Is there a single rock musician, professional or amateur, in the last 60 years who would not say he or she was influenced by Chuck Berry? The guy was like the trickling spring that gives birth to the Mississippi River. It all started with him.
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Chuck Berry Passes at 90
- Thread starter FatStringer52
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I saw him when he was just in his sixties, he was still more energetic than most frontmen in their 20s.
Alkali Ike
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KRVM-FM in Eugene did two hours of nothing but Chuck Berry today, including many audio interviews. Very cool.
D
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That's what I thought when I saw James Brown. These guys were full-on performers, not just musicians.
"Chuck Berry Didn't Invent Rock n' Roll, But He Turned It Into an Attitude That Changed the World."
Billboard:
As for his songwriting, Berry eschewed generic emotional confessions and instead focused
on crafting short stories with his lyrics.
His songwriting style -- economical, vivid and enveloping -- influenced everyone from Paul McCartney to
Ray Davies to Brian Wilson and set the course for rock to favor the short and sweet instead of the poetic and verbose.
That's just not something his contemporaries were pioneering -- Little Richard's lyrics were brilliant nonsense,
Bo Diddley's were stream of consciousness poetry, and Elvis Presley didn't write his own material.
So Berry's introduction of storytelling into rock can't be overstated, particularly since that's what helped
the genre stand out from straight pop in its first few decades.
....The influence he had on current and future musicians is staggering and he was a shrewd business man.
Mr. Berry was one of the few artists of his time period to have retained ownership of much of his incomparable catalog of songs, many of which are considered the greatest rock and roll songs of all time.
It's so easy to listen to his recordings and just think, all he's doing is just playing scratchy rock n roll.
The fact is, nobody was playing like that or doing that at the time.
His guitar style as rudimentary as it seems, was lifted and used by countless famous musicians that followed.
It is more than likely a number of songs in your current set list are direct descendants of Chuck's style, structure or lyrical content.
Billboard:
As for his songwriting, Berry eschewed generic emotional confessions and instead focused
on crafting short stories with his lyrics.
His songwriting style -- economical, vivid and enveloping -- influenced everyone from Paul McCartney to
Ray Davies to Brian Wilson and set the course for rock to favor the short and sweet instead of the poetic and verbose.
That's just not something his contemporaries were pioneering -- Little Richard's lyrics were brilliant nonsense,
Bo Diddley's were stream of consciousness poetry, and Elvis Presley didn't write his own material.
So Berry's introduction of storytelling into rock can't be overstated, particularly since that's what helped
the genre stand out from straight pop in its first few decades.
....The influence he had on current and future musicians is staggering and he was a shrewd business man.
Mr. Berry was one of the few artists of his time period to have retained ownership of much of his incomparable catalog of songs, many of which are considered the greatest rock and roll songs of all time.
It's so easy to listen to his recordings and just think, all he's doing is just playing scratchy rock n roll.
The fact is, nobody was playing like that or doing that at the time.
His guitar style as rudimentary as it seems, was lifted and used by countless famous musicians that followed.
It is more than likely a number of songs in your current set list are direct descendants of Chuck's style, structure or lyrical content.
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For every rock guitarist that came after, Chuck is and will forever be The Man.
Heck of a songwriter too. He certainly had a sense of humor.
RIP.
Heck of a songwriter too. He certainly had a sense of humor.
RIP.
I too would like to voice my sadness. Chuck was very influential to the musicians in the UK in my youth. As a new bass player, I worked and worked on the bass lines for his records. I lived through the Blues explosion in the UK and still love the Blues. I'm looking forward to hearing his latest CD.
Rest in piece Chuck.
Rest in piece Chuck.
Just about every musician I know has played a Chuck Berry song at sometime.
R.I.P. Chuck
Here he is in the 1956 movie "Rock, Rock, Rock!"
R.I.P. Chuck
Here he is in the 1956 movie "Rock, Rock, Rock!"
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I heard this before the show Sat night we closed the night with an announcement of his passing and performed his song Johnny B Goode. RIP Chuck Berry and thanks for the music
I was at a birthday party Saturday night in a bar for a guitarist friend. Different people were jamming thru the night. At one point a guy says what should I play? I had heard about Chuck on the way up and hollered out "Chuck Berry! He died today." There were at least 10 guitar players in the room and none of them could play a Chuck Berry lick. What kind of idiot learns guitar and doesn't learn the intro to Johnny B Goode? When I got up I faked it on bass.
While I've always been fully aware of Chuck Berry's importance and influence, I apparently was not fully aware of Berry's stage performing abilities. I've seen the "duck walk" and the usual video clips, but this week I've been treated to so many clips of Berry's performances. Man, the guy had some MOVES!!! And all the while playing the heck out of his guitar, and not just playing it, but playing the riffs that would truly change the musical world.
It's time for me to get much deeper into Chuck Berry's body of work.
It's time for me to get much deeper into Chuck Berry's body of work.
Alkali Ike
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Likewise. I didn't realize Chuck Berry recorded quite a few instrumentals where his guitar playing really stands out.
Alkali Ike
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One more CB instrumental gem before I move on.
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery.
In this case, I'd call it the highest form of respect.
Here's a few groups, unknown at the time, who got their start covering Chuck Berry songs.In this case, I'd call it the highest form of respect.
Around and around
Rock and roll
Too Much Monkey Business
Sweet Little 16/ Surfin' USA
RIP Chuck Berry.
It's only a couple of weeks ago I was explaining the Chuck Berry reference in 'Back to the Future' to my daughters.
It's only a couple of weeks ago I was explaining the Chuck Berry reference in 'Back to the Future' to my daughters.
I've been searching on YouTube, without success, for a video clip I saw a few years ago--Berry and Keith Richards rehearsing in a studio somewhere and Berry rips Keef a new one for touching his amp. Absolutely hilarious--Berry is really pissed and Richards apologetic. Anyone else seen that?
That was during the rehearsals for Hail, Hail, Rock & Roll. But I wouldn't call Keith apologetic by any stretch.
