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Third/Sister Lovers

 
Album Review: Third/Sister Lovers

  • Artist: Big Star
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: 1992
  • Total Time: 52:34
  • Type: Compilation (best of)
  • Genre: Rock

Review

A shambling wreck of an album, Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers ranks among the most harrowing experiences in pop music; impassioned, erratic, and stark, it's the slow, sinking sound of a band falling apart. Recorded with their label, Stax, poised on the verge of bankruptcy, the album finds Alex Chilton at the end of his rope, sabotaging his own music long before it can ever reach the wrecking crew of poor distribution, indifferent marketing, and disinterested pop radio; his songs are haphazardly brilliant, a head-on collision between inspiration and frustration. The album is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy, each song smacking of utter defeat and desperation; the result is either one of the most vividly emotional experiences in pop music or a completely wasted opportunity, and while the truth probably lies somewhere in between, there's no denying Third's magnetic pull -- it's like an undertow. Although previously issued on a variety of different labels, Rykodisc's 1992 release is the initially definitive edition of this unfinished masterpiece, its 19 tracks most closely approximating the original planned running order while restoring the music's intended impact; in addition to unearthing a blistering cover of the Kinks' "At the End of the Day" and a haunting rendition of Nat King Cole's "Nature Boy," it also appends the disturbing "Dream Lover," which distills the album's messiest themes into less than four minutes of psychic torment. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Kizza Me Alex Chilton Big Star (2:44)
Thank You Friends Alex Chilton Big Star (3:05)
Big Black Car Alex Chilton Big Star (3:35)
Jesus Christ Alex Chilton Big Star (2:37)
Femme Fatale Lou Reed Big Star (3:28)
O, Dana Alex Chilton Big Star (2:34)
Holocaust Alex Chilton Big Star (3:47)
Kangaroo Alex Chilton Big Star (3:46)
Stroke It Noel Alex Chilton Big Star (2:04)
For You Jody Stephens Big Star (2:41)
You Can't Have Me (Lyrics) Alex Chilton Big Star (3:11)
Nightime Alex Chilton Big Star (2:53)
Blue Moon Alex Chilton Big Star (2:06)
Take Care Alex Chilton Big Star (2:46)
Nature Boy [*] Eden Ahbez Big Star (2:30)
Till the End of the Day [*] Ray Davies Big Star (2:13)
Dream Lover [*] Alex Chilton Big Star (3:31)
Downs [*] Alex Chilton Big Star (1:43)
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On [*] Dave Williams Big Star (3:20)

Credits

Carl March (Arranger), Carl Marsh (String Arrangements), Carl March (Synthesizer), Tommy Cathey (Bass), Steven Jurgensmeyer (Cover Design), Steve Cropper (Guitar), Jody Stephens (Vocals), Jody Stephens (Drums), Richard Rosebrough (Drums), Tommy McClure (Bowed Bass), Jim Dickinson (Keyboards), Jim Dickinson (Bass), Richard Rosebrough (Engineer), Jim Dickinson (Guitar), Lesa Aldredge (Vocals), Alex Chilton (Guitar), John Fry (Engineer), Jim Stephens (Bass), Carl March (Reeds (Multiple)), Willie Murphy (Bass), Mike O'Brien (Photography), Carl Marsh (Reeds), Tommy McClure (Bass), Carl Marsh (Woodwind), Alex Chilton (Engineer), Jim Dickinson (Engineer), Dr. Toby Mountain (Digital Mastering), Noel Gilbert (Strings), Alex Chilton (Keyboards), Rick Clark (Liner Notes), Big Star (?), Lesa Aldredge (Vocals (Background)), Carl Marsh (Reeds (Multiple)), Jim Dickinson (Mellotron), Alex Chilton (Vocals), Carl Marsh (Synthesizer), Lee Baker (Guitar), Morris "Tarp" Tarrant (Drums), Jim Dickinson (Drums), Jim Dickinson (Producer), Tommy Roseborough (Drums)
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Wikipedia: Third/Sister Lovers
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Third/Sister Lovers
Studio album by Big Star
Released 1978
Recorded 1974
Genre Power pop
Length 52:34
Label Rykodisc
Producer Jim Dickinson
Professional reviews
Big Star chronology
Radio City
(1974)
Third/Sister Lovers
(1978)
Live
(1992)

Third/Sister Lovers, also issued as Third, is a rock album by American power pop group Big Star recorded in 1974 and released in 1978. The album was produced by Jim Dickinson.

