Third/Sister Lovers

good stuff

Completely and totally forgettable. Just who cares - horrid singing. 4/10

Not what I expected but mostly pretty boring and moody to me.

it’s intriguing how they disassemble the works but also why don’t you just play the fucking song right every now and then?

Yllättävän monipuolinen levy, vaikka tunnelma pysyy aika hiljaisena koko ajan. Vähän epätasainen kuitenkin. Nature boy -versio on hieno, Femme fatale ei niinkään. Levyssä tuntuu jokin autenttinen surumielisyyden tunne.

Ennen kaikkea tämä levy on outo. Silloinkin kun kappaleet ovat tavanomaisia, mukana on jokin kummallinen elementti: kumeus, kaiku, luonnoton värinä laulajan äänessä. Missään nimessä biisimateriaali ei ole kummoista. En siltikään ole valmis tuomitsemaan tätä lopullisesti. Onko levyn saundi "vanginut" minut, vai pidänkö vain Alex Chiltonista, koska Replacements teki hänestä keskitason hittibiisin?

Boring.

This album was incredible awful. I'm am not sure how it made the list, because my life would have been better never to have heard this album.

So there is nothing in particular that tell my that this is a super great album, but its not bad, it look like a punk album, like everything feel like kinda punk, exept the music and its a bit wierd. S/o to the velvet underground cover wich is pretty good, i think their story/legacy and attitude so like them a bit The story behind the album is accualy quite intersting, and apparently they have a big influence on alt rock. But personally i dont realy like it

Ok, catchy tunes

-good classic vibes, nothing I would really go back to - nice sounding guitar - 2.5 but I'll round up

- doesn’t feel like anything special - Femme Fatale is a fantastic song

Interesting, swings and roundabouts with some good tracks and some awful ones. The album feels a little disjointed and is more a collection of songs rather than a coherent unit.

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

Ging volledig aan mij voorbij, maar als ik dan Arie's reactie hierop leest, krijg ik 't gevoel dat ik nog eens moet proberen. Maar in lijn met de eerste draaibeurt 2 minzame sterretjes voor nu dan.

Dit zou dan de grote inspirator van REM en Posies zijn geweest. Je hoort het ergens wel, maar dan draai net zo lief voorgenoemde bands.

Ik ben deze band de laatste jaren meer en meer gaan luisteren en waarderen. Een grote inspirator voor veel artiesten / bands die ik hoog in het vaandel heb staan. Op dit specifieke album staan aardig wat nummers die ik al heel goed kende, maar dan in een cover versie van Jeff Buckley, Posies, Placebo. Dat maakt het nu 'ontdekken' van deze band nog leuker.

Beetje nietszeggend, maar vooruit.

I feel like the production on this could have improved the overall experience. Needed more depth of sound.

I liked some of the songwriting but the production did not seem great. Perhaps it was unfair to listen to this on a plane. I hear the obvious influence that Teenage Fanclub have got from this, but I have to say I like Teenage Fanclub far more.

there were a few interesting songs but mostly this was boring to me. not super exciting

Not in Apple Music. Listened through YouTube. Pretty sappy music. It has a 60's vibe. Not my fave.

Just didn't do anything for me. Pretty uninteresting and unremarkable.

Femme fatale is slower than I thought, but very beautiful sung

few good songs sounds like radiohead before radiohead. I thought some of the sadder songs just sounded like they added nothing new and were not creative the more groovy songs were better tho

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

The vocals grew on me a bit as it went on and I appreciate the sparseness and delicacy of everything but yeah, it seemed pretty underdeveloped and just not too engaging. I gave up part way through and relistened to E.MO.TION instead and that fucking slaps

Tight!

Album starts out pretty bright and friendly before getting weird fast. Not a huge fan of the lead singer, but he fits the sound/vibe: ghostly and ephemeral, youthful and yearning. I can't say I liked it all too much, but I am seriously intrigued by it and willing to return. Best song: Thank You Friends or Femme Fatale

A little too long, some solid emo up front, got too droney by the end.

I liked that the songs were a good variety of vibes and not all replicas of each other, though the christmas song caught me off guard.

Fave tracks: Kizza me, Big Black Car, Femme Fatale, O Dana, Kangaroo, Stroke It Noel, For You, You Can’t Have Me, Til The End of The Day Some good stuff, most of it alright 3/5

Some interesting stuff (the cover of Nature Boy stands out) but struck me as pretty unfinished (the vague cover of Femme Fatale exemplary of this).

More critical darlings. Sigh. Actually not too bad at all but like the shins, despite Zach Braffs endorsement in that movie whose title escapes me this probably won’t change your life. To be fair if you were there, then, it might have. But I suspect it meant a lot more to those who lived in their parents basement, railing against the man, man, and earnestly assuring you this THIS is cool!

