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Set
Alex Chilton
Set
Genres: Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (12) - Disc #1

This set of 12 R&B covers has the alternate title of Loose Shoes and Tight Pussy in Europe, which says something about the contrary nature of Alex Chilton. Fans of his seminal work in Big Star wait impatiently for a re...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Alex Chilton
Title: Set
Members Wishing: 2
Total Copies: 0
Label: Bar/None Records
Original Release Date: 2/22/2000
Release Date: 2/22/2000
Genres: Pop, Rock
Style:
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 032862011023

Synopsis

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This set of 12 R&B covers has the alternate title of Loose Shoes and Tight Pussy in Europe, which says something about the contrary nature of Alex Chilton. Fans of his seminal work in Big Star wait impatiently for a return to his beautiful pop masterpieces, while Chilton keeps doing whatever he wants, whenever. But no one can argue with his genuine love of the Southern R&B of his youth. Set is a live-in-the-studio, one-night, one-take affair and is all the better for it. Rough around the edges, it comes off not as sloppy, but as playfully inspired. Backed only by bass and drums, Chilton plays a reluctant guitar hero, finding brilliant ways to emulate the fuller arrangements found in the original versions of these songs. His singing on "Oogum Boogum," "Single Again," and "You's a Viper" show him having a great time with this stuff, loose and relaxed. This is the most consistent and fun record he's done in years. Fans waiting for another record like Big Star's Third might be disappointed by the lack of originals, but there's plenty of hints as to what inspired him then and continues to today. Chilton claims this to be his best record yet, and in the spirit of the man, who should he be trying to please, himself or you? --Steve Turner

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CD Reviews

A Little Too Set In Its Ways, Not Bad
Edd S. Hurt | Boulder, CO USA | 02/29/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)

"Nobody else does what Alex Chilton does. Nobody else would cover Eddie Floyd, Brenton Wood and Gary Stewart, not to mention Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Frank Foster. "Set," which in its overseas version is titled after an infamous 1970s Earl Butz comment on the ideal living conditions for certain of our citizens, continues Alex Chilton's exploration of that fringe area between rhythm-and-blues, 1960s pop banalities, country music and jazz. "Set" is a very New Orleans kind of album; it's relaxed, and, more important, it displays a certain rather sophisticated sensibility at work. Alex Chilton's avoidance of pious pop attitudes, and his love for the sort of small-scale music made by people like Earl King or Slim Harpo or Eddie Floyd, is sophisticated because it is a mask. A lot of ink has been wasted speculating on just why this artist would forsake the perfection of Big Star's first two records for the apparent chaos and/or lassitude of his work after "Like Flies On Sherbert." I don't look at it that way at all, because there was a certain amount of roughness and chaos already built into "Radio City" and of course "Sister Lovers." And I think it takes a certain sort of sophisticated sensibility to be able to transform, as he does on "Set," a piece of total nonsense like Brenton Wood's "The Oogum Boogum Song" into something pretty fascinating in its abstract lurch toward perfection. So although his vocals on this one-take live set (recorded in New York last year) may be a mite rough, his guitar saves the day, as usual. He's great on "Oogum Boogum" and "Lipstick Traces" and there's something ultimately addictive about his cunning repetitions on "You've Got A Booger Bear Under There." Kind of abstract and very cooled-out. What he does to Frank Foster's "Shiny Stockings" might have amused Count Basie (Foster was a saxophonist, composer and arranger in Basie's band during the 1950s). The live recording situation doesn't really allow him to do justice to Gary Stewart's masterpiece of barroom angst, "Single Again," but choosing it in the first place does display, you know, sensibility."
Chilton has done it AGAIN
Leon Bernstein | Chicago | 06/18/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every time I think I'm done buying Alex Chilton records he puts one out that reminds me why I've bought every thing he's ever released. The recently released compilations had me put off for a few years, but Chilton is BACK! Listening to this album is like hearing a fresh new act for the first time. I've always loved the haphazard cacophony of "Bach's Bottom" and the jazzy, r&b feel of "High Priest". On "Loose Shoes and Tight Pussy" (I actually found an import version of the vinyl record-how could I not buy it?) Chilton manages to combine these two elements and has the most fun I've heard on record since Harry Nilsson's "Pussy Cat"."
A Great One By Any Name
Memphis Evans | St. Louis Park, MN United States | 07/31/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)

"The European title of this album, "Loose Shoes and Tight (censored)" is actually better than "Set". The music seems well rehearsed, yet spontaneous and enjoyably ragged and unpredictable. If you enjoyed the albums "A Man Called Destruction", "High Priest", "Blacklist", and "Feudalist Tarts", you'll probably enjoy this as well. It's another collection of well-chosen R&B and Jazz rarities with the same clean, clear production as those albums.Mr. Chilton clearly enjoys bringing these songs to life with his excellent band. His singing is not quite like anyone else you've ever heard. By turns ironic, proud, and funny, this voice is very different from the voice he used with the Box Tops or Big Star. His guitar playing could best be described as educated punk jazz, which description might sound dull or academic but is in practice fascinating. He's got his own unique thing that he does and he's been doing it for twenty plus years and I love it. Get the album and catch him live next time he comes to your town."