 

The Box Tops sound represents the highest kind of rock and roll, a music of such
immediate appeal that I regard it as a litmus elimination for phony rock fans."
--
Robert Christgau
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 " If you forget about the Rascals and the Righteous Brothers, the
Memphis based Box Tops are the finest blue-eyed soul group. Lead singer (and
former Big Star honcho) Alex Chilton had a tough, swaggering voice that belied his teenage years, sounding at
times as if he were in a cutting match with the young Steve Winwood. Instead of knocking
off pimply, lightweight teen-fodder, the Box
Tops managed to add another link in
the Memphis soul chain, mixing blues, Beatlesque pop, and the sound of Stax, Hi, and
Goldwax.The Box Tops benefited from top-notch material:
Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham's Cry Like a Baby and I Met Her in Church; Wayne Thompson's The Letter and Soul Deep and the occasional
Chilton penned nugget such as I Must Be the Devil. The group's heyday was brief -- two years, tops -- but
their music remains a staple on oldies stations and has retained its vitality for over two
decades."
--
John Floyd
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