RAGING ECCENTRICITY

“ALEX CHILTON.” Alex Chilton. Big Time Records. In modest increments cult-pop legend Alex Chilton is edging his way back into the music business. After years of silence, this is his second release in less than 12 months, and a strange one it is--but then, Chilton’s raging eccentricity always has been one of his central charms. This three-song EP finds Alex in an unusually political frame of mind: A swinging blues shuffle called “Underclass” sarcastically proclaims that “It’s a gas to be a member of the underclass,” while an ‘80s anthem titled “No Sex” culminates in an X-rated punch line that’s not likely to amuse victims of the AIDS epidemic. The third cut, “Wild Kingdom,” is a mellow jazz track that Peggy Lee ought to cover. Great songs Alex, so when you gonna do a full-length album?