Chuck Berry: Chuck

Erupting in the mid-‘50s, the rambunctious music known as rock’n’roll was a diverse beast, with major talents like Elvis Presley, Little Richard and others offering their own idiosyncratic versions of the sound that changed the world. While no single person could embody this unstoppable revolution, Chuck Berry came closer than anyone else. His adrenalized fusion of R&B, blues, country and even easy listening created a vital template that continues to resonate today. Those blazing guitars and witty songs, whether encountered in his original recordings or via the appropriations of his many, many acolytes, are so familiar it’s impossible to listen with fresh ears, but boy, have they stood the test of time.

Announced last fall on his 90th birthday, almost four decades after his previous LP, Chuck is a surprisingly strong effort, age be damned, and an eloquent summation of what the man was about. Though Berry was a singles artist in his prime, this is a terrific, cohesive album that reconsiders past glories, reaffirms old obsessions and reflects on his waning days. Following Berry’s passing in March, it’s a pungent, moving goodbye.

The 1958 hit “Johnny B. Goode” is Chuck’s most prominent touchstone, with the high-octane “Lady B. Goode” supplying a sequel from the viewpoint of Johnny’s sweetheart. The subdued, spoken-word “Dutchman” also references “Johnny” in a portrait of a down-and-out musician who might have been Berry in less-favorable circumstances. And “Johnny B. Goode”’s incandescent opening riff resurfaces in “Big Boys,” the exuberant story of a young’un discovering “what makes the world go ‘round” (i.e., sex) and partying ‘til the break of day.