Thoughts on Big Star


I've read a little about Big Star after getting two of their songs on a southern music CD sampler. I really like "For You" and "Stroke it Noel". After sampling some of their other stuff I found that I also like "September Gurls".

I really like those three songs but I'm having a hard time finding other stuff of theirs that I like.

Just wondering if anyone else is into them, which albums you might like best, which songs you like best, best approach to getting into them, which recordings/format you prefer? 

They seem to have been one of those 'influential' bands with critical acclaim and with a strong but small following. Sometimes I find that I just don't see the magic in some 'cult' bands of that sort but liking the three songs mentioned above I feel like they might be worth getting to know. My only streaming is low end iTunes....for now.
n80
Big Star is one of my favorite bands and has been for nearly forty years. I consider all three of their studio albums essential--#1 Record, Radio City, and Third/Sister Lovers. All three albums sound very different, and I like them all. They are not audiophile recordings, but they are also not "lo fi."

If you like those songs, there will likely be others you will also enjoy, but since these things are ultimately subjective, it is really impossible to say for sure.

You can get the first two albums on one CD for less than twenty bucks. That's a place to start. But the surreal, dreamy strangeness of the third record also needs to be experienced. I've never heard another record quite like it.

Take the plunge!
 
Walter, thanks for your response. Time to search for some used CDs.

The dynamic range database shows decent recordings of all three of these!
Big Star and Radio City are also available on recently remastered vinyl. The next major band that wasn't to be, due mainly to record company mis-management.
I heard "September Gurls" many years ago and liked it a lot. Its was on an old compilation CD from a music group over at the old Audio Review Forum. I've still got that compilation CD, from back in the late '90's. It's since been part of my regular playlists rotation.

Good stuff and I'll have to check out the albums from Big Star.