Big Star - In Space

This the ballyhooed 2005 studio album with Alex Chilton (naturally), Jody Stephens(ditto) along with the stalwart backing of Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer from The Posies! Cause for hysterically endless streams of celebration!

The short of it, *some* Big Star fans will be pleased, those being the ones that keep expectations at realistic bay and don`t expect "Radio City" Mach III. For others, looking at this is as a genuine followup to "Sister Lovers", itself not a proper 3rd release from the band, will find only short bursts of past glories. For `short of it`: If this was an Alex solo album with his friends here helping out, most folks would be quick to call it his finest solo release. Not Lame`s `short of it`: 3 1/2 stars, very highly recommended! Here`s what others are saying below.

"This is a fresh, vibrant, humorous, exciting and utterly contemporary record, with both feet planted firmly in the Big Star legacy, and more importantly (especially considering the involvement of the Seattle/grunge/Posies camp), quite firmly in the Memphis (not British) tradition. While Chilton produced and shepherded the project, it`s also fully and completely a `band` record, inconceivable to reproduce without any of the four members, all of whom are crucial as both musicians, songwriters, and singers.. Andy Hummel told me recently that In Space sounded to his ears like a logical follow-up to the original records, and I`d wholeheartedly agree. It`s also likely to be quite controversial among those Big Star fans who didn`t go on to cherish Chilton`s solo catalogue. Because if there`s one thing you can say up front, it is that it does NOT sound like a Christopher Bell record.. When I hosted a Big Star panel at SXSW in 2004, someone asked me what I, as a fan, wanted from a new Big Star record. And that question stumped me. Because I really didn`t know. I knew I didn`t want them to sound like a Big Star copy band. I knew I didn`t want them to write teen-oriented songs and pretend to be teenagers. I knew I didn`t want Chilton to be in the dark personal space that produced Sister Lovers again just for my/our enjoyment. But really, in reflection, the answer should`ve been simple. All I wanted was a good Big Star record. And they gave us a great one."-Kent Benjamin, Pop Culture Press.

"4 stars..The legacy of those cult masterpieces looms large here("Radio City" and "#1 Record"), but the band opt to embace rather than ignore it (both "Lady Sweet" and "Best Chance" could easily have been out-takes from the 70`s sessions)..no doubt the weight of expecation will trigger reams of brow-mopping analysis among overly serious critics and internet obessives, which runs the risk of missing the point entirely: that it`s a deliriously upbeat, heart-stopping, ass-shaking, fun-packed pop record. What more do you want?"-Record Collector.

MOJO had this to say about the release recently upon hearing it: "the resulting 12 track disc has a strong collaborative feel- Chilton sings on six trax, the others(Jon and Ken) split the others-that recalls Big Star`s debut "#1 Record", and production that mines the spontaneous approach of the "Sister Lovers" sessions. "We`ve done three studio albums and all three were different from each other," say Jody Stephens. "The new one fits in with that trend"..More familiar fare comes in the form of Auer`s edgy "Lady Sweet", which hints at the old "Radio City" gem "Life Is White"-Stringfellow`s layered Beach Boys pastiche "I`ll Turn My Back On THe Sun" and Stephens` "Rubber Soul"-inspired contributions "February`s Quiet" and "Best Chance We`ll Ever Have". Get in there, enjoy pop fans. "In Space" provides ample reason to celebrate the simple joys of being a music fan!

Best Chance - mp3

Lady Sweet - mp3

DONY - mp3

Turn My Back On The Sun - mp3

February`s Quiet - mp3