Radio City
by Big Star

This has always been my favourite Big Star album. Radio City is slightly messy and off kilter, which gives it an extra edge; the last two songs gain impact through their presentations as rough demos. (Edited)

Whereas the debut album had a very acoustic feel to it, "Radio City" was more raw album without losing the sound of Big Star, though. Chilton's "September Gurls" has become a power-pop classic. The song has been recorded by numerous other artist, but none of those that I have heard come close to surpassing this terrific original version.

The album contains so much great music that it can be difficult to bring out just a few specifically; but songs like "Life is White", "Way Out West", "What's Going Ahn" and "Daisy Glaze" are so great that I can't help just bringing them up. Bassist Andy Hummel and drummer Jody Stephens helped Chilton in writing these songs.

With the closing track, the nice acoustic "I'm in Love With a Girl", they return to the softer feel of the first album.

... Radio City is just part of my DNA at this point. -Mecca

Like most 90s kids, I know this as part of one of the greatest double albums of all time: #1/RadioCity. Back then, my friends and I all had the musical equivalent of ADHD (So much has changed. LOL). Especially at small parties, & bbqs where we’d jockey with each other for what album to throw on next in order to impress each other with our sublime taste. (God knows we weren't impressing the girls.) Unless this was dropped on. Then somehow we’d all sort of forget for the next hour how we really wanted to turn Kid A onto Archers of Loaf while Kid B forgot all about wanting to turn Kid C onto The Grifters. Big Star united all of us in the present. And if you can make a handful of hipsters content all at the same time, well that’s… saying something. In other words, Deepak Chopra & that dude who wrote Where Ever You Go, There You Are can’t touch this shit. LOL.

What’s Going Ahn may be my favorite Big Star song. Unless it’s Morpha Too. Or, I’m in Love with a Girl. Or, .. well you get the point.

O My Soul, Back of a Car, Life is White, Way Out West, She’s A Mover, & September Girls are all pitch perfect power pop. Essential is thrown around way too much. Not here. Easily one of the most essential power pop recordings of all time.

A step away from the pop perfection of their first but a better record overall. Wonderful songwriting.

Another excellent rock'n'roll album from Big Star. Gone are the over the top vocals of the first LP. Radio city, like #1 record, it's full of fantastic rock anthems. Underrated and overlooked.