A week of goodbyes, and a live album

Rockers come and rockers go. Some came before others, others came before…well, you get the point.

Following last year’s tragedies in the music world, we all learned that we should never take any musician for granted, regardless of whom. But this year has also touched a bit on that. On June 9, three new albums were released, two of which are farewell records, the other being a live album.

Chuck Berry – CHUCK (9/10)

On March 18, the world lost a voice. Chuck Berry passed away at the age of 90. The Rollover Beethoven writer was often referred to as “The Father Of Rock And Roll.” But he kept it quiet the last few years especially. He hasn’t released any new music since the late 70s, and he only played a few shows a year until 2014. But on his 90th birthday last year, his first new album in almost forty years was announced: “CHUCK.”

While it was originally intended to be a farewell record rather than just posthumous, the entire album is a salute to Chuck’s 60+ year career. Big Boys, the album’s first single, and second track, is nothing but a 1950s rockabilly song, just recorded much later. Jamaica Moon has a sort of groovy Bob Marley feel to it with its smooth rhythm and the foreign percussion used. Lady B. Goode is the third single released, and is, you guessed it, literally a rewrite of the legendary song that started it all: Johnny B. Goode.

A whole load of artists go out with a bang. Saying that Chuck Berry did would be an understatement.

MY RATING: I’d give this album a 9/10 because it has been years in the making. Though a few of the songs sound very alike, Chuck really mixed it up on here. Instead of making the entire LP 100 percent 1950’s rockabilly, he put in a song where he only spoke, and then Jamaica Moon, which is unlike most of Chuck’s songs.

Glen Campbell – Adíos (8/10)

“Adíos” really is Glen Campbell saying it. Sadly, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2011, so to make his last musical projects powerful, he embarked on his “Goodbye Tour” with his children as his backing band. Once finished, he returned to the studio for the first time in quite awhile to record for the last time. Glen is now in the final stages of Alzheimer’s, so why not release the album now?

None of the songs on “Adíos” were written by him, and most of them were written by his old friend, Jimmy Webb. But others were written, and co-performed by fellow country legends. Willie Nelson joins Glen on the Nelson-penned Funny How Time Slips Away, and Vince Gill, who will be playing with the Eagles this summer, backs Glen’s vocals on Am I All Alone (Or Is It Only Me). The album’s finale is a Webb piece properly entitled Adíos. A load of people are heartbroken about Glen’s current condition, but you know what?  After listening to this record all the way through, you can probably observe that he always cared about keeping his music in the best quality as possible, until the very end.

MY RATING: I’d give this album a 8/10 because usually, I’m not a huge fan of those who use others’ songs. But knowing that Glen Campbell worked hard enough on this album with guests, and had Alzheimer’s while working through it, this deserves a solid B+.

           Paul Simon – The Concert In Hyde Park (8/10)

Paul Simon has been hinting at his retirement for quite some time now, but he never seems to stop. “Stranger To Stranger,” which just released last year shows that Paul’s voice is still as fresh as it was in the 1960s and 70s. This live album was recorded at the Hard Rock Calling Festival in 2012 in Hyde Park over in London. While Simon has released 3 other live albums prior, this one has a significance unlike any of the others: This album involves a reunion of the original band that played on his “Graceland” album in 1986.

All the songs off of that album are performed on shuffle in the latter part of the performance. Everything else makes it a greatest hits setlist spanning through his 40+ years as the successful solo artist he is. That’s another element about this album that has only been seen on his 2012 “Live In New York City” album. There are only two songs from his days as a member of Simon & Garfunkel: The Boxer, and of course, The Sound Of Silence, both of which are staples of his concerts today.

MY RATING: I’d give this album an 8/10, because while I bet that if I were actually at the show, I’d have a ball, the sound on this album makes it more audience than music.