Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me (2013)

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Moody, semi-successful band gets moody, semi-successful documentary.

There's a lot of tears shed over the fact that these fellas never made it big but the film makes it as though they were the Rolling Stones of influence. It's clear they were unlucky at times but also didn't make a whole lotta breaks of their own. Lots of worshippers on hand to plead their case (and argue that post-Big-Star futzing around was as much genius as the work, I dunno). I didn't realize this band was 75% dead at the present time.

[Edgy MD]

The big three I associate with being influenced by Big Star are REM, the Bangles,and the Replacements, to one degree or another, and in different ways. REM referenced them in guitar textures, the Bangles in harmonies, and the Replacements in song structure.

[Guest sharpie]

Yes to REM and Replacements but its also pretty clear that Wilco has spent some time listening to Big Star.

Doc is OK, a bit too worshipful, but I did like the stuff about the Memphis music scene in the '70's.

[Edgy MD]

Wilco, definitely. Perhaps more than the other three. But they're not one of the big three. They're Wilco.

Heck, Wilco in many ways, is Big Star, as far as being a moody tasteful band that has achieved every thing a band could ever hope to achieve, except get a song on the radio.