Amazingly, this album still sounds timeless and fresh despite being from 1978. Some of these are quite beautiful midnight guitar ballads of love or regret. How is it some albums can sound terrible, forced, dated, awkwardly produced by amateurs, and this one still sounds to current, universal and well made ? So finally another wonderful “discovery” album... so much to it, too. Nice to have this for phase two of my use of the 1001 list. I am using it to not just listen and rate, btu also understand why on album is considered important or influential... The 1001 book isn't much help (uses too much impenetrable ‘insider’ shorthand ) so I resort to internet articles and they say enough when I ask basic questions like “why is big star considered influential?" Yes, evidently this band is held responsible for what we recognise as 80's and 90's "alternative pop" sound, or our beloved, lamenting university radio (or Triple J in Australia) at the time. This - they say - is the most influential band no one has heard of. My online search yielded this (rolling stone) comment: "It's a record of gorgeous, disjointed heartbreak ballads." and this (from “insidehook”) that “Third wouldn’t have sounded out of place on ’90s college rock radio at all." I agree. It still sounds current... yes, hauntingly good stuff and sounds fully 1990's and very playable at midnight. their languid stuff is very good indeed if you're in the mood for it. Standout for me were: Dream Lover , Nature Boy, Night time- sound so perfectly ahead of their time. and do remind me of a softer version of REM . I did note that Chris Bell (vocals, guitar) sounds, to my ear, very, VERY Australian on Motel Blues (on another album).

Another band I totally missed in the 70’s. I was a big fan of Alex Chilton’s previous band, The Box Tops. They had at least 3 hit singles in Australia, most notably The Letter. I don’t know what happened to Chilton’s voice, but it sounds a lot weaker on the Big Star album. I really like the music here, but his voice here just doesn’t do it for me.

I first came across 'Holocaust' and "Kangaroo' as (exquisitely tasteful) covers on the first This Mortal Coil album, which I listened to a lot over the years. Big Star were one of those bands you heard about, but their records were just impossible to come by, and, in fairness, this one wasn't even really an album. It has been released on a variety of labels, under different titles, with different track listings, and, while their is a now a complete set of recordings available, there is no definitive album. It really surprised me to read that these songs had been extensively demoed before recording, because these recordings are chaotic and damaged. The songs are haunting and often sadly beautiful, but the recordings fucked up (pardon my french). And I can understand why record companies didn't want to touch it. According the Pitchfork: "Fry shopped the album to labels in 1975 in the hopes of recouping some of the money poured into the project. Nobody bit. Lenny Waronker at Warner asked, 'I don’t have to listen to that again, do I?' Over at Atlantic, Jerry Wexler claimed 'This record makes me feel very uncomfortable.'" It was more than three years until it got its initial release on an indie label, well after the band had split up (and it is even debatable whether this was ever a Big Star album). There are aspects of the album that speak to care and ambition (the strings arrangements, for example), but much of the album seems deliberately bad sounding. This adds to the discomforting feeling that the album imbues, and even Alex Chilton's voice (So strong and compelling in the Box Tops) is fragile here. The songs are intense, and I can see why this band and this album have become cult favourites, highly influential on many alternative artists in the 80s and 90s. I want to mention This Mortal Coil, Jeff Buckley, REM, and Sparklehorse, off the top of my head. Stephen Deusner in Pitchfork writes "For many listeners-- including, for a few years, me-- Big Star were more legend than band. They were the beloved patron saints for struggling musicians: These albums were inspired and inspiring but never found a wide audience, yet the fact that they eventually became so revered offered encouragement to young songwriters with their own dream of big stardom and No. 1 records. Even if you never found an audience in your prime, you could always hope for later cult success. And to some extent, of course, the myth overtook the music" I have listened to this through a number of times today. It is uncomfortable and haunting, but there is a depth there. The myth of the album is almost overwhelming, but these are songs that I am learning to love. It's a weird and difficult album though. It's a challenge to give this a star rating; it's got some really beautiful aspects, but it is also so broken. I'm really struggling to know what to think. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

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.

Tuneful and ragged, sweet and bitter, they were REM before REM were REM, and the influence on indie rock could not be clearer or more pronounced. This reads as hollow as it is haunting.

3.5

Man this one did not connect. Just felt kinda bland throughout. Cant remember a single part of it, except I recognized the Femme Fatale cover, but only because I got that Velvet Underground album like 2 weeks ago. So not bad per say, but immediately forgettable

Skimmed the wikipedia articles on this band and album. It was interesting to hear they never had much success but were a huge influence on alternative bands like REM. I definitely hear some of that and hear the Beatles influence on them.

Big Star is known as "the most influential band you've never heard of." I'm pretty sure I have listened to this album before. I will say that it sounds more like a 90's album from someone like Blink 182 or Teenage Fanclub than from the 1970's.

Was hoping for more upbeat tunes on this record, granted I only could listen to Third on Spotify. Regardless, still a Big Star fan and I hear their influence on the lemon twigs.

I listened to this about three times and can't remember a thing about it now. Not for me, but I can see how it might be considered influential.

Really interesting record with a lot of beautiful songs, especially the cover of the masterpiece "Femme Fatale" by The Velvet Underground and Nico.

Loved it, these guys rule

meh

A good rock album by Big Star that wasn't too out there but still provided an interesting listen. It's a shame to hear that they only reached commercial success after the declining mental state of the lead singer which produced this record. Best: Thank You Friends Worst: Downs

Sounds like it quickly became irrelevant. Found the vocals whiney and backing tracks plodding. Village fayre album.

It’s very apparent that it’s un-finished. I just didn’t appreciate the music like I see that others do. Too many slow sad songs, but not in a good way.

