Rock City (and Big Star)

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Just got a CD in the mail on Friday by some group called Rock City. Horrible name, I thought.
After opening the CD, I found out this band was the precursor to Big Star, featuring both Chris Bell and Jody Stephens (and a guest appearance or two by Alex Chilton).
Haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. Anyone else heard this stuff? I recognize three Big Star tunes from the titles, but don't know how these versions stack up.

― Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Saturday, 2 August 2003 20:33 (twenty-two years ago)

No fair, you have to go first!

― dave q, Saturday, 2 August 2003 20:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I've heard that record; it was circulating as a cassette bootleg for a while in the days of yore when Alex Chilton's cachet as godfather of indie-rock was at a higher pitch.

They remind me a bit of Todd Rundgren's first band The Nazz, or the Cheap Trick precursor Sick Man of Europe -- obvious Beatles/Hollies/Yardbirds/Move Britpop worship, but just not really able to galvanize it around good material and production to take it to the next level. Alex Chilton obviously lent them that extra bit of Stones-style nasty to make Big Star into the better band.

IIRP, the tunes redone by Big Star were improved upon on #1 Record.

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Saturday, 2 August 2003 22:50 (twenty-two years ago)

i have a single by some dude from memphis that has chris bell on it. will someone pay me 500 bucks for it? i'm running out of beer.

― scott seward, Saturday, 2 August 2003 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

yes.

― Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Saturday, 2 August 2003 23:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Just got a CD in the mail on Friday by some group called Rock City. Horrible name, I thought.

Nooooo! Rock City is a great name. If you know where Rock City is. Which I'm sure Alex and Chris did, being Tennessee boys and all.

Sadly, the official site is lacking in pictures of gnomes. But there's one in this photo:

http://www.seerockcity.com/seerockcity/images/src07a.jpg

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Monday, 4 August 2003 05:23 (twenty-two years ago)

four years pass...

soooo how come nobody's talking about this?
http://www.notlame.com/CDTHANKYOUFRIENDS1.html
i ordered it. samples sound awesome.

― tylerw, Sunday, 20 April 2008 16:14 (seventeen years ago)

I got it. Indeed awesome.

― whisperineddhurt, Sunday, 20 April 2008 22:26 (seventeen years ago)

Do not have, but have been reading "it came from memphis" so will be wanting it soon.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Sunday, 20 April 2008 23:00 (seventeen years ago)

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