Third/Sister Lovers

Third is a record that has only grown in my estimation over the years. While previous Big Star records represent the pinnacle of 70s power pop, Third deconstructs their approach amid the band's disintegration. Third stands on its own, but lands much better in context of the band's previous work. It's loaded with the cynicism of a band with so much unmet potential ("Thank You Friends") and yet contains so many moments of broken beauty ("Big Black Car", "Nighttime", "Take Care"). This tender/caustic tension is at the heart of this record's power. Its influence is evident on artists from REM to Wilco and Yo La Tengo. In fact, I often think of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot as a spiritual successor to this record. Their similarly fraught creation and off-kilter production follow much more pop-oriented efforts by each band. Favourite songs: "Big Black Car", "Kanga Roo", "You Can't Have Me", "Blue Moon", "Nightime"

Big Star didn’t end. It imploded. Third is its wake.

“Third/Sister Lovers” by Big Star (1978) Never heard this album nor this group, although I loved lead singer Alex Chilton’s #1 hit “The Letter” (1967) with the Box Tops when Chilton was only 16 years old (and I was only 12!). For an album produced in 1978, though, the recording and mix is not good. Too little separation, and primitive, unimaginative mixing. But musically, it is inventive. One can only imagine how much better this would have sounded if it were produced at Abbey Road, or The Hit Factory or even Muscle Shoals. Lyrics lack depth and originality. The suggestion is out there that “Thank You Friends” is a sarcastic condemnation of how badly Big Star was treated by the recording industry. Listened to from this perspective, it’s much better than if heard as a straightforward expression of gratitude. “Jesus Christ” is listed, but not playable, on Spotify. What’s up with that? The lyrics suggest a hymnic reflection on the singing of angels at the birth of Christ. It would be nice to hear it. One can get a taste of it in the twenty second sample on the iTunes Store. It’s not that impressive, chiefly because of the poor production. Too bad. “Femme Fatale” provides a good example of the band’s musical skills, and they are so-so. Alex Chilton’s simple lead vocal shows that he struggles with pitch at the softer end of his dynamic range, and the backing vocals (including his girlfriend Lesa Aldrege?) are even worse. Bass playing by Jim Dickinson is really good. His contribution to the band’s sound is probably a main reason for whatever success they had. “Holocaust” uses the systematic murder of six million Jews as a metaphor for the feelings of a woman whose mother just died a natural death. Yuck. This kind of pretentious appropriation is what gives much popular music a bad name. “Stroke It Noel” employs backing strings which are very poorly performed, and even more poorly recorded. I have keep reminding myself that this album was released in 1978. It would be a bad recording even if it had been released ten years earlier. Anyway, the lyrics on this song, the chorus of which is based on (uncredited) Bobby Freeman’s 1958 song “Do You Wanna Dance?”, are trite. The lines “Keeping an eye on the sky/Will they come, oh the bombs?” is anachronistic. By 1978, the fear of nuclear war was very much diminished from what we experienced in, say 1963, thanks to the U.S. effort in the Cold War, which is largely unappreciated today. (Full disclosure: I participated in the Cold War for the four years prior to this album’s release. But no hard feelings [smirk].) A pattern emerges here. Big Star takes hugely important issues and reduces them to triviality. This was ok in the 1950s and early 60s, but they seem to be lacking self awareness and compositional maturity in 1978. And for a band to call itself “Big Star” when it was anything but is, well, sad. Overall, I’m not sure why this is considered a cult classic, but cult defies justification anyway. Coulda died without this one. 1/5

I've always loved this, and this love has only deepened over time.

Man, Big Star is that traditional rock band that you HAVEN'T heard of. Once you click, however, you'll stick.

