My understanding is it is released as a deliberate counterpoint to the Big Star stuff, trying to show more of what Chilton as a solo performer could be like. The Lovesick Blues version is particularly great.
― Saul Goodberg (by Musket and Pup Tent) (s.clover), Tuesday, 8 October 2013 18:25 (ten years ago) link
I'll check it out, thanks yall. Gonna try posting the cover again (AC doing his best Ray Davies)
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51n8asTjzZL.jpg
― dow, Tuesday, 8 October 2013 23:41 (ten years ago) link
lol at Ray Davies
― Gallucci Time (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 9 October 2013 00:48 (ten years ago) link
Just put this on. Not familiar with "Last Bouquet" but from the sound of it I'd guess it was a Kitty Wells number.
― Gallucci Time (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 9 October 2013 03:12 (ten years ago) link
Just posted this on the Tav Falco thread, never seen Alex's hair so short:
talv falco & his panther burns, killer awesome fuckin choice or what
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 11 October 2013 23:15 (ten years ago) link
Noticed in the EMP participants bios that her book is due next month:
Holly George-Warren is the author of the forthcoming biography of Alex Chilton, A Man Called Destruction (Viking, April 2014)
― curmudgeon, Friday, 7 March 2014 20:09 (ten years ago) link
hope it's good!
― tylerw, Friday, 7 March 2014 20:43 (ten years ago) link
Yall all know about Tyler's AC/Big Star re-posts, rat? On http://www.doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com
Here's a bit of HGW's bio:http://www.spin.com/articles/read-an-excerpt-from-alex-chilton-biography-a-man-called-destruction/
― dow, Friday, 21 March 2014 14:46 (ten years ago) link
Steve Danzinger's pretty frustrated by the bio in this weekend's WSJ (overall, he conveys the appeal and struggles of Big Star pretty well):
Somewhere in "A Man Called Destruction" is a story about the mysteries of creativity, collaboration and luck, the agonizing loss of wasted potential, the multitude of factors that must align for artistic success. But potential insights are obstructed by minutiae and redundancies, investigations supplanted by undeveloped allusions about Chilton's resentments. The missed opportunity is substantial; even the trifles portray early 1970s Memphis as a singular world of musically precocious, emotionally fragile man-children struggling to attain some state of grace. Ms. George-Warren gives a glimpse of that lost world, but it remains largely unexplored.
So does Chilton. By 25, he was barely more than impish grin, inclined more to nullity than destruction. He urinated off one stage, was fellated on another. He sat on curbs watching Catholic-school girls go by, prospecting for dates. He smoked pot and drifted through his days like a sixth-year undergrad who doesn't want to leave the dorms. He laughed his way through shambling performances, as if he couldn't believe his acolytes were taking him seriously. These post-Big Star years reek of disdain, not least toward the fans who laughed awkwardly along with him, as if to convince themselves there was actually a joke to witness, rather than the remnants of a great talent.
It's a petty, dismal litany, seemingly endless in Ms. George-Warren's lethargic telling. But in life, it was mercifully brief, and Chilton's life would end positively, if more in resignation than redemption. At 31, he quit drinking, moved to New Orleans and lived contentedly, working at jobs like tree trimmer and "human jukebox," playing requests in a tourist bar. Big Star reissues inspired an international cult ("influenced R.E.M." became the general Big Star legitimizer, and the Replacements' 1987 tribute "Alex Chilton" made him famous for being loved by the Replacements). There would be new records, like Feudalist Tarts from 1985, a gritty return to form with covers of songs by Isaac Hayes, Slim Harpo and Willie Tee, residuals and reunions and the comparative triumph of replacing self-mockery with nonchalance.
Chilton died in 2010 of a heart attack, aged 59. To the end, he claimed not to understand the fuss about Big Star. After "A Man Called Destruction," readers might not, either... Ooh! But the anecdotal material seems like it might be interesting, at least judging by his glosses.
