Big Star

                I wrote a long, beautiful fucking post about Big Star and I fucking hit paste instead of copy at some point and destroyed the whole fucking thing.  So what I'm left with is exhaustion, and some kick-ass links.  What I was trying to say was that up until a year ago, I had no idea that Big Star carried the influence that they do.  They didn't just put out a couple of masterpiece albums while facing utter commercial failure only to become hugely popular... MORE

There's been a lot of great rock records made. Electric guitar songs have been a part of our legacy for more than half a century. Everybody knows that. A lesser known fact (opinion) is that back in 1973, Big Star made the very best guitar rock recording that will ever occur. "Radio City" was released to little fanfare. Few trade publications made much of the release. Just another rock record amongst the thousands. I picked it up when first released. the cover pic with al... MORE

TheBenson Makes a good point here.  Several good points in fact.  One need not be a fan of Bruce Springsteen (for instance) to recognize that he has talent.  And there are many who think that this "rock god" is overrated, or that blues giant is overrated,  etc etc etc.  And indeed, many "blues fans" who checked out Robert Johnson based on Eric Clapton's cue, came away disappointed, shaking their heads, ..."hell, Clapton is better than that"  Just as many of R.E.M.'s fan... MORE

A few weeks ago, I was chatting with a few long-time MOGgers who haven't been very active here in a while, and talked about why we've drifted away. Most felt that the sense of community the MOG enjoyed had eroded, but none of us knew what to do about it. Then one of our own, the great Dane himself, suggested we get back to doing what we did to make MOG our online home in the first place. You know, post our musical musings, and comment frequently on each others' posts, as... MORE

To me...this is just the perfect rock/pop song. It's perfect...I wouldn't change a single note or a single word. All hail Alex Chilton!

Great song by a great band... Big Star! This band has inspired so many pop rock bands.

This is atrack from an influential but not terribly popular group called Big Star from the early seventies.It is fronted by Alex Chilton formerly of the Box Tops.With this group and as a solo artist he has created a great array of great songs over his long career-he was sixteen when he had the hit The Letter.I just wanted to share one of my favorites.

Sometimes life is alright. Brief moments, like when the morning sun pokes through the opened window and you can still smell last night's rain.

i don't know why i love this band so much, i just do. i recently got back in touch with an ex, he was the one who introduced me to this band. this one's for you Big B...

Alex Chilton and Big Star continue to amaze me. I have all three of the albums they released, but STILL I will hear a cover of a song they wrote and have no idea. They had that Velvet Underground like affect on pop music, I think it was Brian Eno who said about the VU that while only a few thousand people bought a Velvet Underground record upon their initial release, almost every single one of them was inspired to start a band. I know what he means when I listen to their r... MORE

Is there a more depressing song than Big Star's "Holocaust"? I mean, the whole of Elliott Smith's discography couldn't touch this song. Hank William's "Alone and Forsaken" isn't a patch on this song. And here's the reason why: these songs deal largely with unreal things, the rough stuff of the mind. They are man moaning meaninglessly, however beautifully they do it. These songs evoke a bad spot, a cold night, too many hours alone in your room listening to the neighb... MORE

ok, consider me addicted to MOG. i'm listening to Thirteen by Big Star and thinking about how my new rec comes out on February 13th and it has 13 songs on it.... i'm nervous about that and scared and totally going through crazy shit right now but i'm listening to music and feeling hopeful.... Alex Chilton. oh yeah. i first heard Big Star when i lived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, about 14 years ago... i remember walking around on my hardwood floors just pacing, and listening.... MORE

it's so freezing today, so i was listening to the Big Star songs on my i-pod to keep my body warm on the way to work. the winter sun even seemed to forget rising above giving a listen to Alex Chilton's heartwarming voice. so peaceful....