Скачать или смотреть Alex Chilton - Kizza Me (Live at Scorgies, Rochester NY 02/27/85)

Alex Chilton featuring Rochester scene stalwart Charles "Chaz" Lockwood (Lotus STP, The Ferrets, Cousin Al and The Relatives) on bass. Here are some words from writer and compiler of some of the best reissues of today Pat Thomas, who was present that night Chilton took the stage at Scorgies:

I can’t say I knew Alex Chilton, but I did sit next to him in a booth at 2:00 am in a greasy diner in Rochester NY in 1985 as he ordered the steak and eggs. I warned him that the steak would probably be freezer burned, but he didn’t seem to mind. A bunch of us had banded together as a sort of Rochester ‘super-group’ so that we could claim later (such as tonight) that we’d opened for Chilton. We played a mixture of covers – the Velvet Underground’s VU LP had just come out and I stepped up to the mic and sang the recently unearthed “I know where temptation lies”. Chilton probably didn’t know the song, but he looked amused as he watched us play it. Later on, he told me; “you’ve got a good voice” – I thought he was kidding as I was clearly one of the non-singers that night. But later I realized, Chilton liked stuff that was a bit warped.

A couple of months later, the Feudalist Tarts album came out and while everyone seemed disappointed that it was all soul covers – I clearly remember Tim Lee of the Windbreakers telling me the album was shit. I dug it – at that point in time, I didn’t know who Willie Tee was – so “I wanna thank you John for being a good popcorn” sounded fresh to my ears. Talking to Chilton that night he was clearly bored already with the Big Star myth (and this was 2 years before the Replacements song and another decade before That 70’s show) and much preferred discussing the Box Tops. It was obvious that Chilton was more into his roots; Memphis blue eyed soul and Dixie Fried R&B, than the Beatles meets Badfinger British pop that his former partner Chris Bell had so worshiped.

As the years went on, I saw Chilton open for a variety of people – John Cale and Robyn Hitchcock. I caught the so-called Big Star reunion shows – which while it was nice to see Jody Stephens on stage as well – it really wasn’t much different than the Alex Chilton with Rene Coleman (bass) and Doug Garrison (drums) show I’d seen back in 1985. In other words; brilliant, sad, serviceable, amazing, depressing, wonderful.

Big Star 3rd remains of my favorite downer records of all time – right up there with Lennon’s solo debut’ Plastic Ono Band, Neil Young’s On the Beach, and Lou Reed’s Berlin. And yet the pop magic of Radio City and #1 record have brought equal but different pleasures. As my friend Pat Johnson always loved to quote from Chilton “nobody really understands what I’m trying to do.” That’s exactly right – nobody ever really “got” Alex – but we certainly tried. Good night and good luck.
-Pat Thomas