16 Comments
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Chris Zappa's avatar

I somehow slept on Big Star until this past year. Still not sure how that happened exactly. The Replacements was definitely my intro to Alex Chilton.

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Bernard O'Leary's avatar

The most incredible evolution of any band, ever. How to you get from "In The Street" to "Kangaroo" in such a short time?

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Jeremy Shatan's avatar

I talk a little bit about just that subject here: http://anearful.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-bit-like-goodbye-big-star-complete.html#.Y7Wv63bMJPY

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Right?

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Jeremy Shatan's avatar

Fantastic song, such a rush of pleasure! My Chilton journey started with a compilation that made the rounds in college, which included songs like Kangaroo and Like Flies On Sherbet. I was intrigued, but it wasn't until the twofer CD of #1 Record and Radio City came out that I was finally able to hear Big Star at its peak. Been a love affair ever since.

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David Perlmutter's avatar

I'm a Box Tops fan, but haven't looked into Big Star at all. I probably will soon....

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Let me know what you think!

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Steve Goldberg's avatar

I played “I’m in Love with a Girl” in my car on repeat as I drove to my wedding in the Hertz supply rental truck filled with 85 chairs, 10 large umbrellas and, amazingly, a CD player. I wanted it to play as we walked down the aisle but my wife wisely nixed that idea. It’s such a simple song, lyrically, but encompasses the whole world, musically.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Maybe for the best, but it would’ve been a nice change from the usual processional. 😀

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Steve Goldberg's avatar

Oh it wasn’t the usual processional. We had a klezmer trio playing the whole time, even quietly during the vows.

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Steve Goldberg's avatar

“September Gurls” is probably the song that first made me fall for Big Star though. As a “December Boy” I definitely related to the song a bit extra.

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Jen Zug's avatar

First time hearing the song -- I’m a September Gurl married to a December Boy! 🤓

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Arjan Tupan's avatar

Oh! Nice track. And I had no clue which song you wrote about when you wrote about The Letter. Until I played it. That's a classic.

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Thomas Bevilacqua's avatar

One of my absolute favorite bands (though as a would-be contrarian and someone who thinks "You and Your Sister" is maybe the greatest love song ever, I'm more of a Chris Bell guy than an Alex Chilton)

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Good to see some Chris Bell love here!

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Robert C. Gilbert's avatar

Chilton sang with a rougher voice on the Box Tops records than what was his natural singing voice as heard on the Big Star records.

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