|
|
Post by curmudgeonman on Dec 17, 2023 16:26:25 GMT -5
I just finished reading Holly George-Warren's 2014 book A Man Called Destruction and it was a great read, hard to put down. Similar to Bob Mehr's Trouble Boys, it documents an unvarnished view of Alex Chilton, so much I did not realize or know about Chilton, and largely covering his years in music (The Box Tops, Big Star) rather than his later years of semi-retirement. Yes, there are brief passages regarding his involvement with The Replacements and Peter Jesperson, and after reading this, I was struck on how similar the paths of Paul Westerberg and Chilton were, actually really remarkable. "Mercurial" and "enigma" are words that fit Chilton perfectly. Like Trouble Boys, lots of careful research and tracking down sources were key to this book, very readable. Like Westerberg, Chilton was an extremely complicated man, and this book answered some questions I had in my mind about one of my very favorite musical talents. I highly recommend this book.  |
|
|
|
Post by con on Dec 18, 2023 13:48:17 GMT -5
I second that emotion. Great read. Chilton and PW certainly are cut from the same cloth. I’d love a Paul-centric bio or a memoir from the man himself. I’ve not read many rock music bios through to the end, but Erin Osmon’s Jason Molina: Riding With the Ghost is another. If you don’t know Jason’s music—Songs:Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co., Molina & Johnson, solo—definitely seek it out.
|
|
|
|
Post by con on Dec 29, 2023 12:39:25 GMT -5
Chilton: “I’m really hot on the idea of getting on TV with just an electric guitar and no band… loud and feeding back and doing a couple songs real outrageous…”
Paul did exactly that on the Stereo/Mono tour, didn’t he? Was it Letterman? I remember “High Time”…
A ‘Mats-esque anecdote about a sloshed set from Chilton that ended with “a medley of every song we’ve ever heard.”
There is a compilation record by Numero Group called Ork Records: New York, New York with some wild Chilton tunes recorded between the demise of Big Star and his solo stuff. A number of other tracks are credited to a band called Prix, but I’m pretty sure Chilton wrote em.
|
|
|
|
Post by bjhoneycut on Dec 29, 2023 15:44:31 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by ClamsCasino on Dec 29, 2023 17:42:17 GMT -5
Chilton: “I’m really hot on the idea of getting on TV with just an electric guitar and no band… loud and feeding back and doing a couple songs real outrageous…” Paul did exactly that on the Stereo/Mono tour, didn’t he? Was it Letterman? I remember “High Time”… Letterman was Silent Film Star with drums and bass, Conan was We May Be The Ones solo acoustic, and Leno was Let The Bad Times Roll solo electric. |
|
|
|
Post by con on Dec 30, 2023 18:39:31 GMT -5
Chilton: “I’m really hot on the idea of getting on TV with just an electric guitar and no band… loud and feeding back and doing a couple songs real outrageous…” Paul did exactly that on the Stereo/Mono tour, didn’t he? Was it Letterman? I remember “High Time”… Letterman was Silent Film Star with drums and bass, Conan was We May Be The Ones solo acoustic, and Leno was Let The Bad Times Roll solo electric. Thank you. I must’ve been thinking of his Leno performance. (Ah, memory, you fickle friend!) Found it on YouTube—brilliant. “I’ll Do Anything” to get another Stereo/Mono out of the dude. Random aside: Am I the only one who thinks Paul’s voice sounded different back then? Like, from Suicaine thru Stereo, it just sounded kinda constricted and nasally. Seems to have returned to form for Folker, etc. |
|
|
|
Post by con on Dec 30, 2023 18:45:54 GMT -5
Lovely indeed. Thanks for unearthing this. Not much else to go off, but this is, to me, evidence that a PW memoir would be SO good. I can hear his voice so vividly when he’s delivering the punch line about Chilton’s tent. There are some similar moments in his video interview with Peter Wolf from the Wild Stab era. And welcome! Apologies in advance. |
|
|
|
Post by ClamsCasino on Jan 2, 2024 16:14:36 GMT -5
Random aside: Am I the only one who thinks Paul’s voice sounded different back then? Like, from Suicaine thru Stereo, it just sounded kinda constricted and nasally. Seems to have returned to form for Folker, etc. Yes, but people don’t like it when you point that out. Happens to most of us as we get older, but I think Paul shifted from throaty roar to nasal whine when he stopped playing with a band. It also doesn’t help that he kept writing in a register way higher than was comfortable for him. Folker might actually be the worst offender in that regard. I always thought it was weird that he didn’t write for his comfort zone as his voice changed. He could sound like Evan Dando, but he kept writing for a tenor voice. Jim Dickinson complained in an interview that Paul’s voice had changed by the time he got him for the PTMM sessions. |
|
|
|
Post by con on Jan 5, 2024 18:48:38 GMT -5
Revisiting A Man Called Destruction—thx, curmudgeonman. Fun bit of trivia: The night Westerberg and Chilton met on a double bill in NYC, the ‘Mats played as Gary & the Boners. Chilton and his misfits played as The Deteriorating Situations. They met in earnest next day at a lunch with Jesperson. I was surprised to recall it was Chilton who pressed Jesperson for the opportunity to produce the Replacements. George-Warren describes a touching scene at the recording sessions that produced “Left of the Dial,” “Nowhere Is My Home,” etc., how Chilton would more-or-less ignore everyone who visited the studio because he was so enthralled with what they had just captured on tape. He would just repeatedly say, “Listen to this!”
|
|
|
|
Post by curmudgeonman on Jan 6, 2024 11:13:31 GMT -5
^^^^^^^^^
Chilton liked the music, but was absolutely bowled over by the band's personality, the chemistry of the Mats. He was riveted the first time seeing the band perform, mainly by their antics, the character of the group. Reading the book, it's clear Chilton also had that mischievous side of him, that anti-authoritarian bent that blended well with Westerberg. Tom Waits had a similar take on the band; he was especially fascinated with Slim, who he thought was like real-life character from one of his songs. It's easy to see that since fans loved the band's personality, fellow musicians would also.
Kinda like Dean Martin describing what it was like hanging with Sinatra and The Rat Pack; when it was good, it was so good you had to be there. But when it was bad, it was colossally bad to be around. I imagine the same for The Replacements.
|
|
|
|
Post by con on Jan 11, 2024 0:49:46 GMT -5
There is something compelling about Chilton and Westerberg being regional heroes that ties them to the same, dead strand. We live in a monotonous, flat America now. Chilton’s drawl and PW’s nordic accent belong to an older world. What’s the big diff between Memphis and Minneapolis now? The same Mississippi River still flows between both, but it feels like no one has thought of it since Jeff Buckley jumped in it, which is basically when Huck met Jim.
|
|
|
|
Post by mudbacktodirt on Feb 23, 2024 13:43:05 GMT -5
I really enjoyed this book. I think I traded my copy in at the bookstore and wish I hadn't because I'd like to reread it sometime and now it might be harder to find a copy.
Biographies to me are generally more interesting when the person struggles a bit along the way. Of course, the superfamous rock star does often have personal struggles. But, the Alex Chiltons of the world generally are a lot more interesting than reading about Bruce Springsteen or U2 or somebody with a stratospheric level of fame (at least in my opinion). Same goes for the great Replacements biography by Bob Mehr. Great book.
|
|
