I've never quite been able to figure out quite why Big Star are held in such high esteem by certain middle aged men. The first album baffled me when I first got it, twenty years ago. It just sounded like southern boogie to me and I expected so much more. On the other hand there are some great tunes on the second album (Radio City) and Third/Sister Lovers has got its moments.
September Gurls is an absolutely beautiful little guitar song, ragged and yearning, a real head turner (and yes, it did provide Teenage Fanclub with the template for Bandwagonesque, but that's fine). George posted September Gurls a few weeks ago, so I'll provide you instead with this cover version by The Bangles, from back in the mid-80s. They smoothed it out, glossed it up a bit, Rickenbackers chiming away.
September Gurls
Susanna Hoffs didn't actually sing September Gurls, fellow Bangle Michael Steele did. Susanna isn't a September gurl, she's a January gurl, birthday-wise. I just looked it up. It has stunned me somewhat to realise that Susanna Hoffs is 55.
As of today we're off on holiday for a week, back late on Easter Monday, so most likely I won't post anything until the Tuesday. Hopefully you can manage without my meandering waffle for a week. However, if you do happen to pop in here while I'm away you will get to look at this picture of Susanna Hoffs, so it's not all bad is it?
5 comments:
Big Star's September Gurls has been one of my all-time favourite songs for some years now - just perfect pop. How odd that I should log on this morning and find this post having recently woken from a bizarre dream in which I was invited out by a mysterious bequiffed blond to see Alex Chilton at Hammersmith Odeon (yeah, but you know what dreams are like!). I have no idea where that came from, I haven't thought about him or Big Star in ages!
(Another great BS track I think is Thirteen, btw)
Have a good hol!
Never got Big Star either. Have a good break
Enjoy your break. This is a nice version of an almost perfect pop song. Smoothed over a bit,as you say.
Have a good break. When Big Star were good, they were really good - September Girls, Thirteen, Thank You Friends to name a few but would have to agree that they are a tad overrated.
I went through a Big Star phase a few years ago. There's some boring stuff in there, but some great chiming pop songs too.
happy hols!
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