Side A: Kizza Me: This is just an ok track. Thank You Friends: Ok but I couldn't pay full attention to it beacuse I was looking at a gc argument. Big Black Car: It started off different and I realized that it sounded like something Lana Del Rey would make and that made me appreciate it. Jesus Christ: It's lyrics are a little on the nose but it does have good production. (Note: I just found what Thank You Friends is about and I think I might relisten to it after the album) Side B: Femme Fatale: It has a good style but it really doesn't stick out to me O, Dana: I love this bop Holocaust: Wow, just wow Kanga Roo: Sounds like a 70s song (I am running out of things to say) Okay now I stop giving track reviews for every track. Okay For You sounds good. I actually love this production for You Can't Have Me. Now its my favorite. On to Side D. FINALLY another good track (I'm referring to Til The End Of The Day). What is going on in Downs. Finally I am done. 2/5

first time listening

Not my cup of tea

I don't know, man. Maybe the band was right. Maybe this didn't need to be released. I can see why they lost interest in finishing this album. It's mostly uninteresting.

This album was kind of all over the place - several songs were super rough and seemed almost unfinished - and stylistically there was a lot going on. Though a couple of the songs were solid, it ultimately didn't cohesively impress me

I can't really put into words why I didn't like this but something was just off about the album.

If I were depressed and high all the time I think I could vibe with this.

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

Another 70s rock band nobody’s heard of. No thanks.

Føler dette er ganske typisk rock fra 70-tallet. Ikke noe jeg hater, men ikke noe fast lytting heller. Starter rolig, så tar tempoet seg opp utover albumet.

If this was recorded in 1963 it'd be great. Instead, it was made 15 years later and just sounds kind of sad and tired.

I don’t have an issue with Big Star as a band. Thirteen is a great folk tune, and #1 Record is a solid album all the way around. But this album is a snoozer that in between blatant attempts to sound like Zeppelin, offers nothing of interest. At most, some tracks here could be considered influential on modern folk rock bands, but at worst, I’m struggling to retain interest in songs comparing a dead mother to the death of 6 million people. Nature Boy cover is solid though.

Big 2-Star Energy.

It was okay

Great listen. Standouts: Femme Fatal, Holocaust, Jesus Christ, Thank You Friend, Kanga Roo, and more! 4/5

Big Star's original run was pretty flawless, but this is the least captivating of those three albums for me. Still, the least good of three pretty great things is, believe it or not, also pretty great.

Luisterbaar en niet tergend maar niet meer dan dat

I adore Big Star, but this is my least favourite of their 3 recorded albums. A very arty, dark, and jagged bunch of songs that reflect some inner turmoil in the mind and life of Alex Chilton. I wish more bands were like Big Star.

I wasn't sure if I'd like this album upon the first track, but I quite enjoyed it! I'm not sure if it will go on heavy rotation but I would listen to it again. Liked Big Black Car, Stroke it Noel, and Take Care. 3.5/5 but rounding down to 3/5.

the definition of skippable

Nice

14th April 2023 Listened in the afternoon having a mega chill work day / watching movies. Out in the evening with Tess and Ollie to the Mexican place in Stroud. Did not get this. Sounded like a weak version of the Shins.

Nice 🤯🤯

Great ”lost” album. Would have loved to hear a whole album with the somber sound of tracks like ”Holocaust” but I can’t really complain about getting more power pop songs from Big Star

Banger!

I mean yeah it’s fine I guess.Lots of songs which make them hard to remember like that the byrds record.Nothings bad but nothing really stands out to me.

They were apparently Grammy award winning,I'd never heard of them. The album was alright but it felt very generic.

Much darker than I anticipated. Solid songs, and their influence can easily be heard from this album, especially with The Replacements.

I feel pure neutral about this album. I liked a lot of the sounds, like the bwowmp-y bass tones on You Can't Have Me sound great. It's also so nice to hear a version of Femme Fatale with a singer who can stay on pitch and guitars that are in tune. The songwriting didn't catch me much though. It felt like they kinda lost steam on the back half.

Not bad overall, but there are a couple of horrible, horrible tracks (Kizza Me for instance.)

Really nice pop-rock with an alt-country twist that goes down easy. Some heavy stuff here (in subject matter) but all really easy to listen to. I've been meaning to dig deeper into Big Star so I'm glad this popped up.

Good, not great album.

Big Black Car. I love the dreamy vibe. That's a great drum solo on Nighttime. Really competent. Fairly eclectic, particularly for the time. I enjoyed it.

Nice rhythm section, groovy drumming. Catchy songs. Nothing overly memorable though. 3*

One of most refined cult bands in history. Only three records, each of them a masterpiece in its own terms. This one's the last, the most mature, melancholic, musical, complex of them three. Sometimes it is so beautiful it hurts

Je compte arrêter de distribuer les quatre sur cinq à tout va après cet album, vous êtes prévenus.

Je n'ai aucun commentaire particulier à faire sur cet album, car pensant avoir affaire aux Pointer Sisters, j'ai attendu le tube I'm So Excited tout l'album. Le titre en question n'est bien sur jamais venu.

Feel like this album is somewhat overrrated for what it is. It takes from the velvet underground and the stones and tries to be a darker deeper album from the 70s. I don’t really enjoy any of the songs and probably won’t revisit them. It has done decent instrumentals and overall sound but there’s just too many albums from that era that did it better. 5.3/10

Aparte muziek. Sommige up-tempo nummers zijn wel aardig, mar ook veel nummers zijn wat slaapverwekkend. **

Pretty dang bland. 4/10

It is a wonderful album that combines many styles.