― dow, Saturday, 22 March 2014 20:44 (ten years ago) link
This is short but sweet: http://m.nashvillescene.com/nashvillecream/archives/2010/03/19/alex-chilton-as-remembered-by-john-bucky-wilkin
― You Better Go Ahn (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 4 October 2014 16:14 (nine years ago) link
this thing kind of came out of nowhere but it is great!http://www.othermusic.com/collections/frontpage/products/alex-chilton-ocean-club-77http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0192/7084/products/CED400CD_CU_grande.jpg?v=1433871252
― tylerw, Tuesday, 9 June 2015 19:48 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-eVsH49_2Uvideo footage by william eggleston
― drash, Tuesday, 9 June 2015 20:37 (eight years ago) link
Heard "O My Soul" from Ocean Club this morning on WFMU, sounded great.
― WilliamC, Tuesday, 9 June 2015 20:51 (eight years ago) link
Hoooooly shit nice find drash!
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 9 June 2015 22:18 (eight years ago) link
oh wow check that out!
― he quipped with heat (amateurist), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 02:03 (eight years ago) link
Ocean Club and several other Chilton thingies are on Spotify, but just noticed that they only have Disc 1 of the Flies On Sherbet/Feudalist Tarts/No Sex twofer on the Last Call label. This list incl. the FT/NS tracks, which add up to one of his best EPs evah (still got the vinyl):
http://www.discogs.com/Alex-Chilton-Like-Flies-On-Sherbert-Feudalist-Tarts-No-Sex/release/4507641
― dow, Wednesday, 21 October 2015 16:33 (eight years ago) link
SEARCH his beach boys love you covers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evuWI44bRmU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK8fOnD2yos
― chaki (kurt schwitterz), Wednesday, 21 October 2015 16:59 (eight years ago) link
new girl in school is aces too (jan & dean, but brian wilson co-wrote)
― tylerw, Wednesday, 21 October 2015 17:00 (eight years ago) link
he does honkin down the highway somewhere too...
― tylerw, Wednesday, 21 October 2015 17:01 (eight years ago) link
here!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYNaUkTlipM
sick! thanks!
― chaki (kurt schwitterz), Wednesday, 21 October 2015 17:03 (eight years ago) link
these are good, he should've covered the whole album...
― tylerw, Wednesday, 21 October 2015 17:05 (eight years ago) link
omg
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 21 October 2015 17:05 (eight years ago) link
feel like there's some alternate universe where alex stayed out in california and actually ended up joining the beach boys in the early 70s... i think he was supposed to make a post-boxtops solo LP for Brother Records at some point.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 21 October 2015 17:07 (eight years ago) link
and an alternate alternate where BBs incl. AC and Glenn Campbell, who wisely declined to get involved in all their drama, over on our side of the timelines.
― dow, Wednesday, 21 October 2015 17:13 (eight years ago) link
lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLOdnCpqutI
― chaki (kurt schwitterz), Wednesday, 21 October 2015 17:23 (eight years ago) link
unsurprisingly much worse than the version on Lei'd in Hawai'i
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 21 October 2015 17:27 (eight years ago) link
maybe for fans only i can never tell but really really enjoying ocean club 77
― balls, Monday, 21 December 2015 17:16 (eight years ago) link
yeah i think it's great -- maybe the best set from this period? speaking of which, a lot of good info on chilton's nyc years in the numero group Ork Records set that came out a few weeks ago.
― tylerw, Monday, 21 December 2015 17:31 (eight years ago) link
Indeedio---currently listening to Ork box on the free version of a certain streaming service: Mr. C. (and Prix trax which may or may not incl. him) sounding mighty fine so far.
― dow, Monday, 21 December 2015 18:53 (eight years ago) link
Just noticed it a couple days ago but it looks like Raven records have put out the three Box Top albums on a 2 CD set earlier this year.
― earlnash, Monday, 21 December 2015 19:52 (eight years ago) link
There's actually four Box Tops LPs, which are indeed in that Raven set alongside some but not all of their stray Chilton-era* singles.
