The Smiley Smile Message Board

I just recently saw Chubby Checker and Chuck Berry at Pala Casino and lemme tell you Chubby was phenomenal, but Chuck on the other hand.... I realize he's 84 years old and is the founding father of rock n' roll but the man needs to give it a rest. It was an honor to see him and I'm glad I did but it was a sad site to see. Anyone who's seem him recently or in recent years can relate to this I'm sure-

That's the way with Chuck for quite a while now. Of course he's old and no one can or will blame him for that. But his playing is mostly out of tune and out of rythm. His singing isn't very good either. He should just retire.

Yeah, I guess. He plays here at least once a month, being it's his hometown; and he's playing at a bar named Blueberry Hill.  He has flashes where he's really getting it on. He's old, true. Still, Chuck, above all others , is the king of R&R.
see him if you get the chance, I say. When our "heroes" are gone, all that will be left is Justin Bieber and "american idols"

I know there's two schools of thought on this, both have merit.

1. The guy's embarassing himself, he's tainting his legacy, etc. he should retire.

2. The guy has earned the right to do whatever he wants, he's a legend.

Either opinion is valid, but I'm in camp #2.  Perhaps he plays like hell now, but the reason people loved Chuck Berry wasn't because he was the greatest guitarist (although he was great) or that he was the best singer, the thing about Chuck Berry that got across to people was his charisma.  He still has all of his charisma.  He has 'rock and roll', whatever that is, in his blood.  If he gets on stage and plays the strangest damn chords and off beat and everything like he does now... hell it's still CHUCK FUCKIN' BERRY!  I love the guy.  When I see him play, I still see what he once was : Great.  Plus he loves doing it.  He's not playing for the money, he's playing for the fun of it... and I think he's earned that.  Rock on, Chuck! 

I was thinking about it the other day; we're really blessed to have people like Chuck around in our life time.  Think how young 'pop' music is... we're fortunate to have the opportunity to see the guys who actually invented the best form of that, Rock & Roll, still playing and living in our lifetimes.  Millennia from now people will still be talking about when it all began, and watching old black and white footage of Chuck Berry, Elvis Pressley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, all those guys inventing popular music, back when something was still new and still being developed.  Even our beloved Brian Wilson was part of that, and we get to see him sing and play.  That won't be an option anymore in a few short years. 

Music has pretty much peaked and it's gotten into cookie cutter mode, it's hard to do different things anymore, and it will be for a long time.  It's easy to say "Oh, you're just being old'... but no, REALLY, music as we know it has only been around 60 or 70 years in the recorded, popular format.  These guys will always be kings, they'll go down in history as the originators.  It's a special time we're living in when we can still see these guys (including Chubby) do their thing. 

yeah.....but can he duck walk?

Yes, he still duck walks. 

He already did that years ago when he put cameras in the women's can.

But I still love him too. One of the first rockers who influenced the best bands of our era. HUGE. Right up there with Buddy and Elvis.

I would do pretty much anything to see Chuck at least ONCE before one of us dies. The love the guy. In my mind he was the original "guitar hero".  But, there is a fine line between nostalgia and parody.

I've heard some stories recently from several managers that organised concerts for him, and they weren't too happy with the way finances were arranged. Especially when it came to bills that the Berry organisation had to pay.

Chuck Berry is notorious for being cheap with money. He doesn't have a full time back up band.  He just hires local musicians when he gets to wherever he's playing. He travels by himself, and even drives himself. He demands payment by cash only. He apperantly has a habit of going straight from the stage to his car to leave for the next show before the band has a chance to ask to be paid. He just doesn't do it with local backing bands. He's done it to Three Dog Night, and Bruce Springsteen.  ;D

I strongly disagree. When I go to a conert (especially if I have to pay for it!) I want to see a good show with well-played music. No matter how big the legend, nothing, NOTHING should ever be more important than the music.


This was 2007 and it was terrible as you can hear:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl-aDwF3dlA&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl-aDwF3dlA&feature=related)





Well, he never was a great guitarist. He created his own style by picking different influences (he pretty much copied T-Bone Walker very much and also Muddy Waters) and combined them with his great songs. After that he influenced a lot of people. But a great guitarist he never was.






BTW if you got a chance, you should check out his '72 TV-performance in London. That's one great show with a very good band:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK6MElklfvM&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK6MElklfvM&feature=related)

Not sure where you live, but he plays once a month( always a Wednesday, pretty sure) in St. Louis MO. They sell out well in advance( it's a small room)
and you can visit the Gateway Arch on the same trip!!!

Ron, that is just a ridiculous statement. On so many levels. How old are you?

Sad sight even sadder to say i've seen even worse Chuck Berry performances.