Rock

Sad, like a broken-down children’s toy. Alex Chilton and his plaintive guitar does not disappoint. It’s even sadder that this is the first of his to which I’ve listened.

Their version of Femme Fatal is great. Other standout tracks: Holocaust, Thank You Friends, Big Black Car, and many many more! Really great album! 4/5

3.5

album(s?) criblé(s?) de trous sur Spotify et groupe mystérieux je dois dire

Bored

Not really my thing. It's not bad, I just can't get into it. There aren't many unique details. Also not a fan of the album cover. Fave track(s): Big Black Car, Take Care

Third/Sister Lovers is pretty one-speed moody indie from a long time before it became a think. A little glam too, 2/5.

Probably a bit ahead of its time - it sounds like not very good Radiohead, which is impressively forward for 1978, but ultimately it's not that good. Vocals are okay, a bit strained, lyrics are pretty dull, and there's not much going on musically to grab your attention. Not unpleasant, 2/5.

Bit of a mixed bag this one. Lots of the same Beatles influences you hear being picked up in the 90's. An americana version of a UK 60s sound - of which there's a lot out there.

This is why I signed up for 1001 albums. I had hoped to discover new music to enjoy. Big Star confused me at first. I couldn't figure out why I had never heard of them since this came out during a time when I was all about album rock and assorted other related vices. There were one or two misses, but on the whole, they were great songs that were well played. I ended up pulling up their other two albums to listen to. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.

Never heard of this band before but I can imagine that I will definitely enjoy the music especially when I listen to them live. I think. 3.0/5

This didn't capture me at first but the back half, and the last four tracks in particular, grabbed me more. I'll likely give it another listen sometime.

Big Star is the most Britishish American band I've heard in a long while. Coming right out of Radio City, I was left wanting a bit of energy: The disjointed sequencing certainly doesn't help Third cohere. But the stripping down is highly compelling.

A lot of connective tissue here linking to 80's and 90's stuff. You have to assume Wilco was taking notes here (especially Holocaust), plus a bunch of other folks. Big Black Car is my favorite song.

a big step down from other early 70s rock group 2.5

Its was well produced and sounds ahead of its time. Nothing really caught my attention.

Not on apple music

Fav Song: Nightime

Not much to outwardly mention but I feel lie this was slightly above average

I'm beginning to start thinking maybe I don't even like music. I don't get it. This just doesn't click with me and he whimpers more than he sings. Maybe it's just his voice I don't enjoy, whatever, I won't be adding this to my collection.

slatko

idntknow it's impressive

Sounds like they can’t be bothered

Never heard this and liked it a lot. Will be returning for more.

Ça me fait penser à Velvet Underground (pas juste à cause de Femme fatale), mais le ton geignard et plus convenu me laisse froide

Ahead of their time. Good album

Was not my style of music, so skipped it after song 3

Slow and corny feeling for my taste.

Well well what an interesting surprise - kind of Proto-indie what nice moody atmospheric songs in among a sprawling record. It’s a really good album despite it feels a little unfinished - which in itself makes it interesting as well. Some great tracks here.

This was a little dreary for many songs. Also spotify didn't have all the songs. I preferred the first Big Star album.

I’d never heard of or listened to these before. Sounded so much before it’s time, plenty of nice surprises in this too including a decent cover of Femme Fatale. It’s only with the hindsight of listening to it you can hear how many bands they influenced (heard a few glimpses of Teenage Fanclub and Wilco throughout). Their sound is even more impressive given the landscape of music at the time.

This album was all over the place in a good way, really inventive for the time, shame they didn't have more success.

Hadn't heard of them, but it seems that they are meant to be quite good.I thought the album was just fine, but still not overly memorable. I liked For You.

I found very little to enjoy in this album.

Never heard of big star before this..... After the first 4 tracks I wasn't convinced at all. Femme fatale was really good but it's a cover... It then got a bit more interesting but also a bit weird in parts. Liked the cheery holocaust. Blue moon and nighttime too Would probably listen again!

Good album, can’t believe it’s on here rather than #1 record as 3rd isn’t their best - some brilliant ones like O’Dana and Holocaust but overall average

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.

Dit album ontbreekt wat enthousiasme. De integere songs waren saai, de opgewekte misten 'schwung'

first listen decent but not much stood out to me

Man…..that was kinda creepy 7/10 I don’t really have a fave track. Idk

Pas mauvais sans plus

Super bine, j’ai aime et il se pretait tres bien a la situation. 4

When I first heard the third Big Star album, I wasn't impressed. The first two albums were brilliant, both definitely essential listening, but the Third didn't have the quality or consistency of the first two. The amount of covers surprised me, and the status and direction of the band was in dire straits. Years have passed and with repeated listenings, the album has grown on me and I've had a deeper appreciation for the record. Alex Chilton is a genius, but he hasn't produced anything nearly as good as the first three of Big Star album ( though he's had his moments). A cult favorite or a misunderstood classic?

Decent

Holy Melancholy Batman! The songs remind me of the Wilco songs I have a hard time getting into. I know that's not a ringing endorsement but, with enough time, I often end up liking the Wilco songs. One day isn't enough to know if the same could be said for the Big Star songs. Femme Fatale was a pleasant surprise. +1 for that.

