Buck, R.E.M.

"The range of Alex's stuff, from sweet to nasty...and always interesting melodically, really inspired me to write."  —Matthew Sweet

"Perhaps, the definitive Big Star biography...illustrates the band’s history with fanatical devotion and a historian’s drive for objectivity."  —Rockpile

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Chicago Review Press (September 28, 2005) Language: English ISBN-10: 1556525966 ISBN-13: 978-1556525964 Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #175,148 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
track listing, alligator man, big black car, dateless night, rock writers, third album, album sessions

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Big Star, Chris Bell, Alex Chilton, New York, Box Tops, Jody Stephens, Andy Hummel, John Fry, Richard Rosebrough, September Gurls, Radio City, Jim Dickinson, Terry Manning, Panther Burns, Lesa Aldridge, The Letter, Jesus Christ, Steve Rhea, John King, Thank You Friends, New Orleans, The Ballad of El Goodo, Neon Rainbow, Rock City, Ross Johnson

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews 5 star:  (5) 4 star:  (5) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.2 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 7 of 8 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Meticulously Documented But Ultimately Sad Tale, August 15, 2005 By  Eric Collins (Fairlawn, OH United States) - See all my reviews Rob Jovanovic deserves tremendous praise for stubbornly promoting his idea of a Big Star bio to publishers for years until one thankfully and finally said "yes." The result is a well-crafted and highly-detailed account of the power pop pioneers from Memphis. Jovanovic interviewed just about anyone who ever played a role in the band's existence, other than (obviously) the late Chris Bell, and the dour Alex Chilton. Bell emerges as the tragic hero of the story, while Chilton ultimately appears amazingly detached both emotionally and professionally. My assumption listening to the records way back when was that Big Star had probably lived the typical band story - four friends who grow up together, spend years forging their craft together, and finally getting the chance to make a record. It turns out that Big Star's real story was quite different...two members going to the same school, or two jamming with a certain friend for a while...but the quartet we know as the "classic" Big Star lineup basically just falls together, records an album and a few demo songs for a follow-up, and then ends, with a grand total of seven gigs together. As a long-time fan of their music, I'm a little disappointed to learn this, so the book leaves me better informed but inevitably sadder. But if you want the Big Star story and all the details, buy this book. 7 of 8 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Afterwards, at the very least, you'll want to listen to (or buy) all three original Big Star records., July 26, 2005 By  A. C. Myers (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I've been a fan since the Rykodisc release of Sister/Lovers in 1992 during my first year at college. This record is still a devastating, amazing thing of beauty. Alternating tracks can lift you up, then break your heart, and the effect is depressive but very real. It's a sort of lived in, well-earned heartache that echoes to this day. Alex Chilton is a genius. However, I saw him perform the next year, and I was disapointed in his perfunctory performance, which only included two Big Star songs. May I never have to hear Volare, in Italian or otherwise, again. I had read enough about Big Star over the years to know their backstory, but I was intrigued by Rob Jovanovic's book length treatment. I had just read his book on Pavement, Perfect Sound Forever, and both books' strength lie in the amount of interviews he conducted with everyone involved. In fact, I might even have preferred an oral history of both bands, since their voices come through even stronger than the author's, most of the time. Nevertheless, he deserves great credit for the access he provides us to everyone who ever spent time at Ardent Studios during the 1970's. The story of Big Star is almost as sad as their third record, and you can feel the palpable disapointment of the young Chris Bell and Alex Chilton (at a point when they were still in their early 20s) at the bad luck they experienced in trying to translate sterling record reviews into sales (and the awful record distribution that hamstrung every effort). Afterwards, at the very least, you'll want to listen to (or buy) all three original Big Star records. And then you'll want to go to Memphis, if you haven't already. The music of Big Star deserves, and even demands it. 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars A fan's tale of pop's biggest retrospective stars, June 5, 2008 By  hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    Given the giant family tree of pop bands who trace their lineage back to Big Star, their initial failure to gain commercial traction is remembered more in well-worn stories than in emotional memories. Those few who latched onto Big Star's two key albums at the time of their early-70s release may hold onto the sense memory of the band's celebrated obscurity, but for most, the Big Star story was learned after the fact. Author Rob Jovanovic has done an admirable job of connecting the dots that form the group's oft-repeated career low-lights, and fleshing out the individual band members (and the group's coterie) as human's behind the retrospective pop gods. Jovanovic faced down several daunting problems in writing and publishing this book. First, the band's initial career was short and their output small, so the central part of the story arc wouldn't fill a book. Second, the band's principal singer and songwriter, Alex Chilton, declined to be interviewed by Jovanovic (quotes from Chilton are drawn from another writer's earlier interview). Jovanovic had to hurdle the group's lack of commercial breakthrough, and thus the relatively limited appeal