Bell died tragically in a car crash in 1978, and only one single ("I Am The Cosmos"/"You And Your Sister") was released in his lifetime, on Chris Stamey's tiny Car label. Both single sides are included here, along with newly-discovered alternate takes. The fifteen tracks highlight Bell's ethereal vocals, his uncanny sense of song structure and insightful, melancholy lyrics, all of which illuminate his often-overlooked contribution to Big Star. I AM THE COSMOS features rare photographs and liner notes by Chris's brother David Bell. Recorded all over the world (including sessions at the famed Chateau D'Heurville and Air studios), I AM THE COSMOS is a haunting pop masterpiece ripe for discovery.

(Rykodisc)

Unreleased for over 15 years, I Am the Cosmos is nevertheless an enduring testament to the brilliance of Chris Bell; lyrically poignant and melodically stunning, this lone solo album is proof positive of his underappreciated pop mastery. While cuts like "Get Away," "I Got Kinda Lost," and "Fight at the Table" recall the glowing, energetic power-pop of Bell's earlier work, the majority of the songs on I Am the Cosmos are more reflective and deeply personal; the title track is a harrowingly schizophrenic tale of romantic despair, while other cuts like the lurching "Better Save Yourself" and the lovely "Look Up" are infused with a spiritual power largely missing from his Big Star material. The album's highlight, "You and Your Sister" -- which features backing vocals from none other than Bell's Big Star mate Alex Chilton -- is simply one of the great unknown love songs in the pop canon, a luminous and fragile ballad almost otherworldly in its beauty.

(by Jason Ankeny, AMG)