Contents

Composition and recording

After the first two Big Star albums, 1972's #1 Record and 1974's Radio City, failed to achieve commercial success, Alex Chilton went back into Ardent Studios in late 1974 to make a series of recordings. The resulting album, which included guitar work by Steve Cropper (on a cover of The Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale"), as well as drumming by Jody Stephens, was deemed too uncommercial for release at the time, and only saw the light of day in 1978. Since then, other tracks from the sessions, including covers of songs by Jerry Lee Lewis and the Kinks, have been reissued on various versions of the album, which seems to have been left uncompleted.

Third takes the original Big Star sound and abstracts it, with synthesizers, strings and saxophones emerging from the mix. The album deals with bitterness, loneliness and emotional devastation, but does so in a way that retains some elements of pop music, as on "Thank You Friends," which features female backing vocals reminiscent of those found on Elvis Presley recordings of the late '60s. "Kangaroo" and "Holocaust" have often been compared to some of the raw recordings of Yoko Ono and John Lennon. "You Can't Have Me" is akin to a deconstructed song by the Who, and the halting ballad "Dream Lover" contains the famous line about "Beale Street green." Although many critics regard Radio City as the definitive Big Star album, Third is perhaps the most innovative album the group ever recorded, and influenced many subsequent bands, including Primal Scream and His Name Is Alive. In addition, the album contains what are arguably Alex Chilton's finest vocal performances.

Reception

Like Big Star's first two albums, Third/Sister Lovers did not have commercial success at the time of its release but has more recently attracted wider interest. It was listed on David Keenan's "The Best Albums Ever...Honest" by the Scottish newspaper The Sunday Herald.[1] In 2003, the album was ranked number 456 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

It was ranked #1 at the Top 30 most heartbreak albums by NME.[2]

"Kangaroo" and "Holocaust" were both covered by This Mortal Coil on the band's debut LP, It'll End in Tears. These cover versions have been credited with renewing interest in Big Star, and Third/Sister Lovers in particular. The 1992 Rykodisc CD release of Third/Sister Lovers includes a "thank you" to This Mortal Coil in the liner notes in acknowledgment of this.

Track listing

  • Note: this is the track listing of the 1992 Rykodisc edition. This is the order of songs that Chilton originally wanted on the original release.
  1. "Kizza Me" – 2:44 (Alex Chilton)
  2. "Thank You Friends" – 3:05 (Chilton)
  3. "Big Black Car" – 3:35 (Chilton)
  4. "Jesus Christ" – 2:37 (Chilton)
  5. "Femme Fatale" – 3:28 (Lou Reed)
  6. "O, Dana" – 2:34 (Chilton)
  7. "Holocaust" – 3:47 (Chilton)
  8. "Kangaroo" – 3:46 (Chilton)
  9. "Stroke It Noel" – 2:04 (Chilton)
  10. "For You" – 2:41 (Jody Stephens)
  11. "You Can't Have Me" – 3:11 (Chilton)
  12. "Nightime" – 2:53 (Chilton)
  13. "Blue Moon" – 2:06 (Chilton)
  14. "Take Care" – 2:46 (Chilton)
  15. "Nature Boy" [bonus track] – 2:30 (eden ahbez)
  16. "Till the End of the Day" [bonus track] – 2:13 (Ray Davies)
  17. "Dream Lover" [bonus track] – 3:31 (Chilton)
  18. "Downs" [bonus track]" – 1:43 (Chilton)
  19. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On" [bonus track] – 3:20 (Dave Williams)
  • The original 1978 vinyl (as "Third") on the PVC label (also known to have been reissued in 1985) had the following 14 tracks:
  1. Stroke It Noel
  2. For You
  3. Kizza Me
  4. You Can't Have Me
  5. Nightime
  6. Blue Moon
  7. Take Care
  8. Jesus Christ
  9. Femme Fatale
  10. O, Dana
  11. Big Black Car
  12. Holocaust
  13. Kanga Roo
  14. Thank You Friends
  • Also in 1978, the Aura label released a 12-track LP as "The Third Album".
  • Before the 19-track Rykodisc edition from 1992, the album had already been released on CD by Line as "The Third Album" in 1987 including 17 tracks. Also in 1987 another 17-track LP and CD version (same tracks, but different running order) was issued by Dojo/Castle Communications as "Sister Lovers - The Third Album":
  1. Stroke It Noel
  2. Downs
  3. Femme Fatale
  4. Thank You Friends
  5. Holocaust
  6. Jesus Christ
  7. Blue Moon
  8. Dream Lover
  9. You Can't Have Me
  10. Big Black Car
  11. Kizza Me
  12. For You
  13. O Dana
  14. Nightime
  15. Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On
  16. Kanga Roo
  17. Take Care

Personnel

Guests:

Notes


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Third/Sister Lovers" Read more

 

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