Jailbait: Thirteen

Big Star: Thirteen

[purchase]

I have to admit that like Susan, I too was a bit surprised by this week's theme. It took me a while to figure out what direction to go in for my post, but I found the answer in this innocent love song...

"Thirteen" is a sweet song of adolescent love from Big Star's first album, the simultaneously appropriately titled and ironically titled #1 Record. (It didn't get anywhere close to #1 on the charts.) Buffalo Tom's Bill Janovitz does a better job than most at describing the song, and even he resorts to sharing some of the lyrics:

Won't you let me walk you home from school
Won't you let me meet you at the pool
Maybe Friday I can get tickets to the dance
And I'll take you, ooh

Won't you tell your dad, "Get off my back"
Tell him what we said 'bout "Paint It Black"
Rock & roll is here to stay
Come inside girl, it's OK
And I'll shake you

If it's so, well let me know
If it's no, well I can go
I won't make you.

It's a brilliant song that captures the mood perfectly, with a simple, acoustic arrangement.


Jim Boggia: Thirteen

[out of print]

The very talented Philly singer-songwriter (and human jukebox) Jim Boggia lo's the fi considerably for his solo version, recorded in 2003 on a 1960s Concord Transistorized 220 reel-to-reel tape recorder and released on one of his "homemade records", Transistorized 220 - Volume 2.