From Big Star's No 1 Record, no that's actually what they called it (#1 Record (1972)), were a collection of brisk two minute evergreen power pop songs marked by their greatest number, a delicate number called Thirteen. The track is a autumnal nostalgia laden folk tune that references Rolling Stones' Paint It Black; it is simultaneously an ode to the early days of Rock N Roll and a hopeful bid for the future. The finger picked hammer ons pop off against a serene vocal, but the harmonies sweeping in like a rolling tide are the track's key selling point; the group vocals seem to oscillate like a tremolo filter and match numbers like the Beatles' Here There and Everywhere and the Dave Clark Five's Because for most heavenly harmonies by beat group. The song will just rock your world in it's open hearted romanticism and desperate plea for love and peace; this isn't lush or mellow but raw sensitivity and sincerity delivered with great poise by lead singer Alex Chilton.
It's truly a fantastic album, the opening number sounds like Rush two years before that group would come along with it's outer space gigantic arena rock sound, though the Beatles' esque-isms (???) are never far away. The Ballad of El Goodo rivals the Eagles with it's bright effervescent electro-acoustic ringin out in a small echo chamber at the start before breaking it to full on rock band awesomeness; all vocals and guitars are in clear cut quality. Their balance of studio polish and solid pop rock perfectionism would've steered them well in the late 70s 'Corporate Rock' era, sadly they lost some of that steam and were outshone by bands like Boston and Foreigner. In the Street was the theme tune to That 70s Show but it was performed by Cheap Trick for the show, here it appears in it's cleaner melodious Beatlesque sound to lesser effect. The soaring lead guitar tones that animate Don't Lie to Me were nothing new, while the India Song is a strange one; a mix of pastoral flute, tambourine and a whole lotta of emptyheaded Hippy rhetoric about going there simply to fix the problems at home.
When My Baby's Beside Me is pure candy sugar shot power pop but with some Hard Day's Night chords and vibes and some truly spectacular lead guitar lines. My Life is Right is one of the best with a country folk rocker style with angelic lead vocals sung crisp and high and explosive drum rolls; its a proper addictive harmonious central melody. Give Me Another Chance pretty much rips off the tune before it, it has the same melody of My Life is Right and a pretty similar message like their two halves of the same song, where did the first song end and the second one begin. Try Again reminds me of Stealers Wheel with the Gerry Rafferty styled vibrato and the country bottleneck steel guitar playing, Watch the Sunrise is a dancing around the Maypole pop rocker with Rustic country music performed in a cold studio vacuum of perfection; interesting dichotomy. St 110/6, a 50 second tune ends this Beatles influenced album with another Beatles influenced number though a bit pointless considering writing this sentence took longer than listening to the track. Bonus In the Street now appears in a more rockier single version but still lacks the bite and punch of Cheap Thrills which spelled the 70s out more
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