Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Alex Chilton Edition

He started as a star, and then became a Big Star resigned to cult status. Alex Chilton tasted success at a young age, his soulful vocals leading The Box Tops, who scored big with "The Letter". After they fell by the wayside, Chilton returned to Memphis, where he helped form a band that failed spectacularly, but became incredibly influential. Big Star's two proper albums, and the after-the-fact third album, for everyone from The Replacements to R.E.M. to Teenage Fanclub to quirky power pop legends like The dB's and Game Theory. While Chilton was ultimately part of sporadic Big Star reunions that certainly drew crowds, he spent the bulk of his career singing an odd mix of standards and his own tunes, continuing to make music on his own terms, accountants and critics be damned. And he left us too soon. Let's pay tribute to Mr. Chilton by hitting shuffle on your iPod or MP3 player and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.

1. Lee Harvey Oswald Band -- Amen, Man (Taste Of Prison): A noisy number from this obscure band's first full length album. The buzzing guitars and clattering drums envelop the goth-y lead vocals. The mix of Bowie-esque tunes and loud rock works very well.
    
2. Kanye West -- Who Will Survive In America (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy): A preacher, of sorts, testifies over a rhythm track provides a bumper on Kanye's masterpiece.
    
3. Tommy Keene -- Call On Me (Songs From The Film): A typically powerful and wistful number from this power pop perennial. Keene's has always had power, thanks to his beefy rhythm guitar. This song has a great riff and off of that, he spins a wonderfully melodic chorus.
    
4. Brian Wilson -- Nothing But Love (Reimagines Gershwin): This album is perfectly fine, but the expectations for Wilson taking on Gershwin were sky high and what we were left with is some classic tunes done in a mild Beach Boys sound. The music is breezy and the hope is that Brian will go back to trying to find emotional truths, but the truth is, he may be to old for that.
    
5. Elvis Costello & The Attractions -- B-Movie (Get Happy!!!): Perhaps an overlooked cut on the 20 song banquet that is my favorite Elvis Costello album. This is a sweet, mid-tempo R & B based pop tune with a bit of a reggae vibe, which comes through in the bass line. Fine song, elevated by the really creative spare arrangement.
    
6. Bram Tchaikovsky -- Girl Of My Dreams (Strange Man, Changed Man): This single from the debut album of this former member of The Motors, is simply one of the all time great power pop songs. The big riff, the feeling of longing, which is what the whole song is about, and the swoop of the melody on the bridge to chorus, resolving itself with the harmony sung title in the chorus -- songs don't get much better than this.
    
7. The Methadones -- Heart Of The City (21st Century Power Pop Riot): And now a song from an album of power pop covers from a pop punk band. The 'dones do a fine job on this bashing Nick Lowe tune.
    
8. The B-52's -- Rock Lobster (The B-52's): It's still hard to believe that this Athens, Georgia band that seemed to be a cuddly variation on John Waters' trash aesthetic ended up being a global smash. Moreover, that their breakthrough is this epic, insane tale of mutant creatures from the sea. But this turned out to be one of the greatest tunes to dance to and is justifiably a classic.
    
9. Robbie Fulks -- I Wanna Be Mama'd (Revenge): Wonderful acoustic version of this track from Robbie's 2 CD live album. Rob Gjersoe plays some mean lead guitar on this fun tune.
    
10. Melony -- Swedish Edison (Quicksilver): This Swedish power pop band should have garnered much more attention, as they married clever lyrics to hooky tunes with big loud '90s guitars. This mid-tempo song is about a guy who thinks he's invented the light bulb, but Thomas Edison beat him by a few weeks.