RIP Alex Chilton

Didn't listen to much to his later stuff, but his work with the Box Tops alone earns him legend status. In my opinion, their best song was "Cry Like A Baby," quite possibly the greatest white soul song ever recorded, complete with a faux sitar that was just amazing.

RIP, indeed.

 

Shit ... what awful news. :'(

Big Star was one of the most criminally underrated bands, at least commercially, of all time. Great calls by Ronnie and PC; the #1 Record/Radio City album is a great choice if you don't want to drop $40 for the box set.

Some other classics (EDIT ... good thinking, Bubs):

 

September Gurls - what a classic.

 

Pretty good read on the topic: Michael Chabon on power pop and the Big Star box set.

http://www.michaelchabon.com/Michael_Chabon/Bonus_Track_3.html

 

I feel bad now for referencing the Box Tops in the Hall thread this week. Ron Jovanovic did a good book on Big Star a few years ago that filled in a lot of the gaps on the band, the Box Tops and Chilton's punk career in the late 70s.

The most amazing thing to me was how young Chilton was when he did The Letter. He was barely 17, but sounded liked a guy in his late 20s. Actually, until reading the book, I always assumed the Box Tops were an older band instead of a bunch of kids.

And for those who don't know and may want to look up, Big Star was a HUGE influence on bands in the 1980s...REM, Matthew Sweet, The Replacements, Pavement, the Bangles and many more. If you never heard Big Star, you still heard their sound on the radio.

 

That really sucks. And he was getting ready to play a Big Star reunion at SXSW. Sad news.

One of my favorite Replacements song is about him.

Also, love this song.

 

"Thirteen" is one of my favorite songs ever, even moreso now that I have a 12-year-old son. He's become ostentatiously uninterested in girls of late, which makes me think he must be starting to like someone. The first verse of this song makes me smile and want to cry at the same time as I think of all the wonderful, horrible experiences he has with women ahead of him.

Won't you let me walk you home from school?
Won't you let me meet you at the pool?
Maybe Friday I can,
Get tickets for the dance
And I'll take you, ooh ooh

Of course, the words alone don't convey the wistful yearning of Chilton's vocal.

 

Speaking of influence, Jason Isbell (former DBT guitarist) and the 400 Unit have incorporated a cover of Big Star's "When My Baby's Beside Me" into their shows, and a limited edition release of their 2009 album includes the song as a special track.

 

Here's the Box Tops acting nicely goofy and cracking each other up as they lip-synch The Letter on some pop show.

(Sorry if it's among the links already posted.)

 

tennessee congressman steve cohen pays tribute. pretty cool:

 

Saw Chilton at a crowded club in NY about seven years ago. He didn't touch any of the Box Tops material but did an eclectic set that included "Volare."

As someone noted earlier, it's hard to believe that soulfully rough voice on "The Letter" was a 17-year-old.

 

Damn cool.

Wonder if/when REM and The Replacements have ever been name-checked on the House floor?