I'm glad that the wiki notes stated correctly that this was recorded in 75 but released in 78. The first couple of tracks are great. Well written and edgy. Things get a bit gloomy after that, at least with the songs still available on Spotify, Alex Chilton's voice conveying sadness and pain perfectly. The strings work too. Chilton/Big Star fall into a category of artists from the 70s, including Television, Magazine & even Scott Walker - Spotify played him both times I finished the album - who didn't fit in to the popular movements of the day, (hard rock/prog/punk) and didn't sell much. But they developed a cult following and were influential and remembered fondly. I was ready to give a 4 but there's too many covers. The Kinks cover I like, the Nat King Cole cover I'm on the fence about, and Femme Fatale has been covered by everybody since.

I came to hear this music backwards because I first heard This Mortal Coil’s covers of Kangaroo and Holocaust back in 1984. Those covers were spectacular, and now I know where they came from. This is a somewhat quirky non commercial album and I can see why it’s become a cult favourite. It’s a grower for sure.

Made no impression

American Cult act with definitive British Invasion era influences. A rebellious structure in musicality.

Perfectly competent, but I'm struggling to find the appeal. It's just boring. 2/5

Didn’t enjoy this at all. Contrived and mediocre and the singer’s voice was particularly annoying ! 1*

Not a fan.

Ragged and wan, as if everyone knew the end was nigh. Everything feels tossed off, but in a likable way. The iron-deficient “Femme Fatale” succeeds in seeming to approach a vanishing point. “Jesus Christ” is a bit more stable but with undercurrents of apathy and listlessness. The rockers are less effective, generally, not unlike Wilco (another of their esteemed progeny) in that sense. Did Big Star deserve better? It can be said, but they are perhaps flattered by their adherents.

A pretty solid album.

6/10 surprisingly good but too long

There's so much better music to represent the genre and the period than this bland and uninspiring album.

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 liked the ballads best.

I tried all of their first three albums and while I agree this one is probably the most intense and artistic, I like their first album best

Garden variety talentless crap. Usually when I say "what's this in the list for?" it's because I hate the album. But this... is too bland to hate. Or like. I couldn't imagine anyone going UGGHHH THIS IS THE WORST THING EVER any more than OMG FINALLY A REASON TO LIVE. Maybe if the whole album was on spotify and I'd had to hear all 55min I would have had stronger feelings. At ~30min it was just mildly boring. 2/5.

It was okay. Not gonna go back to it

I didn't hate it

Interesting missing piece in pop music history. Recorded in 1972 yet has a post-punk ethos. Direct influence on This Mortal Coil and Magazine. More poppy stuff seemed to have influenced early 80s new wave like China Crisis and Haircut 100. I Was shocked to find out that Holocaust and Kangaroo were not This Mortal Coil originals. The album itself is groundbreaking but uneven. (3.8)

New band to me. Quite like it, but not enough to rate highly, or to be honest, listen to it again.

Not my cup of tea

Not bad for a one time listen, but a little too slow in tempo with vocals that tend to be a bit whiny and irritating at times.

Definitely soundedway ahead of their time but ultimately the album failed to provide any highlights or standouts

I dig the string arrangements Upright bass was cool in the context of the album. I really like a couple of their ballads. Dream Lover and Take Care are my favorites. Interesting fragile sounding vocal performances. I wonder why they sat on this album for 4 years before releasing. Sounds unfinished/ in refined sometimes - I’d like a shorter tighter album. Too many songs and a handful of them are covers. (I do like a dark spacey version of Nature Boy but it sounds like a demo, Femme fatale has some nice melodic bass, don’t know why they need a kinks cover)

I like the slow tempo and surfy guitars on big black car. Feels like heroine kinda. Acoustic sounds nice on femme fatale Cool bass playing on this tune also I like the songwriting, arranging and instrument sounds on this album. Singing isn’t blowing me away but it’s not awful. Strings are kinda cool Nice sounding reverb on night time Oboe?? Didn’t see that coming I feel like this album is getting increasingly orchestral Oh it’s rock n roll again (til the end of the day) A couple of these songs aren’t available on Spotify

I loved this. Its like OG emo. My favorite was "You Can't Have Me". The drums on that track were awesome.

Not a huge fan of this album at all.

Not at all familiar with this record, the extent of my Big Star knowledge and familiarity has always been limited to "#1 Record." But this is great and all over the place, reading about the backstory and the different track listings/presentations of the album was certainly interesting. Alex Chilton rules, and this is great.

Like if all the Beatles were sad

meh, pas mon style, titre 1 = bon morceau

AllMusic's retrospective review of the album gave it five stars calling it a "shambling wreck of an album" while at the same time "among the most harrowing experiences in pop music; impassioned, erratic, and stark" and "the slow, sinking sound of a band falling apart". Yep, that's pretty much what it sounds like

I like the big star

Yet another case of a band/album, that is on the list due to 'innovation', or a historical context. Big Star is apparently a big influence to a myriad of Alternative pop/rock bands of 90s, so as a precursor to a whole generation, it is celebrated now across the world (the world of critics, at least). My problem with this album is that whenever a record is on this list because of the musical context, it doesn't have any standalone power. It is a very bland album, just with a new concept, or a new way of post-production. This is the case with Third/Sister Lovers. After listening to whole album I am not able to pinpoint anything I liked. Or even anything that pick up my attention. I can agree that songs sounded very modern, not like made in 90s, but that doesn't change the fact that I wouldn't listen to it right now. I'll leave it to professional critics howmuch this band change the course of musical history, but for my amateur-self, it is a very boring album.

