Artist: Bo Diddley Album: Bo Diddley

Year: 1957
Duration: 31:43

Bo Diddley Album Review - The King of Rhythm and Blues

Bo Diddley was among the very first wave of rock and roll musicians to emerge in the 1950s. He was a master of the electric guitar and an innovator of the rhythm and blues genre. He was a powerful influence on the British Invasion and served as a significant influence for many legendary rock and roll artists to come. Bo Diddley is a man who cannot be ignored in the history of music. In this blog post, we will go over his fifth album “Bo Diddley” and break down the most important parts of the album.

Bo Diddley, released in 1958, is an example of Bo Diddley's purest rhythm and blues work. The album starts with Bo Diddley, the debut single that created his unique sound, with its trademark guitar riff and African rhythms. The album's other hit songs include I'm A Man and Diddley Daddy. The rhythmic foundation of these tracks is a defining feature of the album, with swinging rhythms matched by Diddley's voice.

One of the most innovative parts of the album is the selective use of the instruments. The electric guitar provides the core of the sound, but there are moments when the piano comes in, providing a welcome change of pace and an extra layer to the music. The use of hand claps and backup singers on Mona (I Need You Baby) adds an extra flavor to the track, making it one of the standout songs on the album.

The album is rhythmically driven, and its appeal lies in its use of drums and percussion, as well as Diddley's guitar playing ability. The drums hold everything together, and the percussion sets the pace, allowing for Diddley’s rhythm guitar to fill in the gaps. Bo Diddley showcases Diddley's skills as a guitarist, with solos and instrumentals demonstrating a broad range of styles. The intro to Diddley Daddy, for example, is entirely guitar-driven, while Pretty Thing features the guitar and harmonica working in tandem.

The album is innovative in the way it incorporates the use of African rhythms. The jungle beat was a fundamental element of his style, featuring heavily in many of his songs, such as Bo Diddley. The tempo of the drumming is incomparable to other R&B songs of that era. It's as if the music is made to be danced to, which suited the mood of the teenage youth who were the primary audience for rock and roll at the time.

Overall, Bo Diddley is an essential album in the history of rock and roll. The album is innovative, rhythmically compelling, and showcases Diddley's trademark style. The songs are memorable, and the use of African rhythms has given it its unique tone. Bo Diddley is a must-listen album for any fan of R&B and rock and roll, and it’s no question that Bo Diddley is one of the most talented artists to have ever come out of the scene. With this album, Bo Diddley cemented his title as the King of Rhythm and Blues.