FOT Forum
FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Christina on March 17, 2010, 09:43:33 PM
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Just heard.
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Makes me want to put on the Icewater demos.
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I can't believe it. I left work, came home, and saw the news all over twitter.
staying in tonight. worst st. patrick's day ever. EVER.
Goes without saying, but my best to Chilton's family, friends, and family of musicians. R.I.P.
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SUCKS
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This sucks.
Condolences to his wife and son.
RIP
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I'm taking this one to heart in a big way.
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Fare thee well, El Goodo.
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Fare thee well, El Goodo.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcQyEYYGho0[/youtube]
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This is so sad. I'm listening to a bunch of Big Star now. But some of the tracks I can't even listen to (I had to skip "Watch the Sunrise.") It's just so sad. This is the only "celebrity" death that I can recall that has actually made me cry. His music has meant so much to me for so long.
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Big Star is so important to me in so many ways, and yet I can't fully articulate why. The death of public figures rarely moves me, but I cried tonight when I heard the news.
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What a shitty fucking day. First I find out about Chilton, and a few hours later I hear about Nujabes. Hope they both rest in peace.
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I think I'm a like a lot of people that were big fans of the Replacements and their song "Alex Chilton" when some other people turned me on to Big Star's first two albums. Those albums are so damn good.
It's crazy to think about what he and Chris Bell could have done if things just broke a different way. This does suck. RIP.
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Eulogized in Congress:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9LGwzGnx5w&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2010/03/18/alex-chilton-in-the-halls-of-congress/
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The Box Tops were one of the few groups my step-dad and I could agree on.
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i know i'm late on this, but i'd have to say that losing Alex Chilton was a huge hit to Memphis for me. Not a lot of people have great things to say about our city; nonetheless, I consider Alex Chilton one of the people who make/made this city magical for me.
Sure, once you get out of midtown it's shady and not the most aesthetic place in Tennessee, but the history involved with Memphis is truly fascinating to me and Alex Chilton was one of the head figures that brought me to this town again when i had the chance to go anywhere i wanted. It can be hard to make it here, but when i look at my heroes, they came from these same streets.
i wasn't born or raised here, but there have been many times i wish i was. truly a loss to the world. lots of memories of listening to big star records over and over again on humid summer days, or the live album on repeat while we read books together on the couch.
anyway, i'm rambling. i share all of your sentiments regarding this loss.
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Just wanted to let everyone know, John Davis of Superdrag has written a song in memory of Alex Chilton. Free download here:
http://www.superdrag.com/news.htm
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Laura Chilton's complete statement:
"Even though Alex left this world way too soon, I feel so fortunate to have been his friend and wife. I would like to say a few things about his relationship with music and also speak of what he was about as a person. He was an individual who did what he pleased. However, he was also the most considerate and sincere person I've ever known. He loved life and people and usually befriended the underdogs. He saw beauty in what other people would just dismiss- old rickety houses about to fall down- he would say- "now that's a great house worth buying." He would spend 10 minutes chatting with a homeless person on the street and always helped them out with some money. He was a good listener and was very compassionate. He was extremely generous- always giving time, energy and money to his friends with a no strings attached attitude.
There is one aspect to his personality that seemed to define how he approached and interpreted life and that is a consistent tendency to be absolutely clear in expression and communication. His mind worked analytically; he had a low tolerance level for vagueness and carelessness. His relationship with music was all about analysis. When listening and appreciating a piece of music,whether it be a Beach Boys tune or a Bach partita, he was able to pay attention to individual elements simultanously: harmony,rhythm, melody, meter, etc.
I believe this is why he loved working in the studio- producing records. He spoke a lot about John Frye teaching him how to do work in the studio and how he enjoyed playing around with the different elements. The one thing he was absolutely proud of was producing the Cramps records. He would play them at home and and just talk and talk about the experience. He was also quite proud of the Detroit garage band The Gories -- both his work with them and the band itself. He was very excited for them now that they are playing shows again.
At home in New Orleans Alex lived a simple and relaxed life. He watched a lot of TV while fooling around on the keyboard and guitar. We played music together- both classical and pop. He rode around town on his bike and loved to strike up conversation with whoever he came across. For the past few years, when I lived with him, he listened and played classical Baroque music, Scott Joplin rag tunes and 60's pop music. Names that often came up include the following: Carole King, Petula Clark, Brian Wilson, the Byrds, Frederic Knight, the band Free, George Frederic Handel, Georges Muffat, Haydn and the baroque performance group Musica Antiqua Koln. There are dozens more but these names come to mind as I'm writing this.
The final point I would like to draw attention to was he valued spontaneity. This would seem to contradict his insistence on analysis and accuracy but somehow he managed to be both at the same time. Honestly, this remains a mystery to me and is probably why he has been described as a genius and a musician's musician. I am only speculating on this but I am thinking it is probable. I will miss him forever and will honor him by maintaining and developing what I've learned from him: compassion, spontaneity, honesty, directness, generousity, an excellent listener and enthusiasm about what life has to offer. He had a blase attitude towards death- it didn't interest him. The same goes for sleep;,he just said the other day that he wished he could be awake 24/7- life was too interesting and he didn't want to waste it sleeping. I laughed at that but I knew he was serious.
On that note, I need to end this little essay and go take a nap- here's what Alex would say: "Night, sug."
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Maybe you NYCers know about this already, but if not...
http://www.nme.com/news/alex-chilton/52200
Yo La Tengo, The Lemonheads' Evan Dando and Jesse Malin are among the acts who will perform as part of a tribute concert to celebrate the life of Big Star's Alex Chilton.
Called Channeling Chilton: A Night of Alex Chilton's Music, the gig will take place at City Winery in New York on July 28, reports The Measure.
Other names due to take part include Jon Spencer, Alan Vega and Chilton's orginal band, The Box Tops, with a number of acts still to be confirmed.
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I'm going to that show. Anyone else going?