I am not alone in thinking that a rock and roll band called The Embarrassment from Wichita, Kansas, is among the finest this country has ever produced. When that band splintered, the gentlemen continued to make great music with other bands. Guitarist Bill Groffier played in a great rock and roll combo in Boston called Big Dipper, who made some very good records with many of the same qualities that make Embarrassment records perpetually endearing. Not least of these are Bill’s thoughtful guitar playing and soaring harmony vocals.

So it’s a pleasant surprise to hear that Big Dipper are getting back together for a handful of shows to celebrate the release of a 3-CD box set. From RockTownHall.com:

Big Dipper is indeed reuniting for a handful of shows in April 2008 and the release of a 3-CD set. The release will include a 12-page booklet with liner notes by Scharpling and, most importantly, songs from the band’s first 3 long-out-of-print albums along with the requisit rarities, unreleased tracks, and even the original video for “Faith Healer”. I’ve been waiting a long time for this day, and I’ve been waiting a long time to have more than this grainy, 12th-generation clip that’s been floating around YouTube for some time as a visual record of the band.

Earlier this week, I had my iPhone set to random play, and Big Dipper’s gorgeous song Ron Klaus Wrecked His House popped up. I then briefly amused myself by singing ‘Ron House wrecked his Klaus’, in honor of the Ohioan who aspired to have a band ‘as big as, but not bigger than the Embarrassment.’ It all made the 45 mph headwind blowing through downtown Chicago a wee bit more bearable.