If You Buy Just One Record This Record Store Day April 16th..

Record Store Day is this Saturday April 16th. It's also in the middle of AXPONA in Chicago, which is really annoying. Very bad timing.

If you buy but one record at RSD this year, may I suggest Complete Columbia Big Star Live at University of Missouri 4/25/93?

This double LP set features original members the late Alex Chilton and drummer Jody Stephens supported by Posies Ken Stringfellow and Jonathan Auer who do a super fill in job for original band members Chris Bell (died in an auto accident back in 1978) and Andy Hummel.

Big Star flopped back in the early '70s, which was both a damn shame and absolutely ridiculous. I am proud to say I played the hell out of both #1 Record and Radio City when I was babbling on WBCN-FM and of course I wasn't alone but it was to no avail.

But in the 1990s Big Star became big among the jangly-rock fans of R.E.M. and the Replacements, Teenage Fan Club, etc. and "In the Street" was used as the theme song for "That '70s Show". So it's both understandable and oh so satisfying to hear college kids in 1993 twenty years after the fact and now more than forty years after the fact and twenty years hence scream with anticipation when the band is announced at the beginning of this double LP set, which includes the complete concert sourced from the 1/2" master tapes.

That doesn't mean it was cut from them, but look, let's not get greedy. The sound is still awesome, cut at SST in Germany by Daniel Krieger and pressed in France at MPO.

If you like Big Star, you'll want to "go" to this concert!

COMMENTS
zzcorey's picture
vinyl_lady's picture

Album on Amazon is an earlier, single LP release. The RSD release is two LPs and contains the entire set with 5 more songs than the earlier release. Mizzou is my alma matter and while I had graduated 20 some years before this concert, I have talked to students who were there. Two college radio DJs convinced them to come and play. One student told me Alex played the entire concert with his fly open. I have all of their records including the single LP version of the Mizzou concert. The RSD release is at the top of my must buy list.

Thanks for posting Michael.

recordhead's picture

While I can't speak for the vinyl release, your "you'll want to "go" to this concert!" is spot on. Not sure how describe it but when you listen (especially with headphones) there is a sound, a feeling of air around the guitars that puts you "at" that concert. It's my favorite live recording. I avoid RSD like the plague so I'll have to be content with my CD.

Michael Fremer's picture
Hajidub's picture

RSD, not to sound too much like a negative Nancy, has become to commercial. The concept initially was cool, but I doubt it's focus is "to celebrate the independent record stores" any longer. 300 rare releases from mostly boring artists working the smaller record plants so hard that eventually all their pressings suffer in qc.

thirtycenturyman's picture

I am not a huge fan of RSD (mostly due to having to fight the crowd), but a recent podcast, The Vinyl Guide, had an interview with one of the creators. It was really interesting to learn about how it all started and their business model moving forward. After listening, I have a lot more respect for the organization. Here's a link to the Vinyl Guide homepage: http://www.thevinylguide.com/

Also, if you have time to sneak away, there's dozens of great record stores in Chicago and the surrounding burbs. I will be hitting up Squeezebox in Evanston this Saturday, before I head out to AXPONA. Toall that live in Chicago, please give this shop a visit; it really is a hidden gem!

I'm gonna try for Emmylou Harris "Wracking Ball." Not really an Emmylou Harris fan, but I'm a sucker for that Daniel Lanois sound. We NEED more 90's vinyl, but that's another rant.

J. Carter's picture

Does Squeezebox have a good selection of used records? I am coming there next week and I would love to hit them up if they are good for used.

Rudy's picture

Don't worry--if you wait a few months, you'll find this reasonably on Discogs, eBay, Amazon, etc. I only did RSD one year (last year...what a mistake), and later found that everything I bought was cheaper a month or two after I bought them. Incredibly, the store I bought one of the titles from (Dearborn Music) would not take back a defective record, so I had to eat it, and bought it $8 cheaper online. One thing I'm finding is that these "super ultra uber rare" RSD releases are far from being rare; the labels just want to create that buzz so they sell all of these rarities.

So don't worry--you won't have to live with that CD. I'm betting there will be plenty after today.

Blue Note's picture

because the sound on that double live sounds like shit, was really unhappy they press this turd on vinyl. Too much money grabbing on the "Big Star"train...

Bob Levin's picture

Big Star, Box Tops, solo, the stuff with Tal Falco. Nearly all of Alex Chilton's commercial output (and Bootlegs)are contenders for my "R2D4".
I'm opting for the new "The Autumn Stone" single on RSD.
Not for being a completely contrary little ****, ordinarily, but this is one of my least favorite attempts at getting the band back together.

Jenn's picture

the Emmylou, Jansch, Nash, Rebourn, Other Side Of Sun: Sun Records Volume 3.

Andy Slusar's picture

What vinyl versions of#1 and Radio City are best sounding? Are there any good vinyl reissues? If not, they are such seminal records someone really should do a high quality reissue.

Paul Robertson's picture

If you search this site, there's good articles and reviews pertaining to Big Star. Specifically Radio City, Mike did one on the 200 gram Classic reissue a number of years back. Sounds like the job they did was good. Might be tricky to get a copy now, but maybe at Acoustic Sounds with them acquiring all of the Classic label stuff you might get lucky.

eugeneharrington's picture

I picked this one up this morning at my local store, Musiczone, Douglas S.C., Cork, Ireland. A recommendation from Michael is always worth following up, in my experience! I got everything else I wanted too including Emmylou Harris 'Wrecking Ball', Son Volt 'Live At the Bottom Line', Alejandro Escovedo 'Gravity' and 'Thirteen Years'. It's a bummer that RSD and Axpona clashed in the United States, time wise! Anyway, roll on Munich's High End Show beginning on the 5th May next, just three weeks to go!

Rudy's picture

I have to agree there. Although, I think it might be AXPONA that scheduled this poorly, unless it's just the way the weekends lined up. I seem to recall AXPONA being later last year--it was falling only a week or two before finals and had to miss it in years past. My buddy, in fact, bought the three-day pass and has to skip AXPONA today since he usually goes with a group of vinyl pals on RSD and makes a day of it.

It also could have been availability at the Westin to host it.

Hopefully they'll consider the timing next year.

Rudy's picture

RSD and AXPONA will be on different weekends next year.

anomaly7's picture

They had a few copies of this at my local store at 4 pm. I asked if the store had been busy and the very young lady behind the counter said they were "really busy" as it was Record Store Day. She said the line was two blocks long this morning, but no one had bought a copy of this yet. I said, yeah- I'm sure the line was filled with young people. Uh huh.

nelsonkiwi's picture

My wife and I grew up in the sixties and we both love the same music. My wife was at the airport in Wellington, N.Z. in 64 to greet the Beatles. But she has threaten me with bodily harm if I bring another record in the house. Is bodily harm going to stop me from buying LPs, NO!! Long live RSD!

vinyl_lady's picture

I spent RSD in Columbia and shopped at Vinyl Renaisance on 10th Street. I arrived about 20 minutes before the opened and was 19th in line. They had 5 copies. They were gone by the time I left the store. In addition to Big Star, I picked up Emy Lou, Doors live at Aquarious, Kiss My Amps II, Graham Nash, Sonics Live at Easy Street Records, Grateful Dead, Patti Smith, Alternative Tusk, the weepies, Jethro Tull, Nuggests and Other Side of Sun Records. A god day buying records. I thought the titles were better this year than last.

4000 Holes in my home town sold all 4 copies of Big Star he received. I believe they pressed 4,000 copies.

tzh21y's picture

Sounds great and sounds analog!

X