Chuck – the posthumous studio LP released three months after Chuck Berry’s death – is his first album since 1979 and includes songs that were written as far back as the 1980’s. This collection of 10 songs has a run time of about 35 minutes and features three generations of Berry guitarists as well as guest appearances by Gary Clark Jr., Nathaniel Rateliff, and Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine). The riffs on Chuck are instantly recognizable as the rock and roll sound Berry helped define in the 1950s’s, and the album’s themes range from teen queens and sweet 16’s to naughty school boys and lady rock stars. Album highlights include: sequel of sorts to “Johnny B. Goode” about his wife Themetta called “Lady B. Goode”; the tropical rewrite of “Havana Moon” called “Jamaica Moon”; the country tinged ballad “You Go To My Head”; the scorching rocker “Big Boys”; the woozy live cover of Tony Joe White’s Tex-Mex number “3/4 Time (Enchiladas)”; and the bluesy tracks “Darlin’” and “Eyes of Man.” Chuck captures the essence of what Chuck Berry was about and hopefully introduces this rock n’ roll legend to a few younger generations. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Bo Diddley, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Little Richard