Chuck Berry • Chuck Berry in London

Review by Bruce Eder

This album, along with St. Louis to Liverpool and Fresh Berry's, constitutes part of Chuck Berry's lost Chess years, and, for most listeners, a broader "lost period" for Berry. At the time, his music was never more widely copied and covered, courtesy of the British invasion bands streaming into the U.S. in person and on record, yet he couldn't chart a single or get top bookings in the U.S. Chuck Berry in London has its feet planted in 1965, offering harder blues-based numbers like "Why Should We End This Way" and "I Got a Booking," both influenced by Big Bill Broonzy (the latter, in particular, is Berry's rewrite of "Key to the Highway"), along with lean hot rockers like "St. Louis Blues" and the loud, sneering "I Want to Be Your Driver." The latter was a clear influence on Bob Dylan's "Obviously Five Believers," and demonstrates that Berry was still an influence on rock & roll as late as 1965. Therein lies the beauty of this record -- it shows Berry evolving as a singer and guitar player, exploring sides of his music and persona in a very contemporary way, and not at all awkwardly. He does revert back to past formula here and there -- "His Daughter Caroline" is the kind of sentimental ballad that Berry used to insert between his classic rock & roll on his early albums, in attempt to break the mood and vary the pacing. "Jamaica Farewell" and the Spanish-flavored "The Song of My Love" are more diverting and successful.

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Traducción Automática:

Revisión por Bruce EderEste álbum, junto con St. Louis to Liverpool y Fresh Berry's, constituye parte de los años perdidos de Chuck Berry Chess y, para la mayoría de los oyentes, un "período perdido" más amplio para Berry. En ese momento, su música nunca fue más copiada y cubierta, cortesía de las bandas de invasión británicas que se transmiten a los Estados Unidos en persona y en el registro, sin embargo, no pudo registrar una sola o conseguir las mejores reservas en los Estados Unidos. Chuck Berry en Londres tiene sus pies plantados en 1965, que ofrecen números basados ​​en el blues más difíciles como "¿Por qué deberíamos terminar de esta manera" y "Tengo una reserva", ambos influenciados por Big Bill Broonzy (este último, en particular, es la reescritura de Berry de "Key to the Highway "), junto con rockeros magros como" St. Louis Blues "y el ruidoso y burlón" Quiero ser tu conductor ". Esta última fue una clara influencia en "Obviously Five Believers" de Bob Dylan y demuestra que Berry seguía siendo una influencia en el rock & roll hasta 1965. Ahí reside la belleza de este disco: muestra a Berry evolucionando como cantante y guitarra. jugador, explorando los lados de su música y su personalidad de una manera muy contemporánea, y para nada torpe. Él vuelve a su fórmula anterior aquí y allá: "Su hija Caroline" es el tipo de balada sentimental que Berry solía insertar entre su clásico rock & roll en sus primeros álbumes, en un intento por romper el estado de ánimo y variar el ritmo. "Jamaica Adiós" y el "The Song of My Love" con sabor español son más divertidos y exitosos.

  Tracks:
01 - My little love lights
02 - She once was mine
03 - After it's over
04 - I got a booking
05 - Night beat
06 - His daughter Caroline
07 - You came a long way from St. Louis
08 - St. Louis Blues
09 - Jamaica farewell
10 - Dear Dad
11 - Butterscotch
12 - The song of my love
13 - Why should we end this way
14 - I want to be your driver

Label: Chess ‎– LP-1495
Released: 1965

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