Originally released as disc four of
Rhino
's 2009 box set
Keep an Eye on the Sky
,
Live at Lafayette's Music Room
captures performances
Big Star
gave in January 1973 at Lafayette's Music Room in their hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. This is the same site that hosted the band's legendary show during the May 1973 Memphis Rock Writer's Convention -- a gig that was instrumental in building buzz for
-- so this comes tantalizingly close to replicating how
may have sounded on that storied date. During this first half of 1973,
were a band in transition, getting their sea legs after the departure of
Chris Bell
. His presence hangs heavy, with
Alex Chilton
singing songs
Bell
sang on
#1 Record
and his DNA evident on such newer songs as "Back of a Car" and "O My Soul," but it's also evident how
are turning into a rangier, rougher outfit under the undisputed leadership of
. The band feels tougher and funkier, particularly on the clutch of covers that conclude the album:
Gram Parsons
' bruised country-rock classic "Hot Burrito #2" becomes a swaggering
Stones
y rocker; a version of
T. Rex
's "Baby Strange" seems like the blueprint for
the Replacements
, and the band drills down to the essential sleaze of
Todd Rundgren
's "Slut." This rawness, so absent on
's two finished studio albums, is the reason why
is worth hearing even for non-fanatics: It proves that this power pop group was also a rock & roll band. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine