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Non Smiley Smile Stuff => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: Rocker on October 18, 2016, 06:44:55 AM



Title: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on October 18, 2016, 06:44:55 AM
(http://www.cmgworldwide.net/cb-temp-images/CB_Top.jpg)

Source: http://chuckberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/index2.html


Why Chuck Berry Is Even Greater Than You Think
Author recalls revelatory encounters with rock & roll pioneer

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/peter-guralnick-on-why-chuck-berry-is-greater-than-you-think-w443396

Check out the video at the end of this article for mentioning of a new album!



Chuck Berry "Sweet Little Sixteen"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLV4NGpoy_E



1965 Face au public Chuck Berry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2pVlTzXkXA



The T.A.M.I. Show: Chuck Berry - "Johnny B. Goode"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0yGXKoA6Ek




Chuck Berry - You Can't Catch Me 78 rpm!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL4oPjTACPo




Chuck Berry on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (1975)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWzkuv37P3E


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on October 18, 2016, 10:29:58 AM
By Jon Wiederhorn

To celebrate his 90th birthday, Chuck Berry, one of the pioneers of rock and roll, has announced that he will release Chuck, his first album in nearly 4o years.


Berry, who’s best known for his groundbreaking single “Johnny B. Goode,” will likely end his recording career with the new album, which is scheduled for release in 2017. The follow-up to 1979’s Rock It, Chuck features a mix of new and original songs written, recorded and produced by Berry.

“This record is dedicated to my beloved Toddy,” said Berry in a press release, referring to his wife of 68 years, Themetta Berry. “My darlin’ I’m growing old! I’ve worked on this record for a long time. Now I can hang up my shoes!”

Joining Berry on the album is his longtime backing band, which includes his children Charles Berry Jr. and Ingrid Berry on guitar and harmonica, Jimmy Marsala on bass, Robert Lohr on piano, and Keith Robinson on drums.

Chuck was recorded at various studios in St. Louis.



http://radio.com/2016/10/18/chuck-berry-celebrates-90th-birthday-new-album-chuck/


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Moon Dawg on October 18, 2016, 05:20:15 PM
Happy 90th Birthday to Chuck Berry!!!


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: RangeRoverA1 on October 18, 2016, 05:53:42 PM
Happy 90th! :3d Cool news about album. With Brian's new this will be 2 albums I look fwd to.


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: joshferrell on October 18, 2016, 09:38:26 PM
Nice can't wait to hear it...


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Lonely Summer on October 20, 2016, 07:21:54 PM
Been hearing talk of a new album since 1985. Glad it is finally happening.


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: JK on October 27, 2016, 02:04:27 PM
Oops! Missed your birthday, Chuck. (I was briefly back in the UK).

Ye gods----ninety! Of all the big r'n'r names from the fifties, is it just Chuck and The Killer now?     


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Moon Dawg on October 27, 2016, 03:29:55 PM
Oops! Missed your birthday, Chuck. (I was briefly back in the UK).

Ye gods----ninety! Of all the big r'n'r names from the fifties, is it just Chuck and The Killer now?     

  Little Richard, Fats Domino and Dion are still alive and relatively well. So is Pat Boone.


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: JK on October 28, 2016, 04:05:22 AM
Oops! Missed your birthday, Chuck. (I was briefly back in the UK).

Ye gods----ninety! Of all the big r'n'r names from the fifties, is it just Chuck and The Killer now?     

Little Richard, Fats Domino and Dion are still alive and relatively well. So is Pat Boone.

Yes of course. I was a little hasty in my enthusiasm. Thanks for pulling me up on that!


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: RangeRoverA1 on October 28, 2016, 06:36:45 PM
What's with stupid nicknames? The Killer, The King, Old Blue Eyes etc. I bet Jerry Lee hated that nick.


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: bluesno1fann on October 29, 2016, 12:28:08 AM
Oops! Missed your birthday, Chuck. (I was briefly back in the UK).

Ye gods----ninety! Of all the big r'n'r names from the fifties, is it just Chuck and The Killer now?     

  Little Richard, Fats Domino and Dion are still alive and relatively well. So is Pat Boone.