of a band history. (Their ancestral place in rock history may be secure, and their in-the-know following may be big, but to the mass audience, they're still a cult band.) The shortness of their first run was solved by providing the group member's pre-Big Star work as valuable context; in Chilton's case, coming off a chart-topping career with the Box Tops, there's a great deal of material. In addition, the members, particularly Chilton again, had post-Big Star careers whose exploration provides informative echoes of the Big Star experience. More than a third of the book covers Chilton and co-songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Chris Bell's post-Big Star careers. That Jovanovic convinced a publisher to take on the project is perhaps the most impressive feat of all. Particularly because his finished product is squarely aimed at the band's fans, those who have the albums, have seen the reunion shows, and still struggle to really understand and feel the group's troubled origin. His interviews with band members, production staff and others provide a catalog of terrific details about the recording of the group's albums, and help to untangle the Bell-Chilton songwriting credits. He offers finely detailed accounts of how the album covers of "#1 Record" and "Radio City" came to be, and he turns up information on pre-album and unreleased recordings. His explanation of why the song "O My Soul" is in mono (on an otherwise stereo album) clears up a mystery that's dogged listeners for 30 years. At the heart of the book is the failure of Big Star's debut, and its particular impact on Chris Bell. Javanovic follows Bell's slide and departure from the group (and his eventual erasing of the album's 16-track masters), in one of rock's less happy stories. The fallout of Big Star's commercial failure, though mostly limited in scope to the group, its immediate attendees and their posthumous third album, is surprisingly long-lasting. The book is well researched and competently written (though it's not a real page-turner, even for fans). The closing chapter provides a great description of how the author investigated and pieced together the story. The use of lengthy end-notes is distracting, as they're either outside the scope of the book, or material that should have been worked into the mainline text. The use of British spellings (apparently native to the author) is also distracting and feels academic in a book about a band from Memphis. This is an informative read for fans of the band, but not an invitation to fanship; the original albums are a much livelier introduction to the band's genius. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 3.0 out of 5 stars Big Star gets some much deserved attention One of my favorite bands from my college days. This book is the most info about Big Star that I've ever seen in one place. Read more Published 4 months ago by Diana L. Mercer 5.0 out of 5 stars At long last, a well-researched & well-written Big Star bio! I was thrilled to stumble across this book in an indie record store last month, and although I should have bought it on the spot, I decided to cash in an Amazon gift cert I had to... Read more Published on June 11, 2007 by Doug Edmunds 5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome! Rob Jovanovic did an awesome job here. The is a great & well researched read - He's Interviewed basically everyone worth interviewing (except for Alex Chilton as Chilton wasn't... Read more Published on December 28, 2006 by G. DaPonte 5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for the Power Pop Fan This book covers just about everything you'd want to know about Big Star and all of the major players associated with the band. Read more Published on August 26, 2006 by Data Guy 4.0 out of 5 stars Fine history of a great band This book is exhaustively researched and a thourough history of a great rock band. The fame eluded them but people in the know endow Big Star with a mythical status. Read more Published on January 8, 2006 by Nancy D. Morris 5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ FOR ANY ROCK MUSIC FAN This book is by far the best "rock group biography" I have ever read. Rob Jovanovic has crafted the history of rock music's greatest and most mythical irony, Big Star. Read more Published on January 4, 2006 by John T. McMullan 2.0 out of 5 stars Informational but not inspired - for fans only The book provides believable and sometimes fascinating information, and the author is to be commended for getting this hard-sell published. Read more Published on December 18, 2005 by The Sleak Strider 4.0 out of 5 stars You *don't* get what you deserve One reviewer states that this book is a "glorification of recklessness, failure, and self-indulgence". Read more Published on October 26, 2005 by Elliot F. Chodkowski 5.0 out of 5 stars The subtitle says it all Big Star. They could never escape their ironic name. Founded by Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Andy Hummel and Jody Stephens, they appeared to be poised to take the rock world by storm... Read more Published on August 29, 2005 by Wayne Klein Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press (September 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556525966
• ISBN-13: 978-1556525964
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #175,148 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Meticulously Documented But Ultimately Sad Tale, August 15, 2005

By	Eric Collins (Fairlawn, OH United States) - See all my reviews

Rob Jovanovic deserves tremendous praise for stubbornly promoting his idea of a Big Star bio to publishers for years until one thankfully and finally said "yes." The result is a well-crafted and highly-detailed account of the power pop pioneers from Memphis. Jovanovic interviewed just about anyone who ever played a role in the band's existence, other than (obviously) the late Chris Bell, and the dour Alex Chilton. Bell emerges as the tragic hero of the story, while Chilton ultimately appears amazingly detached both emotionally and professionally.

