Music from the back of a car

Sitting in the back of a car/ music so loud, I can't tell a thing/ Thinkin' about what to say/ But I can't find the lines." Shakespeare would drink Clorox to have written something that sincere. As it stands, those lines belong to Alex Chilton, chief songwriter for the '70s rock band Big Star. \nIf you don't recognize the lyrics or the name Alex Chilton or Big Star, do not be alarmed, and by all means, do not stop reading. \nBig Star was one of the greatest pop bands of the '70s, and if you even remotely approve of American blues-based rock music, you should step to their catalog. "But why should such a description get attached to a band I have (probably) never heard?" you ask. \nAs well you should, oh conveniently astute reader. And I will explain why. But first, let's talk about the music.\nOne way to describe the sound of this band is '70s rock filtered through Beatles pop-sense, pasteurized by Memphis sincerity and immortalized by simple, beautiful melodies that are as indestructible as they are accessible. \nA cult band since their first release in 1972, Big Star is the most unlikely of underground favorites. Some bands' music -- Velvet Underground, Pixies, Joy Division -- is so bizarre, however influential, it must remain relatively obscure to ensure its edge. \nThe strange thing about Big Star is while they were (and are) largely unknown, their songs are obvious classics. So for them, obscurity is merely the yellow-and-blue-make-green seal of freshness for tunes that, had their career gone otherwise, we'd all be sick of by now.\nSo let's cut the crap. You and I both know that either you or a friend of yours can download songs off the Net. So the next time you engage in that loathsome, deplorable, though highly justifiable activity, get "September Gurls" by Big Star.\n"September Gurls" is the snowy peak from which rookies survey the majesty of Big Star's kingdom. If it grabs you, then you are guaranteed 24 other songs that, over time, will deliver just as much.\n So why so unknown? It would be reductive to blame God, so I'll bring their record company into the discussion. Stax Records, which offered some of the hottest soul during the '60s, was crumbling when Big Star joined up in 1971. After releasing their debut #1 Record, guitarist/songwriter Chris Bell quit, leaving the prospect of a live show a tad impossible. During this time, gigging was essential due to the non-existence of MTV and a radio behemoth like Clear Channel (both of which are destroying our country). So into obscurity Big Star immediately plunged. \nIn 1973, they released Radio City, an album which actually surpassed the glittering songcraft of their first by displaying a great band on the brink of meltdown. But again: zero distribution and zero airplay outside of Memphis led to zero love. \nTheir third album, variously titled Third or Sister Lovers, is a terrifying joke. Not in the sense of Reed's Metal Machine Music, but a joke in that a band which had produced not one, but two of rock's most classic albums, knew how little they meant to radio and decided to sabotage their third attempt before it even got to record execs. As exposed as the Beatles' Let It Be, Third is almost self-mutilation. Whereas every song the band had made before was a diametrically cut gem, the songs on this album were crude, at best, indecipherable at worst. Withheld for years, heavy bootlegging prompted a definitive release in the '90s. \nBut now that you're all pumped to consume, what to buy? "Do they have a greatest hits?" Yes. To buy Big Star Story you must travel back in time and complete a five-dimensional obstacle course; and by that, I mean it is rare. Plus, Big Star never had any hits. So best bet, buy the CD two-fer containing their first couple albums. You can find this at any record store in town. Every track is a pearl, and should you choose to go further, they put the third album in a context that makes sense.\n But let me take a step back: I like pop music a whole great big lot. I like it more than Shakespeare, Mozart, Van Gogh, Catholicism, fine cuisine and sports to name a few. One reason is Big Star. I know I'm probably overselling them, but I wouldn't do it for any other band.