Big Star: The Story of Rock's Forgotten Band: Revised & Updated Edition - Softcover

Jovanovic, Rob

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1908279362 ISBN 13: 9781908279361

Publisher: Jawbone, 2013

Synopsis

We've sort of flirted with greatness, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck admitted. But we've yet to make a record as good as Big Star's Third. Although Big Star were together for less than four years and had little commercial success, the influence of their three original albums - numbered 1 "Record", "Radio City", and "Third" - continues to grow. Big Star bucked all the musical trends of the 70s. In an era of glam and prog rock they wrote catchy, radio-friendly power-pop tunes that remain influential today. Artists as diverse as Primal Scream, R.E.M., The Bangles, The Posies, Teenage Fanclub, Jeff Buckley, and Wilco have spoken about the Big Star legacy. In the decade since the original version of this book was published, Big Star have made a belated fourth album, "In Space", and released an acclaimed four-disc retrospective, "Keep An Eye On The Sky". The band have also lost two original members, an influential producer, and the photographer of their iconic logo. But interest in the group is as high as ever in the 21st century, with new bands such as Yo La Tengo and Hot Chip - and even pop superstar Katy Perry - carrying the flame. Now fully updated, and drawing on firsthand interviews with the band, family members, friends, and the major players at Ardent Records, this is the definitive history of rock's forgotten band.

About this title

Review:

‘Devotees of Big Star often bewail the band’s failiure to win popular acclaim, even though their influence has been carried forward in the work of REM, Primal Scream and Teenage Fanclub. A quick whizz through the Big Star story is enough to explain why this ill-fated outfit will always be filled under “damaged and enigmatic”. In between knocking out slices of harmony pop like September Gurls or Thirteen, they travelled to some bleak archipelagos of the soul in the some of the strangest recordings ever made in the name of pop.’ Adam Sweeting, Guardian

About the Author:

Rob Jovanovic is the author of numerous books on such diverse subjects as Pavement and Kate Bush, Beck and George Michael, R.E.M. and The Kinks. His books have been published in ten countries and in nine different languages. He is also a contributor to magazines including Mojo and Uncut. He lives just outside Nottingham.

About this edition

• Publisher: Jawbone
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1908279362
• ISBN 13: 9781908279361
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304