Didn't really get it/still don't.

Not bad, interesting introspective rock album

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

I feel the need to specify that Big Star's third album (aptly named Third), has had a few different releases with different tracklists over the years. Looking iy up in the book, 1001 specifically calls on the 1992 release which has 19 tracks total. This version, sadly, is not available on Spotify. I'll be listening to a copy of the 1992 release that I've found myself. This is a very strange album for Big Star. Recording was marred with issues as the band fell apart. The original 1978 release was completely macgyvered from the tapes acquired by PVC. Listening to the 1992 version, it still feels like a mess. Some parts of the albums have lots of strings which, while adding a certain dramatic flair, do little to enhance the songs. Other songs feel somewhat incomplete or lack a proper ending. Normally I would chalk this up to creative decisions, but given the history surrounding this album I would be hesitant to do so. It's a shame because these songs are still good. Alex Chilton is an amazing song writer, we know this from Big Star's previous two albums. While I can recommend those wholeheartedly, I'm not sure I can say the same for Third. Third should be left as a sort of black sheep for fans who are already familiar with Big Star. I tend to take issue with albums that are messy like this, so I'll be giving it a harsh rating, but don't let it deter you from enjoying it.

3/5. Not the best production I've heard from around the late 1970s. It's an interesting album the track Holocaust is quite haunting. I feel like when this album hits its mark it is amazing but when it misses its a bit flat. Could cull quite a few songs to make a more solid experience.

Ну нормально. Ни рыба, ни мясо.

I prefer their earlier stuff, although I like the tracks This Mortal Coil covered.

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

A few songs were missing from Spotify but I definitely got the jist. Completely unfocused and all over the place. Some pretty cool moments, but still a mess overall. Also not a fan of the vocals.

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.

It's a bit of a snooze, but easy on the ears and has a few good songs here and there.

Hippie and vibey. Just ok though.

A peek into the brain of Alex Chilton shows that he probably wasn't in a healthy state of mind. The viral melodies of the early albums have gone and though he can't quite shake off the power pop he wore it's not as catchy as it could be. Best Tracks: Thank You Friends; Holocaust; Blue Moon

It sounds like a half-finished jumble. I know that’s sort of because it was, but it doesn’t really excuse the fact it’s a bit all over the place.

This one didn’t do much for me.

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*

Never heard of Big Star. The album is nice though. Best tracks: Femme Fatale, Thank You Friends, Big Black Car, Holocaust, Kanga Roo, Till the End of the Day,

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

Identifying Big Star

Knew nothing about this band before I pressed play... and I kind of still don't. 70s rock and roll in the dictionary is probably just a photo of someone listening to this album I guess. I can't imagine anyone listening to this and being glad they weren't listening to like... any other 70s rock band. Zeppelin? Queen? Literally anyone else is better.

A lot like the Velvet Underground but different in interesting ways

4/5. The tracks that hit, hit dumb hard, but the ones that dont, kinda weak

Did I really need to hear this before I die?

Not my fav

God this was boring and whiny. I did not enjoy this album at all.

This album was putting me to sleep until Nature Boy came on and then I wanted to watch Moulin Rouge. I was really not into this album

Will need another listen, first go through sounds like it had potential for good folksy morning music.

Genre: Pop Rock 2/5 Big Star, led by guitarist/vocalist Alex Chilton, who in his own right was a figurehead amongst many who succeeded in the 80s rock scene, made this album we have here. This particular release is a deluxe reissue, with some bonus tracks thrown in at the end, I guess as some sort of treat for us listeners. Unfortunately for us listeners, this thing is a mess. And not in a cleverly produced, well-written, White Album kind of way. The album, which is sequenced slighty differently than it was upon its initial release, jumps between soft, gentle ballads to erratic, unfinished-sounding jams at the flip of a coin. There are moments of tranquil and beauty here, For You and Nighttime stand out, and moments where the instruments go on much more interesting tangents than what the song was originally doing, like You Can't Have Me, which had some great drum breaks. But the overwhelming majority of the songs sound like Chilton is just not giving a shit. Bad singing, inconsistent songwriting, and a project that even without the bonus tracks feels too long. Days of Future Passed is not in this book. Albums like this remind me of that fact.

Disco de rock que comienza movido y con mucha energía. Poco a poco se vuelve más oscuro, más melancólico. Las melodías más complejas se vuelven más simples y personales. No va de más a menos necesariamente, solo es un cambio marcado de humor. 3.5 estrellas que no debería subir o bajar. Sube a 4 porque no esperaba mucho de ellos.

Disco muy raro, de esos que no tienen sentido de estar en la lista. El sonido es a veces de banda setentera y a veces de alternativo de los noventa, pero en definitiva nada memorable. Next!

interesting album tbh, its a shame the other songs arent on spotify.

big star gets two star on thars

Bom.

I skipped because half he songs were greyed out. Decided to be generous rating wise.

I hated the vocals of this album at first but it got better as it went along. Missing some songs on spotify but the ones I did hear were fine

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

Fine, but not my favorite.

Low key bland indie.

read a bit more about big star, cult following, etc. etc. this album was... solid?

