When I was in Washington DC, I came across a tape of Bo Diddley's Greatest Hits. What a revelation. I was 18 or so and was just learning about a lotta things. I discovered so much Music in that year. In fact, I discovered that I wanted to be a Musician while I was there.
Bo DIddley always reminded me of my Grandpa Doats; a big ol' no-nonsense dude. He just looks like he would tell you "I am coming in here with this rectangular guitar, this echo effects unit, and I need my bread before I play." He wore thick glasses and a bad-ass hat. I always thought that 'I'm A Man' was unbelievable; pretty much anyone can do that riff and it should sound decent...I bought the tape mainly because it was in the cut-outs, which put it in my budget, and I wanted to hear dude say...
'Mmmmm.
Aaaaa, child.
NNnnnnnn....
MAN'.
However, the lead track was 'Who Do You Love' and I would soon be a slave to the 'Bo Diddley' beat.
That is the 'Bo Diddley' beat...the maracas, the reverb, the tempo...it just stays with you long after you've heard it. And Bo knew he was onto something good, because dang-near every one of his records sounds like that. He was an innovator, incorporating his name into the hits, so as to make sure we all knew who was responsible for that sound. 'Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger', 'Bo Diddley's Dog', 'Bo's Waltz', 'Diddley Daddy', 'Hey! Bo Diddley', and of course, 'Bo Diddley'. That's BRANDING, folks.
Oddly enough, my infatuation with the Smiths already had me familiar with the 'Bo Diddley' beat; I just didn't know it yet. I listened to that tape non-stop, upgraded when I got my CD player. Sure, there isn't a lotta variation in his work; Bo himself would tell you he wasn't the greatest guitar-player in the world, but he did HIS thang and anyone else who did HIS thang just 'sounded like Bo Diddley'.
Peace to an innovator, a legend, and a full-grown man. M-A-N.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment