First off, thanks Charles for letting me contribute here again.
Wow. Alex Chilton, a talented songwriter, musician, sub-genre progenitor and cult hero, is gone. You’ve heard and enjoyed his music (or his influence at least), I guarantee it. In his teens, he was in the Box Tops, with huge hit The Letter.
Later, over the course of a handful of years, his band Big Star created some of the most memorable, inspirational power pop ever recorded. Not inspirational in the can-I-get-an-Amen way, but a sound that musicians loved and copied to no end. Big Star helped shape music from the ‘70s right through the ‘90s. Cheap Trick. REM. Jeff Buckley. Beck. Wilco. Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown. They, and who knows how many others, followed Alex’s blueprint of honest lyrics and lush arrangements.
He wrote In the Street, which was used as the theme song to That '70s Show. Big Star's first three albums were all named to Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. If Rolling Stone meant anything anymore, this would really mean something.
So it's not accurate to say he was under appreciated, because he was appreciated by plenty. It's just that after the Box Tops, he never had huge commercial success (by P. Diddy standards). But Alex Chilton and Big Star were essential in furthering the cause for beautifully humble, intelligent rock and roll. Heartfelt, without taking themselves too seriously, despite the band’s name and the title of their first album, #1 Record.
Truly wonderful stuff. Here, give September Gurls a listen (yeah, the Bangles covered it).
The Replacements honored him on their 1987 album Pleased To Meet Me in a song called, coincidentally, Alex Chilton. So while I never saw Big Star or Alex perform live, I did have the opportunity to see the Replacements open for Tom Petty at Lake Compounce, an amusement park in Bristol, CT in 1990. It was near the end of the Replacements existence and also the last time I was at the park. For that matter, I haven’t really seen the two friends I went to the show with either in a long, long time. Avery Woron, Keith Siglinger – you guys out there?
The suspected cause of Alex’s death was a heart attack. He hadn’t been feeling well, but by the time he made it to the hospital, it was too late. He was only 59. That's just tragic.
Since no one here is getting any younger and in an effort to make an effort, why not take a second to make sure your heart is in good shape?
Years ago, I would have said "Devastating". However, with maturity (I suppose) comes a sense of understanding and acceptance. Maybe that's just gas. I dunno. But I was a huge Chilton fan– I bought a Big Star Genealogy poster (still have it) and learned the catalog of every band on it. I know his music meant something to me.. Thanks for writing this Stace, I appreciate it.
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