Easy listening but easily forgettable too

Meh

Meh

I like the big star

Hindsight is a funny thing. Big Star's Third wasn't readily available to the public upon it's release, so it gained a big of a mysterious quality to fans, especially considering this record's defining quality was the disintegration of the band. What happened to make this the last Big Star record, and what made Alex Chilton abandon his band's signature sound only to wander the deserts of underground musical genres for the next 15 years. The production, while rough and borderline unfinished in places, have a real magical quality in the context of the band's history. They achieved pop perfection with songs like "September Gurls", but here we get a look behind the scenes, at the raw emotions Jody Stephens and Chilton were feeling. Their music had remained in the shadows, and that hurt and anguish is felt through an album that feels like it's being stitched together before your very eyes. I agree with Nick about this record having a huge impact on bands like Yo La Tengo, REM, Wilco, the Replacements, Teenage Fanclub, etc. etc. I'm not always in the mood for the depths and tension in this album, but it's a masterpiece by my account. Fav tracks: Kanga Roo, Thank You Friends, Blue Moon, You Can't Have Me, For You, Big Black Car

This was great power pop - both catchy and twisted. Reading the history of the band alongside is fascinating. Is this the definitive version of this album? What even is a definitive version? The production sounds so fresh.

Big Black Car Femme Fatale Blue Moon Nature Boy Dream Lover

Big Star were a fav among college friends. Mostly #1 record and radio city though. This one is a bit too sloppy and unfocused for me.

When there are 1001 albums on the list, there are bound to be several albums that I won't be able to explain why they are on the list. This was a first listen to a band I've never heard of. This isn't the worst album I've heard so far, but it didn't even make it to "okay".

alex chilton the woman that you are ❤️

El disco va mejorando según lo escuchas. Te atrapa. Femme fatale.

Thank you friends Wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you I'm so grateful for all the things you helped me do All the ladies and gentlemen Who made this all so probable Thank you, friends I rejoice to the skies Dear ones like you do the best I do As far as can see my eyes THIS is why I started listening to this list - I never heard of or heard this album before, and its excellent! 5/5

Saved Prior: None Saved Off Rip: Stroke It Noel, Blue Moon, Till The End Of The Day Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Despite the fact that I didn't save a lot of songs, this was a cool listen. It puts the disintegration of a band and of a man front and center and you can hear that in the music. Is it for casual listening? Absolutely not. This is another album that I'll be returning to over the summer when I can really immerse myself in the world of the album. As it is now, I'll give it a 4 and keep it saved to my albums on Spotify.

Bibelmusik meint meine Frau. Inhaltlich nicht gecheckt aber irgendwie hat sie schon wieder recht

Maudlin and sleepy

forgettable

Left little impression. Not for me

When this album started, I thought I was going to enjoy it. However, I found it a bit durgy and nothingy. I can't say it really.kept my attention

Very meh.

initial impression: yikes... dreadfully boring Painful vocals, generic sound, kill me. 'Holocaust' was decent.

Kann ich nix mit anfangen. Ich weiß nicht, was das soll.

One of the big influences on a lot of the early music I recorded was The Replacements. I loved the scrappiness of their music, and the way that they were ably to equally address the silliness of life, as well as the seriousness. Most Punk bands did the latter, but not the former and The Mat’s devotion to both is a bog part of why I think Let It Be is the best document of the adolescent experience in popular music. As such, finding out that The Replacements were big fans of Big Star, I bought a CD that had a copy of their first two albums and, I’m ashamed to say, didn’t get the hype. I was put off almost immediately by Chris Bell’s vocals on Feel, and so never managed to appreciate Big Star’s influence on one of my favourite bands. Having listened to Third/Sister Lovers, I’m further ashamed that I wasn’t able to push past that barrier, because this is fantastic. Ramshackle, confessional, and Baroque in parts yet full of a beautiful simplicity and clarity of melody and thought. The context of being practically unfinished because of the breakdown of the band gives this a strangely ephemeral feel, as if the album is breaking down in front of your… ears? and creates a sense of melancholy that I find really appealing. I want to drink to this album, then go walking around the city and just watch the people, like the narrator of Nightime. So, that’s how I’m gonna spend my Saturday Night sorted, thank you Alex Chilton

