Magnficent, raw blues and rock n' rollby Anonymous

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January 18, 2004: Bo Diddley's thumping shave-and-a-haircut-six-bit rhythm may not sound all that daring today, but half a century ago Diddley was a daringly innovative musician, hammering out rough blocks of chords on his square-shaped guitar, and shouting his tough-guy lyrics at the top of his powerful voice. Diddley's trademark vibrating, fuzzy guitar tone did much to expand the electric guitar's power and range, and he was almost as influential as label mate Chuck Berry in shaping the sound and the attitude of rock n' roll, writing clever, wisecracking lyrics and macho boasts to rival Berry's, and inspiring numerous young white artists along the way with his music and his galvanizing stage persona. This double-disc compilation is the most comprehensive one available, including all the classics, and adding several lesser-known songs, a few alternates, and some previously unreleased recordings. Disc 1 opens with Diddley's first single, the double-sided monster "Bo Diddley / I'm A Man", and also includes the tough, grinding rockers "You Don't Love Me", "Mona", "Crackin' Up", and "Who Do You Love", the magnificent bluesy "Before You Accuse Me" and "I'm Looking For A Woman", and an updated take on the prewar classic "Diddy Wah Diddy". The surprisingly sweet and sincere "Dearest Darling" is here as well, as is the instrumental "The Clock Strikes Twelve" which features a solo violin, and the doo-wop ballad (!) "I'm Sorry". On disc 2 you'll find "Road Runner" (beep beep!), a swinging, swaggering "Spend My Life With You", the instrumetal "Aztec", the supremely catchy "Pills", and the bump-and-grind of the sax-driven "Cadillac" and the classic "I Can Tell". "You Know I Love You" is another uncharacteristic doo-wop ballad, a previously unreleased one at that. "Look At My Baby" and "The Greatest Lover In The World" are both pure, joyous rock n' roll, and the Willie Dixon-penned "You Can't Judge A Book By It's Cover" is one of Bo Diddley's most memorable singles. "Bo Diddley 1969" is excactly what is sounds like, a remake of the 1955 single with different lyrics and a tagged-on chorus, but it's good fun, and the production is better and cleaner. Ellas McDaniels' powerfully rhythmic, almost hypnotic mid-50s music is neither blues, R&B or rock n' roll, but somewhere in between, stretching back as far as Africa, and foreseeing rap and blues-rock. MCA/Chess' single-disc "His Best" remains the best purchase for novices, but "The Chess Box" is by far the best collection of Bo Diddley's unique blues, R&B, and piledriving proto-rock n' roll. Highly recommended.