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Big Star: Keep An Eye On the Sky

Plundering The Vaults

Rhino

If the phrase “die young and leave a beautiful corpse” also applies to bands, then Big Star left behind a stunner. Known to only a handful of astute fans during its brief existence in the early ‘70s, the Memphis-based quartet, built around singer-songwriters Chris Bell and Alex Chilton, is now worshipped as power pop gods. Big Star released only two albums during its heyday, but Rhino has managed to cobble together nearly 100 tracks for this four-CD box. In addition to album cuts, the set—spanning 1968-75— assembles scads of demos (including some for songs intended for Third/Sister Lovers, the group’s third album, unissued until long after its demise), alternate mixes, covers and pre-Big Star recordings, then tops it all off with a full, previously unreleased live show from 1973. As the ultimate Big Star document, Keep An Eye On the Sky is obviously aimed at the devotee, but even newbies will be drawn in by the consistently high quality of the band’s output.