RIP Alex Chilton

[westofyou]

Children by the million sing for Alex Chilton when he comes 'round They sing "I'm in love. What's that song? I'm in love with that song."

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/popcandy/post/2010/03/rip-alex-chilton/1


Last night the festive atmostphere here at South by Southwest was interrupted when news broke that Alex Chilton had died. As part of the Box Tops and Big Star, the Memphis artist made a massive impact on pop music. He went on to influence a generation of bands, including two of my all-time favorites (and maybe yours), The Replacements and R.E.M.

Chilton died yesterday at a hospital in New Orleans, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. He was scheduled to play here in Austin on Saturday.

[JaxRed]

Box Tops put out some good hits (The Letter, Cry Like a Baby, Neon Rainbow, I Met Her in a Church, Choo Choo Train, Sweat Cream Ladies). They were part of first concert I remember going to. A bunch of one hit artists. Some never had another hit (Balloon Farm, John Fred) but others went on to have big careers (Sly and Family Stone, Lovin Spoonful)

[Dom Heffner]

These things come in 5's now...

[westofyou]

These things come in 5's now...

Six's - friend of mine lost his father last weekend too.

[Roy Tucker]

RIP Alex. Loved those bands.

From the power pop side of things, Doug Fieger of the Knack died about a month ago.

[IowaRed]

as odd as it sounds, I just discovered Big Star a couple months ago and have been listening to/watching everything I can on YouTube. I've always like the Replacements tribute song.

[pedro]

as odd as it sounds, I just discovered Big Star a couple months ago and have been listening to/watching everything I can on YouTube. I've always like the Replacements tribute song.

That's not that odd. They're biggest exposure has probably been Cheap Tricks cover of "In The Street" used on "That Seventies Show"

Great band though!

[westofyou]

as odd as it sounds, I just discovered Big Star a couple months ago and have been listening to/watching everything I can on YouTube. I've always like the Replacements tribute song.

Saw them do a show about 6 years ago, a nice little band with lots of the best hooks out there.

[pedro]

Saw them do a show about 6 years ago, a nice little band with lots of the best hooks out there.

It was 2002. I hadn't moved here yet.

[Rojo]

I'm trying to get the Big Star revival, I really am. I listen.. and listen and.... then break out the New York Dolls.

[pedro]

I'm trying to get the Big Star revival, I really am. I listen.. and listen and.... then break out the New York Dolls.

It's not the same without Chris Bell.

[redsfandan]

as odd as it sounds, I just discovered Big Star a couple months ago and have been listening to/watching everything I can on YouTube. I've always like the Replacements tribute song.
+1

[westofyou]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/opinion/21westerberg.html?scp=1&sq=alex%20chilton&st=cse

March 21, 2010
Op-Ed Contributor
Beyond the Box Tops
By PAUL WESTERBERG

Minneapolis

HOW does one react to the death of one’s mentor? My mind instantly slammed down the inner trouble-door that guards against all thought, emotion, sadness. Survival mode. Rock guitar players are all dead men walking. It’s only a matter of time, I tell myself as I finger my calluses. Those who fail to click with the world and society at large find safe haven in music — to sing, write songs, create, perform. Each an active art in itself that offers no promise of success, let alone happiness.

Yet success shone early on Alex Chilton, as the 16-year-old soulful singer of the hit-making Box Tops. Possessing more talent than necessary, he tired as a very young man of playing the game — touring, performing at state fairs, etc. So he returned home to Memphis. Focusing on his pop writing and his rock guitar skills, he formed the group Big Star with Chris Bell. Now he had creative control, and his versatility shone bright. Beautiful melodies, heart-wrenching lyrics: “I’m in Love with a Girl,” “September Gurls.”

On Big Star’s masterpiece third album, Alex sang my favorite song of his, “Nighttime” — a haunting and gorgeous ballad that I will forever associate with my floor-sleeping days in New York. Strangely, the desperation in the line “I hate it here, get me out of here” made me, of all things, happy. He went on to produce more artistic, challenging records. One equipped with the take-it-or-leave-it — no, excuse me, with the take-it-like-I-make-it — title “Like Flies on Sherbert.” The man had a sense of humor, believe me.

It was some years back, the last time I saw Alex Chilton. We miraculously bumped into each other one autumn evening in New York, he in a Memphis Minnie T-shirt, with take-out Thai, en route to his hotel. He invited me along to watch the World Series on TV, and I immediately discarded whatever flimsy obligation I may have had. We watched baseball, talked and laughed, especially about his current residence — he was living in, get this, a tent in Tennessee.

Because we were musicians, our talk inevitably turned toward women, and Al, ever the Southern gentleman, was having a hard time between bites communicating to me the difficulty in ... you see, the difficulty in (me taking my last swig that didn’t end up on the wall, as I boldly supplied the punch line) “... in asking a young lady if she’d like to come back to your tent?” We both darn near died there in a fit of laughter.

Yeah, December boys got it bad, as “September Gurls” notes. The great Alex Chilton is gone — folk troubadour, blues shouter, master singer, songwriter and guitarist. Someone should write a tune about him. Then again, nah, that would be impossible. Or just plain stupid.

Paul Westerberg, a musician, was the lead singer of the Replacements.

[Falls City Beer]

Radio City is really a first-rate album. And so was Chris Bell's one album. Mid-tempo and stoner-y, but I love both those albums. (I can see why others don't like them, though). This guy was a solid bro and a great singer. RIP.