Big Star, Keep An Eye On The Sky

Disc Four

The albums fourth disc contains unreleased songs from three sets the band performed at Lafayette’s Music Room in Memphis during January 1973. It’s a perfect time capsule; another morsel to make a more complete meal for those of us who were too young to have been there. #1 Record had just been released, and the material was fresh for all of them. It’s arguably the best Live Big Star available.

“Come On Now,” a Kinks cover, conveys the band’s appreciation for the songwriting of Ray Davies, which deserves more respect in America. Normally Kinks covers are blasphemy, but this lives up to Davies’ genius, and the expectations of fans of Big Star. (Fans will remember that the band covered The Kinks on Third/Sister Lovers with “Til the End of the Day.”) The Flying Burrito Brothers’ “Hot Burrito #2” is also performed with vigor as well as tenderness

And so we come to the end of this box set, but not the end of Big Star, at least in the minds of music fans. Regarding the band’s cult status, drummer and vocalist Jody Stephens has commented, “Sure, it would’ve been nice to have been huge at the time. But, here we are, 30 years later, and Big Star is still playing, our music is turning up in movie soundtracks, and young people are still excited to discover the records. I mean, if that isn’t success, I don’t know what is.”

Big Star have remained active, joining forces with Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer of The Posies, performing live and releasing the 2005 studio album In Space.

Rhino Records released Keep An Eye On The Sky on September 15 and it can be ordered directly from their website here. Rhino Handmade also released a deluxe edition of Chris Bell’s solo album I Am The Cosmos on September 14. It can also be ordered online.

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Disc One
Disc Two
Disc Three
Disc Four

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