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| From | "josh chasin" <jchasin@nyc.rr.com> |
| Subject | Re: Big Star and Rosetta Stones |
| Date | Fri, 22 Aug 2003 16:46:37 -0400 |
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Fair points.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Bennett" <mrhonorama@hotmail.com>
To: <audities@smoe.org>
Sent: Friday, August 22, 2003 3:20 PM
Subject: Re: Big Star and Rosetta Stones
> Josh --
>
> I wasn't saying that Big Star was not influential -- only that their
> influence in the development of power pop is overstated. It is only later
> on that Big Star really enters the power pop story. Moreover, for the
most
> part, only a small sliver of the breadth of their music has had the vast
> majority of the influence.
>
> Mike Bennett
>
>
>
>
>
> Record reviews and more at http://fufkin.com
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: "josh chasin" <jchasin@nyc.rr.com>
> >Reply-To: audities@smoe.org
> >To: <audities@smoe.org>
> >Subject: Re: Big Star and Rosetta Stones
> >Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 15:25:42 -0400
> >
> >I'm not sure I agree regarding Big Star's influence. You are right that
> >their blip on the radar screen was meager during their active career.
But
> >like the Velvet Underground, they are a band where everyone who heard
them
> >started a band. You mention some of the obvious descendents of Big Star:
> >TFC, Posies, Replacements, dBs. I'd add Mitch Easter and bands he's
worked
> >with (I hear Big Star in Mayflies USA); the Bangles; Matthew Sweet;
> >Lemonheads; and others. At this point I think the influence of Big
Star--
> >through second and third generation adherents-- is indelibly etched into
> >the
> >genre I won't name.
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Michael Bennett" <mrhonorama@hotmail.com>
> >To: <audities@smoe.org>
> >Sent: Friday, August 22, 2003 1:18 PM
> >Subject: Big Star and Rosetta Stones
> >
> >
> > > In one of his typically erudite posts, Greg Sager referred to
"September
> > > Gurls" as "the Rosetta Stone" of power pop. I want to avoid any
> >discussion
> > > of the definition of power pop, as it's as pointless as reasoning with
> >Judge
> > > Roy Moore. But, I wanted to discuss Big Star and where they stand in
> >power
> > > pop.
> > >
> > > While, if I'm explaining to some hipster the parameters of power pop,
> >I'll
> > > name Big Star as a power pop artist, I've never thought of them as
truly
> > > being a power pop band. Of course, that has more to do with my
> >subjective
> > > definition of the genre. Objectively, however, I think that Big
Star's
> > > place in power pop history has been vastly overrated.
> > >
> > > I don't think it is possible for Big Star to have recorded any
"Rosetta
> > > Stone", due to the simple fact that Big Star's influence on the
> >development
> > > of the power pop genre is negligible. Big Star were contemporaries of
> > > Badfinger and The Raspberries, and sold about 5 or 10 percent of what
> >they
> > > sold. They were a cult band, and that cult was very small through
most
> >of
> > > the '70s. As the '70s went on, and more bands played power pop. And
> >none
> > > of them really displayed any Big Star influence -- whether it's Dwight
> > > Twilley Band, The Scruffs, The Shoes, Cheap Trick, The Knack, 20/20,
> > > Pezband, and a host of skinny tie bands, you can't really find any Big
> >Star
> > > in their music, except to the extent that any of those bands shared
> >similar
> > > influences.
> > >
> > > It really wasn't until some Southern bands came up that you really
began
> >to
> > > see more Big Star influence -- in particular, The dBs, though artists
> >like
> > > R.E.M. and The Windbreakers also showed some of that influence too.
> >Still,
> > > you had folks like Marshall Crenshaw and other who were immune from
any
> >Big
> > > Star mojo. The only other artists I could really link to the band
from
> >that
> > > era would be Tommy Keene, who covered a Chilton solo tune, and Game
> >Theory.
> > >
> > > Indeed, the Stamey-era dB's and Game Theory had the most overt Big
Star
> > > influence. And notably, both Chris Stamey and Scott Miller seemed
> >really
> > > taken by RADIO CITY and the quirkier side of that brilliant album.
> > >
> > > The next wave of bands to really solidify a consistent Big Star
> >influence
> > > were The Replacements (though, IMO, very superficially), The Posies
and
> > > Teenage Fanclub. And, notably, all three bands really emphasized the
> >least
> > > challenging elements of Big Star music. No knock on "Thirteen" and
> > > "September Gurls", but they aren't really groundbreaking songs, as
> >opposed
> > > to let's say "Good Vibrations" or "Go All The Way", they are simply
> >great
> > > (and, really, perfect) songs.
> > >
> > > There is nothing wrong with Big Star's accessible material becoming so
> > > influential, but the inspiration of Big Star on rock music, and
> >specifically
> > > power pop, if often pretty reductive. Like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin
> >and
> > > The Velvet Underground, using just three examples, there is no
signature
> >Big
> > > Star sound. Each album is a unique entity and many of the more
> >difficult
> > > elements of their music have not found their way into the vocabulary
of
> >many
> > > of the bands who most like to fly the Big Star flag high.
> > >
> > > However, in any discussion of the impact of their music, it must be
> >noted
> > > that they are an influence that got absorbed into power pop after it
> >went
> > > through its first one or two phases, and really only got absorbed as
> >part
> >of
> > > the foundation of the music about a decade after power pop got going
as
> > > genre.
> > >
> > > This is akin to the way that The Sonics became an extremely
influential
> >band
> > > in garage rock many years after their hey day.
> > >
> > > That's all --
> > >
> > > Mike Bennett
> > >
> > > NP: Pansy Division -- TOTAL ENTERTAINMENT!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Record reviews and more at http://fufkin.com
> > >
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