TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Rockin' At The Hops" - Chuck Berry (1960)

"Rockin' At The Hops" - Chuck Berry (1960)

     This was Chuck Berry's fourth album, and not one of his best, but not bad by any means.  There are twelve songs on the square. Six tracks are "I wanna hear that one again" kind of songs.  And the other six tracks are just Chuck Berry generic.  Good, but I think you know what I mean.   Still, it's Chuck Berry, so even his weaker stuff has some legs.  Remember, we're still a few years away from The Beatles and The Stones breaking out, so this was all solid groundwork.

     I didn't really need this album since I already had CB's yellow "The Great Twenty-Eight," but this album cover was too cool to pass up.  I may not play this one as often, but I like to display it.  It looks too cool to hide away.  Spektrum Music had this in their bin for $17, and for an album over 60 years old, the cover is still poppin' fresh!  Very clean.  This isn't an expensive album, but I think Spektrum did me right with this purchase.  As for the vinyl, no complaints.  Looks and plays just like a-ringin' a bell.  Again, not his best, but it's fun, and there are several nuggets to be found.

"Rockin' At The Hops" - Chuck Berry (back)

Favorites include:
"Bye Bye Johnny"
"Let It Rock" 
"Down The Road A Piece"
"Too Pooped To Pop"

     And so the story goes, Mick Jagger was hanging at a railway station holding two records, "The Best of Muddy Waters" and this square, "Rockin' At The Hops," when he ran into Keith Richard.  They talked about music and whatnot, and the rest is RnR history.  Kinda gives me chills just holdin' it.

Chess label

Cat #
LP-1448 / U-10198
SIDE A  DEADWAX
LP-10,198 P.P.  Sheldon
SIDE B  DEADWAX
LP-10,199 P.P.  Sheldon

"Bye Bye Johnny" - Chuck Berry / "Rockin' At The Hops" (1960)

TRACKS:
A1  "Bye Bye Johnny" 2:05
A2  "Worried Life Blues" 2:10
A3  "Down The Road A Piece" 2:14
A4  "Confessin' The Blues" 2:08
A5  "Too Pooped To Pop" 2:25
A6  "Mad Lad" 2:20
B1  "I Got To Find My Baby" 2:14
B2  "Betty Jean" 2:30
B3  "Childhood Sweetheart" 2:35
B4  "Broken Arrow" 2:25
B5  "Driftin' Blues" 2:18
B6  "Let It Rock" 2:28

PERSONNEL:
Chuck Berry - vocals, guitars
Matt "Guitar" Murphy - electric guitar (A1 - A4, A6, B1, B5)
Johnnie Johnson - piano (A3 - A6, B2 - B5)
Willie Dixon - bass
Fred Below - drums (A5, B1, B5)
Eddie Hardy - drums (A1 - A4, A6, B1, B5)
L. C. Davis - tenor sax (A5, B1, B4, B5)
The Ecuadors - b-vocals

Good stuff.

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