makes me wanna check out even more big star

One of the biggest surprises I've had so far

My first thought when queuing this up was what it would sound like if Sixpence None The Richer covered "Kizza Me." Then I heard the songs. I'm impressed. There's a bit of a Velvet Underground repetitive-but-interesting drone going on (which ironically we see less on display in their VU cover of "Femme Fatale"), as well as some Bowie here, similar in vocal delivery and in trying to stay accessible while attempting new things in production, instrumentation, or chord and song structure. I even hear early Flaming Lips' guitar rockets à la "Five Stop Mother Superior Rain." This is not heavy Zeppelin 1978, nor full-on 70's psychedelia, but some sort of proper tea sippin' pseudo-glam. I love the "Nature Boy" cover as well; this and some other songs sort of fall apart timelessly while it's playing. There is something cinematic about much of the album, but more like a dramatic blockbuster movie performed live by your local amateur theatre company and local volunteer orchestra. The mid-tempo and slower songs are really the heart and soul of Third/Sister Lovers; the faster rockers aren't bad, but feel a little more pomp and fluff compared to the beautiful arrangements and performances that over-shadow them. The inability to label Third/Sister Lovers accurately is one of the things I love about it. As the album continues, it stays in and explores the world it creates. You don't know what's coming next, but it is always true to form, even though you can't quite find the form. It defines itself. This is truly a unique album. Big Star, I'm now a big fan.

"Third/Sister Lovers" is the third album by American rock band Big Star. The songs on the album were recorded at Memphis' Ardent Studios in 1974 but never got properly released until 1978 due to financial issues, the uncommercial sound of the album and the lack interest from bandmembers' Alex Chilton (vocals, guitars, keyboards) and Jody Stephens (drummer). Bruce Dickinson produced this power pop and alternative rock album which documents the band's deterioration and declining mental state. It did not do well commercially but gained critical notoriety during the 80's and is considered a cult classic. I followed the song listing order from the 1992 Rykodisc release. Guitar slashes, a forward bass and a bouncey piano kick off "Kizza Me." Very 1970's rock power pop. Strings eventually added at the end. He wants to feel her deep inside. A doo-doo vocal intro begins "Thank You Friends." This is slower with strings and background female singers. Layered music and a guitar solo. A positive message as Alex is thanking all of us for making it. "Jesus Christ" has a electric guitar carrying the melody augmented by a piano and a pop-rock beat. A chorus with backing singers and we get a sax solo! "Holocaust" has a piano and echoing slide guitar. An eerie atmosphere with strings added in this sad and heartbreaking song. He's looking in the mirror at himself nearly dead and the song ends with him saying he's a holocaust. "Kanga Roo" has an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, idiosyncratic drums and and percussion and a background grinding noise. I think the whole "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" album by Wilco is based on this song. The album closes with "Take Care." Strings and acoustic guitar in this slow waltz. We are firmly in baroque pop. Chilton is begging everyone to take care in an emotionally drained voice. There are a number of versions of this album with different song orders. I like the order of this version; it pretty much firmly divides the album. The first half of this album is power pop with catchy melodies. A more positive tone with layered music. The second half has slower songs and more added strings falling more in the baroque pop category. Heartbreaking and beautiful with Chilton's tenor voice emotional and emotionally drained. This a wonderful album with a deeply talented artists and deep songs. A must listen.

Genial disco. Relajado, nostálgico, conmovedor. Y que sorpresa encontrarme Nature boy ahí.

Perhaps one of the few times when I'm purposefully listening to a version of an album with multiple bonus and re-arranged tracks, as it seems that is the intended album layout not only according to the original artists, but also what Robert Dimery has me listening to with the 1001 Albums list. I'm not complaining, as even if the bonus tracks are weaker than the meat and potatoes of the album, tracks like Nature Boy are fantastic covers, and earn their place. The main bulk of the album, though, is utterly fantastic! It's wonky, production and tone is all over the pace, and it is just plain a mess, but within that chaos is perhaps some of the best pop to bless music. It starts strong enough with Kizza Me sounding nothing like the band's prior power pop, but it's the variation that allows it to stand out all the more. Alex Chilton, at his most explosive, sounds very personal and vulnerable, and it almost gives his voice this feminine, glam cadence, but with all the punch of a singer who knows how to pull at the heart strings. However, it's when the album slows down that really blows me away. The back-to-back of Holocaust into Kanga Roo is mind-blowing, and nearly had me chocked up by the end, and nearly every song from then on was an emotional punch in the gut in the best of ways. Even when the pop rock roots returned, there was always this tinge of melancholia, and when this was their final run, their final record, it must have really felt like goodbye. Hell, it still does, and it truly is a great feeling to experience via music. There are a few songs that don't reach their full potential, but this album is so loaded that it doesn't matter. I mean, even on top of great song after great song, you have a wonderful Velvet Underground cover, and still a handful of power pop masterpieces to get the blood moving, but this album, despite feeling nothing like Big Star's prior two albums, feels like the perfect culmination of every emotion Big Star ever evoked, and despite the messy outcome, I think that only adds to the bittersweet emotions this album spawns, and that easily makes it my favorite of their records.

