Ben Greenman remembers singer and guitarist Alex Chilton, who died tonight at age 59.
Alex Chilton, who died, wrote songs. He recorded songs. He made songs. He unmade them. In the end, the life was largely in song, and the songs all had life, and that's all there is to say, and there isn't anything that can be done. Once he covered "Let Me Get Close to You," which was Goffin-King via Skeeter Davis:RIP, Alex ChiltonHow long I'll never know
I've waited to tell you that I love you so
Now I have finally said it
Come on baby don't make me regret it"It's Your Funeral" is an instrumental. There are no words.
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-Children by the millions sang for Alex Chilton when he came round, singing "I'm in love, what's that song? I'm in love with that song."-
Great artist. Glad I was here to hear him. What an amazing life.
Well shit. :(
First Mark Linkous and now Alex Chilton, Fuck!
I first saw you... you were in blue jeans.
He unmade songs?!
That's the ironic thing, the first commenter got it right, it seems that most people remember Alex in the context of that Paul Westerberg song. I suppose it's a fitting eulogy, now. "I never travel, far without a little Big Star". I miss him terribly already.
Your eyes are almost dead
Can't get out of bed
And you can't sleep
You're sitting down to dress
And you're a mess
You look in the mirror
You look in your eyes
Say you realize
Everybody goes
Leaving those who fall behind
Everybody goes
As far as they can,
They don't just care.
They stood on the stairs
Laughing at your errors
Your mother's dead
She said, Don't be afraid.
Your mother's dead
You're on your own
She's in her bed
Everybody goes
Leaving those who fall behind
Everybody goes
As far as they can
They don't just care
You're a wasted face
You're a sad-eyed lie
You're a holocaust.
Its often been a comfort for this old assassin.
Damn. I love his album "Stuff" -- "No Sex" (about AIDS), "Underclass", "Lost My Job", "Free Again". And he did a wonderful job on "Cliches", playing "My Baby Just Cares For Me", "Time After Time", in his own heartfelt casual way. Never got to see him, but I'll miss him anyway.
a major influence on Elliott Smith, and in turn everyone influenced by Elliott Smith. A great one.
"He unmade songs?!"
His solo record, "Like Flies On Sherbert" great example of exactly that. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the earlier stuff for context before attempting that one, though.
RIP Alex - you were the real deal.
Not that it's all about me or anything, but first this shitty cold, next one of my heroes dies. I absolutely adore his albums, especially the, er, rather difficult ones. I was lucky enough to see him play a few times at a local joint and then in the reformed Big Star (half Big Star/half Posies, really). That concert was a dream come true: Alex standing right in front of me, playing the Big Star back catalogue, even singing Chris Bell's "I am the Cosmos" which made me cry.
"My Rival" bobbed to the surface in the ipod ocean last night. When one of his songs comes on I have to stab the up volume button a few times.
RIP to the best rock deconstructionist ever. I sure hope he's jamming with Lennon somewhere.
"What's Your Sign?" is great too. Watched him open for Robyn Hitchcock once years and years ago. Wonder how he passed on.
RIP, you big star.
No sex.
Not any more.
No sex.
Not on the floor.
No sex, can't even get high.
Come on baby, fuck me and die.
Alex Chilton was an hombre.
Big Star was (and still is) a band that meant a lot to me. A beautiful little secret that I had and nobody else knew about it. I take comfort in the thought that Alex Chilton made the best of the time he had here on Earth.
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