"Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger" by BO DIDDLEY (April 2004 Universal/Geffen/Chess 'Rock 'n' Roll 50th Anniversary Edition' CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Go Bo Diddey..." 

In 1979 - fresh off the EI 105 from Dublin to JFK - I arrived for the first time into New York City. That evening I was desperate to christen my visit to the great city by seeing a killer gig. So I opened The Village Voice and saw an advert for "Bo Diddley - Chess Records Legend" who was playing in a small bar off 6th Avenue - blocks away from where I was staying in WEST 16th Street. I wandered down - paid in - and almost immediately a huge man passed me on route to the stage. He was wearing a black leather hat with silver buckles around the rim and a matching black leather suit. Diddley was at least 6 foot tall and was carrying his trademark and truly beautiful red coloured box-shaped Gretsch guitar. He plugged it in and launched into "Gunslinger".

About 5 seconds into that chugging Rumba-meets-Rock 'n' Roll rhythm - the place went absolutely bananas - chairs thrown back - party time - him singing "...Bo Diddley don't stand no mess - Bo Diddley is a gunslinger...". It sends chills up my spine just thinking about it now. I’m sure Bo Diddley had done this a thousand times before and I'm sure every time it was magic. It was like witnessing Muddy Waters with his Mojo in full swing - sexy, fun and utterly mesmerizing. I went out and bought a vinyl re-issue of this album the next day in Crazy Eddie's and it's been my pal ever since.

Elias McDaniel was born in 1928 in Mississippi - inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame in 1987 as a true crossover innovator and sadly passed away in June 2008 with his self-made legend intact and still beloved.

"Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger" was his 5th album for the Chess umbrella of labels and this lovely April 2004 CD reissue (part of Universal's 'Rock 'n' Roll 50th Anniversary' Series) does that 1960 Checker Records album nugget a solid. Here are the Crawdaddy details…

1. Gunslinger [Side 1]

2. Ride On Josephine

3. Doing The Crawdaddy

4. Cadillac

5. Somewhere

6. Cheyenne [Side 2]

7. Sixteen Tons

8. Whoa Mule (Shine)

9. No More Lovin'

10. Diddling

Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger" - released 15 September 1960 in the USA on Checker LP 2977 (Mono)

BONUS TRACKS:

11. Working Man - first issued as Previously Unreleased bonus tracks on the 1989 CD

12. Do What I Say first issued as Previously Unreleased bonus tracks on the 1989 CD

13. Prisoner Of Love - Previously Unreleased in the USA

14. Googlia Moo - Previously Unreleased in the USA

15. Better Watch Yourself - Previously Unreleased in the USA

This American CD reissue from April 2004 on Universal/Geffen B-0001761-02 (Barcode 602498614471) bolsters up the LP's original 10 tracks with 5 bonuses (38:56 minutes). Tracks 11 and 12 initially appeared on the first CD outing in 1989 as two previously unreleased tracks at that time - while "Prisoner Of Love", "Googlia Moo" and "Better Watch Yourself" are new to this issue and are previously unreleased in the USA. The reason I concentrate on the bonuses is that they're not just filler - they really are so good and could well be Side 1 of a far better sixth LP. They were recorded in January and February of 1960 and ERICK LABSON's remastering of them (and the whole album) is typically superlative (he's handled almost exclusively the whole of the Chess Label re-issues - over 1000 re-master/mastering credits to his name).

The 12-page booklet reproduces the gorgeous full colour front sleeve, a colour outtake from the shoot, the album's original rear sleeve (LP 2977), full session details, new liner notes by noted reviewer BUD SCOPPA and the original blue and white Checker label for 2977 is pictured beneath the see-through tray as well - all very nice touches.

As an album I’d admit it’s both short and patchy in places - but the good stuff like "Ride On Josephine" (a George Thorogood stage regular) and the chugging "Cadillac" are everything you’d expect of him - rhythm and fun. His cover of the Merle Travis/Tennessee Ernie Ford perennial "Sixteen Tons" is fab with its "...yeah yeah..." backing vocals - but my real poison is the fabulous "Whao Mule (Shine)" - the kind of neck-jerking tune you’d expect to turn up in Mad Men or The Sopranos. It’s about a frisky beast "...pappy's mule who’d run down the road and look back…" and I love it! The LP finisher is the wonderfully-titled instrumental "Piddling" - it's loud and rough and feels like it would have been better with some lyrics actually. But with those tasty five bonuses - the album and this CD reissue become an altogether different/better beast.