My assumption listening to the records way back when was that Big Star had probably lived the typical band story - four friends who grow up together, spend years forging their craft together, and finally getting the chance to make a record. It turns out that Big Star's real story was quite different...two members going to the same school, or two jamming with a certain friend for a while...but the quartet we know as the "classic" Big Star lineup basically just falls together, records an album and a few demo songs for a follow-up, and then ends, with a grand total of seven gigs together. As a long-time fan of their music, I'm a little disappointed to learn this, so the book leaves me better informed but inevitably sadder. But if you want the Big Star story and all the details, buy this book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Afterwards, at the very least, you'll want to listen to (or buy) all three original Big Star records., July 26, 2005

By	A. C. Myers (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been a fan since the Rykodisc release of Sister/Lovers in 1992 during my first year at college. This record is still a devastating, amazing thing of beauty. Alternating tracks can lift you up, then break your heart, and the effect is depressive but very real. It's a sort of lived in, well-earned heartache that echoes to this day. Alex Chilton is a genius. However, I saw him perform the next year, and I was disapointed in his perfunctory performance, which only included two Big Star songs. May I never have to hear Volare, in Italian or otherwise, again.

I had read enough about Big Star over the years to know their backstory, but I was intrigued by Rob Jovanovic's book length treatment. I had just read his book on Pavement, Perfect Sound Forever, and both books' strength lie in the amount of interviews he conducted with everyone involved. In fact, I might even have preferred an oral history of both bands, since their voices come through even stronger than the author's, most of the time. Nevertheless, he deserves great credit for the access he provides us to everyone who ever spent time at Ardent Studios during the 1970's. The story of Big Star is almost as sad as their third record, and you can feel the palpable disapointment of the young Chris Bell and Alex Chilton (at a point when they were still in their early 20s) at the bad luck they experienced in trying to translate sterling record reviews into sales (and the awful record distribution that hamstrung every effort).

Afterwards, at the very least, you'll want to listen to (or buy) all three original Big Star records. And then you'll want to go to Memphis, if you haven't already. The music of Big Star deserves, and even demands it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fan's tale of pop's biggest retrospective stars, June 5, 2008

By	hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Given the giant family tree of pop bands who trace their lineage back to Big Star, their initial failure to gain commercial traction is remembered more in well-worn stories than in emotional memories. Those few who latched onto Big Star's two key albums at the time of their early-70s release may hold onto the sense memory of the band's celebrated obscurity, but for most, the Big Star story was learned after the fact. Author Rob Jovanovic has done an admirable job of connecting the dots that form the group's oft-repeated career low-lights, and fleshing out the individual band members (and the group's coterie) as human's behind the retrospective pop gods.

Jovanovic faced down several daunting problems in writing and publishing this book. First, the band's initial career was short and their output small, so the central part of the story arc wouldn't fill a book. Second, the band's principal singer and songwriter, Alex Chilton, declined to be interviewed by Jovanovic (quotes from Chilton are drawn from another writer's earlier interview). Jovanovic had to hurdle the group's lack of commercial breakthrough, and thus the relatively limited appeal of a band history. (Their ancestral place in rock history may be secure, and their in-the-know following may be big, but to the mass audience, they're still a cult band.) The shortness of their first run was solved by providing the group member's pre-Big Star work as valuable context; in Chilton's case, coming off a chart-topping career with the Box Tops, there's a great deal of material. In addition, the members, particularly Chilton again, had post-Big Star careers whose exploration provides informative echoes of the Big Star experience. More than a third of the book covers Chilton and co-songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Chris Bell's post-Big Star careers.

That Jovanovic convinced a publisher to take on the project is perhaps the most impressive feat of all. Particularly because his finished product is squarely aimed at the band's fans, those who have the albums, have seen the reunion shows, and still struggle to really understand and feel the group's troubled origin. His interviews with band members, production staff and others provide a catalog of terrific details about the recording of the group's albums, and help to untangle the Bell-Chilton songwriting credits. He offers finely detailed accounts of how the album covers of "#1 Record" and "Radio City" came to be, and he turns up information on pre-album and unreleased recordings. His explanation of why the song "O My Soul" is in mono (on an otherwise stereo album) clears up a mystery that's dogged listeners for 30 years.

At the heart of the book is the failure of Big Star's debut, and its particular impact on Chris Bell. Javanovic follows Bell's slide and departure from the group (and his eventual erasing of the album's 16-track masters), in one of rock's less happy stories. The fallout of Big Star's commercial failure, though mostly limited in scope to the group, its immediate attendees and their posthumous third album, is surprisingly long-lasting. The book is well researched and competently written (though it's not a real page-turner, even for fans). The closing chapter provides a great description of how the author investigated and pieced together the story. The use of lengthy end-notes is distracting, as they're either outside the scope of the book, or material that should have been worked into the mainline text. The use of British spellings (apparently native to the author) is also distracting and feels academic in a book about a band from Memphis. This is an informative read for fans of the band, but not an invitation to fanship; the original albums are a much livelier introduction to the band's genius. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]