« Back to Top Level | Alex Chilton

Alex Chilton - Live in London (1982)

Track listing:
  1. Bangkok 2:55
  2. Tramp 5:32
  3. In the Street 2:57
  4. Hey Little Child 4:03
  5. Nighttime 2:45
  6. Rock Hard 3:50
  7. Alligator Man 3:09
  8. The Letter 2:46
  9. Train Kept A Rollin' 3:13
  10. Kanga Roo 4:24
  11. My Rival 4:09
  12. Stranded on the Dateless Night 3:04
  13. September Gurls 3:18
  14. No More the Moon Shines on Lorena 3:08

Notes

Alex Chilton wasn't in particularly good shape in the early '80s. His recording career had hit the skids, and his personal life was, if anything, even worse than his professional life. As a result, Live in London, which was recorded at his nadir in 1982, isn't exactly one of his finest moments. It's certainly more coherent than Like Flies on Sherbert, the studio album that preceded it, but it's not an inspired performance, even though his band features members of the Soft Boys, the Vibrators and the Psychedelic Furs. In fact, it's often shambolic and listless, providing just the merest suggestion of why Chilton is so revered by so many. Live performances are rarely Chilton's forte — he's so moody that he's either good or terrible — but Live in London captures him at his weakest.