400. Thirteen by Big Star 1972

I was too busy listening to all my Glam records to notice a band like Big Star back in 1972. I think the only American bands I was interested in then were Alice Cooper  and  New York Dolls. Oh and thanks to Bowie Lou Reed and Iggy Pop. But sixties power pop which wasn't anywhere near the charts. I don't think so. I wouldn't really get to hear Big Star properly until I was sharing a house with Little Murders guitarist Rod hayward. Who at the time was playing in Dave Grayney and the Coral Snakes. We drank, we played chess and smoked heaps.And we listened to records often very loud. He had this CD with two Big Star records on it. I had heard a bit about them but the fact that Alex Chilton was a cult hero and had recorded The Letter at age 16 cut no mustard with me. I never really liked the Letter.
It took a compilation tape from Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream which put me heroes Mott The Hoople next to this track Thirteen by Big Star to wake me up to the their sound. It was in a Select magazine from the UK. Pop stars made mix tapes. in those days they weren't giveaways. they were just listings. so for fun I'd sometimes copy the mix tape. Which meant hunting down records. So I finally got to listen to Thirteen properly. I was knocked out. It put me right back to being a teenager in 1972 when it came out. It probably wouldn't have got me back then but after kicking around the planet for a few years it really spun my head. He just encapsulated a teenagers love of rock bands and girls in a bunch of lyrics. Of course this opened up the door to Big Star. sometimes it just takes one song.