Keep an Eye on the Sky (2009)

Image credit: Chris McKay/Retna Ltd.

POWER-POP PIONEERS Big Star

Overlooked in their '70s prime, these Memphis natives have long since been recognized by critics and fellow musicians as power-pop pioneers. Anyone who still needs convincing will find the case for Big Star's legendhood made beyond a reasonable doubt on Keep an Eye on the Sky, a four-disc retrospective. The 
 spare demos, crystal-clear concert recordings, and handsomely produced liner notes are a fan's delight, but it's the three original albums included here — 38 haunting ballads and fist-pumping anthems, some in unreleased mixes, each one a gem — that still shine brightest. A

See all of this week's reviews