For years, fans of power pop have had their Magna Carta of a CD: Fantasy Records' two-fer of Big Star's #1 Record and Radio City, the primary records issued by the legendary Memphis band. On September 2, that configuration changes with the release of both albums newly remastered on individual discs.
Both albums will be newly remastered from the original analog tapes (approved by original engineer/Ardent Records founder John Fry and allowing for Mastered for iTunes/24-bit hi-res downloads) and will be accompanied by new liner notes by Mike Mills, R.E.M.'s former bassist.
Taken together, #1 Record and Radio City are touchstones of Beatlesesque, visceral, beautiful pop courtesy of frontman Alex Chilton (who'd rose to fame as the young, powerful voice behind The Box Tops' "The Letter") and singer/guitarist Chris Bell. Together with bassist Andy Hummel and drummer Jody Stephens, they earned immense acclaim for #1 Record (despite no sales to match); Bell departed shortly thereafter, and equally celebrated Radio City was recorded as a trio. (A third, semi-released album has been repackaged over the years; other compilations have since followed.)
Though the sales never matched, this is a bold new chance for fans to discover or rediscover the two albums that established Big Star as masters of their craft. Pre-order #1 Record (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) and Radio City (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) today!
#1 Record (originally released as Ardent ADS-2803, 1972 - reissued Stax, 2014)
- Feel
- The Ballad of El Goodo
- In the Street
- Thirteen
- Don't Lie to Me
- The India Song
- When My Baby's Beside Me
- My Life is Right
- Give Me Another Chance
- Try Again
- Watch the Sunrise
- ST 100/6
Radio City (originally released as Ardent ADS-1501, 1974 - reissued Stax, 2014)
- O My Soul
- Life is White
- Way Out West
- What's Going Ahn
- You Get What You Deserve
- Mod Lang
- Back of a Car
- Daisy Glaze
- She's a Mover
- September Gurls
- Morpha Too
- I'm in Love with a Girl
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This seems like a solution to a problem that did not exist. These two albums have been continuously in print for years and I can't imagine too many more people will be buying them now that they've been reissued yet again in a more expensive, yet not deluxe, configuration… new liner notes or not.
Couldn't agree more....what's the point?...."new mastering"....zzzzzzz
I'm always happy to see the audience for Big Star grow, but I don't really see the point of these reissues, either, except to capitalize on all the publicity related to Chilton's death, the box set, the documentary film, and the Chilton biography. Nice to see someone making money from the Big Star/Chilton legacy; it's shame Alex couldn't have reaped the benefits while he was still with us.
It's weird to be remastered since it was already remastered a few years ago in a SACD format.
If it needed remastering, fine. But it seems like a blatant money grab to break-up a perfectly good two-fer and not even give us the bonus tracks (single mix of "In the Street" and single edit of "O My Soul").
Supposedly, these remasters will not be brickwalled.
Any opportunity to expose this music to a new generation of fans shouldn't be dismissed. These obviously aren't intended for those already familiar with Big Star's music, but I like the idea of the uninitiated discovering them via these new remasters. They're not the first artist to repackage existing albums and they deserve all the promotion they can get.
If you'll indulge me in a little bit of related self-promotion, I wrote a single-post entry on the Big Star discography at my blog two years ago. It was a great opportunity for me to rediscover (and reinvigorate my love for) their music. For anyone who's curious, here's a link to that post:
http://kamertunesblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/b-sides-the-point-big-star/
I think I bought the first two-fer which was missing a few tracks. Then I bought the next two-fer with the missing tracks. I bought both re-issues on vinyl. Then I bought an import of the first album and it actually is too loud. I like the idea of these as stand alone records.
They are two separate albums with different line-ups. If the remastering is good I will buy them again.
brickwalled?
He means brick wall limiting.
Um, these were released as separate CDs around 2009. There was even a tracking error at the start of September Gurls, of all songs. Went back to the 2fer.
pay more, get less. The real world in 2014, land of Barack Insane Obama.
What the f*ck does any of this have to do with Obama?....that's an insane remark
I downloaded the 24 bit versions from HDtracks, They sound great. Big Star really did remind me a lot of Badfinger.
Oh by the way Mark Schlesinger, you reveal your self to be a dimwit.