Big Star: Jesus Christ 10" EP (Omnivore Records/2015)

This was a pleasant surprise. I didn't even know about this until I wandered in to a local record store and saw this item staring right back at me in the Record Store Day/Black Friday section of 10" vinyl by the counter. Apparently, this is a taster of the forthcoming Complete Third box set coming out in 2016. This is the third Big Star release on Omnivore Records in the last few years (the others being the Nothing Can Hurt Me soundtrack and Live In Memphis) and by all accounts they've done right by Big Star fans.

What's on it? It 's the album version of the now-semi-holiday classic "Jesus Christ", the demo version of "Jesus Christ" (which made it's debut on the Keep An Eye On The Sky 2009 Rhino box set). Two untitled instrumentals by Chris Bell (that were in the Nothing Can Hurt Me documentary). A demo of "Big Black Car". "Thank You Friends (TV Mix)". And "Another Time, Another Place & You"

"Another Time, Another Place & You"  is something of a holy grail amongst Big Star fans as there is still some debate as to who plays on it, when it was recorded and what it's intended purpose was. Even the songwriting credits are somewhat mysterious. It was co-written with sometime drummer Richard Rosebrough and either Chris Bell or Alex Chilton. The credits in Nothing Can Hurt Me attribute it to Bell/Rosebrough while this record credits Chilton/Rosebrough.

These songs were the some of the last that band recorded (either demos or studio cuts in 1974 for the legendary Third album, and/or the Chris Bell tracks). It's a beautiful looking blue 10" EP and it sounds beautiful as well. It comes with an mp3 download card. The cover art comes from a 1973 Ardent Records promotional Big Star poster. It's so nice that these rare tracks are finally becoming commonplace for all to obtain and are out on various releases for Big Star obsessives like myself to pick up.

If you're a Big Star fan and a vinyl connoisseur, this item is just waiting to be purchased by you.

Here's the video review:

Jellyfish: Radio Jellyfish (Omnivore Recordings/2013)

Omnivore Records is a specialty label that has released previously unreleased or reissued albums by Big Star, Alex Chilton, Bob Mould, The Three O'Clock, Camper Van Beethoven and Jellyfish. Radio Jellyfish is the fifth of these releases. It's a ten-song live acoustic collection of promotional radio appearances the band made for their swan song 1993 album Spilt Milk.

Recorded in Holland and Australia it's a nice distillation of Jellyfish's songwriting prowess and their then-modern take on retro-70's material. Lots of harmony vocals ala The Beach Boys, Beatles and Chicago. Half of the album are single sides and it also contains a cover of The Move's “I Can Hear The Grass Grow” and Badfinger's “No Matter What”. This is a release that is aimed toward the hardcore Jellyfish fan, but I would recommend this to any fan of 90's pop and certainly any fan of Power Pop.

The packaging is beautiful as Omnivore does right once again. The inner-sleeve resembles a pop-out frame from Magical Mystery Tour and the nice clear vinyl is also pretty wonderful.

Here's the video review: