Nothing Can Hurt Me
tells the story of power pop icons Big Star in a very conventional music-doc
manner, with all the expected genre hallmarks: musician fans pop up to sing the
band’s praises (with talking heads including REM’s Mike Mills and Hot Chip’s
Alexis Taylor); archive footage strives to give a sense of why so many still
care so deeply; and those party to events (including members Jody Stephens and
the late Andy Hummel) offer first-hand testimonials that together build a portrait
of the band’s successes and failures.
But while the format is routine, the
execution is first rate, skirting hagiography and comprehensively essaying not
only Big Star’s all-too-brief existence, but also the band’s extended family
tree – from Alex Chilton’s time in the Box Tops through to his avant garde solo
ventures; from Chris Bell’s early steerage to posthumous masterpiece I am the Cosmos. The results should
satisfy both long-term acolytes and those newly curious of Big Star’s timeless artistry.
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