And we've still got Cliff Richard, Tommy Steele, Col Joye and Johnny Devlin, among many others. But the big four that are still alive are unquestionably Chuck, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on October 29, 2016, 06:18:26 AM
I bet Jerry Lee hated that nick.


More likely the opposite


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: RangeRoverA1 on October 29, 2016, 06:45:38 AM
Really? Hm, what about this?

Quote
During his school years, a nickname attached itself Jerry Lee—the Killer. “That’s what all my friends called me,” he explained years later. “I hated that damn name ever since I was a kid, but I been stuck with it.

http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/elvis-jerry-lee-lewis.html


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on October 30, 2016, 01:45:52 AM
Really? Hm, what about this?

Quote
During his school years, a nickname attached itself Jerry Lee—the Killer. “That’s what all my friends called me,” he explained years later. “I hated that damn name ever since I was a kid, but I been stuck with it.

http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/elvis-jerry-lee-lewis.html


Yeah, I know that quote. But this is the first and only time Jerry ever mentioned something like that imo. And just as Brian burning the Smile tapes, it doesn't hold up with the obvious. Jerry himself claims that Cecil Harrelson (hope I spelled that correctly) came up with that name. Not only did Jerry since then call himself (!) proudly the Killer - to this day, I might add - he also started calling other people Killer.


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: RangeRoverA1 on October 30, 2016, 02:18:36 AM
Yeah, I know that quote. But this is the first and only time Jerry ever mentioned something like that imo. And just as Brian burning the Smile tapes, it doesn't hold up with the obvious. Jerry himself claims that Cecil Harrelson (hope I spelled that correctly) came up with that name. Not only did Jerry since then call himself (!) proudly the Killer - to this day, I might add - he also started calling other people Killer.
Thanks, that's very educative. You know your Jerry Lee stuff. :3d


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on March 20, 2017, 01:42:40 PM
After the sad news of Chuck's passing here's some nice news:


“Since Chuck’s passing on Saturday, the Berry family has received many inquiries from friends, fans and media about the status of his forthcoming album CHUCK, which was originally announced on his 90th birthday, 18 October, 2016.

“Working to prepare the release of this record in recent months and in fact over the last several years brought Chuck a great sense of joy and satisfaction. While our hearts are very heavy at this time, we know that Chuck had no greater wish than to see this album released to the world, and we know of no better way to celebrate and remember his 90 years of life than through his music.

“For months now plans have been in place, and preparations have been made with our friends at Dualtone Records, to reveal further details and music from the album this week. As a tribute to Chuck Berry, and with gratitude to his fans around the world, we will be following through on those plans in the coming days.

The Chuck Berry Family.”



http://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/chuck-berry-new-album-update


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: JK on March 20, 2017, 02:45:41 PM
That's heartwarming news. Thanks, Rocker.


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Lonely Summer on March 20, 2017, 02:49:44 PM
The last album he did, Rockit, 1979, was pretty good. The songs were good, but the production felt a little too smooth or polished, but that's how a lot of music sounded in 1979. I've been hearing talk of a new album from him since the summer of 1985, when USA Today had a feature story on him. Every few years, the rumour would resurface. Glad it is finally coming out.


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: pixletwin on March 20, 2017, 05:53:55 PM
Awesome. I was just wondering about this. I can't wait to hear it.


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on March 21, 2017, 07:53:08 AM
The last album he did, Rockit, 1979, was pretty good. The songs were good, but the production felt a little too smooth or polished, but that's how a lot of music sounded in 1979.


It's a ok album all in all imo. But honestly I can't listen to it in one sitting. The opener "Move it" is great and the sound fits very well. But after the third one it's over and I have to stop. Also some of the songs are not up to par.

Oh and I loooove the black shirt he's wearing on the back cover  :smokin


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on March 22, 2017, 09:35:50 AM
From the new album:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Zoh-apWRE


Chuck Berry - Big Boys


It's ok. Nice to hear something new. I wonder if it's his son singing that one verse


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: kreen on March 22, 2017, 09:24:54 PM
From the new album:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Zoh-apWRE


Chuck Berry - Big Boys


It's ok. Nice to hear something new. I wonder if it's his son singing that one verse

Chorus ain't bad.


