When I was in college I had pretty eclectic music tastes, but I spent a lot of my time listening to bands on the 4AD label- especially This Mortal Coil. TMC was assembled by Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the 4AD label, and each album would feature a rotating cast of musicians, many of them signed to 4AD. These musicians included vocalist Elizabeth Fraser and guitarist Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins as well long time collaborators Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry of Dead Can Dance.
Each TMC album would also feature a large number of song covers that at the time were completely unknown to me. TMC‘s first album, It’ll End In Tears, released in 1984, features 2 tracks by the Memphis band Big Star. When I first heard these songs I was enamored and I quickly sought the original versions. It turned out that Big Star‘s winning combination of vintage 70’s rock sound, honest and engaging lyrics and flare for the dramatic immediately drew me in and I’ve been a big fan of the band ever since.
Big Star‘s first album #1 Record included performances from guitarist and vocalist Alex Chilton who had acheived some commercial success with The Box Tops in the late sixties, as well as singer and guitarist Chris Bell, bass guitarist Andy Hummel and drummer Jody Stephens. The album features strong singing and songwriting contributions from both Chilton and Bell, somewhat in the vein of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
But despite the fine work the band did on #1 Record, it’s sales were hampered by poor distribution, bringing disappointment and frustration to the band memebers. This frustration contributed to Chis Bell’s leaving the band not long after #1 Record’s release. Chris began work on Big Star‘s second album, Radio City but he didn’t stick around to complete the record. Chris Bell went on to record some fine solo work before dying in a car accident at age 27. Chris’ work is also featured on TMC‘s 3rd and final lp Blood.
While I love #1 Record and greatly appreciate what Chris brought to the band, it’s Radio City that has always stood out for me. Many of the songs on #1 Record have a sweetness and subtle energy to them I find very appealing. But the more powerful, sometimes overwhelming sound of Radio City has kept me coming back to it over the years. And while he may have left the band well before it’s completion, Radio City does include two songs written by Bell, and his heartfelt and self conscious songwriting leaves its stamp on the record, especially in what is perhaps my favorite track on Radio City “Back of a Car“.
When I set out to find copies of Big Star‘s albums on vinyl the band was seeing a resurgence in popularity and a couple of different labels were reissuing their albums. I bought a vinyl reissue done by a European company called Big Beat Records released in 1986. Big Beat had done a digital remaster of Radio City and pressed some nice vinyl copies on which they reversed the photographs on the front and back of the jacket from it’s orginal 1974 release on Ardent Records.
In the late 80’s CD’s were still a somewhat new technology and digital mastering had a kind of cache’ that made the idea of a digitally remastered vinyl copy very appealing. The Big Beat reissue does have a clean sound that gives the record certain modest virtues, particularly in the way it smoothes out some of the roughness in the recording.
Unfortunately, as my ear for critical listening has improved along with the capabilities of my system I’ve realized that this version of Radio City had a thinness and brightness that makes it hard to keep listening to. I left the record alone for a while, missing the music but remaining put off by the flaws in my copy. When recently I read about a newer version that sounded promising my interest in Radio City was rekindled.
In 2009 Classic Records decided to take a crack at working some remastering magic on Radio City and reissued it on 200 gram vinyl. Many collectors know Classic Records from the popularity of their high quality reissues and the high prices they often sell for in the used market. Many of Classic Records reissues of Led Zeppelin‘s catalog, for instance, can fetch well over a hundred dollars in NM condition.
If you’ve read some of my other posts you might already know that I’ve formed somewhat of a bias against heavy vinyl reissues. I tend to find they reproduce music in a heavy handed way that lacks naturalness and spaciousness. Another blogger I was reading mentioned that along with the 200 g Classic Records reissue a 140 g version manufactured by Concord Music Group with the same mastering was also available and copies of this version were pretty affordable. I bought one hoping it would solve the problems I was having with my Big Beat version.
The Concord release is far from perfect, but it is much better than the Big Beat version. The sound is much bigger and bolder than the Big Beat pressing and this heftier sound is much better suited to Radio City, making it a much more engaging listen. Radio City is often called a “Power Pop” record. The Concord release conveys this power, especially on tracks such as “She’s a Mover” and “September Gurls.”
Where the Concord version fails, or at least the copy I have does, is on songs driven less by power and more by Chilton’s guitar playing and vocals. This is especially true on the album’s final song, an endearing acoustic track called “I’m in Love With a Girl.” The Concord version fails this song miserably. The guitar lacks sweetness and clarity and the vocals are rough and almost unlistenable. It’s really too bad as the record does do a nice job on many of the other tracks. At least I still have my Big Beat copy which treats “I’m in Love…” a bit better – the digital remaster lending the song a small but noticeable level of clarity and sweetness.
Still, I was satisfied enough with the Concord Radio City to want to hear the Concord reissue of #1 Record and bought a copy of that on Amazon. Unfortunately the copy I acquired had defects in the pressing causing inner groove distortion which for me rendered it unlistenable and I immediately returned it. I have not purchased another but I remain curious whether a better pressed copy would be rewarding or whether the copy I acquired was a warning to stay away. Until I risk another copy I will have to give both possibilities equal weight.
If you’re considering getting a vinyl copy of Radio City there are other options. The S.F. Bay Area outfit Four Men With Beards version is certainly a very available and affordable option. I haven’t heard it. Opinions on Steve Hoffman forums about the Four Men label in general are pretty negative. I have a few other relases from Four Men that I’d say are pretty mixed.
Original pressings of Radio City in NM or VG+ condition currently sell for about $200. I haven’t heard one, but I am tempted to splurge on a copy. I hesitate partly because of the cost and partly because it is a mono version and I have often found mono versions of rock albums, especially one of this scale, to be less than satisfying.
Still, with both of my copies ultimately failing to deliver the Radio City I know is possible, a first pressing might be worth considering. They more often than not whip the pants off reissues.