At Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 16:12:38 Craig Leve wrote:

>I realize this places it back in the world of the subjective which might
>have been just what you were trying to avoid. I'm afraid that can't really
>be helped. Plus, I'm troubled in part because I think power pop would be
>markedly diminished if their hadn't been a Big Star. Those songs to me
>(September Gurls, Thirteen, The Ballad of El Goodo, Holocaust, In the
>Street, I'm in Love with a Girl) are quintessential and unmatched for their
>marriage of melodic and lyrical power (in the pop realm we enjoy).

Funny, I've lived in power pop's diaper for all my musical years and until 
people started name-dropping Big Star on this list (and name checking on CD 
credits for their own output) I only knew Big Star by name because Alex 
Chilton had been a member of the band. To this day I cannot name one song by 
them.

Two years ago my business partner played me "#1 Record" and I had to concede 
that Cheap Trick's schtick was a more polished version of Big Star's sloppy 
poppism....but was Cheap Trick paying homage or merely shining a diamond in 
the rough in terms of the style Big Star only alluded to? And could Cheap 
Trick have existed without Big Star?

IMHO Cheap Trick used Big Star as an inspiration only while their overall 
influential palette was broader (The Beatles for example). Could the entire 
'70s have existed without the Beatles as an influence? Yes again, but it 
would have sounded a lot different. And I believe this is where the 
intrinsic difference comes in...passing inspiration or outright influence? 
You be the judge.

Jaimie Vernon,
President,
Bullseye Records of Canada, Inc.
http://www.bullseyecanada.com
"Not Suing Our Customers Since 1985!"

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