The Not So Filthy Fifteen: Darling Nikki

In 1985, the Parents Music Resource Center launched a full-scale assault on popular music.  They selected what they deemed the fifteen most offensive songs they could find as examples of why the music industry needed to be closely monitored and censored.  Thankfully, Frank Zappa, Dee Snider and John Denver staved that off.  This is a track-by-track breakdown of the songs the PRMC picked as the so-called “filthy fifteen.”

The song.

“Darling Nikki” by Prince.  Ah, Prince.  Appearing for the first time (but not the last) on this list.  And the song that started it all.  Tipper Gore heard this intentionally raunchy tune playing from her daughter’s room and decided that artists should notify people if they were making art that might be considered inappropriate.  She asserted this onus on the creators, but did not consider ANY of the following:  1. This song was from the soundtrack of an R-rated movie.  2. It was used in said movie by the protagonist as a trigger to shock other characters.  3. One of the most popular singles (and the reason her daughter most likely bought the record), “When Doves Cry,” is an incredibly dark and sensual song when you take it at face value.  4. It was released by an artist who had made a name for himself with albums titled Dirty Mind and Controversy.  5. One of those album covers featured the artist wearing nothing but a speedo, a bandana and a dinner jacket.  But, you know, he should have given some kind of warning that he was doing a risqué song… 

What they should have chosen.

“Head” by Prince.  Remember that aforementioned album with the speedo?  It was called Dirty Mind.  And pretty much any song  on it could’ve made this list.  This album has a song about incest because of course it does.  But “Head” is about exactly what it sounds like it’s about.  This track makes Darling Nikki’s exploits seem tame. 

What has come since.

“Sexy M.F.” by Prince.  Prince spent the rest of the 80s and 90s pushing whatever boundaries might be left.  He put out singles with titles like “Cream” and “Come,”, but (apart from telling Batman to get the funk up) this was his boldest and most overt statement.  Seriously, just watch the first two minutes of the full official video and you’ll know all you need to.  He vaulted this track as an open assault on the “norm,” and it soared against all odds.   By comparison, “Darling Nikki” was a relatively mild entry in the purple one’s catalogue, and merely a stepping stone in his path as a provocateur. 

The Not So Filthy Fifteen: We're Not Gonna Take It

In 1985, the Parents Music Resource Center launched a full-scale assault on popular music.  They selected what they deemed the fifteen most offensive songs they could find as examples of why the music industry needed to be closely monitored and censored.  Thankfully, Frank Zappa, Dee Snider and John Denver staved that off.  This is a track-by-track breakdown of the songs the PRMC picked as the so-called “filthy fifteen.”

The song.

“We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister.  Seriously?  SERIOUSLY?!  This song got flagged on account of “violence.”  The most violent image in the whole thing is its use of the word “fight” three times.  As a point of comparison, the University of Kentucky’s pep song is only a minute long, but uses that same word eight times.  Violence, indeed.  It’s pretty clear this song was pegged for its video which features less violence than a roadrunner cartoon and less drag than a traditional Shakespearean play.  Thirty-plus years later, I can’t help but love the fact that a song the PRMC deemed dangerous to children ended up as this.

What they should have chosen.

“Coward of the County” by Kenny Rogers.  This song topped the country charts.  It almost topped the pop charts.  It got made into a movie.  And it makes my skin crawl every time I hear it.  “They took turns at Becky.  There was three of them.”  In case you aren’t familiar with the track, the subject matter is exactly what that line suggests.  In the context of this narrative, any atrocity can be resolved with a good old fashioned fist fight.  Violence begets violence.  Violence resolves violence.  And when it does, the world is completely right again and all problems are solved.  I think that’s a far more dangerous message than some dudes in makeup saying “if that’s your best, your best won’t do.”

What has come since.

“Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People.  My daughter was eight when this song came out and she loved it.  To be fair, it has to be the catchiest song ever written about mass homicide.  Rewatching the video for this entry, I think about my daughter (now eight years older).  I think about the paranoia and lingering vigilance that she and others her age have to endure.  I think about conversations I never dreamed I would need to have with her.  I think about how this single song disproves every single idea championed by “Coward of the County.”  I think I would much rather just go listen to some more Twisted Sister.

The Not-So Filthy Fifteen: She Bop

In 1985, the Parents Music Resource Center launched a full-scale assault on popular music.  They selected what they deemed the fifteen most offensive songs they could find as examples of why the music industry needed to be closely monitored and censored.  Thankfully, Frank Zappa, Dee Snider and John Denver staved that off.  This is a track-by-track breakdown of the songs the PRMC picked as the so-called “filthy fifteen.”

The song.

“She Bop” by Cyndi Lauper.  To be fair, the song is blatantly and unabashedly about self pleasure.  What seems less than fair is that it happens to be about female pleasure (that will prove to have been a recurring theme to the PRMC).  There were already myriad songs about this topic out there, they just happened to come from a male perspective – from Chuck Berry to Simon and Garfunkel and many, many others.   And many of those songs had some incredibly suggestive lyrics.  The diciest line in “She Bop” lands as a tie between “I wanna go south and get some more” and “they say I better stop or I’ll go blind.”  Again, the topic of discussion is clear.  However, the language used to describe it is tamer than that of “Wooly Bully” or anything put out by popular rock bands like Kiss, well, ever.  Of note, their hit “Lick It Up” from the previous year failed to gain the PRMC’s attention.

What they should have chosen.