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on March 23, 2017, 10:50:51 AM

Chuck Berry’s ‘CHUCK’ Album Release Confirmed, Listen To ‘Big Boys’

http://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/chuck-berrys-chuck-album-release-confirmed-listen-to-big-boys


The track listing for CHUCK is as follows:

‘Wonderful Woman’
‘Big Boys’
‘You Go To My Head’
‘3/4 Time (Enchiladas)’
‘Darlin’’
‘Lady B. Goode’
‘She Still Loves You’
‘Jamaica Moon’
‘Dutchman’
‘Eyes Of Man’


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on March 23, 2017, 01:02:55 PM
From the new album:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Zoh-apWRE


Chuck Berry - Big Boys


It's ok. Nice to hear something new. I wonder if it's his son singing that one verse

Chorus ain't bad.



Certainly inspired by Big Joe Turner's "Roll 'em, Pete".




Robbie Robertson Remembers 'Original Guitar God' Chuck Berry

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/robbie-robertson-remembers-original-guitar-god-chuck-berry-w473182



Inside Chuck Berry's First New Album in 38 Years

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/inside-chuck-berrys-first-new-album-in-38-years-w472743


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on April 27, 2017, 02:36:18 PM
Here's another new song - this one with Gary Clark jr., "Wonderful woman"


http://smarturl.it/chuckchuckchuck


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: bringahorseinhere? on April 27, 2017, 03:50:20 PM
Chuck is firing on all cylinders!  Can't wait to hear the full album.  Does this mean Bear Family will have to
update and reissue they're fabulous Chuck Box Set?


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on April 28, 2017, 12:52:43 PM
Well, I don't know. With this new song, the fire is gone after 1:20 and then it's just lame and the whole production has a strange non-rocking sound. "Big boys" was better imo. Let's see what the rest will be like


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on June 09, 2017, 07:16:44 AM
The new album was released today!

http://www.udiscovermusic.com/new-releases/a-new-album-from-mr-berry


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: pixletwin on June 09, 2017, 10:50:10 AM
My local independent radio station, KRCL, played Big Boys this morning. It was awesome!


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: SMiLE Brian on June 09, 2017, 11:53:50 AM
The proper swan song to a legend!


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Lonely Summer on June 30, 2017, 10:51:14 PM
It's a good album, although short by 2017 standards - 35 minutes. Chuck is in good voice, the lyrics are as entertaining/amusing as always, and I don't know if he is doing all the guitar work on the record - there are credits for others, but no telling who does what solo; if it is others, they are channeling Chuck very nicely. Not straight ahead rock all the way through, about half the album is slower songs, which IMO befits a man about to turn 90.
I wonder if this album might encourage Little Richard to bless us one more time?


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: RangeRoverA1 on October 12, 2018, 03:49:47 PM
Listened at last to the new album. It's good. 3/5.

Quote
I wonder if this album might encourage Little Richard to bless us one more time?
It would be cool. Btw, didn't know they'd friendly competition.


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on October 13, 2018, 01:18:35 AM
Listened at last to the new album. It's good. 3/5.

Quote
I wonder if this album might encourage Little Richard to bless us one more time?
It would be cool. Btw, didn't know they'd friendly competition.


I still haven't listened to the album, although my brother owns it (in fact, I gave it to him as a birthday present)  :o

Well, Little Richard officially retired. I don't think he's recording. Shortly before he died, George Jones planned to record one last album and said that Little Richard wrote a song for him. Unfortunately, I don't think George ever got around to record it (or anything for that album)


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Lonely Summer on October 16, 2018, 06:35:01 PM
Listened at last to the new album. It's good. 3/5.

Quote
I wonder if this album might encourage Little Richard to bless us one more time?
It would be cool. Btw, didn't know they'd friendly competition.


