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?
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!
ReplyDelete(Another great BS track I think is Thirteen, btw)
Have a good hol!
Never got Big Star either. Have a good break
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your break. This is a nice version of an almost perfect pop song. Smoothed over a bit,as you say.
ReplyDeleteHave 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.
ReplyDeleteI went through a Big Star phase a few years ago. There's some boring stuff in there, but some great chiming pop songs too.
ReplyDeletehappy hols!