Big Star was the name of a short-lived, but highly influential and much celebrated power pop band in the early 70's. Alex Chilton and Chris Bell were the two main songwriters in the group. They hailed from Memphis, Tennessee and took their name from a chain of grocery stores that were scattered around the South at the time.
Paul Westerberg (lead singer for The Replacements) was a massive fan of the band, and Alex Chilton's work in particular, so this song serves as an homage to his musical hero. In the mid-80's The Replacements had the pleasure of meeting Chilton, and many of the lyrics reflect these interactions and conversations.
"Checkin' his stash by the trash at St. Mark's Place," refers to the first time Paul met Alex. They were in New York City on St. Mark's Place which is a street near East Village known for its prevalence of alternative cultures, and Chilton was strangely sifting through barrels of trash looking for something.
The chorus, "I'm in love. What's that song? I'm in love with that song," was exactly what Paul said to Chilton when they first met. He was thinking of the song "Watch the Sunrise" off Big Star's debut album, #1 Record, but he couldn't remember the name of the song he was thinking of, so he came off as a bumbling fan.
The Replacements would often have guest musicians whom they admired play on their albums, such as Peter Buck playing on "I Will Dare" and Tommy Ramone playing on "Kiss Me on the Bus." Alex Chilton helped with some of the production of the album Pleased to Meet Me, and he played guitar on the song "Can't Hardly Wait."
Source: I recently read the incredible bio about The Replacements, Trouble Boys by Bob Mehr. They discuss Paul Westerberg's love of Alex Chilton at length.
Big Star was the name of a short-lived, but highly influential and much celebrated power pop band in the early 70's. Alex Chilton and Chris Bell were the two main songwriters in the group. They hailed from Memphis, Tennessee and took their name from a chain of grocery stores that were scattered around the South at the time.
Paul Westerberg (lead singer for The Replacements) was a massive fan of the band, and Alex Chilton's work in particular, so this song serves as an homage to his musical hero. In the mid-80's The Replacements had the pleasure of meeting Chilton, and many of the lyrics reflect these interactions and conversations.
"Checkin' his stash by the trash at St. Mark's Place," refers to the first time Paul met Alex. They were in New York City on St. Mark's Place which is a street near East Village known for its prevalence of alternative cultures, and Chilton was strangely sifting through barrels of trash looking for something.
The chorus, "I'm in love. What's that song? I'm in love with that song," was exactly what Paul said to Chilton when they first met. He was thinking of the song "Watch the Sunrise" off Big Star's debut album, #1 Record, but he couldn't remember the name of the song he was thinking of, so he came off as a bumbling fan.
The Replacements would often have guest musicians whom they admired play on their albums, such as Peter Buck playing on "I Will Dare" and Tommy Ramone playing on "Kiss Me on the Bus." Alex Chilton helped with some of the production of the album Pleased to Meet Me, and he played guitar on the song "Can't Hardly Wait."
Source: I recently read the incredible bio about The Replacements, Trouble Boys by Bob Mehr. They discuss Paul Westerberg's love of Alex Chilton at length.
@win6low your absolutely right..listen to Big Star and you here so much of where Westerberg got his influence and even some of his riffs
@win6low your absolutely right..listen to Big Star and you here so much of where Westerberg got his influence and even some of his riffs