I still haven't listened to the album, although my brother owns it (in fact, I gave it to him as a birthday present)  :o

Well, Little Richard officially retired. I don't think he's recording. Shortly before he died, George Jones planned to record one last album and said that Little Richard wrote a song for him. Unfortunately, I don't think George ever got around to record it (or anything for that album)
Yes, Richard retired. Last year, he was on a religious channel, 3ABN, sans wig, makeup, etc, denouncing rock and roll (again). He did say something about recording a gospel song with Tom Jones, but who knows if that will ever happen.


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on October 17, 2018, 01:06:20 AM
Listened at last to the new album. It's good. 3/5.

Quote
I wonder if this album might encourage Little Richard to bless us one more time?
It would be cool. Btw, didn't know they'd friendly competition.


I still haven't listened to the album, although my brother owns it (in fact, I gave it to him as a birthday present)  :o

Well, Little Richard officially retired. I don't think he's recording. Shortly before he died, George Jones planned to record one last album and said that Little Richard wrote a song for him. Unfortunately, I don't think George ever got around to record it (or anything for that album)
Yes, Richard retired. Last year, he was on a religious channel, 3ABN, sans wig, makeup, etc, denouncing rock and roll (again). He did say something about recording a gospel song with Tom Jones, but who knows if that will ever happen.


Interestingly, I thought Richard was retiring 'cause he was sick and recent appearances seemed to signal that he was very weak. That said, on the TV show you mention he seemed very clear and not at all as weak as he looked and sounded on stage. I was pleasantly surprised by his appearance. As a theologian myself, I can't say I agree with all of his views, but that's another discussion.


Yesterday I had the chance to listen to a couple of more tracks from "Chuck". I liked what I heard. It seems on the songs I've herad that most of the guitar works was between Chuck and his son (you can hear a difference in style). And also it was nice to see/hear Chuck sing a Tony Joe White song ("3/4 time"). I have to make sure that I listen to the rest of the album soon.


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: RangeRoverA1 on October 18, 2018, 03:37:20 PM
Quote
As a theologian myself, I can't say I agree with all of his views, but that's another discussion.
Agree, Rocker. Little Richard sang & written cool rock&roll songs, it matters little what he says in TV shows.

Quote
I have to make sure that I listen to the rest of the album soon.
When you'd done that, will you review it here? Thanks in advance.


Title: Re: Happy birthday Chuck Berry! + new album
Post by: Rocker on October 24, 2018, 11:46:35 AM


Quote
I have to make sure that I listen to the rest of the album soon.
When you'd done that, will you review it here? Thanks in advance.



Well, just a short summary. The record is full of classic Chuck Berry music. All in all it's much better sounding than I thought it would and the songs are not as embarassing as you could expect them to be with such a project (like for example Mike Love's way of name-checking the same Beach Boys songs again and again in new songs).
Chuck's guitar playing is fine and thankfully not as terrible as during live performances during his last ten years or so. His son also tries his best to fill in with his guitar playing but you can tell from the style and sound that it is not Chuck himself (and I don't think they were trying to fool anyone).
Two cover songs appear on the album. The Jazz song "You go to my head", a. o. sung by Ella Fitzgerald (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XS0v0lIzrg), and "3/4 time" (live performance), a song written but never recorded by Tony Joe White, which was a hit for Ray Charles (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax6TyTWQVtA).
As mentioned, Chuck's new music sounds like Chuck Berry, although I don't think there's a new classic. He re-records "Havana moon" as "Jamaica moon", after already having done a new "Havana moon" version on "Rockit". His vocals sound good and seem to have been recorded years ago, except for a couple of the first tunes on the album which show his voice in more recent sound.
I have to say though that some of the songs are just too long imo. From the classic Rock'n'Roll singers, Chuck was certainly the weakest singer. He did a great job on his songs but he can't keep it interesting after a song is going on for a while. So, instead of 5 mins. I'd have tried to cut the song in half, although that means of course that you'd have to get rid of a couple of lyrics and a songwriter might not want to do this.

In the end, this is a record that is a strong end to a legendary career in music (it was planned to be his last album even when he was still alive). It is not an album that shows a new side of Chuck that wasn't known before. We've already heard the kind of songs he offers us here. But that is what Chuck Berry (and all other stylists in his/her own case) was about: he plays Chuck Berry music.