Big Star Box Details, Tracks Announced

Seriously - this is fan manna and critical catnip. Get those preorders in, folks.

By Fred Mills

Exactly one week ago your friendly neighborhood BLURT broke the news nationally that, as had been rumored, Rhino was planning a Sept. 15 release for a 4-CD Big Star box set - at the time, the label would not officially confirm the details, but sources close to the project assured us that it was a "go." You can read comments from those sources at the above link.

And indeed, today comes word from the label that the box has been finalized and the title is Keep an Eye on the Sky. It's stuffed to the gills with band rarities, demos and outtakes as well as material cut by Alex Chilton and Chris Bell both solo and in earlier bands Icewater and Rock City. Included is a live concert from January 1973 in Memphis, and the Sister Lovers album (aka Big Star Third) is represented as well.

See the full tracklisting, below.

As we also told you previously, a Deluxe Edition release of Chris Bell's solo album I Am The Cosmos will be coming, and it's set for September 14 from Rhino Handmade.

You can read all the details, including notes about some of the specific sources for the unreleased material, HERE at the Rhino site, and also take a listen to the song "Lovely Day" which is being streamed. You can also preorder the box at the site; it will retail for about 70 bucks.

This has been a public service announcement - with guitars. And don't forget, you read it here first.

Tracklisting:

Disc 1

01 Chris Bell: "Psychedelic Stuff"
02 Icewater: "All I See Is You"
03 Alex Chilton: "Every Day as We Grow Closer" (Original Mix)
03 Rock City: "Try Again" (Early Version)
04 Rock City: "The Preacher"
05 Feel
06 The Ballad of El Goodo (Alternate Mix) *
07 In the Street
08 Thirteen (Alternate Mix) *
09 Don't Lie to Me
10 The India Song
11 When My Baby's Beside Me (Alternate Mix) *
12 My Life Is Right (Alternate Mix) *
13 Give Me Another Chance (Alternate Mix) *
14 Try Again
15 Chris Bell: "Gone With the Light" *
16 Watch the Sunrise
17 ST 100/6 (Alternate Mix) *
18 In the Street (Second Recorded Version)
19 Feel (Early Mix) *
20 The Ballad of El Goodo (Alternate Lyrics)
21 The India Song (Alternate Version) *
22 Country Morn
23 I Got Kinda Lost (Demo)
24 Motel Blues (Demo) *

Disc 2

01 There Was a Light (Demo) *
02 Life Is White (Demo) *
03 What's Going Ahn (Demo) *
04 O My Soul
05 Life Is White
06 Way Out West (Alternate Mix) *
07 What's Going Ahn
08 You Get What You Deserve (Alternate Mix) *
09 Mod Lang (Alternate Mix)
10 Back of a Car (Alternate Mix) *
11 Daisy Glaze
12 She's A Mover
13 September Gurls
14 Morpha Too (Alternate Mix) *
15 I'm in Love With a Girl
16 O My Soul (Alternate Version) *
17 Back of a Car (Demo)
18 Daisy Glaze (Alternate Take) *
19 She's a Mover (Alternate Version)
20 Chris Bell: "I Am the Cosmos"
21 Chris Bell: "You and Your Sister"
22 Alex Chilton: "Blue Moon" (Demo) *
23 Alex Chilton: "Femme Fatale" (Demo) *
24 Alex Chilton: Thank You Friends" (Demo) *
25 Alex Chilton: "You Get What You Deserve" (Demo) *

Disc 3

01 Alex Chilton: "Lovely Day (aka Stroke It Noel)" (Demo)
02 Alex Chilton: "Downs" (Demo)
03 Alex Chilton: "Nightime" (Demo) *
04 Alex Chilton: "Jesus Christ" (Demo) *
05 Alex Chilton: "Holocaust" (Demo) *
06 Alex Chilton: "Take Care" (Demo) *
07 Alex Chilton: "Big Black Car" (Alternate Demo) *
08 Manana *
09 Jesus Christ
10 Femme Fatale
11 O, Dana
12 Kizza Me
14 You Can't Have Me
15 Nightime
16 Dream Lover
17 Blue Moon
18 Take Care
19 Stroke It Noel
20 For You
21 Downs
22 Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
23 Big Black Car
24 Holocaust
25 Kanga Roo
26 Thank You Friends
27 Till The End of the Day
28 Lovely Day *
29 Nature Boy

Disc 4 (Live at Lafayette's Music Room, Memphis, TN)

01 When My Baby's Beside Me *
02 My Life Is Right *
03 She's a Mover *
04 Way Out West *
05 The Ballad of El Goodo *
06 In the Street *
07 Back of a Car *
08 Thirteen *
09 The India Song *
10 Try Again *
11 Watch the Sunrise *
12 Don't Lie to Me *
13 Hot Burrito #2 *
14 I Got Kinda Lost *
15 Baby Strange *
16 Slut *
17 There Was a Light *
18 ST 100/6 *
19 Come On Now *
20 O My Soul *

* previously unreleased