Alex Chilton: Set : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Alex Chilton's trio knocked out the dozen cover songs of Set in one night; many of them were known to the former leader of the Box Tops and Big Star from his AM-radio childhood. Music this spontaneous can easily turn casual and even lazy - sometimes you can hear Chilton signaling the end of a song to the band. But being a bit under-rehearsed is old hat for Chilton; the slapdash singer-guitarist seems to excel in an atmosphere of lowered expectations. On this night, Chilton delivered one of his most committed performances in years, soaring through R&B greats like "Never Found a Girl" and "Lipstick Traces." Even when the material is "You've Got a Booger Bear Under There," his enthusiasm makes it work. Once revered as a teen idol and then as a pop auteur, on Set, Alex Chilton has found success by being governed less by his talents than by his quirky taste. (RS 838)

RICHARD ABOWITZ