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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 7 June 2017
Chuck Berry’s final album was made on his own terms

JIM SALTER It,” in 1979.
Associated Press Always marching to his
UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. (AP) own beat, Berry was in
— Chuck Berry did things no particular hurry. For 10
his own way, right up to his years, he recorded songs,
final album, a 10-song set or riffs for songs, or what-
nearly four decades in the ever came to mind.
making. All of the tracks were de-
The St. Louis native widely stroyed in a 1989 fire at
hailed as the father of rock a studio near his home in
‘n’ roll announced plans for Wentzville, Missouri, a St.
the album “CHUCK” in Oc- Louis suburb.
tober on his 90th birthday. At that point, “he has noth-
The music took on added ing,” Charles Berry Jr. said.
poignancy when Berry “So, he builds another stu-
died in March. The album dio and goes back to work,
will be released Friday. re-creating and creating
It’s a fitting finale from the new music.”
guitar master who melded In the meantime, Berry con-
blues, R&B and country tinued to perform, including
music into a sound that monthly shows for nearly
took over the 1950s, for- two decades at Blueberry
ever changing the cultural Hill, a venue in another
landscape. Some of the St. Louis suburb, University
new songs, like “Wonderful City, until age 88. Marsala
Woman” and “Big Boys,” directed the band, Charles
feature the same driving Berry Jr. played guitar, and
rhythm of his earliest hits the always unpredictable In this Feb. 26, 2012 file photo, Chuck Berry plays “Johnny B. Goode” at the John F. Kennedy Presi-
like “Maybellene” and frontman commanded dential Library and Museum in Boston, an event where he and Leonard Cohen were honored with
“Roll Over Beethoven.” In the stage, taking his band- Awards for Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence.
fact, one of the new songs, mates on a nightly trip they Associated Press
“Lady B. Goode,” offers the could never anticipate.
perspective of the woman “The show was completely And we’d come in on the his children. ping false idols.
left behind by his legend- ad-libbed,” Marsala said. fifth bar. It worked great.” “Darlin’, your father’s grow- “So be the temples men
ary “Johnny B. Goode.” “You never knew what was Charles Berry Jr. smiled as ing older each year,” Berry have cherished/Crumble in
But Berry’s son, Charles Ber- coming next. We usually he recalled those shows. sings. “Strands of gray are ruins to rot and rust/Low lies
ry Jr., said his father did not started out with ‘Roll Over “He’d be up onstage and showing bolder/Come here each pillar and arch to per-
set out to make a legacy Beethoven,’ ‘School Days,’ just start doing stuff,” he and lay your head upon ish/Doomed to decay and
album. and then ‘Sweet Little Six- said. “And it’d be, ‘OK, let’s my shoulder/My dear, the rot to dust.”
“I think this was just his next teen,’ and then from there just follow him wherever time is passing fast away.” Berry’s impact on music
body of work, and it just it was whatever he felt like he’s going.’” Typical of Berry, the lyrics was evident, said Joe Ed-
took a lot longer than the playing.” “CHUCK” was a family af- of “CHUCK” are at times wards, the owner of Blue-
other albums to get re- Marsala made sure he fair. Charles Berry Jr. plays poetic, at other times play- berry Hill and a close friend
leased,” Charles Berry Jr., stood to Berry’s left, better guitar, as does his own ful. “Big Boys” harkens to of Berry’s.
55, said in an interview with to see where Berry’s hands son, Charles Edward Berry his earlier odes to teenage “But the fact that he
The Associated Press. were on the neck of his gui- III, who turns 23 this week. cravings. changed culture around
That’s an understatement. tar “so I knew what key he Ingrid Berry-Clay, one of “The girls wanna stay and the world by bringing black
Jim Marsala, who played was in. So when he would Chuck’s three daughters, the boys wanna play/ kids and white kids together
bass guitar in Berry’s band do his four-bar intro I had sings and plays harmonica. So let’s rock ‘n’ roll ‘til the through music was an even
for 41 years, said Berry be- hand signals. She sings along with her break of day,” he sings. greater accomplishment,
gan working on new mate- I would flash to the key- dad on “Darlin’,” a coun- But in the closing song, perhaps,” Edwards said.
rial soon after the release of board player so he would try-tinged ballad that reso- “Eyes of Man,” Berry warns “It was just unbelievable
his previous album, “Rock know what key we were in. nates as a final message to philosophically of worship- the influence he had.”q

Maum suggests we put down our digital screens in ‘Touch’

LINCEE RAY need for human contact. market is going to swing. appear to be enthusiastic directly contradicting her
Associated Press Sloane Jacobsen is the rea- When Sloane predicts that about technology, many informal findings. Which di-
We live in a generation son people “swipe.” She having children will soon long for something more rection will the campaign
where we view the world forecast the digital wave be considered an indul- personal. Something as go?
through a screen. Most of of non-stop communica- gence, global tech giant simple as a hug. “Touch” is an interesting
our professional and so- tion well before the world Mammoth hires her to help She must make a deci- take on what life would be
cial lives are dominated caught on. market their products to sion. Will her boss be an- like if we just put down our
by a laptop, smartphone, As a global trendsetter, a a “childless” community. gry at her sudden flipped phones and stepped away
digital tablet, or high-defini- wide array of companies Sloane attacks the project strategy that forecasts the from the computer.
tion television. In her novel often hire Sloane to help from all angles with several merchandise his company Maum reminds us to not
“Touch,” Courtney Maum them navigate the next in-house brainstorming ses- produces will be trumped forget about those who are
considers a time in the not- big thing. Whether it’s fash- sions. by compassion? To make living and breathing right
so-distance future where ion, lifestyle, or gadgets, She even implements an matters worse, Sloane’s around us. Because a lov-
communicating through Sloane’s curious premoni- anonymous idea box. boyfriend, who was also ing hug, tight squeeze, or
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth takes tions help her to correctly Sloane soon realizes that hired by her boss, is about simple touch is so much
a backseat to the physical target which direction the even though employees to publish an op-ed piece more fulfilling than a text.q