Chuck Berry - one of rock's greatest guitarists?

Not only RocknRoll's premier guitarist but also the genre's greatest writer as well

 

Sure and look at who he's influenced? The Beach Boys's sonic pallette and of course Keith Richards. I love to hear Keith Richards do a pure Chuck Berry line, it's one of the things that makes me grin from ear to ear.

 

Chuck was also a major influence on Bobby Dylan including composing & writing, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" was lifted straight out of Chuck Berry's playbook

 

Ike Turners Kings Of Rhythm were tearing up stages & concert halls while Chuck Berry , Elvis, Little Richard etc etc were still at home practicing in their mirrors...

IT simply does not get the credit he deserves for being a very early Father of rocknroll...

Not only that IT was laying down the hardest rock of the 1950s as well & I know because I own all 159 sides of Ike's 1950s sides, for a taste check out "Sad As A Man Can Be"

 

I don't think there's any question Chuck's one of the greats.

After all, he could pay his guitar like ringing a bell.

 

Wrote the book.

 

did he invent rap?

 

Can anyone share links of great footage of Chuck in the late 50's or early 60's (especially doing the Duck Walk if possible) performing "Maybellene" and/or "Carol"?

Thanks, Brown Eyed Handsome Man!

 

I agree. Criminally underrated and underappreciated. Ike deserves so much more than just being known as Tina Turner's ex-husband.

 

Influential? Yes. Creep? Yes.

 

You would have to be quite ignorant to disagree.

 

Why is there an odd number of sides? Did he split a single with someone?

 

I actually agree with you a great deal here. After all, Ike helped invent R&R on Jackie Brenston's Rocket 88.

But, Ike never capitalized on what he did then nor gave the music a solid identity. Chuck did. And that makes all the difference. I agree that Ike is an unsung musical hero, but he was in part because he was as much a hustler as anything else, jumping from record label to record label. Chuck stayed with Chess during the prime of his career, & benefited in stature that way.

 

Innovative in the genre, yes. One of the Greatest?

Depends on your personal definition of greatest.

 

Brian Setzer is a lot better (imo).

 

Ther would be no Setzer wothout players like Berry.

 

Chuck followed a path that had already been laid down before him. Rock & Roll was incubating well before the white folks "discovered" it.

If I was forced to choose between Chuck & Jimi I would choose them both.

 

Jackie Brenston was the singer & sax player in Ike Turners band

Phillips licensed the recordings to Chess Records in Chicago, which released "Rocket 88" as by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats instead of Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm featuring Jackie Brenston.[2] Turner blamed Phillips for this error

Chuck Berry connected with a young white audience (to which he astutely tailored his songwritng) Ike Turner never reached that audience.

Ike Turner is hughly important in the evolution that evolved R&B & blues into rock & roll.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the birth of rock & roll.

 

Chuck is a god, no doubt about it. But let's not forget fellow Chess label mate Bo Diddley either. Not only did he have an instantly recognizable guitar sound, but he was a damn good writer as well. Both qualities he shared with Berry.

 

And God love him for that!

 

Yeah, and its not like he could attend a "School of Rock" or something to learn what he did. Sure, he genius is an assimilation and synthesis of different influences, buy also singular and distinctive in how he expressed his artistry. Remember too that in the context of most of his peers writing songs with 5 word and 2 syllables vocabulary, Chuck wrote clever, ingenious, provactive and creative narratives or observations.
Earlier this year saw one of the best concerts of my life Mott the Hoople 74 and the high point was a riverting "Walking with a Mountain' . As some others have said, the audience just about levitated during the opening riff, which was Johny B Good for the jet age

 

It has to be Chuck, it's taking you too long to think of anyone else. Whoever it is, they can't be all that good!

 

yea, it's Chuck after heavy pondering...; )

 

And some heavy artillery coming from other members telling you so!

 

alright, alright, alright! LOL!