Not a huge fan of the first song on the album, but it only goes up from there. Genuinely hard to pick favorite songs, but “Thank You Friends,” “Jesus Christ,” “Femme Fatale,” and “Kanga Roo” are probably near the top. In addition to being a great album, the history behind it is super fascinating. I just love Big Star.

This album really does feel like falling apart, but does so in a beautiful way. Favorite tracks: "For You" and "Nature Boy."

For a long time, there's been a misunderstanding between this album and me. But today's suggestion to have yet another go at it, and to listen to it *properly* this time around, puts that misunderstanding to rest, once and for all. This is an extraordinary LP, the sort of record that attracts a cult following indeed. And now, I understand why, finally. I believe that my initial misunderstanding of *Third / Sister Lovers* stems from misguided expectations. Its first two tracks, "Kizza Me" and "Thank You Friends" sounded nice enough, but Alex Chilton's frail voice on those two power-pop cuts suggested that his "big star" was irremediably fading, and that his vocal performance couldn't stand the comparison with the one on *#1* and *Radio City*. Which brought another level of misunderstanding on my part: I thought that fans of this album mostly loved it for extra-musical reasons, because the recording sessions for *Third* also documented Chilton's sad descent into a personal emotional turmoil that made listening to the music a sort of voyeuristic experience. I suspected that the positive reponses to this record was too much influenced by such a sensational context (just as it did for Syd Barrett's solo output). If you add the two layers of misunderstanding, it sort of "blocks" a more open-minded and spontaneous assessment of the music *actually* played, the sorts of risk it takes. And how those risks can eventually pay off. The thing is, rather than comparing this LP with Big Star's early releases, I should have compared it with later "essential albums" by other acts inspired by them later on. Because the entropic and emotionally raw nature of *Third* indeed foretells those later great albums in surprisingly prophetic ways. There's an illuminating review at the top of this section, which basically says that without this LP, there wouldn't be Wilco's *Yankee Hotel Foxtrot*. That take was an eye-opener for sure. Or should I say, an "ear-opener". The messy-yet-delicate aesthetics are indeed the same. "Jesus Christ" is even a close cousin of "Jesus, etc.", and not only because of the similar titles, but because of the music itself. Chilton and Stephenson were inspired by timeless muses here, even if they consciously thought they were getting nowhere during the sessions. Another reference point is This Mortal Coil, whose *It'll End In Tears*'s tracklisting displayed cover versions of *Holocaust* and "Kangaroo", two uncompromising cuts that make for a challenging listen, owing to the bluntly depressive nature of the first and the experimental, partly-improvised (?) instrumentation of the second. No wonder Ivo Watts-Russel was drawn to those off-kilter compositions like a moth to a flame. Yet the original versions have their own special kinds of light as well. A muted, chiaroscuro sort of light, admittedly, but one that elicits a deep response if you're in the right melancholy mood for it. All of this is well, but on their own, those elements wouldn't fully redeem the record for me. What does redeem it however is how incredible the second side of the album sounds and feels, with a stellar string of breathtaking and devastating ballads, most of them enhanced by incredible chamber orchestra arrangements. Those cuts, "Stroke It Noel", "For You", "Blue Moon" and "Take Care" are the true gems of this LP. And the latter song, which concludes the original tracklisting, is also a pretty obvious influence on my friend Nick Wheeldon's music and songwriting (very few people outside of France know Nick, but if you like or love this Big Star record, I cannot encourage you enough to check out his recent albums, available on Spotify--they're worthy of a list like this for sure, it's THAT good). So here I am, falling in love with *Third / Sister Lovers* at last. Glad I've just found a rather cheap secondhand copy of this album online (with the same tracklist as the one found in those links on this app). You know how the saying goes, "true love waits" sometimes. 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list, rounded up to 5. 9.5/10 for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: 138 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 370 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 218 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 278

