Willard's Wormholes

Nobody Can Dance (1974/1999)
Live In The Studio/Live In Concert

I’m sometimes surprised by what I find on the shelves. 3410 requested this, I suppose by somehow psychically envisioning something I didn’t even know I had. Supernatural mysticism aside, this 1999 disc of studio rehearsals and live tracks, recorded in March and May of 1974, is a worthy collection of always welcomed Big Star oddities. Personally, I’m a sucker for live studio outtakes, and the rare opportunity to hear a favorite band playing long cherished tunes with the freshness of the era… and, most importantly, with good studio sonics. The first 8 tracks of Nobody Can Dance fill that bill, as Alex Chilton, John Lightman & Jody Stephens practice tunes like “Don’t Lie To Me,” “She’s A Mover,” “September Gurls” and “In The Street.” Chris Bell is gone, but a couple of his co-compositions are represented in wondrous one-take fashion. The live concert material is more ragged, and suffers from a hot vocal mic that tends to overpower the band’s interplay, but it’s still fun to hear a 70s pop band at work. You also get to hear Chilton revisit his Box Tops hit, “The Letter.” Nobody Can Dance is at Amazon (HERE). Find more Big Star in the archives (HERE).

STUDIO REHEARSALS
Don’t Lie To Me (3:25)
Back Of My Car (2:56)
O My Soul (5:34)
Mod Lang (2:33)
She’s A Mover (4:02)
September Gurls (3:02)
In The Street (3:16)
You Get What You Deserve (4:01)
LIVE
Baby Strange (3:54)
Mod Lang (2:55)
You Get What You Deserve (3:07)
The Letter (3:12)
September Gurls (2:56)
Way Out West (2:32)
O My Soul (6:01)