#285 Big Star, 'Third/Sister Lovers' (1978)

Previously #449

The third and final entry from ‘Big Star’ is quite different to their first two records. Proving to be an incredibly diverse and interesting band, it’s a wonder they were never bigger. I’m not the only one. Alex Chilton never saw it as a Big Star record either, apparently claiming it to be a marketing move by the label. Jody Stephens claimed that it was essentially a solo record by Alex Chilton. The album was called ‘Sister Lovers,’ but it has been suggested that that was actually the band name as Chilton and Stephens were dating the Aldridge sisters at the time.

At times this record reminds me of a Neil Young record. ‘Kizza Me’ is an upbeat rock number, ‘Thank You Friends’ a more considered radio-friendly song but then you get ‘Big Black Car,’ a sombre, slow song. Chilton’s vocals sound like a real effort. ‘Femme Fatale,’ a Velvet Underground cover is sparser and slightly slower than the original, making it moodier. As the album was released by various labels after the break-up of the band, there’s no actual definitive running order. Chilton and Stephens lacked interest in this record. Chilton’s voice is on the brink of cracking throughout, and to be honest, I think so was he. This album complements the previous two, completing the set, and while I liked it, it was my least favourite of the three. It’s become a cult classic and its songs have been covered multiple times over the years.

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