Interesting and worthwhile album that I had not heard before.

Almost 800 albums in and yet I know nothing of Big Star, aside from random songs I've picked up in my life ("The Letter", sung by Alex Chilton pre-Big Star; "You and Your Sister" by Chris Bell after the band split). This album was recorded in 1974, released in 1978, yet the version of the book emphasizes the 1992 version with bonus tracks. Apple Music says it sounds nothing like their previous output. I'm beginning to think this is not an easy intro to this band... but of course, I just go where RNGesus commands. edit: I was mistaken, this is awesome; guess I’m a Big Star fan now 👍 HL: “Thank You Friends”, “Big Black Car”, “Jesus Christ”, the “Femme Fatale” cover, “For You”, “Take Care”, "Dream Lover" (bonus) May 13, 2024

A few exceptional songs

Absolutely beautiful. Classic sound and very interesting songwriting. Touching and strong. The ballads here are spot on. Holocaust, Kanga Roo, Blue moon, take care. So great.

What a great record! Many missing tracks on Spotify which is a bummer. Great adventures in songwriting and melody here.

#1 Record, Radio City and Third should all 3 be in the 1001.

I really like this. It's kind of funny the day before I listened to The Strokes' Is This It, and honestly this feels like it's of the same era. It holds up really well. I never would have guessed this was pre 80s music.

El disco va mejorando según lo escuchas. Te atrapa. Femme fatale.

I loved #1 Record's 70s rock vibe a lot. This album is quite different in feel. The album opened in a not unexpected way with Kizza Me. But then it descends into darkness bottoming out with the haunting "Holocaust." This is a beautiful album whose eclecticism really appealed to me. The songs are stunning. Gorgeous string arrangements had me swooning, especially in songs like "For You." The eclecticism of this album is held together by the an underlying melancholy that makes this an album I expect will be something I return to often. Haunting and beautiful.

Missing link from Beatles to REM/Elliot Smith. Love this record.

El disco va mejorando según lo escuchas. Te atrapa. Femme fatale.

The influence for so many great bands in the 90s

Ha ha ha ha what the fuck?

cool

An excellent album. Ahead of its time, but great songs in their own right as well.

A fractured, unsettling masterpiece that is decades ahead of its time. Third is not the easiest album to connect with, but there's something in these songs that's haunting and beautiful. It's all at once prickly and elegant, with an emotional honesty that's pretty breathtaking. Big Star's well documented distribution problems and bad timing may have kept their music from reaching an audience in their day. But for many of us who have been lucky enough to find them in the decades since, this is music that just burns itself into you. It has incredibly staying power, even 45 years on. If you know anything about Big Star, you know that Third is really Alex Chilton's album (with Jody Stephens, to a far lesser extent) and that the original band was done at this point. Some have described this as an album about a relationship crumbling, or the band crumbling, but it's also about Chilton's fragmenting sense of self and of what he thought he could do with music. It's notable that after Chilton put Third behind him, he went into the New York punk scene and evolved into a whole new sound. This album doesn't sound like Chilton's solo work, but it is his creative launching point. There are remnants of the muscular yet dreamy power pop that dominates Big Star's first 2 albums, but this work is less structured and more experimental than the others. It's a sound that contrasts deliberate atonality/raggedness with more polished, classically informed piano and string arrangements. Chilton is able to take the music into some very dark spaces that are equal parts ethereal and heart rending, with odd occasional moments of whimsy and brightness. If you enjoyed this, I strongly recommend taking the time to listen to the album Complete Third, not to mention the first 2 albums. Also, the documentary Nothing Can Hurt Me is a must see. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite, 1978 PVC US LP version): For You; Stroke It Noel; Blue Moon; Nightime; Kanga Roo; Holocaust; Big Black Car; Femme Fatale; O, Dana; Take Care; Nature Boy; Dream Lover; You Can't Have Me; Jesus Christ; Kizza Me; Thank You Friends; Downs.

