The influence of The Beatles on Pop/Rock culture cannot be underestimated. Even in the 1970s, a lot of the music of The Beatles was still inspiring many brilliant artists and musicians of the day, even in unusual genres such as Progressive Rock music. Big Star was one such band. This record is widely seen as a classic in its own way, and in a similar fashion to The Velvet Underground’s music, sold poorly although is hugely influential itself. For these reasons, this must be observed many decades later, so let’s take a listen to this album and hear where it takes us.

Feel begins the album with some guitars chugging away nicely, both acoustic and electric guitars. It sounds a little warped and weird and launches into a Led Zeppelin style piece of singing and simple guitars. This is Classic Rock central, and although it sounds fairly weird, it has some very beautiful multitracked harmonies here. This is a strong start to a classic album and has some very 1970s sounding vibes about it, including a gorgeous saxophone. A very excellent listening experience, this is as if the weird Psychedelic/Progressive Rock experiment hadn’t really happened in the years prior to this release. An interesting, worthwhile and unusual listening experience, this is a good example of Classic Rock at its best. Nonetheless, an essential and interesting tune to hear. The guitar playing is subtle, yet enjoyable here, in true George Harrison fashion. An excellent Poppy piece of music.

The Ballad Of El Goodo begins with a watery guitar riff that is quite a melancholy listen, followed by a straightforward vocal beginning this unique Pop/Rock story. Acoustic guitars enter, and this piece gets going. Without the Led Zeppelin style screaming, this sounds majestic and beautiful on its own. A grand, simple yet absolutely beautiful piece, this rivals The Beach Boys in terms of quintessential melodies and harmonies on this record. This is simple music designed to make you smile, and although it is five decades old at the time of writing, it is purely fantastic to this day. A very unique and unforgettable piece of music, this purely works where it does. A top tune with its own twists and turns, this sounds very amazing. A decent and well-delivered Poppy piece of music, this sounds unforgettable and gorgeous throughout. It’s not a ballad aimed at cops and robbers style Country themes. Instead, it is an unmatched piece of beauty. A great listen from start to finish. A must listen from this album. The 12-string acoustic guitar is mint.

In The Street begins with some interesting multitracked guitars, both acoustic and electric, before the Led Zeppelin style high octave singing enters. This is decent and glorious musical listening here, and it has some street-smart lyrics on this tune. The musicianship here is real brilliance, no matter what section of the song you are listening to at the time. Obviously reflecting on the early sounds of The Beatles and some pre-Punk groups, this minimal and great music is very inspiring. A varied and excellent listen to hear, this tune sounds very good indeed. Some interesting early 1970s sounds are present here, and this whole piece is very lively and amazing. A really cool listening experience.

Thirteen is traditionally the number of bad luck in western culture. This is a truly gorgeous and beautiful acoustic ballad about being at that age, and this shows the depth and talent that Big Star had from the beginning. A great thing for young people, with a reference to The Rolling Stones, Paint It, Black, the music here is absolutely pretty, simple and fantastic. A must-listen from this album, it sounds really amazing and tremendously good. A beautiful, melodic and moving tune to hear, this sounds incredibly fantastic. The harmonies are so pretty and delicious as well. A fantastically simple song.

Don’t Lie To Me begins with some loose bass guitar work before a catchy and well-played guitar riff enters and we are underway. This tune sounds really driven, wonderful and fantastic. It sounds very much like early 1970s Hard Rock played with Fender guitars rather than the typical Jimmy Page thing of Gibson Les Pauls and Marshall Amplifiers. Nonetheless, this song is just fantastic and it is totally worth your time. A unique and driven piece of music, this sounds so lively and incredible that it demands listening. Obviously, Big Star could be more variable than many Punk groups that followed shortly after. This sounds really swampy, Bluesy and cool, and it just sounds excellent and fantastic. A really fantastic tune, more people should hear this true gem of an album. Three minutes of sonic bliss, all the way through to the fade out.

The India Song begins with some unusual sleigh bells, strummed acoustic guitars and a keyboard to match. This is a devotional piece to the country, with western instrumentation. Sure, this is a bit weird without either a Sitar or Tabla Drums, but it works well nonetheless. A really fine and inspired listen from some mid-1960s music by The Beatles and The Kinks, this music succeeds exceedingly well. Short at barely over two minutes long, this is never dull nor boring. Another sensational listening experience worth hearing.

