Songs from Robin Hood Lane

by Alex Chilton

Overview

In the course of a very eclectic career, Alex Chilton went from singing blue-eyed soul with the Box Tops to British Invasion-influenced pop with Big Star, seriously bent proto-punk in his early solo period, and good and greasy R&B covers after he relocated to New Orleans in the '80s. But one of Chilton's recurring sidelines was his fondness for crooning old standards in a warm, jazz-infused style. His take on "Nature Boy" during the Big Star Third sessions was just the tip of that iceberg, and Chilton would occasionally cite Chet Baker Sings as a favorite album and a serious influence on his vocal style. Chilton cut a fine album of solo acoustic takes on the classic songbook, 1994's Cliches, and in the '90s he recorded several sessions with bassist and producer Ron Miller for his jazz group Medium Cool. Songs from Robin Hood Lane is a collection that brings together cuts from Cliches and highlights from his sessions with Medium Cool (some previously unreleased), and this album is a warm, breezy delight. Chilton's phrasing on these performances is easygoing but from the heart, and his interaction with Miller and his sidemen shows just how much he learned from the great jazz singers of the '50s and '60s. The title Songs from Robin Hood Lane refers to the Memphis neighborhood where Chilton grew up, and many of these songs were on steady rotation on the family's hi-fi set. It's clear Chilton loves these songs, but his delivery speaks to a lot more than nostalgia -- as a gifted songwriter himself, he knew what made a great tune work, and he weaves his voice around the lyrics and melodies with the panache of a seasoned veteran and a star student. On the cuts from Cliches, Chilton's guitar work is simple but full of snap, and reveals another facet of his often-underappreciated instrumental skills. At just under 32 minutes, Songs from Robin Hood Lane is paced like a vintage vocal LP, and if it's a long way from rock & roll, this music speaks to a side of Alex Chilton's musical personality that clearly meant a great deal to him, and this is a low-key gem suitable for dancing and romancing. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	02/08/2019
Label:	Bar/None Records
UPC:	0032862025914
Rank:	89048

Tracks

1. Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying
2. My Baby Just Cares for Me
3. Save Your Love for Me
4. There Will Never Be Another You
5. Let's Get Lost
6. That Old Feeling
7. Like Someone in Love
8. Look for the Silver Lining
9. All of You
10. France for the Blues
11. Time After Time
12. What Was

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Alex Chilton   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Richard Dworkin   Drums
Robert Arron   Flute,Piano,Sax (Tenor),Organ (Hammond)
Ron Miller   Bass (Acoustic)

Technical Credits

Frank Loesser   Composer
Jerome Kern   Composer
Keith Keller   Engineer,Producer
Ken Wannberg   Composer
Cole Porter   Composer
Joe Greene   Composer
Lee Van Cleef   Cover Photo
Lew Brown   Composer
Scott Anthony   Compilation Mastering
Jule Styne   Composer
James Van Heusen   Composer
Robert Arron   Arranger
Buddy Johnson   Composer
Tom Weber   Engineer
Alex Chilton   Producer
Buddy DeSylva   Composer
Glenn Morrow   Liner Notes,Compilation Producer
Slide Hampton   Composer
Jimmy McHugh   Composer
Mack Gordon   Composer
Ron Miller   Producer
Sammy Fain   Composer
Harry Warren   Composer
Sammy Cahn   Composer
Johnny Burke   Composer
Stephen Lehner   Composer
Elizabeth VanItallie   Design
Prager & Fenton   Composer