I was pondering a couple of weeks ago what the greatest rock and roll song ever made was, across all styles and genres. I landed on Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry.
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Johnny B. Goode deserves its place on the greatest list, but Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll", 1974, is the world's most perfect rock and roll composition and recording.
WOW...bummer
I just played a couple of his tunes down at the saloon this afternoon.
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Loyal
Chuck Berry was a "guitar man" well worth listening to, he did sing some too, but his playing kept me listening.
On the way to family day at the lake I'll never forget when "Ding a Ling" come on the car stereo and my Aunt Joy ask me"what did that man just say". When I told her that "he got some on his finger and he wiped it on the wall" she bout tore all the knobs off the dash of her car trying to turnoff the radio. Don't think she ever used it again.
RIP Chuck.............
Perhaps it is not appropriate to mention Led Zeppelin on this sad day, but they WERE influenced by Chuck. RIP Chuck.
When I pondered the question about the greatest rock song ever, I was thinking seriously about stairway to heaven along with a lot of others, but as good and distinctive as each one was, they all seemed derivative to me until I got to Johnny B Goode.
Chuck Berry seemed to have pulled rock and roll out of the Blues. Led Zeppelin seemed to put the Blues into rock. My own personal favorite song ever is Stevie Ray Vaughn's Little Wing, but I dismissed it from the running as I don't think that it is the quintessential rock and roll song that Johnny B Goode is.
I've been trying to get that lick right for 35 years and counting. His influence is immeasurable.
TURN IT UP>
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ROCK ON, CHUCK!
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In a strange twist, Chuck Berry will be coming out with a new album later this year. I read those that have heard the new songs think it is fantastic.
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