I saw him two years ago. His guitar playing was embarrassing. But his vocals were OK and I thought he was still a good, charismatic showman. So I wasn't dissapointed. Jerry Lee Lewis, who is almost ten years younger, played that same night and I thought that Berry made a better impression.

Old enough to have my own opinion; old enough to disagree with others.  Old enough to not waste my time arguing with people I don't even know. 

Music has peaked, lonnnng ago.  It once was played in concert.  Then it was played on two or three radio stations.  Now it is played on thousands of available radio stations, thousands of television stations, in every store, in every office, in every restauraunt.  Millions of people create music with the same 7 notes, it peaked a *LONG* time ago.  There is nothing new under the sun, and in general most of the music I hear today is a poor imitation of someone who did it better a long fucking time ago.  Like Chuck Berry. 

Oh, you know what, you're right.  He's horrible, he sucks, he's taking your money.  Tell him to stay the f*** home and die already. 

WTF @ Chuck Berry somehow not being a great guitarist.

With the advent of polyphony? When are we talking here? When the piano was invented? The electric guitar? Sequencers?

 
If there is nothing new under the sun, how can you also claim that "it's hard to do different things anymore" ? When was the last and final new thing done?


I think the crux of the matter is the part that i have italicised. Don't listen to crappy music. There is plenty of great music being made today. You just haven't heard it.

Dig this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3p298wkxyM&feature=player_embedded#at=691 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3p298wkxyM&feature=player_embedded#at=691)

re the ron/loaf tiff;   i am an old fart and I know there is new stuff coming out every day........but for some reason im not buyin it.  The only new stuff i buy is new stuff by old guys......... :p :p :p

Couple weeks ago I got this bootleg. I listen to it every day in the car. Man, this sucker rocks! Here's the liners:

Chuck Berry
New York City, The Ritz
February 21st , 1982

Roll Over Beethoven
Sweet Little Sixteen
Schooldays (Ring Ring Goes The Bell)
Instrumental
Memphis Tennessee
Let It Rock

Introduction
Mean Old World
Carol
Little Queenie
Johnny B. Goode *
Everyday I Have The Blues *
Reelin' & Rockin' *  (extended jam that brings the house down!!!)

* Ron Wood on guitar


In 1982 someone recorded a live show at the Ritz, New York. This show appeared on the 2-LP set Let It Rock! (Vinyl Gang).
The interesting topic of this bootleg is the guest performer on guitar: the guitarist is announced by Chuck Berry as "Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones". Also the album cover states so. However, within the Stones collectors community it is for sure that the guitarist was not Keith Richards, but Ron Wood! It's said that Chuck just confused the two. Three sides of the album contain the complete show: Roll Over Beethoven, Sweet Little Sixteen, School Day, Liverpool Drive, Memphis, Let it Rock, Baby What You Want Me to Do, Mean Old World, Carol, Little Queenie, Johnny B. Goode, Everyday I Have the Blues, Reelin' and Rockin' and House Lights.
The fourth side contains live recordings of The Rolling Stones performing Chuck Berry numbers.

I saw the show on New Years where he passed out. It was really bad, he didn't seem to know what song he was singing most of he time.

Meaning you saw it in person? I've seen YouTube clips of it, but nothing more than a minute or two at a time.

Do you know the name of the venue he plays? I have an aunt and uncle who live in St. Louis. I'm curios if it's anywhere close to them.

Oh sure!  If they live in St. Louis, everything is close
Blueberry Hill, he plays in the Duck Room. ( you used to have to duck for the 7 foot ceiling, before they dug it down about 10 feet( it's a basement room)
He also plays occasionally at The Pageant Theatre( about two blocks from Blueberry Hill( same owner), and the Argosy Casino in Alton IL.

It may be time for a road trip(I live in Pennsylvania).  ;D

Yes I was there. I bought VIP seats but they sat us in the back in an old projection room with automan's. Free booze but the acoustics were terrible. Anyhow because we were way back and couldn't hear all too well I didn't realize at the time he actually passed out. The show stopped, and he was led off but I didn't know if that was just how he ended things. It was really bad though as his voice was a croak and his playing only briefly was decent. My Ding A Ling was the only song he seemed to finish, and the others seemed random going in and out of each other. I'm glad I saw him as a fan, but Jerry Lee who I saw in April blew him away. He really should retire because it's just sad to see him in such poor health playing music that seems to mean nothing to him.

You have to wonder if he actually makes an effort anymore. Almost all the films and audio that I've heard of him from the last 15 or so years, his guitar always sounds out of tune, and he barely even hits the notes. I think he should have retired after the "Hail! Hail! Rock&Roll" concert film. He was still good in that.

Here's part of a "song" from that show. I have no idea what song it's supposed to be. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwALqlUqzuI

Jambalaya but I had to read the comment first before it struck me. So sad.