Chris Bell was an immensely gifted songwriter, performer and producer. As a founding member of Big Star and as a solo artist he struggled to have his songs heard. Sadly, the Memphis-born artist did not live long enough to see the enormous impact his music - both with Big Star and as a solo artist - would have on future generations. Bell's influential legacy grows thanks to the release of his solo album I AM THE COSMOS - DELUXE EDITION, and Rhino Records' September 15 release of KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY, the definitive Big Star anthology.. The two-disc deluxe edition of I AM THE COSMOS contains more than a dozen unreleased recordings.

I AM THE COSMOS - DELUXE EDITION contains a remastered version of the original 1992 Ryko compilation on one disc, plus a second disc of rare and unreleased music recorded between 1970 and 1976. On the second disc, all but two of the 15 tracks are previously unreleased. Among the wealth of unissued recordings are eight alternate versions and mixes of album tracks, including "You And Your Sister" with Mellotron in place of the original's string arrangement, and a later version of "Get Away" featuring Big Star's Alex Chilton on guitar, Ken Woodley on bass and Richard Rosebrough on drums.

Revisiting the original 1992 release of I AM THE COSMOS, Rhino Handmade's deluxe edition includes the previously released acoustic version of "You And Your Sister." The original also featured a "Slow Version" of the title track, which is heard in its entirety for the first time on this double-disc set.

The collection also gathers up a number of unreleased songs Bell recorded that did not appear on I AM THE COSMOS, including two songs by Icewater (a precursor to Big Star); collaborations with Memphis songwriter Keith Sykes ("Stay With Me") and singer Nancy Bryan ("In My Darkest Hour"); and "Clacton Rag," an instrumental recorded in 1976 that features Bell solo on guitar.

The beginnings of I AM THE COSMOS can be traced back to 1972, when Bell left Big Star, the seminal power-pop he helped found. After helping Big Star write and record a few songs for RADIO CITY, the band's follow-up, Bell left for France in 1974. While there, he recorded several demos at Hérouville Studios for a planned solo album. Following the sessions, Bell and his brother David took the tracks to a London studio owned by the Beatles' producer George Martin, where they mixed the songs with Geoff Emerick, who engineered several of the Beatles' albums.

The songs were shelved and Bell returned home to Memphis, where he recorded more songs with a revolving cast of Memphis musicians. In 1978, Car Records released a single featuring Bell's "I Am The Cosmos" b/w "You And Your Sister." Encouraged by the positive reaction to single, Bell was planning a return to music when he was killed in a car accident in 1978, two days after Christmas. His music remained unreleased until 1992, when several of his demos were released posthumously as I AM THE COSMOS.

Chris Bell was an immensely gifted songwriter, performer and producer. As a founding member of Big Star and as a solo artist he struggled to have his songs heard. Sadly, the Memphis-born artist did not live long enough to see the enormous impact his music - both with Big Star and as a solo artist - would have on future generations. Bell's influential legacy grows thanks to the release of his solo album I AM THE COSMOS - DELUXE EDITION, and Rhino Records' September 15 release of KEEP AN EYE....+Read More...