Like Flies on Sherbert

Alex Chilton's 1979 solo debut is a chaotic combination of originals and an eccentric assortment of covers, performed with wild abandon and his unmistakably punk attitude. The result is an unexpectedly erratic cult classic masterpiece and a forerunner of the lo-fi renaissance.

It is a step beyond the pop-perfection of Big Star layin’ Chilton's darker side. His 1979 solo effort was a both brilliant and flawed drug-fueled examination of his own country roots in search of a new direction. Through songs by Ernest Tubb, Jimmy C. Newman, Roy Orbison, and K.C. and the Sunshine Band, as well as some originals, Chilton produced a looser album that allowed his new found creativity to flow through the many cracks, simultaneously dividing fans into two camps: the Big Star purists, and the ones who were able to see the genius on the flip side of its demise.