Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me

Though never a huge Big Star fan, I liked their music enough and was curious enough about their story to order this movie On Demand. Not much to say except that it is a pretty typical rock doc: all the bases are covered, from their formation and rise, acclaimed but unprofitable albums, tough music industry breaks, eventual demise, and phoenix like rebirth after being rediscovered by a new generation of musicians and fans. The film drags in some spots mainly due to the sheer number of people interviewed, many of whom may have been integral to behind the scenes dealings, but really don't add a whole lot of insight to the band's personal story (though Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel are interviewed, the fact that Chris Bell and Alex Chilton, Big Star's creative heart and soul, are long gone, definitely hurts). Still, though artistically unremarkable, it is obvious this was a heartfelt, loving project to create. For all the film's shortcomings, you have to respect that.

The most touching scene: Mitch Easter's recollection of meeting his idol Chris Bell at the restaurant he was reduced to working at after leaving the band. You can't help but imagine what a humbling moment it must have been for such a talented artist.

Greetings again from the darkness. The best filmmakers can be described as visual storytellers. However, what can we expect from a film if the story has no real climax or even a definitive ending? Well if the story is early 70's band Big Star and if the filmmakers are co-directors Drew DeNicola and Olivia Mori, and Producer Danielle McCarthy, the answer is an incredibly interesting and enthralling tale of how sometimes the universe just doesn't line up the way it should.

Mythical stories involve such things as unicorns and the lost city of Atlantis. It's tempting, though incorrect, to label Big Star as the mythical great band of the 1970's. In fact, they were all too real. For the past 40 years, their influence has worked its way through the musical world and is obvious in the works of such bands as R.E.M. and The Replacements ... just as the influence of The Beatles, The Byrds, The Kinks and more can be heard in the songs of Big Star. The mystery and confounding question is why did the beautiful music of Big Star never "make it" to the big time like those others?

This documentary is a technical and structural and visual and auditory marvel. It captures and holds our attention just like any other well made historical drama would. A doc on The Rolling Stones or Bruce Springsteen would revel in the big time success achieved or the legendary live performances or recording sessions. Instead, with Big Star, we get a much more personal look at the creative genius of its two leaders: Chris Bell and Alex Chilton. They are described as flashing comets passing in the sky. Their all too brief time together produced something special that, still to this day, deserves to be heard. Their tragic personal stories need to be told. This film does both things very well. A large part of the Big Star catalog is heard throughout, and the abundance of meaningful interviews paints a clear picture of the band and its members.

One would be challenged to name any artist or creative endeavor that has been more critically acclaimed, yet commercially unsuccessful as Big Star. It absolutely makes no sense ... except for the cursory explanation given to the record labels: Ardent Records and Stax Records, and their ultimate failure in gaining retail distribution and radio airtime. Could it really be as simple as horrendous business execution? At this point, none of it really matters. The real interest ... the real story ... is the personal insight provided by lone surviving band member Jody Stephens, record producers John Fry (Ardent founder) and Jim Dickinson, and of course, the brother and sister of Chris Bell.

If you are asking yourself why you have never heard any music by a band that occupies 3 slots in Roling Stones' 500 Greatest Albums of all time, I encourage you to seek out the songs ... or pay attention the next time you are watching the opening of "That 70's Show". Yes, that is Cheap Trick doing a cover of a Big Star song. There is much to be gained from seeing this documentary and discovering Big Star ... even all these years later.

As a voracious consumer of "Rock Docs," this one left me flat. The story is told in such a way that it is nearly impossible to follow (unless you are a Memphis super fan, I guess). It ambled along following every little thread until I just didn't care anymore.

As with "Mr. Blue Sky" (the Geoff Lynne doc), the superlatives flow like water. After a while, they just become meaningless.

And most important of all, I didn't leave this film and rush straight to ITUNES to download their work. If the music is as good as the interviewees bleated on about; they were not able to convey it within the film itself.

Big Star fans will undoubtedly eat this up, and those unfamiliar with the band absolutely should watch it as well. Lots of fantastic interviews with people who were heavily involved with the production of their records, and I am also grateful for a healthy dose of information on Chris Bell (which seems incredibly hard to come by, even in this age). After watching the film I had a hard time figuring out if this film preaches to the converted, or actually makes an attempt to introduce the uninitiated to this incredible band. I thought I knew quite about the band prior to watching this, but after watching this I realize how little I really knew.

Lovely, poignant and beautiful the story of Big Star is fraught with the inescapable trappings of life that both manage to bind and also free us. There is already a wonderful review by David Ferguson. His review sums up much of what you'd actually expect to find on the liner notes of a DVD compilation release of this movie. And he's spot on. My review won't add or be any better. In the end my review will only add a bit of the haunting beauty and power that was Big Star and that lingers with us. A black diamond glimpse into the souls of not only Big Star but each and every one of us. A cautionary song/tale that sums up much of what I think the movie offers: "Take care not to hurt yourself Beware of the need for help You might need too much And people are such Take care, please, take care Some people read idea books And some people have pretty looks But if your eyes are wide And all words aside Take care, please, take care. This sounds a bit like goodbye In a way it is I guess. As I leave your side. I've taken the air. Take care, please, take care. Take care, please, take care." Wm Alexander Chilton