A Man Called Destruction: The Life and Music of Alex Chilton

[chisel93]

Thought this would of interest to a few of you here. 

www.amazon.com/Man-Called-Destruction-Chilton-Backdoor/dp/0670025631

I'm a few chapters in, pretty good so far.  There's a pic of Paul onstage with Alex at Maxwells in Hoboken NJ from the late 80s to make this more 'Mats related.

[wecantgetanybetter]

I ran out and bought it a couple weeks ago but haven't started it. Having seen the movie, I'm finding it a little daunting/exhausting to go through the story again. Curious what you think of the rest of it.

[bobstinsonsghost]

I liked it.

[bobb]

While Big Star is of course a huge part of the book, this is in depth about Alex. I really liked the book and highly recommend it. The book had me going back to listen to his solo recordings with another perspective.Alex lived a quite a life and you get warts and all here. Paul and the Replacements are a theme for part of a chapter too.

Consistent with stories and recollections about Alex in the book, I "met" Alex once, having had a brief but memorable exchange with him, in a bar before a show of his after the release of "A Man Called Destruction" and I will never forget it. In less than a minute, I remember feeling bad, put down, challenged, confused, but somehow charmed and then later validated. Weird. That experience convinced me to avoid meeting Paul in a like situation upon having the chance.

[anarkissed]

May 12, 2014 21:38:50 GMT -5 bobb said:

That experience convinced me to avoid meeting Paul in a like situation upon having the chance.

Great story...I'm sorry you passed on the opportunity to meet Paul, though it's understandable. I'm sure people have had a wide variety of experience meeting him...Talked to him for a few minutes after a show on the "Eventually" tour...He was very gracious...It was really like talking to somebody I'd been casual friends with in high school and hadn't seen in twenty years...He seemed interested in what I said, and was funny as hell...Ten of the better minutes of my life...

[davpel1]

My two experiences meeting Paul were not particularly gratifying events. Love the guy to death, but I've decided to make sure I steer clear of him from now on. The closest I hope to get is from the front row!

[TomT]

Some artists run hot and cold. Ray Davies is like this too. A prick one time and the coolest the next.