FANZINE

Admittedly I’m a little old for That 70’s Show, or else it existed in the decade I had no TV (ah salad days) – so sorry Mr. Punked… Ashton (I can’t spell your last name on memory). I’ll never land a cougar. Anymore… am “satisfied” now, as The Replacements belted so perfectly on Let It Be (actually it was “Unsatisfied” for them). Anyway, I learned of Big Star late, maybe even heard Chris Bell’s solo album I Am The Cosmos first thanks to my friend Ben Arnold. But this week there’s a song I cannot get outta my head, Paul Westerberg’s (The Replacements’) “Alex Chilton,” a eulogy penned 20 years or so prior to actuality. Am one of those who skateboarded to it before the Big Star (re)discovery. It goes:

“If he was from Venus, would he feed us with a spoon?
If he was from Mars, wouldn’t that be cool?
Standing right on campus, would he stamp us in a file?
Hangin’ down in Memphis all the while.

(chorus:)

Children by the million sing for Alex Chilton when he comes ’round
They sing “I’m in love. What’s that song?
I’m in love with that song.”

Cerebral rape and pillage in a village of his choice.
Invisible man who can sing in a visible voice.
Feeling like a hundred bucks, exchanging good lucks face to face.
Checkin’ his stash by the trash at St. Mark’s place.

(chorus)

I never travel far, without a little Big Star

Runnin’ ’round the house, Mickey Mouse and the Tarot cards.
Falling asleep with a flop pop video on.
If he was from Venus, would he meet us on the moon?
If he died in Memphis, then that’d be cool, babe.”
Close but no cigar. It was New Orleans, Paul, not Memphis… that was Jeff Buckley, a fact which also sucked too soon…

-CM