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Review: Chris Bell: I Am the Cosmos

March 2010

Most of the eulogies for Alex Chilton, who passed away March 17, described him as the guiding light behind Big Star and generally neglected to mention he was invited to join the band by Chris Bell. It was a typical result for Bell, who died in a car wreck in 1978 and could be the poster boy for doomed could-have-beens everywhere. Happily, Rhino Handmade recently released I Am the Cosmos, a two-disc collection of Bell’s pre- and post-Big Star recordings that should help restore the reputation of a musician who deserves to be remembered as more than just “the guy who once played with Chilton.”

Chris Bell only appeared on two records during his lifetime: Big Star’s debut #1 Record and the single “I Am the Cosmos/ You and Your Sister,” which was released shortly before his death, in 1978. In 1992, Bell’s brother David gathered together the tapes Chris made after leaving Big Star in 1972 and had them released on Ryko under the title I Am The Cosmos. The first disc of the new Rhino collection replicates the Ryko CD and showcases Bell’s heartfelt, searching lyrics and stellar guitar playing.

Bell was a talented songwriter and a fine singer, but, in a way, these two discs are really a guitar lover’s dream. The songs abound with crisp Telecaster tones, chunky ES-335 chords and some of the best-recorded acoustic guitars of the era (also a hallmark of the Big Star recordings). Disc one kicks off with the anthemic “I Am the Cosmos” in all its dense, layered glory. Bell understood quite well how to layer guitars in a way where everything is heard cleanly in the mix, and whether it’s an electric on the edge of chaos or chunky acoustic rhythm, nothing overpowers the song.

The songs “Speed Of Sound” and “You and Your Sister” boast some of the lushest, clearest acoustic guitar tones on wax; every detail and nuance is heard amongst the massive reverb. The great guitar tones shouldn’t be a surprise, though. During his teenage years, Bell essentially lived in John Fry’s Ardent Studios, where Big Star later made their three records, and he even made a pilgrimage to England, where he worked with Geoff Emerick, the recording engineer for most of the Beatles’ great records. (Emerick actually did the mix on the track “I Am the Cosmos” at George Martin’s AIR Studio, which must have been a dream come true for the Beatles-besotted Bell.)

Bell’s break with Big Star was particularly bitter at the time, with rumors of smashed guitars, secretly erased master tapes and fistfights, but eventually most of the former band mates made peace with each other. “Get Away,” for example, finds Bell reunited on dueling electrics with Alex Chilton, and the overdriven jangle wars are awe-inspiring. These are only the highlights; the rest of the tracks feature a non-stop onslaught of edgy yet melodic guitars that perfectly complement the mysterious, searching lyrics and heartfelt vocals.

While the second disc of outtakes and alternate versions may be viewed as being for fanatics only, there is plenty to get the casual fan submerged deeply into the Cult of Chris. Generously including pre-Big Star tracks from Bell’s Ardent Studio-based groups Icewater and Rock City, it’s a joy to hear the development of this great talent. These two bands are larval versions of Big Star, and it’s fascinating to hear how these musicians sounded before they joined up with Alex Chilton. (The short answer is they sounded really good and that Chilton didn’t change the music’s direction as much as legend has it.)

Rhino Handmade has done an excellent job with the remastering on these discs, and the sound is excellent throughout. Also, the liner notes by Bob Mehr are well written and very informative. Rhino recently released a complete Big Star compilation called Keep an Eye on the Sky, which makes a perfect companion to the Bell release. The only thing wrong with this expanded version of I Am The Cosmos and the Big Star box is that Chris Bell isn’t around to hear them.

Chris Bell was an enigmatic figure when he was alive, and the years since his death haven’t done much to clear up the mystery that surrounds him. The one thing that is crystal clear is that he was a very talented musician that never had events break his way. I Am The Cosmos isn’t quite a completed album, but it’s more cohesive than just a random collection of outtakes. The music is uniformly excellent, though, and as you listen to it, you can easily believe that, had Bell survived that car crash, the Replacements could very well have titled their famous song “Chris Bell” instead of “Alex Chilton.”

To order I Am the Cosmos and to listen to selected tracks go to Rhino Handmade

Check Derek See’s blog devoted to 45 rpm records.