Thank You Friends: The Ardent Records Story (Big Star, etc.)

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have we already talked about this release from last year? big star rarities, alternate takes and mixes, with some other garage/psych tracks on ardent at the time.

The Avengers, 'Batarang'

Was mentioned in a few of the Big Star threads last year by me and some other people. It is awesome, though -- totally deserves its own thread. Definitely broadened my appreciation of the Memphis/Big Star scene -- the first disc was almost all new to me. Great Nuggets-style stuff on there, weird psych-pop experiments, all around good times. And the Big Star-centric stuff on the second disc is wonderful as well. The Radio City demo of "Big Black Car"! Holeeeee Moleee!

This looks like something I really need to get!

Yeah, it was my most-listened to reissue/comp from last year by a long shot. Well-sequenced, too -- the segue from "Holocaust" into "You and Your Sister" is mindmelting.

I liked it but, but ultimately the Big Star stuff still stood out as being better than the rest. Big Star and the other stuff that's not here that Al Bell recorded or sweetened for Stax.

Oh yeah, totally -- but that's what I kind of liked about the progression of this comp. Goes from being embryonic to fully formed brilliance by the time Big Star rolls around.

I know I posted this on another thread about this comp, but ... I got a sealed copy of the Hot Dogs 'Say What You Mean' lp like a year and a half ago, and it is so fuckin great. the best songs approach Big Star level of goodneess

Yeah, I need to get the Hot Dogs stuff ... I got that Van Duren record that was reissued this year, which is good, if not quite mindblowing.

The Knight Riders' "I" is on here, isn't it?

would like to hear more Cargoe!

the other stuff that's not here that Al Bell recorded or sweetened for Stax.

great piece on "Respect Yourself." I love the stuff I've seen of SXSW this year, with Jody and Andy Hummel talking about how John Fry schooled them in recording ("The first thing he did, he took a piece of paper and drew something and said 'This is a sound wave...'"). I need to go back to the Ardent set, I listened to it a lot when it came out. I have all the Van Duren stuff including the demos he did with Jody Stephens and Andrew Loog Oldham in Memphis--the version of "Grow Yourself Up" there is superior to the one on Are You Serious?. Van and I have traded a lot of e-mails over the years and I think he's a great guy and a really fine musician, with special props to Idiot Optimism and the stuff he did with Tommy Hoehn, another Memphis powerpopper who passed away this year.

are those Van Duren demos available, or ...?

the Van Duren demos have never been released commercially. when I was but a tyke in power-pop pantaloons, the Duren demos circulated on a hissy tape with a bunch of unreleased Alex and Chris Bell stuff, ah, the mysteries of Memphis. but I've got 'em if you want to hear them.

yeah i'd love to hear 'em. i've actually come around more on Van Duren more since my post about Are You Serious last year ....

Hi... Max here, bass player for Cargoe.. check out our new 2010 Cargoe CD on iTunes and Amazon.com.. 38 years in the making.. ha.. songs from the day we finally recorded and released on our own.. .. please pass the word! www.cargoemusic.com and Cargoe on Facebook... I'm trying to get some press here :) Thanks for the support and kind words all these years! /Cheers, Max, Bill, Tim, and Steve..