El disco va mejorando según lo escuchas. Te atrapa. Femme fatale.

Nice

Another album that defies classification. It contains elements of punk, new wave, symphonic pop, and experimental music. Lyrically, the album is dark and brooding which pairs well with the power pop underpinnings. Nothing about this album is straightforward. It is challenging but incredibly rewarding.

This is a great album but it required a couple of replays from me to fully appreciate it. Definitely not something to just put in the background. The listing is a mess and varies in each issue, which results in sudden change of moods and styles. I was listening to Spotify version with a few bonus tracks. I can definitely see how this band and the album (which I have never listened to prior) was so influential to (mainly) American alternative bands. There's a wide spectrum of genres that can be spotted on the album, from powerpop (O, Dana), baroque pop (For You), glam rock (You Can't Have Me) and more folky tunes (Big Black Car). My favorites are the ballads which go from extremely sad and depressing (Holocaust, Big Black Car) to sweet love songs (Blue Moon, For You). I also enjoyed a lot the bonus track - Till The End of The Day which sounds like the Beatles meets powerpop. I also love the fragile voice of the singer, at times on the verge of completely breaking down. The only thing I did not care for was the Holocaust analogy, I think its a bit over the top and unneccessary, sounded a bit juvenile. Overall, the album is not only relevant thanks to its later influences, but also is a great piece of music on its own.

I really loved that production all around really enjoyable - 10/10

Often heard about them when reading REM interviews in the music press way back when, but pre-streaming/internet I would never hear them. So I guess now I'm going to hear them. The full album is on A***on Music, which trump's Spotify's pitiful offering of missing tracks. And, well, it's beautiful. Of course I was going to like this as a lifelong fan of REM, particularly their early stuff, of which this is most reminiscent, or vice versa. You can absolutely hear the Replacements too, and stuff like the Green Pajamas. Yes the production is loose as fuck, but for me thats all part of the charm. There's great tunes here, that vary between up tempo freak outs (You can't Have Me) and quietly devastating (Holocaust). Kanga Roo feels like a precursor to shoegaze in places and is absolutely wonderful. Anyway I'm a sucker for the mythology around 'lost' records like this, and 'Smile', with tracks scattered around all over the place, where noone can agree on the running order. Then someone finally does, decades later. Love it.

An album I've never listened to before now. And I've heard a lot of these songs before because they've been covered by bands I like (This Mortal Coil, Placebo, Jeff Buckley) or are covers themselves like Femme Fatale. A very interesting ramschackle of an album that seems to have had more success among musicians than it did commercially. And now listening to the entire album a 4th time it dawns on me why it is. My first listen was a decidedly 'meh'-experience. But it sure is growing, into an album I would listen to again and again, especially songs like Holocaust and Kanga Roo. It's dark, it's emotional it's terribly played. Absolutely amazing album. 4,5*

Most haunted (non) album of all times Prefs: TOUT Moins prefs: RIEN

A lot like the Velvet Underground but different in interesting ways

имба. темная лошадка. темные поп-рок баллады с красивыми инструменталами. музыка похожа на пинкфлойд, а вокал на тома йорка, учитывая, что всё это было в 70ых

