MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Big Star formed in 1971, and in its brief four years together, created three albums that consistently make “Best of All-Time” lists. Eighteen years after officially disbanding, original members Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens joined forces with the Posies’ Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow for a live performance, which led to a tour (documented on Omnivore Recordings’ Live in Memphis), and years of concerts. While the live shows were a joy and surprise, a bigger surprise happened in 2005, after more than a decade playing together: a new studio album. As Ryko A&R’s Jeff Rougvie said, “It was the easiest approval for a project I ever got.”
In Space featured new 12 tracks (10 originals and a cover of The Olympics’ “Mine Exclusively” and French baroque composer Georg Muffat’s “Aria, Largo”) recorded where Big Star began, at the classic Ardent Studios. The new lineup was creating a new chapter for the band while honoring its past.
With original albums going for outrageous prices, In Space returns as an LP on translucent blue vinyl, and expanded CD with six bonus tracks including “Hot Thing” (previously available on the out-of-print Big Star Story )and five previously unissued demos and alternate mixes. Packaging contains liner notes from Rougvie, original album co-producer/engineer Jeff Powell (who also cut the new vinyl), assistant Ardent engineer Adam Hill, and surviving band members Jon Auer, Ken Stringfellow, and Jody Stephens.
According to Stephens, “Alex, Jon, Ken, and I had talked about making an album together but it never seem to go anywhere. Then out of the blue, at a performance in London, Alex announces to the audience that we will be making a new album. A year or so goes by and Alex brought it up again. This time he had a plan: to write and record a song a day. Maybe record 15 tracks and then concentrate on the ten most appealing ones . . . I believe the budget I put together was for 15 days tracking, five days for overdubs and ten days to mix. Songs unheard, Jeff Rougvie and the Ryko folks agreed to the budget and I booked the studio time. It was remarkably easy . . . well, up to that point anyway.”
In the liner notes, Stringfellow recalled the ensuing tour: “The album was released in 2005 and a year later we found ourselves on the main stage of Primavera Sound, a prestigious music festival in Barcelona. Some 10,000 people in the crowd. Before we played ‘Hung Up on Summer’ Alex addressed the crowd: ‘Here’s a song from our latest album . . . you know, it totally bombed — just like the other ones! But don’t worry . . . 30 years from now you’ll be saying it’s the greatest thing ever!’”
Expanded and remastered, In Space finally returns to Earth via Omnivore Recordings on October 25, 2019.
Prepare to blast off again!
Track Listing:
Dony
Lady Sweet
Best Chance
Turn My Back On The Sun
Love Revolution
February’s Quiet
Mine Exclusively
A Whole New Thing
Lady Sweet
Aria, Largo
Hung Up With Summer
Do You Wanna Make It
Makeover
CD Bonus Tracks:
Hot Thing
Dony (Rough Mix 4/17/04)*
February’s Quiet (Jody/Jon Demo)*
Lady Sweet (Jon Auer Sketch #1)*
Lady Sweet (Jon Auer Sketch #2)*
Turn My Back On The Sun (Acapella)*
* Previously Unissued
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