A BIG STAR CHRISTMAS

December boys got it bad...

Back in March, the music world lost Alex Chilton - the teenage soul shouter with The Boxtops, the uncompromising artist who put out challenging and interesting solo works, and...oh yeah...the leader of Big Star - the Memphis-based Power Pop legends whose three albums were heard by few initially, but made a lasting impact on everyone who heard them and decided to go out and put their own spin on American music - The Replacements, R.E.M, The Posies, Elliott Smith, and Wilco, to name but a few. And the impact reached far beyond these shores. Two of my all-time favorite bands named albums in tribute to Big Star's work: Scotland's Teenage Fanclub named an early album Thirteen after the gorgeous ballad that appears on Big Star's debut, #1 Record, while Australia's You Am I named their fourth album #4 Record - as a nod and wink to Alex. Passing away just days before he was to reconnect with former bandmates at Austin's South By Southwest festival, their reunion show turned into the first of many elegant eulogies for a musician who consistently astounded.

Like many folks, I tend to classify certain artists and their music by different seasons and/or events. For example, when the temperatures drop and the leaves change color, no doubt Van Morrison and Nick Drake will receive a few more spins. With Chilton and Big Star in particular, I tend to identify him with two different times of the year: the power pop templates, with their heavy riffs and their catchy choruses, remind me of a late night summer gathering of teenagers or early twentysomethings - in a parking lot of an abandoned building, sipping cheap beer and even cheaper alcohol, and blasting music, all under the cover of night. But there's also the other side to Big Star - the quieter moments that seem more akin to the very early morning when it's probably too cold to step foot outside - the music that seems to be directly descended from the Beatles and Byrds just a few years earlier. Alex has been featured on past compilations - most notably his song "Jesus Christ" - but given his passing this year, I wanted to pay my own small tribute - so amidst a smattering of some of his greatest work with Big Star, I have included some peers, some admirers, and some heroes. And, as we discovered later in his career, Alex was a big fan of interpreting old standards and classics, so I've included his heartfelt take on The Christmas Song, which he recorded for Chris Stamey's holiday album in the mid 80s.

1. The Ballad Of El Goodo - Big Star
2. Hannah & Gabi - The Lemonheads
3. The Nights Are Cold - Richard Hawley
4. Time Of The Season - Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
5. Watch The Sunrise - Big Star
6. Violence In The Snowy Fields (Acoustic) - Dolorean
7. Sugar and Spice - Basia Bulat
8. Cold Enough To Cross - Joe Henry
9. Nightime - Big Star
10. Winter Song - The Quarter After
11. I May Never - Dropkick
12. Christmastime In The Mountains - Palace Songs
13. At My Most Beautiful - R.E.M.
14. Blue Moon (Demo) - Big Star
15. In Christ There Is No East Or West - Mavis Staples
16. This Xmas Eve - The Radar Bros.
17. Skyway - The Replacements
18. Live With The Seasons - Teenage Fanclub
19. September Gurls - Big Star
20. Knee Deep At The NPL - Camera Obscura
21. Christmas Is The Only Time - The dB's
22. Here We Are In The Years - Neil Young
23. Thank You Friends (Demo) - Big Star
24. The Christmas Song - Alex Chilton

If you're new to the music of Big Star, I highly recommend you check it out. Head on over to the music blog of my pal Lance Davis and check out his musings about Alex since his passing - a lot of fascinating information. If you've been a long-time fan of Alex, hopefully I've done it right here.

Download these songs as a zip file here, or stream the songs from the player below: