Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby version sound » Mon Jul 29, 2013 8:59 am

So much better than anything Chilton did after Big Star.
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby scannest » Mon Jul 29, 2013 9:50 am

I forgot to mention something really intriguing in my little critique of the Big Star documentary. The film suggests in a very (very) subtle way that Bell may have been in love with Chilton and that the song "I am the Cosmos" touches on that unrequited love.
Bell was apparantly very confused and tortured by his sexuality (they never come out and say that he was gay, but it is implied). He actively pursued Chilton to be a member of his new band and then attempted to destroy the tapes for the first record after a falling out. He attempted to kill himself and then found Jesus soon thereafter. It was Chilton he first played the song for and it was Chilton he brought it to Chris Stamey and said 'You have to put this out' (Stamey had a little label called Car Records that did the 7").
Food for thought

Every night I tell myself,
"I am the cosmos,
I am the wind"
But that don't get you back again

Just when I was starting to feel okay
You're on the phone
I never wanna be alone
Never wanna be alone
I hate to have to take you home

Wanted too much to say no, no,
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Never wanna be alone

I hate to have to take you home
Want you too much to say no, no
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah

My feeling's always happening
Something I couldn't hide
I can't confide
Don't know what's going on inside

So every night I tell myself
"I am the cosmos,
I am the wind"
But that don't get you back again

I'd really like to see you again
I really wanna see you again
I'd really like to see you again
I really wanna see you again
I'd really like to see you again
I really wanna see you again
I never wanna see you again
Really wanna see you again
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby version sound » Mon Jul 29, 2013 10:43 am

From what I've heard about the doc, they were very vague about Bell's sexuality. The book I read a few years ago was less so. According to accounts in the book, there was no doubt that he was gay.
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby scannest » Mon Jul 29, 2013 11:26 am

version sound wrote:From what I've heard about the doc, they were very vague about Bell's sexuality. The book I read a few years ago was less so. According to accounts in the book, there was no doubt that he was gay.

Yes, but the "was Chris in love with Alex?" aspect had never occured to me before. Truthfully, it was my brother-in-law who commented on the possibility after watching the documentary. As I said, the doc does seem to tip-toe around the subject, possibly in deference to Bell's brother and sister who are two of the more prevalant talking heads on screen.
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby JGJR » Mon Jul 29, 2013 12:32 pm

scannest wrote:
version sound wrote:From what I've heard about the doc, they were very vague about Bell's sexuality. The book I read a few years ago was less so. According to accounts in the book, there was no doubt that he was gay.

Yes, but the "was Chris in love with Alex?" aspect had never occured to me before. Truthfully, it was my brother-in-law who commented on the possibility after watching the documentary. As I said, the doc does seem to tip-toe around the subject, possibly in deference to Bell's brother and sister who are two of the more prevalant talking heads on screen.


I knew that he was gay and sadly that was tortured over his sexuality given the time period, his religion, the prominent family he came from, et al. but him being in love with Alex was something that never occurred to me, either. I'll have to rewatch the documentary.

Also, the Will Rigby song "Paper Hat" is about Chris and specifically about how he and other future dB's members essentially went to Memphis to stalk him and found him working in his family's restaurant.
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby version sound » Mon Jul 29, 2013 12:53 pm

It's kind of pointless to speculate about Bell's feelings for Chilton. Unless he confided in his brother, we'll never know. It seems pretty unlikely that was the reason for the split, though, given other larger issues of mental health, drug abuse, and disappointment with the fact that they weren't getting anywhere.
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby scannest » Mon Jul 29, 2013 12:55 pm

version sound wrote:It's kind of pointless to speculate about Bell's feelings for Chilton. Unless he confided in his brother, we'll never know. It seems pretty unlikely that was the reason for the split, though, given other larger issues of mental health, drug abuse, and disappointment with the fact that they weren't getting anywhere.

The point is that it's interesting. Nothing more.
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby version sound » Mon Jul 29, 2013 1:23 pm

Without any kind of substantiation, it's about as interesting as speculating that Lennon and McCartney had a gay relationship that split up the Beatles when it ended.
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby scannest » Mon Jul 29, 2013 1:26 pm

version sound wrote:Without any kind of substantiation, it's about as interesting as speculating that Lennon and McCartney had a gay relationship that split up the Beatles when it ended.

Now you're just being silly. One situation is plausible given the cirumstances and the other is patently ridiculous.
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby version sound » Mon Jul 29, 2013 1:33 pm

Who cares what is vaguely plausible? Lennon was plausibly gay and in love with Paul. He supposedly had same sex relationships, which in the '60s was as good as being gay.
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby xxxHunterxxx » Mon Jul 29, 2013 2:21 pm

version sound wrote: He supposedly had same sex relationships, which in the '60s was as good as being gay.


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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby JGJR » Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:17 pm

version sound wrote:Without any kind of substantiation, it's about as interesting as speculating that Lennon and McCartney had a gay relationship that split up the Beatles when it ended.


Well there was Brian Epstein (who our friend Hadassah's family knew as they were also among the few Jewish families in Liverpool, but I digress). "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" was allegedly about him and I've always thought that to be true.
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby JGJR » Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:18 pm

scannest wrote:
version sound wrote:Without any kind of substantiation, it's about as interesting as speculating that Lennon and McCartney had a gay relationship that split up the Beatles when it ended.

Now you're just being silly. One situation is plausible given the cirumstances and the other is patently ridiculous.


What scannest said.
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby JGJR » Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:20 pm

version sound wrote:Who cares what is vaguely plausible? Lennon was plausibly gay and in love with Paul. He supposedly had same sex relationships, which in the '60s was as good as being gay.


I can't tell if you're just making that up to prove your point or if you're saying that this (supposedly) happened. I have read a bio on Lennon (though I'm not a Beatles expert by any means) and don't remember anything like that. I mean, truth be told, I don't really care that much one way or the other, but he already got so much shit for marrying Yoko from a bunch of knuckleheads, so wouldn't have he gotten more had this umm, come out (sorry poor choice of words, perhaps)?
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby version sound » Mon Jul 29, 2013 5:15 pm

Are you kidding? There have been rumors about Lennon being gay since the '60s. Is this better: DID HUSKER DU BREAK UP BECAUSE BOB AND GRANT WERE BOTH IN LOVE WITH GREG????!!!! It's just silly rumor mongering based wholly on the fact that Bell was gay and NOTHING ELSE. You guys are pondering about imaginary unrequited love between two dead rock stars and I'm the one being silly? Sure guys, whatever you say.
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Re: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos LP

Postby JGJR » Mon Jul 29, 2013 8:09 pm

version sound wrote:Are you kidding? There have been rumors about Lennon being gay since the '60s. Is this better: DID HUSKER DU BREAK UP BECAUSE BOB AND GRANT WERE BOTH IN LOVE WITH GREG????!!!! It's just silly rumor mongering based wholly on the fact that Bell was gay and NOTHING ELSE. You guys are pondering about imaginary unrequited love between two dead rock stars and I'm the one being silly? Sure guys, whatever you say.


I was totally serious. I honestly had no clue re: Lennon.

For the record, it was scannest who made the initial observation. It's not totally implausible, but I'm not saying it was the case, either.

And re: the Huskers, I never did know what to think about the rumor that Grant and Bob were lovers at one point. Ultimately (again), I don't care but it would certainly explain part of the animosity they have towards each other to this very day (like Black Francis and Kim Deal, who dated at one point).
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