I have to say, I'm surprised seeing how few 5 star ratings there are for this album, but I guess Big Star doesn't resonate with everyone. I've been obsessed with Big Star since discovering them in 1992 when Rykodisk put out the Live album and the Jim Dickinson version of this one. I'm not sure what it is that made them so magical - some combination of the music and the story I suppose. Of the material that they released, which was unfortunately not a lot, this is my favorite. The songs are incredibly beautiful, strange, dark, and fragile. They feel as if they could fall apart at any moment, and in some cases they do. A reflection of Alex Chilton's mental state at the time I guess. "Get me out of here, I hate it here," from Nightime breaks my heart every time. Since I already know this album inside and out, I took the opportunity today to listen to Complete Third, the 2016 Omnivore release that includes all the demo versions, rough takes, and ultimately the masters. It's 3 hours long, so it's a lot, but it's a treat to hear how beautiful these songs already were at the demo stage with just acoustic guitar (or piano in a couple of cases) and Alex's lilting falsetto, and then how they were fleshed gradually with strings and other instruments. It's also a treat hearing some of the cover versions he chose to play around with, in particular the Velvet Underground's Femme Fatale and the Beach Boys Don't Worry Baby, which can only be found on the Complete release. His voice was a beautiful fit for those songs. It's a shame that Alex turned his back on the type of music he was making at this point in his life. I've never been a big fan of his solo work, but he was who he was, and that's partly what makes him great. A musical genius for sure, and this album is the best evidence of that. 5 stars.

4.5

good rock classic stuff

This group was not on my radar. Unusual and hard to classify, somewhere in the rock / folk spectrum. I like.

very nearly a lost album, which would have been a real shame

I can tell this one will grow on me with repeated listenings. Already great. 4/5

Man I liked this a lot. could have been recorded a lot more recently than it was. Fuck knows if i listened to the right version though

Great discovery. I suspect it's going to grow in me.

Schöne Popmusik mit interessanten Ecken.Relaxed und hörbar.

Three great albums from this band. Never travel far without a little Big Star.

Big Star is a group that I've been looking to check out for a while. I'm actually glad that I came back to this one to listen to it again after yesterday, since I enjoyed the album more on the second listen. I really can't think of much that this album sounds like that came before it. There's lots of stuff that it resembles if you squint a bit, but it feels really fresh and new for 1978. It was certainly influential on a lot of the alt-country bands that would come along in the late 80s and 90s. 4/5 Definitely one of those albums that not a lot of people bought, but that really stuck with the musicians who heard it

I’m more familiar with #1 Record and Radio City so I’m glad this project got me to focus on this album. For a pop record this album is so dark and at times noisy, a midway point between folk and glam. Definitely in the vein of Velvet Underground, Bowie and T-Rex. I can see how this band is an influence for bands like R.E.M. and Wilco. Singer Alex Chilton’s vulnerable vocal performances are honest and powerful. The use of the orchestral strings through out the album is very tasteful and complimentary to the impressive guitar work. The drums at times remind me of a tame Keith Moon. The haunting vibe highlighted in songs like “Big Black Car” and “Holocost” proved to be my favorite element of this album. Overall this album takes you through a bit of a manic ride and I loved every moment of it.

A bittersweet, melancholic, rather complex and beautiful power pop album. I haven't heard any albums by this band before (I've known 'The Letter' by the lead singer and songwriter Alex Chilton) - I'll definitely revisit the album later.

i appreciate this album a lot because it started off incredibly strong and then devolved into unlistenable garbage on certain tracks but ultimately won back my interest in the later half this was a COMPLETELY new album to me (as in, never even heard of Big Star before) so i found it hard to immediately click with it without having an understanding of what the vibe was anyways! it is a shame that the track O, Dana which is GREAT is surrounded by arguably the two worst tracks on the entire album: Femme Fatale and Holocaust 3.5/5 and i refuse to elaborate on why

El power pop estadounidense tiene un nombre: Big Star. Grupo de culto, fusionó los sonidos más contundentes de la invasión británica. Si obviamos su crepuscular grabación de 2005, Third/Sister Lovers, de 1978, fue su tercer y último álbum de estudio. Una colección de canciones apasionadas por momentos y erráticas y descarnadas en muchas fases del mismo. Destacaría "Dream Lover", una inquietante canción de amor descarnado. También la altamente emotiva y deprimente "Holocaust", retrato de una persona autodestructiva; una versión muy contundente de una canción de los Kinks, "Till the End of the Day", y la extraña versión del tema de Nat King Cole "Nature Boy".

