So it appears that every time I’ve written about a Big Star or Big Star-adjacent number on the blog, Chris Bell has been at the forefront of all of them. When he and Alex Chilton were the songwriting duo behind the band’s #1 Record debut, released in 1972, it was the songs by the latter that seemed to get the most praise from critics. That, and the fact that hardly anyone knew the album existed because of extremely poor distribution, frustrated Bell, and he left the band not too long after. I got round to listening to #1 Record in early 2017, about February time, I remember it well, just in my room in the student house during my final year at university. It was dark outside, even though it was early evening, ’cause it was wintertime. I found it was the songs sung by Chris Bell that I gravitated towards. Chilton had a kind of wilting nature in his vocals, Bell had more of the attitude. Tracks like ‘Don’t Lie to Me’ and ‘Feel’? Oh, I was all over those from listen one.

But with ‘Try Again’, I think that one took a little more time. Thing with #1 Record is, after ‘My Life Is Right’, the songs take on a sadder, reflective, dominantly acoustic tone until the album’s end. ‘Try Again’ is Bell’s entry in this little section of the LP. I think it was during COVID-lockdown time when I heard the song again and just found it devastating to listen to. Sure I might have cried to it. So of course it was an instant add to the series. The song is plainly about perseverance. Trying to continue on even when it gets to that point where it feels easier to give up and end it all. The track’s made up of only two verses, both in which Bell earnestly talks to the Lord – he was an ardent Christian, this stuff is real – telling Him that he’s doing what he can to get through the day, though he has his difficulties. Despite this, he resolves his statements by simply saying he’ll try again, which is then followed by a weeping slide-guitar solo surrounded by ringing acoustic guitar chords. It’s sad, but he’s finding a solution at least.

I think it’s fair to say, Chris Bell was probably listening to a lot of George Harrison when writing this song. Particularly All Things Must Pass. Makes sense, as at the time, that would have been the big Harrison album available for purchase. Very sure the starting chords of ‘Try Again’ are the exact same as those that open ‘Isn’t It a Pity’. But not just that. Everything from the chord changes, to the slide-guitar playing, to the addresses to ‘Lord’ throughout, right out of the Harrison playbook. Bell and Chilton didn’t hide that they were massive Beatles fans anyway, so it’s not such a big deal. It is probably the most obvious Beatles nod on the album, though. Interesting to note too that ‘Try Again’ was a leftover from one of Chris Bell’s earlier bands Rock City. The band eventually morphed into Big Star, but were around during the late ’60s, which potentially places Bell at 18 or 19 when he wrote the song. I don’t know about you, but I did not have the emotional depth to write something like this at that age. No way. So damn, all credit to him. It’s beautiful stuff.