Bo Diddley has never really received the recognition he's deserved because many have viewed him as a one-trick, one-sound pony - which is a shame, because he was so much better than that. It's not all genius by any means but like so many of the greats - he created his own sound, image and penned most of his own tunes. Hopefully this lovely reissue will make people reassess the Diddley Daddy...

PS: There are seven releases in the Rock 'n' Roll "50th Anniversary Series" and eleven in their "Blues Classics Remastered & Revisited" Series and I've loved the lot - great sound, clever title choices and all bumped up with bonus tracks and decent booklets (I'm reviewed almost all of them).

Fans of Holly, Haley, Berry, Diddley and Rock'n'Roll in general should quickly acquire all of these exemplary CDs (use the Barcode numbers provided below to locate the right issue). They make for the best basis of a collection in a minefield of lesser compilations...and Buddy Holly deserved nothing less...

Universal's 'Rock 'n' Roll 50th Anniversary' CD Reissue Series:

1. After School Session by CHUCK BERRY (1958 Chess debut LP)

2. St. Louis To Liverpool by CHUCK BERRY (1964 STEREO LP on Chess)

3. The Chirping Crickets by THE CRICKETS (1957 Debut LP on Decca)

4. Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger by BO DIDDLEY (1960 STEREO Chess LP)

5. Rock Around The Clock by BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS (1955 Decca LP)

6. Buddy Holly by BUDDY HOLLY (1958 1st solo LP on Coral)

7. Rock, Rock, Rock! - Original Soundtrack by VARIOUS (Chuck Berry, The Flamingos and The Moonglows) (1956 Chess 'Rock'n'Roll Movie Soundtrack LP)

Universal's 'Blues Classics Remastered & Revisited' CD Reissue Series:

1. Bad News Is Coming - LUTHER ALLISON (1972 USA LP with 4 Previously Unreleased bonuses, 56:10 minutes) (Barcode 044001340727)

2. Luther's Blues - LUTHER ALLISON (SUHA GUR Remaster) (1974 USA 9-track LP with 3 Previously Unreleased bonuses, 70:28 minutes) (Barcode 044001340925)

3. Two Steps From The Blues - BOBBY BLAND (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (1961 USA 12-track LP on Duke with 2 bonuses, 35:12 minutes)  (Barcode 008811251628)

4. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues - JOHN LEE HOOKER (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (October 1966 and September 1991 LPs on Chess, 2LPs on 1CD, 79:44 minutes) (Barcode 008811282127)

5. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues - HOWLIN' WOLF (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (January 1966 on Chess and January 1967 on Chess, 2LPs on 1CD, 66:45 minutes) (Barcode 008811282028)

6. Tell Mama: The Complete Muscle Shoals Sessions - ETTA JAMES (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (January 1968 US 12-Track LP on Cadet - Tracks 13-22 being bonuses, 57:11 minutes) (Barcode 008811251826)

7. Live At San Quentin - B.B. KING (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (1990 13-Track Compilation on MCA, no extras, 64:11 minutes) (Barcode 008811251727)

8. At Newport 1960 - MUDDY WATERS (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (1960 US 9-Track LP on Chess with 10-13 being 4 Mono Studio Tracks from June 1960 as bonus tracks, 44:43 minutes) (Barcode 008811251529)

9. Fathers & Sons - MUDDY WATERS & Friends (ERICK LABSON Remaster)

(Tracks 1-10 and 15-20 is the August 1969 2LP set on Chess in Full with Tracks 11, 12, 13 being previously unreleased - and 14 previously unreleased in the USA). (77:38 minutes) (Barcode 008811264826)

10. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues - MUDDY WATERS (ERICK LABSON Remasters - 2LPs on 1CD) (Barcode 008811282226)

11. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues - SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (January 1966 and January 1967 LPs on Chess, 2LPs on 1CD, 65:28 minutes) (Barcode 008811282325)