*I have a Chilton-less Box Tops single from '71-2 on Stax in my 45 collects!
― "Damn the Taquitos" (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 21 December 2015 21:35 (eight years ago) link
I thought that might be the first time those Lps were brought out on CD. I know for a long time the Box Tops only had a greatest hits package available.
― earlnash, Monday, 21 December 2015 21:46 (eight years ago) link
Sundazed had them out on CD with bonus tracks (stray singles, mono 45 mixes, unreleased stuff) back in 2000, but they've been OOP for awhile.
― "Damn the Taquitos" (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 21 December 2015 22:11 (eight years ago) link
interesting little chilton/dickinson deal -- https://summerstepsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/brown-sugar-call-me-7 -- "possibly under the influence of hog tranquilizers"!
Summersteps is proud to announce this special limited edition single featuring two vintage sides from Amy Gassner. Amy is best known as the bassist for Memphis’ first all-girl punk band The KLiTZ.
The A-Side features a very relaxed reading of The Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar” recorded in the haze of 1979 and possibly under the influence of hog tranquilizers. Personnel includes legendary producer Jim Dickinson (Big Star, Replacements, etc) on bass along with her fellow KLiTZ providing backup. While the flip side, features a groovy rendition of Tony Hatch’s “Call Me.” Committed to tape a few years later in ‘82 at Easley Studios with the accompaniment of both Doug and Ron Easley along with legendary sometime Panther Burn and Alex Chilton drummer, Ross Johnson.
Highly recommended for those who dig the artfully damaged sounds of Alex Chilton's Like Flies on Sherbert, Tav Falco's Panther Burns and of course, The KLiTZ.
― tylerw, Thursday, 7 April 2016 21:14 (eight years ago) link
The Grifters should be mentioned as well, I think?
― dlp9001, Thursday, 7 April 2016 21:16 (eight years ago) link
did anyone get that live in '77 album that came out a year or two ago??
― wizzz! (amateurist), Thursday, 7 April 2016 21:59 (eight years ago) link
the ocean club one? i have it -- it's a very good time. similar to the bootlegs that have floated around from that period but (slightly) better sound, some rare covers.
― tylerw, Thursday, 7 April 2016 22:17 (eight years ago) link
Feeling kind of sad about how many of the people in the Chilton story, some of whom I got to meet, like Jim Dickinson, and write about (I did a Dickinson piece in 2007 for which I got to talk to him), are gone: Alex, Andy Hummel, John Hampton, Lee Baker, Tommy Hoehn, Dickinson, Sid Selvidge (got to see him play once in Nashville, where he shared a bill with folk-jazz singer Caroline Peyton), Richard Rosebrough, John Fry. And Chris Bell. And Chips Moman, who passed this year, and with whom I got one of the last 2 interviews he gave, far as I can determine. I guess I feel lucky to have known or interviewed or met some of these folks--I also got to interview Alex back in 1981 and got an interview that I think is one of the better ones he gave, and he treated me and my friends really nice and wasn't remotely difficult that day. A few months later in Nashville, I caught a Panther Burns set and went back to the dressing room between sets and sat at Alex' feet like a little puppy dog; he was also nice to me then. I wrote this back when he died, and I wish I could have written more about him; it's kind of hard to read it now because it was so long ago, and though I think I did a good job of interviewing him, what I know now. what I knew in 2010, versus what I thought I knew then...damn. I don't know if I ever posted this anywhere here, see what you think. And here's my Jim Dickinson piece, which covers some Alex stuff pretty well (I would've made it a bit more down-to-the-bone, I think, but it was done for No Depression and they had their way of doing stuff.
― Edd Hurt, Wednesday, 20 July 2016 23:31 (seven years ago) link
And, here's my 2012 Chips Moman interview. Chips was like Alex--he didn't give a lot away, unless he wanted to: http://www.nashvillescene.com/music/article/13044490/chips-moman-the-cream-interview.
