Omnivore's Looking Forward: The Roots of Big Star Featuring Chris Bell was the first of several planned releases from the Grammy Award-winning label showcasing the talents of Big Star co-founder Bell, who passed away in 1978. The label recently announced their next two Bell projects: a new expanded edition of the quintessential Bell collection I Am The Cosmos, and a definitive archive of his work as a 6LP box set.

Prior to Rykodisc's I Am The Cosmos in 1992, only two of the tracks (the title cut and "You and Your Sister") were released during Bell's lifetime; both tracks were pressed on a single released shortly before a car crash took the Memphis hero's life. (Much of it was recorded long before that, after Bell departed Big Star and decamped to Paris in 1974 and 1975.) In 2009, Rhino Records issued a double-disc Cosmos that featured not only alternate versions and mixes of the album's original tracks but also cuts by Bell's pre-Big Star bands Icewater and Rock City for context. As those tracks (and more) are now a part of Looking Forward, this new double-disc edition sweetens the deal with another 10 tracks, most previously unreleased. Compilation producer Alec Palao and writer Bob Mehr provide liner notes, and a clear vinyl version of the original album (the first release of this material on the format in years) will ship day and date alongside the 2CD set.

The material of Looking Forward and I Am The Cosmos will also be featured on a comprehensive vinyl box set, The Complete Chris Bell, to be released later this fall. That set includes the vinyl premiere of Looking Forward (reconfigured to include only the Icewater and Wallabys tracks, plus Bell's solo "Psychedelic Stuff"); a separate vinyl debut of the material from Rock City, See Seven Cities; the I Am The Cosmos vinyl (as well as the material from the bonus disc on two LPs); and, exclusive to this set, a newly-discovered career-spanning interview with Bell, conducted by journalist Barry Ballard in 1975 and sourced from his own personal copy of the conversation.

Palao and Mehr again offer notes for the box (alongside an excerpt from Rich Tupica's forthcoming biography of Bell), all tracks are remastered by Michael Graves, vinyl was cut at Ardent Studios by Chris Jackson and Adam Hill, and Palao, Hill and Omnivore head Cheryl Pawelski serve as the box set's producers, with the full cooperation of Bell's estate (as run by his brother David). I Am The Cosmos is back in print September 15, while The Complete Chris Bell is available November 24!

I Am The Cosmos: Deluxe Edition (Omnivore, 2017)

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada (TBD) / Amazon U.K. (TBD)
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada (TBD) / Amazon U.K. (TBD)

* previously unreleased

Disc 1

1. I Am The Cosmos (Original Single Version)
2. Better Save Yourself
3. Speed of Sound
4. Get Away
5. You and Your Sister (Original Single Version)
6. I Kinda Got Lost
7. Look Up
8. Make a Scene
9. There Was a Light
10. I Don't Know
11. Fight At the Table
12. Though I Know She Lies
13. I Am The Cosmos (Acoustic Mix) *
14. You and Your Sister (Acoustic Version)
15. Look Up (Acoustic Movie Mix) *
16. Untitled Acoustic Instrumental (Movie Mix)

Disc 2

1. I Am The Cosmos (Extended Alternate Version)
2. Better Save Yourself (Alternate Mix)
3. Speed of Sound (Alternate Version)
4. Get Away (Alternate Version)
5. You and Your Sister (Alternate Version)
6. Make a Scene (Alternate Mix)
7. Fight At the Table (Alternate Mix)
8. I Don't Know (Alternate Version)
9. Speed of Sound (Alternate Version Backing Track) *
10. Stay with Me (with Keith Sykes)
11. In My Darkest Hour (with Nancy Bryan)
12. So Long Baby (a.k.a. Clacton Rag)
13. Fight At the Table (Outtake with Partial Vocal) *
14. You and Your Sister ("Country" Underdub Mix)
15. Get Away (Outtake Track) *
16. Better Save Yourself (Outtake Track) *
17. I Am The Cosmos (Alternate Backing Track with Piano) *
18. Untitled Electric Instrumental (Movie Mix) *
19. Though I Know She Lies (Movie Mix) *

Disc 1, Tracks 1 and 5 released as Car Records single CRR6, 1978
Disc 1, Tracks 1-12 and 14 and Disc 2, Track 14 released as I Am The Cosmos - Rykodisc RCD-10222, 1992
Disc 1, Track 16 released on "Jesus Christ" 10" EP - Omnivore OVS10-153, 2015
Disc 2, Tracks 1-8 and 10-12 released on I Am The Cosmos: Deluxe Edition - Rhino Handmade RHM2 521305, 2009

The Complete Chris Bell (Omnivore, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada (TBD) / Amazon U.K. (TBD))

LP 1: Looking Forward: The Roots of Big Star (originally released on Omnivore OVCD-223, 2017)

1. All I See is You - Icewater
2. Looking Forward - Icewater
3. The Reason - The Wallabys
4. Oh My Soul (Backing Track) - Icewater
5. Feeling High (Alternate Backing Track) - The Wallabys
6. Feeling High - The Wallabys
7. Sunshine - Icewater
8. Psychedelic Stuff - Chris Bell
9. A Chance to Live - Icewater
10. Germany (Backing Track) - Icewater
11. All I See is You (Alternate Backing Track) - Icewater

LP 2: Rock City, See Seven States (originally released as Rock City - Lucky Seven Records CD-9209, 2000

1. I Think It's Time to Say Goodbye
2. I Lost a Love
3. The Wind Will Cry for Me
4. My Life is Right
5. Lovely Lady
6. The Answer
7. Introduction
8. Sunday Organ
9. The Preacher
10. Shine On Me
11. Try Again (Original Mix) *

LP 3: I Am The Cosmos (originally released on Rykodisc RCD-10222, 1992)

1. I Am The Cosmos (Original Single Version)
2. Better Save Yourself
3. Speed of Sound
4. Get Away
5. Make a Scene
6. Look Up
7. I Kinda Got Lost
8. There Was a Light
9. Fight At the Table
10. I Don't Know
11. Though I Know She Lies
12. You and Your Sister (Original Single Version)

LP 4: Outtakes & Alternates, Volume 1

1. I Am The Cosmos (Extended Alternate Version)
2. Better Save Yourself (Alternate Mix)
3. Speed of Sound (Alternate Version)
4. Get Away (Alternate Version)
5. You and Your Sister (Alternate Version)
6. Make a Scene (Alternate Mix)
7. Look Up (Acoustic Movie Mix)
8. Fight At the Table (Alternate Mix)
9. I Don't Know (Alternate Version)
10. Speed of Sound (Alternate Version Backing Track)

LP 5: Outtakes & Alternates, Volume 2

1. You and Your Sister (Acoustic Version)
2. Untitled Acoustic Instrumental (Movie Mix)
3. Stay with Me (with Keith Sykes)
4. In My Darkest Hour (with Nancy Bryan)
5. So Long Baby (a.k.a. Clacton Rag)
6. Fight At the Table (Outtake with Partial Vocal)
7. You and Your Sister ("Country" Underdub Mix)
8. Get Away (Outtake Track)
9. Better Save Yourself (Outtake Track)
10. I Am The Cosmos (Alternate Backing Track with Piano)
11. Untitled Electric Instrumental (Movie Mix)

LP 6: Interview with Barry Ballard, London, 1977

1. Interview (Part 1) *
2. Interview (Part 2) *
3. Though I Know She Lies (Movie Mix)
4. I Am The Cosmos (Acoustic Version)