When My Baby’s Beside Me begins with some Fender Telecaster sounding guitars and some neat riffs and playing, launching into a real Classic Rock styled tune. This is exactly what romanticism in theory and music is about, and this is an excellent example of what early 1970s music was about as well. A fine, summery and breezy-sounding tune to listen to, this is another sensationally great cut from a top album. The music will fit 1970s nostalgia just like a glove, and it does sound amazing and fantastic. A wah-wah guitar solo is present in this song, and the musicality here is really excellent. Obviously, Big Star was very motivated and inspired by the music around them, but was also choosy of their influences. A catchy, danceable and musical tune that simply works. A must hear from this album. The outro has chanted vocals and killer harmonies, with a guitar section to finish.

My Life Is Right begins with some electric piano, strummed acoustic guitar and singalong lyrics that sound fantastic. An upbeat, supercharged and different sounding piece with some awesome drum rolls and playing throughout. This album is no doubt one of the most underrated listens out there, and it sounds amazing and really fantastic to hear. A thoroughly top and excellent musical listen, this album has rightfully gone down in the history books as one of the true lost gems of the past. Still, it is widely available to hear today, so this simple and beautiful Pop/Rock music is here to hear. Romantic and beautiful lyrics are here over a really nice Classic Rock theme. Another must-listen musically that is brilliant, and definitely a winner. Great song.

Give Me Another Chance begins with more multitracked acoustic guitars, and is a plea for forgiveness to a lover, obviously from the title of the song. This replaces despair with hope for the future in a relationship, and sounds very much inspired by The Beatles own Help! Nonetheless, this is a fantastic tune to hear, and it works extremely well, just like the rest of the album. If you are going through some relationship pain and need strength, this is a great listen to hear to remedy any negativity in one’s love life. A genuinely great listen, this sounds beautiful, nicely played and powerful. Some mellotron is added to the harmony section in the second half, and this is really decent music to fall in love with. Excellent to hear, and something incredibly good and unforgettable to listen to. Nice tune.

Try Again begins with some 12-string acoustic guitar and regular acoustic guitar strumming. Some slide guitar is present as well, adding to the interesting and decent musical vibe. This is a plea to God himself, and it does adopt some Country themes here, with the slide guitar and lyrics present. This is another short and sweet listening experience, but again it is absolutely fantastic to hear and to listen to. A laidback and gorgeous ballad that must be heard to be experienced, this is incredible and magical. Great music with some great playing and singing, it is a shame that this album is frequently overlooked. No longer, however, this is another example of great music from this album. The singing and playing are really fantastic, and this is very enjoyable to hear. A sweet and lovely listen indeed. Great music and the slide guitar is simple, yet pretty.

Watch The Sunrise begins with more upbeat 12-string acoustic guitar playing, leading into a very catchy and awesome musical listen. Soon enough, the 12-string acoustic guitar goes into the right channel, and singing takes us away somewhere peaceful and enjoyable. Romanticism is aplenty here, and this is a beautifully brilliant song. It just works splendidly and proves that nobody ever needs to be a sell-out for music to work. A really top and fine listen, the ode to the sunrise is something unforgettable here and there is a slight Country influence musically here. This acoustic ballad is a must-listen, and there is a bit of harmonica here as well. Brilliant music from another time, this sounds extremely well-played and professionally made. A great song through and through, and perhaps something to add to your Spotify playlist or something similar. Beautiful, simple and clever music, this works very well. Great effort.

St 110/6 is the last main song from this album, just under a minute long. It is a bunch of acoustic strumming and playing, with some impressive harmony-based singing to conclude this wonderful album. A great finish to a monumental release, and it sounds professionally delivered and played. Very nice indeed.

In The Street – Single Mix is a bonus track that is a different mix from the classic song from this album. It’s fine just to hear this again, although this mix is fairly minimal. This is a great encore number to the main album and finishes off a genuinely great listening experience. It makes a great impact on the listener, even today, that only Cardi B could ever dream of. Nonetheless, this stripped-down mix still sounds excellent. A great retro tune to bop along to, and something that even Kid Rock would dig. Through and through, a top listening experience that fits Classic Rock listeners needs perfectly. Great again, from start to finish. Nice work Big Star, you made a great album to hear.

For those of you looking for something that, although not a huge game changer at the time, has been enormously influential throughout the following decades of release, this may be perfect for you. Simple, melodic and beautiful music which avoided druggy Psychedelia or lengthy Progressive Rock, this is an album that demands to be listened to. Sadly, the music on this album wasn’t properly promoted by the record label, which means that the album sold poorly. Still, it is now seen as a wonderful Classic Rock experience that must be heard. Which is true. Give this a listen if you love The Beatles or The Rolling Stones in particular.

Classic Rock central.

9/10