Black History Music Pt. 6
In celebration of Black History Month, the Ear Candy Update intends to celebrate landmark recordings by black artists that have shaped the collective consciousness, mentality, and sense of cool the world over. Next, Chuck Berry's "The Great Twenty-Eight."
Let's get this out of the way right meow: Charles Edward Anderson Berry is the King of Rock and Roll. Elvis devotees are just plain fucking wrong.
Chuck was rock's first great poet, the shaper of its main instrumental voice, and its first great riff architect. If there's no Chuck there is no Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys, or Bob Dylan. Chuck wrote every one of his tunes, played lead, and sang. Elvis wrote exactly one of his songs, stole a host of others, and had the legendary Scotty Moore backing him on lead guitar. More to the point, Elvis covered Chuck Berry four times. Chuck never covered Elvis. Never.
Elvis was the look of Rock and Roll. Chuck was its beating heart. Need proof? No one is learning how to play Elvis tunes in a garage. They are all tuning to B and figuring out "Johnny B. Goode." Now I AM cheating here; this is a greatest hits compilation and not even a complete one at that (where the hell is "Never Can Tell?"). I take comfort in knowing Chuck made his bones before the record concept came into full being and the world lived off singles pressed every few months or so until an artist was no longer relevant.
It seems weird to say that throughout his career there were times when he was irrelevant. He was jailed twice, broke a lot, and angry even more. He was never an angel. Though he didn't drink or smoke he really, REALLY liked white girls. Rock and Roll would recover, but Chuck never really did, because it's okay to like young, white girls if you're a white rock star, but not if you're a black rock star.
This album is bedrock. The tracks herein contain what constitutes the Rock and Roll Old Testament, specifically the Book of Genesis. It truly began here and there's no disputing that. Not in my mind. Yeah, yeah... "Rocket 88" by Ike Turner and Jackie Breston, but they didn't have that thing, that THING that Chuck had - the stage presence, the Duck Walk, and hit after fucking hit.
"Maybelline," "30 Days," "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man," "Roll Over Beethoven," "School Days," the timely "Rock and Roll Music," and of course, "Johnny B. Goode," this is the American Revolution of Rock and Roll music, the dominant music form of the 20th Century. It begins right here. The Great Twenty-Eight is the Shot Heard 'Round the World.
When one walks into the National Archives one sees the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution side by side. Directly above it, stretched out wide, is the American flag. Everything was rooted in that display. Chuck is the flag, and the Declaration AND the Consitution.
"If you tried to give Rock and Roll another name you might call it Chuck Berry." -John Lennon
Chuck was rock's first great poet, the shaper of its main instrumental voice, and its first great riff architect. If there's no Chuck there is no Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys, or Bob Dylan. Chuck wrote every one of his tunes, played lead, and sang. Elvis wrote exactly one of his songs, stole a host of others, and had the legendary Scotty Moore backing him on lead guitar. More to the point, Elvis covered Chuck Berry four times. Chuck never covered Elvis. Never.
Elvis was the look of Rock and Roll. Chuck was its beating heart. Need proof? No one is learning how to play Elvis tunes in a garage. They are all tuning to B and figuring out "Johnny B. Goode." Now I AM cheating here; this is a greatest hits compilation and not even a complete one at that (where the hell is "Never Can Tell?"). I take comfort in knowing Chuck made his bones before the record concept came into full being and the world lived off singles pressed every few months or so until an artist was no longer relevant.
It seems weird to say that throughout his career there were times when he was irrelevant. He was jailed twice, broke a lot, and angry even more. He was never an angel. Though he didn't drink or smoke he really, REALLY liked white girls. Rock and Roll would recover, but Chuck never really did, because it's okay to like young, white girls if you're a white rock star, but not if you're a black rock star.
Hail, hail rock'n'roll
Deliver me from the days of old
Long live rock'n'roll
The beat of the drum is loud and bold
Rock rock rock'n'roll
The feelin' is there body and soul
This album is bedrock. The tracks herein contain what constitutes the Rock and Roll Old Testament, specifically the Book of Genesis. It truly began here and there's no disputing that. Not in my mind. Yeah, yeah... "Rocket 88" by Ike Turner and Jackie Breston, but they didn't have that thing, that THING that Chuck had - the stage presence, the Duck Walk, and hit after fucking hit.
"Maybelline," "30 Days," "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man," "Roll Over Beethoven," "School Days," the timely "Rock and Roll Music," and of course, "Johnny B. Goode," this is the American Revolution of Rock and Roll music, the dominant music form of the 20th Century. It begins right here. The Great Twenty-Eight is the Shot Heard 'Round the World.
When one walks into the National Archives one sees the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution side by side. Directly above it, stretched out wide, is the American flag. Everything was rooted in that display. Chuck is the flag, and the Declaration AND the Consitution.
"If you tried to give Rock and Roll another name you might call it Chuck Berry." -John Lennon
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