Like a lot of guitarists of my generation, I first heard Chuck Berry because of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. I was so blown away by the way those bands were playing these hardcore rock & roll songs like Roll Over Beethoven and Around and Around. Id looked at the labels, under the song titles. Id seen the name Chuck Berry. But I was fortunate enough, again like a lot of guys from my generation, to have a friend who had an older brother, who had the original records: If you like the Stones, wait until you hear this! I heard Chuck Berry Is On Top — and I really freaked out! That feeling of excitement in the pit of my stomach, in the hair on the back of my neck: I got more of it from Chuck Berry than from anybody else. Its not so much what he played — its what he didnt play. His music is very economical. His guitar leads drove the rhythm, as opposed to laying over the top. The economy of his licks and his leads — they pushed the song along. And he would build his solos so there was a nice little statement taking the song to a new place, so youre ready for the next verse. Read more: rollingstone/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/bo-diddley-20110420#ixzz3AtkW4G5r Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 03:11:05 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015