Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 11 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
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.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Stellar Music and unbelievable Sound Quality!!, October 28, 2004
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!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Did Any Band Ever Make Two Better Albums Back to Back?, March 1, 2009
After reading about "the greatest band I've never heard of" in Rolling Stone, I decided to check out Big Star's first two albums. The verdict: this band should have ruled the world. Today, while the music of many of their early 70's contemporaries sounds cheesy and dated, Big Star's sounds are absolutely timeless.
Let's talk about "Numer 1 Record." For pure groove, "Feel" rivals Led Zep. "The India Song" is a retro, hippie-dippie slice of the Byrds, while "Watch the Sunrise" is as good of a George Harrison song as George Harrison ever wrote. "Thirteen," is simply one of the purest, most innocent love songs I've ever heard. Yet none of these are my favorite track on the album; that honor goes to the inspired "Ballad of El Goodo." As a lyricist, Alex Chilton will never be mistaken for Leonard Cohen; on "Numer 1 Record" he sometimes tends to fall into the "mad/sad/glad" school of writing, but it simply doesn't matter. His voice is sweet and soulful and gorgeously wounded, and the hooks and harmonies are pure joy.
And "Radio City" is better. This album isn't as consistent as "Number 1," but the variety is even more pronounced and the high moments are simply other-worldly. This album is sortable by sections. The first two tracks "O My Soul" and "Life is White" are a complete departure from "Number 1," and echo the Mephis boogie-woogie of Chilton's roots. "Way Out West" is a brilliant nod to the best of 50's style pop ballad writting - innocence yet lined with desperation - with the ringing guitars of the 60's Brit. bands folded in. "You Get What You Deserve" is a complete one off; it sounds like it was a Steely Dan song written long before Steely Dan was even thought ot. On "What's Going Ahn," "Mod Lang," and "Back of a Car," indie rock springs fully formed out of the side of Alex Chilton's head. After hearing these tracks I could absolutely see why Rolling Stone said bands like the Replacements and Pavement would have been unimaginable without Big Star. By the time "She's a Mover" rolls around the album has built to almost unbelievable heights. This song sounds like a prime cut off of "Rubber Soul" or "Revolver." The icing on the cake is "September Gurls." The Replacements once wrote an awesome song titled "Alex Chilton." The chours goes "I'm in love/ I'm in love/ I'm just in love with that song." My thoughts exactly.
Simply put, this is some of the best pop-music ever. Chilton was on the level of Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson. The fact that Big Star remains so unknown almost makes it sweeter. I never thought I would be able to hear pop songs this good for the first time again.
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