View Poll Results: Please rate the album

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  • 1 out of 5. (Not a chance mate I'd sooner listen to the St. Winifred's School Choir!)

    0 0%
  • 2 out of 5.

    4 25.00%
  • 3 out of 5.

    7 43.75%
  • 4 out of 5.

    3 18.75%
  • 5 out of 5. (I want to marry the lead singer and have his babies)

    2 12.50%
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Thread: Album Club: 25.10.2011: Big Star - #1 Record

  1. #1
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Lancaster(-ish), UK

    Posts: 16,937
    I'm ChrisB.

    Default Album Club: 25.10.2011: Big Star - #1 Record

    Album Club: 25.10.2011: Big Star - #1 Record 1972 (CD, Vinyl)



    Spotify Link: http://open.spotify.com/album/7c7fb4wBhQplfee6jWl4Ok

    Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_1_Record

    This is the first of three studio albums from Big Star. It was released to universal acclaim from the critics but the record company managed to mess up the distribution and so hardly anyone was able to buy a copy.

    Alex Chilton and Chris Bell set out to become the Lennon/McCartney of Memphis but were also heavily influenced by other British bands like the The Kinks. There's also a big element of The Byrds in there.

    I stumbled on a Big Star compilation album when I was about 15 and was struck by the quality of the songs - they were one of those bands that seem able to make music that you feel like you've known all your life right from the first time you hear it. The songs from this album and the follow up, 'Radio City' have been staples in my listening diet since that day & I've never tired of them for one minute. The third album 'Third/Sister Lovers' is also good and has some important songs on it but is a little more patchy than the first two. If you're thinking of buying the album, then there's a useful twofer CD which couples '#1 Record' with their second album 'Radio City'

    The album was recorded quite quickly after the band were signed and it contains a heady mixture of perfect pop songs and great vocal harmonies on tracks like 'The Ballad of el Goodo' coupled with the second side (starting at track 7 - 'When My Baby's Beside Me' remember when records had two sides?!) that shows a little despair creeping into the lyrics. This builds up to a pretty distraught mood in 'Try Again', which is kind of released in the next track 'Watch The Sunrise' with it's lovely shimmering acoustic guitar and slightly more hopeful lyrical feel.

    The influence on other musicians of these albums has been pretty enormous (REM & Jeff Buckley to name just two) and yet they still remain a fairly obscure band. I suspect that many Album Club folks won't know this album at all, so dip in to 'Number 1 Record' and see what you think. If, however, you do know it, you'll probably love it like I do, so here's a great excuse to play it again once or twice...........or more!

  2. #2
    Join Date: Feb 2011

    Location: Sarf Lunnon

    Posts: 2,068
    I'm Dave.

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    I have seen this album a lot in the second hand section of my local record shop.

    I heard it many years ago but will listen again with gusto and report back forthwith...
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    Dave

  3. #3
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 31,846
    I'm openingabottleofwine.

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    I have a copies of both '#1 Record" and 'Radio City', through the kind courtesy a fellow member.

    My first reaction when I first heard '#1 Record' was "this sounds like an American group doing 'Brit-pop' ". The influence of British groups such as the Beatles, the Small Faces and the Kinks is immediate and obvious. At times there are touches reminiscent of Supertramp.

    I like it - good straightforward pop and nothing wrong with that; though it is a disc I am only likely to play occasionally.

    So for '#1 Record' I will give it a score of 3/5.
    Last edited by Barry; 25-10-2011 at 18:35. Reason: Factual errors removed
    Barry

  4. #4
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Cricklewood

    Posts: 9,074
    I'm ILOB.

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    A bit to pop for me but as pop goes this is quite good in places
    Lacks a bit of consistency to turn it into a great album for me but overall a nice listen not sure to give it a 2 or 3 yet
    Loves anything from Pain of Salvation to Jeff Buckley to Django to Sarasate to Surinder Sandhu to Shawn Lane to Nick Drake to Rush to Beth Hart to Kate Bush to Rodrigo Y Gabriela to The Hellecasters to Dark Sanctury to Ben Harper to Karicus to Dream Theater to Zero Hour to Al DiMeola to Larry Carlton to Derek Trucks to Govt Mule to?

    Humour: One of the few things worth taking seriously

  5. #5
    Join Date: May 2011

    Location: Somewhere

    Posts: 1,863
    I'm Paul.

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    Never heard this before but aware of it's following. The love for Big Star beats me based on this listen. I felt I had heard most of these tunes before. Alex Chilton was a master plagueriser 25 years before Oasis. Mr N Gallagher at least can cobble together more memorable tunes. Looks like they tried to take bits of late 60's to early 70's british psych/pop and rock and mashed it all together. It works in places while many tracks are rather leaden. Generaly nicely recorded as is typical of the period.

    Listened via Spotify but not tempted to purchase this to listen in enhanced SQ which may improve things. Due to lack of standout tunes and originality I can only give this a 2/5.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Cheshire

    Posts: 1,180
    I'm Barry.

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    Never heard of Big Star and was pleasantly surprised, I do like pop tunes having been a kid in the 60's. This album is like a parody of many groups and if the lyrics had been silly then that is what it would have been, however its not and I'll definitely listen a few more times.
    3/5 from me.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Coventry

    Posts: 3,039
    I'm Will.

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    An interesting choice Chris, I had heard of Big Star but had not actually heard them...

    I can see the appeal, if you are a fan of power pop, the Byrds and Faces were obviously big influences, but it doesn't quite capture the best parts of either...for me anyway

    I'd say 'In the Street' is probably the standout track, but I suppose the acid test is would I buy it if I spotted it in a charity shop? And I'd have to say no.

    Probably a good example of the genre, and probably an influence on the likes of Tom Petty & Cheap Trick, but it's not a style of music that engages me.

    Probably 2.5 out of 5, so err...2
    Cheers, Will

  8. #8
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Sheffield

    Posts: 2,026
    I'm Confused.

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    Not really my 'cup of tea' but a friend sent me a hi-res iso image of this to play in foobar (chosen because it was the smallest he had) - anyone interested in a copy?
    Dave.
    DaveK.

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  9. #9
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Cheshire

    Posts: 1,180
    I'm Barry.

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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveK View Post
    Not really my 'cup of tea' but a friend sent me a hi-res iso image of this to play in foobar (chosen because it was the smallest he had) - anyone interested in a copy?
    Dave.
    yes please Dave, PM

  10. #10
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Lancaster(-ish), UK

    Posts: 16,937
    I'm ChrisB.

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    Well, it seems as though this is the slowest moving Album Club offering yet - Maybe not so many people know the album, so there aren't too many with an already formed opinion of it.
    I hope it's just because of my crap taste in music & not that folks are bored of the thread concept.
    Last edited by The Grand Wazoo; 26-10-2011 at 21:20.

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