Two Great Guitars

AMG Review of Two Great Guitars

Bill Dahl
All Music Guide

Bo Diddley shared this 1964 Chess album with his labelmate, Chuck Berry. They duel it out on a pair of incredibly lengthy instrumentals (brilliantly titled "Chuck's Beat" and "Bo's Beat") that get tiresome long before they run their full course. Better (and briefer) are two numbers where they don't cross paths -- Diddley's rendering of "When the Saints Go Marching In," and Berry's amazing country breakdown "Liverpool Drive." A couple of bonus Bo Diddley sides ("Stay Sharp" and "Stinkey,") also make this digital re-incarnation worth acquiring.