I've never heard of Big Star at all! I don't particularly enjoy this type of singing voice. I know people like that kind of imperfect rough raw voice where it almost sounds a bit strangled sometimes trying to hit some notes. It actually puts me on edge a bit. I really like this track Nature Boy, aside from my previous comment, the piano is lovely and the lyrics are interesting and unusual. I like the minor key melody too and vintage bluesy/jazz feel. I also really enjoy Till the end of the Day. This has a strong Beatles vibe, I love the bassline and the fun guitars in general. Apart from those two tracks I found the rest of the album pretty dull and that meant the voice grated on me. I did listen to the next album which popped up after and it sounded wayyyyy better. This album just isn't really for me so much.

This hasn't left much of an impression on me and I've attempted to get through it a few times. Confusing really. I think just a bit beige rock.

I just found this a bit dull, nothing much going on. Sometimes I like that really simple, stripped back rock ballad stuff but usually it has to come as a one off amongst so really good stuff and this didn't have enough good stuff.

So, I'd never really listened to much of this band. A few songs here and there. Idk if this album will change that, it's really depressing.

these guys were depressed. Couldn't listen to the whole album bc parts weren't available. Not bad though but not my fav

It's fine. I was expecting a lot more from this and I unfortunately didn't get it

I've heard a lot about Big Star over the years, but never really listened to them. Interesting album with its own sound

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

Listenable enough, started well with a cool 70s rock sound but ended up a bit dreary

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.

Very pleasant, but then it stopped and at the end, I'm not sure if I remembered listening to anything at all.

This album is at best, an okay album making it difficult to appreciate as an album necessary to listen to. There are some emo elements, which while not exactly a turn-off, does not warrant any particular endorsements as a result. Perhaps this wide-range of pop-rock mixed with the aforementioned is where this album can be acknowledged for having shaped a genre. Add to the rotation for when not feeling the urge to pay attention, Big Star makes good music and the listener is likely to feel indifferently okay about it. That is not a bad thing, and perhaps on a different day that mood will be more favorable.

Third.

I found it a bit underwhelming. The singer does not sound very confident in himself I probably could enjoy a couple of these songs on their own, but as a collection it's just a bit too much Also what a lame cover of Femme Fatale lol

Enjoyable gentle rock.

wow um bad i didn’t like. it doesn’t feel like it’s worth one star but i can’t give it any more sorry x

"Kizza Me" is really fucking bad. But from there on it's ok. I always loved "Nature Boy" but they don't quite do it justice on this one. Eh ok, but I need a little more time.

Aquí no hay grandes aspavientos y las canciones son sobrias pero bien enfocadas. Las mejores son las de ritmo lento. Destacan las cuerdas en varias de ellas, como el chelo de “Holocaust”, que crea un ambiente denso y brumoso. Un disco íntimo para escuchar en soledad.

This was good

Pretty good heartbreak album

Enjoyed this- too many songs and too long but great song writing. 4/5

OK

In my mind, Big Star are a new wave band from the mid-1980s so it consistently blows my mind that their peak creative period was actually the '70s. This album, be it Sister Lovers or Third, doesn't sound like a product of the late 70s. It has a much crisper sound, no doubt signalling how ahead of its time this band was. And behold the pop stylings!

Classic 70s but just too depressing for me

Reminds me of Dylan, T-Rex and Bowie. At times is its own thing too. Can be heartfelt at times. Like Blue Moon, etc.

Hørte ikke lige det hele..

I love to hear the origins of my favourite genres, and this is such a good example of early alt rock and power pop. Loved it, will likely listen again.

Kinda dull, I don't get it. Femme Fatale was a nice track, which surprised me, so I googled it and it turns out they didn't even write that one

It's interesting. Like, is it good? I don't know. It seems like a critique of music of the time maybe? As it goes on, it becomes folkier and more melancholy. The sleeper hit of the album is the much less whiny Nature Boy with its melodic piano and haunting vocals. Good - Til the End of the Night, Blue Moon, Nature Boy Art - I like it, but it's also weird that there's the two images in different resolutions.

#1 Record is a good album. This is not. I tuned out when they started singing about Jesus.

Not a bad time but nothing wowed me.

Some interesting textures and ideas here and there, but not nearly enough to unify these scattershot tracks into a cohesive whole.

Ah it was crap

1.5

Nothing exceptional. Voice didnt do it for me.

Can really see how it influenced bands like the Replacements. Or specifically the Replacements. A little more moody esoteric than my preference but still good to listen to and culturally relevant.

Það er einhver kaos tilfinning í þessari plötu. Áhugaverð, en þarf ekkert að hlusta aftur.

Didn’t particularly care for anything about this but it wasn’t offensive 5/10

4/10. Based on the first song, this album is not worth the additional hassle of not being on spotify and having different song orders for several different releases… Overall, I don't love the singer's voice, and while the music is not as boring as it could have been for an album of this length, it is not really pleasant to listen to either.

Reading up on this album made it a more compelling story, but I still didn't care much for the sound outside of the more experimental tracks. 6/10

A lot of drivelers. This sort of vocals in particular are not too appealing

some generic 70s crap with the high pitched voices. i could barely listen to this through the first time, i think its safe to say there won't be a second.

I want to feel you deep inside. Given the names of some of the songs (Holocaust), I was expecting more than soft rock pop. If it was a sexual experience, it'd be premature ejaculation followed by uncontrollable weeping and deep shame.

