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Big Star (band): Difference between revisions
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With ''#1 Record'' bombing in stores thanks to Stax's horrendous distribution, [[Creative Differences|tension and fights erupted between bandmates]], to the point that Bell left the band towards the end of 1972. Chilton, Hummel and Stephens carried on as Big Star and recorded another album with Fry once again in the producer's chair, ''Radio City''. In contrast to the polished production of ''#1'', ''City'' had a more chaotic edge to it, drawing more on The Who than The Beatles and with more [[Word Salad Lyrics]]. ''City'' bombed just as hard in stores due to a dispute between Stax and its distributor Columbia Records, but still produced at least one classic power pop song, "September Gurls" (later covered by many including [[The Bangles]]).
Tired of the lack of success, Hummel left the band after ''City'''s release, choosing to finish his final year at college instead. Undaunted, Chilton and Stephens re-entered the studio with new [[Record Producer]] Jim Dickinson and several session musicians. Plenty of material resulted from the sessions, but record label interest was not forthcoming. Big Star finally broke up in late 1974, and their third album ''Third/Sister Lovers'' was finally released in 1978, and later re-released by Rykodisc in 1992 with [[Limited Special Collectors' Ultimate Edition|additional tracks]]. [[Adaptation Expansion|The 1992 edition has basically supplanted the earlier version]].
''Third'' served to only amplify the messy sprawl of ''City'', with its material taking a much [[Darker and Edgier|bleaker and more desperate tone]], reflecting Chilton's dissatisfaction with years of being fucked around by incompetent record companies. ''Third'''s critically acclaimed material largely alternated between chaotic, rough power pop and bleak, haunted ballads, but it still managed to provide a few more songs judged as "classics", such as the depressing ballads "Big Black Car", "Kangaroo" and "Holocaust" and the oddball Christmas-themed power pop "Jesus Christ", which became a mainstay on college radio stations every December.
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