Chuck Berry in the '60s: 1965

1965-66: Hanging out at Chess

We're nearing Chuck's first Chess exit. After the great '64 singles run and the comeback album, it feels like Chuck was in a mood to relax a little and explore some musical avenues without really committing himself to a new direction.

I'm certainly not complaining about his first of 2 1965 albums, Chuck Berry In London. He lays it on thick for a searing, great, underappreciated single 'Dear dad' (should've continued his hit streak) and should've-been-a-single 'I want to be your driver' (that's how it's done, young Rolling Stones!).

But the album is high on laidback bluesy material, a bunch of instrumentals ('Night beat' that late '50s recording, repeated again, what is with that song?) and some experiments with folksy singalong 'My little love light', Carribean rhythm ('Jamaica farewell'), and most improbably Spanish ('The song of my love').

They've learned from From St Louie To Liverpool at least that the pick&mix track selection is not a good idea. Apart from 'Night beat' these are 13 new recordings (they could've replaced it with the great ballad b-side to 'Dead dad', 'Lonely school days' and made the album even better). It shows in a nice, sustained mood. The whole bathes in pleasantness. You might miss the edge, the bite of his '50s and early '60s work - it's not here. But you get a good time, not close to his best work but I wouldn't miss it.

You Never Can Tell ads a couple of bonus tracks: 'Spending Christmas', another unreleased seasonal ballad, the great b-side above 'Lonely school days (slow version)' and a clear attempt at recording some more rock'n'roll material 'Shake rattle and roll', 'Wee wee hours' and 'Honey hush' - nice enough attempts but his heart wasn't in it at this time.

In London was swiftly followed by Fresh Berry's (also 1965, 2 different covers apparently?). It's the same story but a little more extreme. This is loose music played by veterans out to amuse themselves with few serious aims at the hitparade. You get the usual rock'n'roll nuggets - but more good-natured than biting ('Everyday we rock'n'roll', 'Merrily we rock'n'roll'), next to blues stuff and some perplexing genre experiments. The Carribean flavor is even more to the fore (too much?) on 'Run Joe', but it's as nothing next to the R&B/R&R-reworking of 'One for my baby (and one more for the road)' - the arrangement is so incongruous I can't decide if it's any good. And then there's 'Vaya con dios'.

Again, not his best record by a long way (and some distance behind In London in my estimation), but a nice ragbag. And if you sometimes wonder what the Beatles meant when they said their new direction was comedy songs, they might've had stuff like this on their mind. Of course, Dylan may also have heard (or at least scanned past the title) of 'Ain't that just like a woman'.

That Chuck, still an inspiration.