Most of this was enjoyable, I like the shoegazey before shoegazey was a thing-ness of Kangaroo but the happy-clappy Jesus song and the absolutely abysmal Velvet Underground cover? Not for me Clive.

Wee bit disappointed. No real grinders to be had here

Some of this album sounded a lot like classic '70s rock - the Byrds, Bread. But other parts sounded like less instrumentally complex DeVotchKa or REM. While listening certain parts of songs reminded me both of bands that probably influenced Big Star and bands probably influenced by Big Star. I can understand why this was included despite not having heard of the band.

3.8 - Given all the acclaim surrounding this album I was expecting so much more. I enjoy some of the slapdash swagger that's underpinned with sumptuous orchestral arrangements. At times it sounds like the band is about to implode and can only move forward with the support of backing studio players. It's like they hired a string ensemble at great expense and the players arrived to the studio on time with their instruments tuned and their parts well-rehearsed, but the the band itself was visibly absent. Several hours later the band finally shuffles in, still clearly loaded from an all night bender, smelling ripe and needing a shave. They announce that they're ready to start recording and proceed to noodle through the first verse before nodding off into the chorus. Their cover of "Femme Fatale" is particularly confusing - it sounds like a mike check? "Holocaust" is like something from a high school talent show written and sung by that one girl who cuts herself. To its credit, there's a roiling, unsettled atmosphere the likes of which I've heard on no other record. I certainly cannot write it off but having listened to it twice today just to torture myself to write these words on what I think I just heard, I don't foresee returning soon.

I was not familiar with any of the songs. I was familiar with the band. Some decent songs. Some songs were just meh.

What a mess. Apparently there are two similarly named albums? It's listenable, but not memorable. It's one long... expansive album.

This is fantastic. I've listened to Matthew Sweet and the dB's, which likely are closely related descendants. Til the End of the Day is wonderful blistering and the rest of the album is both strong lyrically and musically. Really enjoy the somewhat haphazard energy and delivery.

I'd rather die than listen to this again

This is the third album from Big Star and it's a pop album that documents the decline of the band. This album became far more popular - a cult classic even - years after release when it was re-released multiple times. It is beautiful but haunting, personal & experimental, but also erratic and impassioned. Critics described the album as the sounds of a band sinking and slowly falling apart, which I agree with. It makes a great "heart break" album. The album is not horrible, but you can tell something was off during recording.

Solid, simple album.

forgettable

I didn't like all of the songs, but the songs I did like were very enjoyable to listen to. I can't say I'd really ever revisit this album again properly, maybe just a couple of songs. 3/5 stars.

Fun if somewhat slight power pop. Really elevated by the lyrics though.

Quite forgettable

Rock clássico agradável, mas sem empolgar.

Left little impression. Not for me

Just...what? There's no defined sound for this album and none of them work particularly well, not to mention half the songs aren't available on Spotify. Gonna say no thanks.

I love these weird albums. The vocals and echoing instruments draw me reminscent of psychedelia. My favorite track is "Kanga Roo" but there are several highlights like the "Femme Fatale" cover, "Stroke it Noel", and "For You" . My problem is that the album just isn't weird ENOUGH. As in, the ideas feel raw. With a good production team, you could make an album that sounds just as amazing as Pet Sounds. But without it, there's too much pressure on the vocals, which I find to be a bit monotonous.

(3.5)

Started a little odd, wasn't vibing with it too much. Suddenly I'm 10 songs in and tapping my foot along, not bad.

4.5

3 1/2

Nope

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.

Now I have heard this often-cited album. And I don't hear what the fuss is about. Perhaps it's because the ground they broke is thoroughly trodden by now, but it's just okay.

Great third album with power pop songs by Big Star. Their previous two albums have more highlights, but this one has a more constant quality.

Eh.

Pretty unmemorable

I liked the song that was in Moulin rouge but not really the others.

ok better be good cause its the longest album i got so far lol. reissue is not on spotify but og album has all songs minus the bonus track so i could look that one up on youtube if i care enough. its whatever so far. dont hate it yet. its nice enough bg music at least, there's enough variety in sound and song themes that im not bored yet. im surprised im okay with it still 8 tracks in. no standout songs though, maybe stroke it noel. nature boy, till the end of the day, dream lover was a nice 3 song streak. looked up the bonus track on spotify it was on a different comp album or something. its the most different song to the others i actually prefer the album without it. i kinda liked the album overall? not sure id go back to it but i did save the tracks i mentioned.

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".

Pretty good if you enjoy rock 'n roll. Not a favorite of mine though.

Just awful.

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

These guys are great. Wish I'd heard of them sooner.

Extremely good. A solid album, and that cover of "Femme Fatale" is to die for!

Based on when this album came out, I can hear how it is part of the continued evolution of many sub-genres of rock. It's got a late 60's rock sound to it but also sounds a bit precursive to some "alt-rock" styles. Very talented band, but I'm not a fan of the vocals and this is not the kind of music I would like to listen to regularly.

Big Black Car Femme Fatale Blue Moon Nature Boy Dream Lover

Ganske lite minneverdig poprock.

Ganz cool!

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

I think I should have heard of them? I haven't and maybe their influences are all known to me from others. But this album didn't move me.

Easy listening but easily forgettable too

Mediocre 70s Garage rock and balladeering. Not special.

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

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"

ah não, muito triste, pelo amor de deus

Actually listenable. Different sounds/styles, not great though, almost 3 star