Notes

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Collecting tracks from, indeed, 19 years of Chilton's career, 19 Years remains the best place to get a sampling of his widely varied work. Big Star is represented (perhaps a bit too strongly) by five tracks from 3rd/Sister Lovers, which at that time had not been re-released in America by Rykodisc, including such masterpieces of desolation as "Kanga Roo" and "Holocaust." Otherwise, this is Chilton solo getting the focus, starting with "Free Again," an infectious country-rock cut from his then unreleased debut album away from the Box Tops, 1970, and concluding with cuts from his 1987 release High Priest. Even Chilton's fans admit to — or perhaps can't easily take or understand — his almost willful stylistic jumps and sidesteps, making a full encapsulation of his interests and detours impossible, but 19 Years comes pretty close. Both sides of his one-off single from 1977, "Bangkok"/"Can't Seem to Make You Mine," make the grade, the former being one of the better punk-influenced tunes by older musicians out there. If the sound is more quavering Marc Bolan meets rockabilly, why not? The latter serves up a Seeds cover with folk-rocky panache and more than a few strange noises. Ragged tracks from Like Flies on Sherbert capture the half-engaging, half-troubling points of his late-'70s life, while cuts from the Feudalist Tarts and No Sex EPs show him exploring his rootsier, New Orleans-tinged side with low-key fire. The addition of a Troggs cover, "With a Girl Like You," from a French compilation gives 19 Years a nice little bonus. Detailed liner notes from Darcy Sullivan trace the strange course of his career, not shying away from acknowledging periods where his drinking and other problems disrupted any kind of regular career flow, while the remastering and presentation is up to Rhino's usual standard.