― Edd Hurt, Wednesday, 20 July 2016 23:44 (seven years ago) link
Good stuff, thanks. Wonder if there's any more Chilton-Dickinson out there. Moman worked with the Box Tops *after* Dan Penn? Thought Penn kept his hand in for the duration. How were their records different with Moman?
― dow, Thursday, 21 July 2016 03:00 (seven years ago) link
Moman just did the last album...the main difference was he let the actual band appear on stuff alongside the session guys. Aside from a jammy cover of "Rock Me Baby" at the end, it doesn't really come off that different from the earlier stuff.
― Kenneth Without Anger (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 21 July 2016 04:02 (seven years ago) link
Right, Chips just did the "Soul Deep"-era Box Tops, and maybe there was just a bit less schlock on that single than the previous, not that the schlock wasn't beautiful on Penn's "Neon Rainbow" and "I Met Her in Church" and the great "Fields of Clover," perhaps the toughest track the Box Tops ever did. I always heard that Chips admired Chilton and wanted to work with him again. Definitely would've been interesting, but Chilton always looked down his nose at Chips and Penn for being out of touch with contemporary music. Dan Penn told me that Alex showed up after a show in New Orleans and carried Dan's guitar for him, a sign of respect I guess, and Penn never thought much of Alex' songwriting.I think there are some tracks that Dickinson cut with folks like wrestler Jerry Lawler that are out there somewhere. They apparently aren't on the same tracks, but Dickinson and Chilton had something to do with this interesting single by a former member of Memphis punk band the Kltiz.
― Edd Hurt, Thursday, 21 July 2016 14:47 (seven years ago) link
new thing coming out -- not sure if these have ever showed up on bootlegs?
Just announced for release by Munster Records on June 16: an LP of previously unreleased rehearsals and alternate takes from Alex Chilton's 1975 recording sessions for the Singer Not The Song EP and Bach's Bottom album, with notes by Alex Chilton, written in 1992, and 2017 notes by original producer Jon Tiven.
Take Me Home And Make Me Like It is a raw document of one of the pivotal moments in Alex Chilton's career, telling the story of a troubled recording process that nevertheless produced intensely unique music. From Jon Tiven's liner notes: "He wanted to repudiate his Big Star work and make a sinister record that threatened people. . . . so I'm happy to present these tracks with no apologies."
― tylerw, Friday, 28 April 2017 18:22 (seven years ago) link
More info here:http://munster-records.com/en/label/munster/product/take-me-home-and-make-me-like-it
Alex Chilton Take Me Home And Make Me Like It
MunsterAlex ChiltonTake Me Home And Make Me Like It
1 Take Me Home 2 Every Time I Close My Eyes (Alt version) 3 All Of The Time (Alt version) 4 I'm So Tired (Full version) 5 Free Again (Alt version) 6 Jesus Christ (Take 1) 7 Jesus Christ (Take 2) 8 Singer Not The Song (Alt version) 9 Summertime Blues (Full version) 10 Take Me Home (Rehearsal) 11 Free Again (Rehearsal) 12 Every Time I Close My Eyes (A capella)
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 28 April 2017 18:46 (seven years ago) link
feels a little barrel-scraping-y, but what the hell, i'll check it out. i finally got that chilton-vega-vaughn live record and it is amazing.
― tylerw, Friday, 28 April 2017 19:03 (seven years ago) link
I hope they include a tacky badge.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 29 April 2017 03:59 (seven years ago) link
The weirdo version of Take Me Home is m6 favorite song of his, so I'm mildly intrigued.
― dlp9001, Saturday, 29 April 2017 21:10 (seven years ago) link
Before scraping the barrel, check out Prix
― calstars, Saturday, 29 April 2017 21:29 (seven years ago) link
i listened to a promo of this, it's great
― tylerw, Saturday, 29 April 2017 21:30 (seven years ago) link