Pretty timeless and wonderful

honestly really cool - almost moulin rouge-y at times

I like this a lot more than #1 Record. Holocaust is incredible. 7/10

I love this album just cuz I love big star. It’s super super dark tho and not the easiest listen. Super raw tho and some of the most beautiful songwriting I’ve ever heard

Wow. One of the most deeply dark albums of all time. Kind of loved it for that, but also found much of it grating. But maybe that’s the point? Gosh, it’s tough to rate this one. It’s both a 3 and a 5, so we’ll go 4. But also maybe I’m being too nice on my ratings gosh idk.

This is a pretty strange mix of minimalistic, psychedelic, progressive, but musically not fully convincing in any of the three categories. So my first impression wasn't great. Nonetheless, there's something here, something touching which I can well imagine may make some listeners fall in love with this record and which grew on me in the course of the album and had me hooked for a second listen. It's a certain air of vulnerability, of baring your soul to the world. I was close to giving this album 5 stars, but from the technical side it's really not great and there's a few tracks like the closing track Downs which, well, down the album a bit.

an interesting record - never knew that Holocaust & Kanga Roo are Big Star songs ! I really like this one.

Hated the 1st track but liked most of the rest of it. Reminded me of the Kinks or Cheap Trick

a pretty enjoyable album although none of the songs are reaching the heights of “thirteen”

This album is full of surprises. Very all over the board in tone. The slower, sadder songs are haunting and beautiful. Not sure what to make of it honestly, but did keep me guessing for sure.

fave songs: Nature boy and Nightime

I enjoyed it well enough for the most part. It's a little bloated as an album, but there's enough good songs to carry it on the whole.

This album has some truly brilliant moments,i n particular the songs that have that stark stripped down pop structure that seemly conveys a sad reflective mood. However the album suffers from inconsistency and some poor production as well. It's still a good listen in the right mood.

Not my favorite of theirs. It's more interesting then anything else. I mean it's still Alex Chilton being awesome. It's just not as good as his other stuff.

Hmm, well, yeah. This isn't as good as #1, which was a surprise for me. But there is something here that I really enjoyed. It's weird, but in a good way.

There are about five stand out songs here with my favorites being Jesus Christ and For You. Both appear to be worship songs not sure they worship the same person. I like their sound but mainly the more energetic songs… although their cover of Femme Fatale certainly hits the mark. Would it grow on me further? TBD. But I’m rounding up to 4 stars because the songs I like I will definitely return to.

This was a solid album. I liked the different sound throughout, with some songs sounding like they could come out today and some that sound classic. There were some Elvis Costello and Simon and Garfunkel vibes and I think the only dislike for me was some out of place cowbell (which I’m typically cool with it just didn’t fit well where it was placed).

Good, and, more significantly, super influential.

This album starts with a glammy pop track, but becomes increasingly moody and more reminiscent of late 60s English psychedelia. It grew on me with repeated listening.

Sounds contemporary and original, surprised me

I've listened to this album every which way on Complete Third, starting over and restarting further back, losing track of where I was in the rough mixes, semi-finished mixes, demos, and "finished" versions. It has genuine moments of brilliance and sadness, basically chronicling the demise of the gone-too-soon Big Star. But it isn't really a "record" compiled with a lot of apparent artistic intent, at least not that of the people who recorded it. Listening to the demos is really enjoyable — a better experience than most retrospective fans-only troves — but trying to put a bow on it feels odd and ultimately it just isn't complete enough an effort to warrant the breathless praise I've sometimes read about it. That said, it really puzzles me and I've come to listen to it again and again.

Like it more after a couple songs, like a slow burn. Once you’re in for a bit you realize the tide has pulled you deeper than you thought.. more sophistication melodically, and deeper sadder lyrics blossom. Not sure if I’ve heard of Big Star before but certainly the first time with all these songs. And by the end it had me digging into more of their catalog. 4/5

Nothing like the first two albums. I loved those first two albums. This one is kind of a bummer. Not necessarily bad but different. And unexpected. This one is going to take a few more listens to fully appreciate I think. I’m giving it a 4 in the meantime. Could rally be a 5.