Artist:     Big Star

Album:     In Space

Label:     Omnivore Recordings

Release Date:     10.25.2019

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Rarely have the words “ripe for reassessment” been more apropos. In typical fashion, 2005’s In Space was largely ignored upon its release, just like all the other Big Star studio masterpiecesthat had come before it. This one was different, though.

Original reunited members Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens had been performing live as Big Star for years with The Posies’ Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow in wedded power-pop bliss, even if the marriage was getting a bit stale. Without warning, the mercurial Chilton announced at a 2001 show in London that a new Big Star record was in the offing. The subtlest of bombshell reveals was initially met with skepticism. After all, Chilton was less than charitable when assessing most of Big Star’s past works, as Auer and Stringfellow both recalled in sharing their memories and thoughts regarding In Space in this deep dive of a reissue.

Stephens also has his say, as candid liner notes with a variety of insider perspectives gather the musings and recollections of a host of insiders, including co-producer and recording and mixing engineer Jeff Powell, assistant recording and mixing engineer Adam Hill and Rykodisc A&R man Jeff Rougvie. They tell a fascinating story, time traveling back to Ardent Studios to detail how Big Star eventually made good on Chilton’s promise by writing and recording a song a day for 15 daily sessions.

While not entirely maligned by the church of Big Star, whose legions of worshipers were growing by leaps and bounds thanks to bands like R.E.M. and The Replacements spreading the gospel, In Space received a muted response at its birth. Ever the contrarian, Chilton might have bristled at a warm embrace anyway. A hodgepodge of ideas and different genres, the record seems restless and intentionally confounding, even with the passage of time. That’s probably a reflection of Chilton’s boredom with the whole Big Star pop mythology.

The thing about In Space is, it’s hardly ever dull. For instance, take “Love Revolution,” a colorfully vivid funk workout covered in disco glitz that’s completely out of left field. Their up-tempo romp through The Olympics’ “Mine Exclusively” is remarkably tight and vibrant, and “Makeover” is a deliciously mean and nasty piece of sidewinding garage-rock groove, while the jaunty “Turn My Back on the Sun” offers a summery homage to The Beach Boys with breezy, ocean-sprayed harmonies and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. A stunning a capella version is nestled among the reissue’s smattering of bonus tracks. Meanwhile, Chilton’s classical leanings emerge in the sophisticated instrumental “Aria, Largo,” further pulling Big Star in interesting new directions.

If Chilton was trying to alienate Big Star’s cult following, he at least partially succeeded. Not completely oblivious to their wishes, however, In Space opens with the slow unfolding of “Dony,” its sugary melodic sparkle and slightly corrosive guitars making for a gorgeous segue into the even darker and more seductive swoon “Lady Sweet.” Rough mixes and sketches of both beauties are included here to not only trace their development, but also show how this version of Big Star later polished these pop-rock gems and wrapped them in luxury. “February’s Quiet” flows just as naturally, its heavenly jangle-pop articulated with light acoustic strum and windswept vocals. A holy trinity of songs, those three could make any listing of the best Big Star songs ever, and maybe, just maybe, In Space is about to get more respect around here.

—Peter Lindblad