Just a few short months ago we lost Jim Dickinson. And now another Memphis rock’n’roll legend left the planet. Dickinson and Chilton are actually much more than Memphis rock’n’rollers. They are an epitome of a true rock’n’roll star anywhere in the world. Beautiful, uncompromising, larger than life but at the same time. Alex Chilton also epitomizes a sad, defeated rock’n’roll star, enormous talent that had difficulties finding its audience. When Chilton was 16 he had an early success with The Box Tops, but that was a little too much, a little too early.  Alex simply did not feel free to do his own thing. When he was ready to conquer the world in his twenties with The Big Star, he created a musical landscape that audience did not understand – as it was at least twenty years ahead of its time. Then Alex battled addiction to drugs and alcohol and recorded albums that were about to de-construct the very fabric of rock’n’roll – his solo albums were a diary of a man who’s sending signals from some other reality and his work with Tav Falco we all about striping the pop music from all the glitz and glitter to something rugged and rough, but much more honest and longer lasting. He then became an in-demand music producer, moved to New Orleans and eventually left all his vices. In New Orleans, after Katrina, he went missing for awhile and luckily he resurfaced. But just four and a half short years after, in Chilton got a heart attack in his home in New Orleans and that was it. He was only 59 years old, but his music is some of the most inspiring ever laid on tape. This is a two hour tribute to this great man. Even this double deck of Chilton’s music is not enough, so please check out another tribute to Chilton below, Igor’s Sympathy for Rock’n’Roll (look for the Panther on fire logo).

The Replacements – Alex Chilton;
The Box Tops – The Letter;
The Box Tops – (The) Happy Song;
The Box Tops – I See Only Sunshine;
The Box Tops – Since I Been Gone;
Alex Chilton – Free Again;
Big Star – September Gurls;
Big Star – The Ballad Of El Goodo;
Big Star – Back Of A Car;
Big Star – She’s A Mover;
Big Star – Thank You Friends;
Big Star – Holocaust;
Big Star – Kanga Roo;
Lesa Aldridge – Story Of My Life;
Alex Chilton – My Rival;
Alex Chilton – Hey! Little Girl;
Alex Chilton – Walking Dead;
Alex Chilton – All Of The Time;
Tav Falco’s Panther Burns – Train Kept A Rollin’;
Tav Falco’s Panther Burns – She’s The One That Got It;
Tav Falco’s Panther Burns – Burgeous Blues;
Tav Falco’s Panther Burns – Snake Drive;
Scott Adams – Torso Tourinado;
The Cramps – What’s Behind The Mask;
The Cramps – I’m Cramped;
The Gories – Smashed;
The Gories – Stranded;
Lorette Velvette – Eager Boy;
Alex Chilton – No Sex;
Alex Chilton – Thing For You;
Alex Chilton – Magnetic Field;
Alex Chilton – Guantanamerika;
Alex Chilton – Gavotte;
Alex Chilton – I’ve Never Found a Girl;
Alex Chilton – Lipstick Traces;
Alan Vega, Alex Chilton & Ben Vaughn – Candyman;
Alan Vega, Alex Chilton & Ben Vaughn – Promised Land;
Big Star – Dony;
Big Star – A Whole New Thing;
Alex Chilton – It’s Your Funeral.