In the toilet paper aisle of the grocery store today I noticed they were playing a Big Star song over the PA. I was pleasantly surprised. There's been a lot of fairly obscure but undeniably good music popping up in there lately, and I'm not sure why.
For instance, a couple of days ago I was reaching for a big bag of Que Pasa corn chips when James Brown's "Get on the Good Foot" started up, with its shouted intro: "Que pasa, people, que pasa — hit me!" That one had my head reeling for awhile, even as I found myself doing the funky chicken toward the checkout.
But the song today was one I couldn't quite place. It was definitely Big Star, but a tune I was barely familiar with. One refrain sounded melodically like the repeated lines, "All I want to do / is to spend some time with you" in Chris Bell's "You and Your Sister." However, this song was a much more upbeat, driving rock number.
It got stuck in my head as I walked home with 24 rolls of 100% post-consumer recycled toilet paper under my arm. As soon as I got back, I set down my bulky load and listened to every Big Star song I considered myself less familiar with. Mostly Third/Sister Lovers stuff. But that stuff was all messed up and sad, whereas this song was catchy and feel-good. Then I listened to all the other songs from all three albums, to make sure I wasn't overlooking something I thought I knew.
I wasn't. There was a live album and a collection of oddities I didn't know well, though... Maybe it was in there somewhere? Skipped through that stuff on Grooveshark as fast as I could. Still couldn't find the song I'd heard in the store.
I hope you're not thinking at this point that there's going to be some satisfying reveal at the end of this story, because I never did figure out what the song was. Maybe it's not even Big Star, after all; could be some other powerpop band completely ripping them off, down to the brittle Fender guitar tones. Frankly, I don't really care anymore.*
No, the end of this story is that I got so completely wrapped up in "You and Your Sister" that I couldn't stop listening to it and decided to forget all about that other, inferior song. "Y&YS" is so heartbreakingly good it gives me goosebumps, especially when the second verse starts and Alex Chilton comes in underneath with the lower harmony. And that ghostly "Your looooove won't be leaving" in the bridge leaves me breathless every time.
Maybe Chris Bell really was the cosmos, as his album title ludicrously boasted. Right now I'd believe it. That title track has always slain me, but today all my tears are devoted to its beautiful B-side.
Good thing I've got lots of tissue on hand.
* Disclaimer: OK, I actually do still care, quite a lot. If anyone has any ideas about what that song might have been, please let me know.
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