RIP Alex Chilton

I was in a band during the 90's for which almost every album or show review name-checked Big Star. It got to the point that I suggested that we name our second album "Big Stir" just to mess with reviewers. [It worked, in the sense that 50% of the press mentions of the album called it "Major Nelson's Big Star"].

The interesting part was that none of us were in any sense serious listeners to that particular band. It was only later that I got around to picking up the Big Star discography. I was familiar with Alex Chilton's work with the Box Tops, and I had actually seen him backing Tav Falco/Panther Burns opening for The Clash [not the real Clash, the fake "Cut The Crap" Clash] at UT's Alumni Gym sometime in the 80's. Mostly, I knew his name from The Replacements and from various covers of his songs. In fact, I still believe that the best versions of many of his songs are covers.

So, in that spirit, my RIP tribute is a cover from one of my favorites, Tommy Keene.

Tommy Keene - Hey Little Child