A Man Called Destruction

June 30, 2014
George-Warren's (Punk 365 ) swirling, perhaps over-generous biography follows the rowdy life of Alex Chilton, a largely unheard of underground rock star. The work spans the career of the Memphis-born Chilton from his 1967 debut as a chart-topping 16-year-old pop idol with the Box Tops, to his critically acclaimed but obscure work with Big Star and other punk bands, to his minor resurgence from the 1980s as an elder statesman of indie rock. Along the way George-Warren tells a well-paced, matter-of-fact, classically sordid saga of dissipationâincluding booze, pills, groupies, onstage antics, domestic violence, suicide attempts, anti-semitic outbursts, and Elvis-like bloatingâthat bottomed out in stints spent working as a janitor and dishwasher. Less entertaining are the elaborate rehashes of Chilton's recording sessions. Chilton's abandonment of commercial success, inclination towards wild, frequently off-putting music, and squalid life-style have made him a martyr in the punk-grunge pantheon, but the many encomiums George-Warren assembles may not convince readers of his brilliance. Instead, he comes across as the embodiment of an aesthetic beloved by the cognoscenti rather than the creator of music that can move the masses.

Starred review from February 1, 2014
A thoroughly reported biography illuminating the life and work of one of the more mystifying and influential cult figures in rock. Few musicians have ever experienced a career trajectory and musical progression quite like Alex Chilton's (1950-2010). At the age of 16, he enjoyed (if that's the word) not only his biggest hit, but "the biggest hit single ever recorded in Memphis" with "The Letter" as the lead singer of the Box Tops. Though he was little more than a hired voice, he subsequently established his creative bona fides in Big Star, a band so influential that it all but invented indie rock. That band suffered from a series of recording-label disasters that prevented it from reaching its popular potential at the time, but Chilton subsequently proceeded to confuse his fervent fan base (which increased, along with his influence, as bigger bands such as R.E.M. paid homage) with solo recordings that ranged from abrasively noisy and raw to lounge lizard-y (including "Volare"). It may be hard to find the common denominator, but veteran rock journalist George-Warren (Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry, 2007, etc.) connects the dots, showing how it all fit together: his Southern upbringing in a family that was patrician, artistic and permissive, his early mood swings, his later suspicion of the music business and rejection of the adulation that belatedly came his way. He became a true bohemian, bedeviled by alcohol, drugs and a penchant for tempestuous romance. He even took an extended hiatus from music to work as a New Orleans dishwasher (and later live in a tent). But he came to terms with his life and legacy before his death at 59, and "he died a happy man," perhaps the most surprising twist for such a complicated musician and man. As an artist who "left behind...many lifetimes of brilliant music, a legacy that will inspire generations to come," Chilton receives the biography he deserves.

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 15, 2014

Alex Chilton is one of the great cult artists of the rock pantheon. An international star at 16 as the singer of the worldwide hit "The Letter," with his band the Box Tops, and later a member of the critically acclaimed 1970s group Big Star, Chilton owns a legacy that spans five decades and multiple musical genres. His influence waxed in the Eighties through the likes of R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck and The Replacements (the band even titled a song "Alex Chilton") and the rise of indie pop. George-Warren (editorial director, Rolling Stone Press; The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll) chronicles Chilton's early stardom, tumultuous years with Big Star, seminal influence on the indie rock scene, and subsequent emergence as a solo artist. Although there have been several books written about Big Star, including Rob Jovanovich's Big Star: The Short Life, Painful Death, and Unexpected Resurrection of the Kings of Power Pop and his more recent Big Star: The Story of Rock's Forgotten Band, this is the first book-length biography of Chilton. VERDICT An engaging, readable history of a true music legend; for all readers of pop/rock biographies and fans of alternative rock. [See "Editors' Spring Picks," p. 27]--Dave Valencia, Seattle P.L.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2014
After performing at his school talent show, Chilton was recruited by a local band for a recording session because he sounded black. The resulting song, The Letter, became one of the biggest hits of 1967. Sixteen-year-old Chilton toured with the Box Tops, but the band soon broke up. He formed Big Star, an influential band known for its harmonies and jangling guitars. While critically praised, they failed to sell any records. In New York City, Chilton performed at CBGBs just as punk was happening. He developed a reputation for a cultivated amateurishness and unpolished performances. Dark moods, tumultuous relationships, and self-destructive behavior brought on multiple nadirs, both professional and personal. Moving to New Orleans to straighten out his life, he worked as a dishwasher and a janitor before returning to music, playing his own brand of quirky music as well as reunion shows before dying in 2010. George-Warren's biography, based on interviews with family, friends, and fellow musicians, is best in its depiction of the early years in Memphis, painting a three-dimensional picture of a troubled, charismatic, and talented artist.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)