That's where these songs really score: emotional resonance. They aren't the wordiest, wittiest, most clever lyrics in all of pop. But the aforementioned songs (along with other stone-cold classics like "Back Of A Car," "September Gurls," and "Daisy Glaze") connect on a gut level, mixing nostalgic melancholy with the sunniest happiness ever heard on record. If "My Life Is Right" doesn't trigger your tear ducts in the slightest, then you're not someone I'd ever willingly spend time with. For me it isn't necessarily what's being sung, but rather how it's sung. Alex Chilton's vocals, especially throughout Radio City, are spine-tinglingly good.
It's a shame these records weren't popular in their time, but the fact that they keep getting reissued makes it possible for new fans to latch on to them. "In the Street" is arguably their best-known tune, simply because it served as the theme song to That '70s Show, and yet most people don't know it was originally a Big Star song. Cheap Trick recorded it for the show, adding a few lyrics to it (including the repeated, "We're all alright"). At least if you've seen that show, it provides a point of reference even if you've never heard of Big Star. For anyone who cares at all about pop music, this collection is a must.
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