Since most recordings by Big Star leave little to improve on, it seems that the best way a band could pay tribute to the Memphis deities of power-pop would be to take a completely different approach. And that’s where the brightest moments shine most on Big Star Small World (A Tribute to Big Star). Afghan Whigs turn “Nightime” (from Third/Sister Lovers) into a slow and sludgy dirge built on a foundation of guitar distortion rubbing against a lush string section. Where Alex Chilton’s vocals on the original were mixed up front, here Greg Dulli’s singing is tucked in the production to sound like another instrument. Scotland’s Teenage Fanclub simply mash-up bygone band adoration by pumping Big Star’s “Jesus Christ” through a Byrdsian filter to sound like Tennessean folk-rock by way of Glasgow. Although most contributing musicians chose to play stock renditions of these tunes, Wilco’s close-take on “Thirteen” is saved by Jeff Tweedy’s heartfelt performance, which perfectly captures the song’s tone of a teenage delinquent in love.