If we’re talking about 80s pop heroes who wrote songs about sexual topics (not counting Prince or Madonna – they’ll each get their own entry), then we have to discuss the man who came to imbue blue collar ‘Merica more than any other, excepting maybe The Boss.  The PRMC should have turned their focus to John Cougar.  Yes, THAT John Cougar.  (Is there another?)  His 1980 release of Nothin’ Matters and What If It Did gave him a proper hit and set the stage for his next behemoth American Fool.  It also contained the track “Tonight” with a line so raw in a pop tune that you can’t help but be caught off guard the first time you hear it.  My dad always skipped this one when the cassette played in the car and now I see why.  That single line foreshadowed the dirty-old-man tendencies JCM would put on full display with his later work in the 90s and 00s.  Seriously, if you've never heard the song, listen to it while looking at the album cover and fight back the bile.

What has come since.

Thankfully, “She Bop” opened a new door for expression of female sexuality in pop music.  There have been many artists who built their entire catalogue around this concept.  In my mind though, there has been one song that took this track’s less-than-subtle innuendo and put on full display for the world to see.  Whatever envelopes Britney and Pink and Gaga may have pushed, they owe a deep debt to Cyndi Lauper.  And to Divinyls’ 1990 hit, “I Touch Myself,” with its thematic concept being laid bare in the title. The single didn’t chart as highly as “She Bop,” but it much more overtly restated that previous sentiment of female expression.

Concert Review: American Aquarium 02/24/2014

I hadn't been to a rock show in almost two years, so Tuesday night was like a cheeseburger for the soul after a hunger strike.  It began with a draft porter in a thick glass and a Dolly Parton pinball machine.  It ended with an unapologetic statement that there would be no encore which was followed by two final, blistering songs.  And there was a whole lot of good stuff packed in between.  I was suddenly reminded of just how many things can contribute to a great music experience.  Things like...

The venue.  Porter and Dolly weren't the only great aspects of Zanzibar in Louisville.  There was an entire pit of pinball machines.  The booths were pulled from some fifties-era diner -- white plastic backs with red-speckled upholstery.  The air smelled of a deep fryer that hadn't been changed in years.  The stage was a riser and some black curtains hastily set up in front of a wall of vintage arcade games.  Q*bert was played.  Galaga was cursed.  Zanzibar was my kind of place.  It was full of unexpected treats, including...

The opening act.  He was a guy who knew the sound guy and talked his way into playing before the main show.  Such is the life of the opening act.  Those folks who fly under the radar are often some of the most enjoyable to catch live, especially if you don't have any context or predispositions -- a surprise amuse-bouche before the main course.  One of those folks found his way onto the stage on Tuesday.  We were treated to a man with a guitar, a vocal harmonist and a hell of a lot to say.  I would tell you to go buy John Clay's album, but he's still working on it.  In the meantime, you should check out this clip of an original song that was really well received by...

The crowd.  It was like something out of a Sam Cooke song.  There was the drunken businessman in expensive shoes with his tie still on, but yanked defiantly to one side.  Of course, he spilled beer all of the band's equipment and his expensive shoes; and, of course, it was beer he had bought for them.  There were the twenty-something, nearly teeny boppers who swayed back and forth and sang with their eyes closed.  There were the diehard fans who knew every word to every song and shouted along all the way.  But mostly, it was the best kind of crowd; it was hundred or so people who all entered into an unspoken pact to ride the wave wherever it took us.  And where it took was soooo good because of...

The set list.  American Aquarium has a deep catalogue and are supporting a new album, Wolves.  Even so, the songs they chose were perfect.  They played some new stuff and they played the songs they knew they had to play, but it was clear that they also played a lot of songs they just WANTED to play.  An up-tempo cover of John Prine's "Spanish Pipedream" left some fans scratching their heads and others howling with joy, but all dancing where they stood.  They dropped in the slow, country-tinged "Betting Man" to give the crowd quick break before putting balls firmly back to wall for the duration.  They closed the set with the back-to-back gut-punches of "I Hope He Breaks Your Heart" and "Burn, Flicker, Die" and left us all feeling satisfied and still desperately wanting more.  But that was the end.  Except for...

The afterglow.  After the last bit of feedback from the song faded, lead singer BJ Barham put down his guitar, stepped of the riser and walked out into the crowd.  There were pictures and autographs and conversations -- lengthy conversations.  He had time and appreciation for anybody who wanted to talk.  When I mentioned to him that I was glad to hear them play "Betting Man" because it was my introduction to the band, he actually remembered what my reaction in the crowd had been.  (And no, it had not been an extreme reaction.)  I overheard him tell someone else that all he really wanted was to have the crowd grow by ten people at each show.  My overall rating of the concert is this -- the next time American Aquarium plays Z-bar, I will be there and I will invite eleven friends.




Six Terrible Rap Songs (Inspired by Terrible Movies)

Ah, the nineties.  It was a simpler time when the President could play saxophone and when execs decided their movies needed treatment from an artist to concisely tell the same story as the movie -- but in rap form because... I don't really know why.  But thus was born the most redundant cash-grab genre ever -- the rap-song-that-details-the-plot-of-a-movie-and-also-you-can-hear-the-song-on-the-radio-for-free-but-the-movie-costs-like-five-bucks-or-something-and-in-addition-takes-85-minutes-longer-to-tell-the-exact-same-story.  Here are six examples of the worst offenders.  (Editor's note: I wish I could include "The Reaper Rap" from Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, but it's just a guitar riff and movie quotes -- no rapping, despite what the title implies.)

6. "Wild, Wild West" by Will Smith from Wild, Wild West (1999)

Let's listen as the Fresh Prince paints us a sonic picture.  "Once upon a time in the west, a madman lost his damn mind in the west.  Loveless giving up a dime, nothing less.  Now, I must put his behind to the test."  Or, maybe not.  At least it's got that "wicka-wild" hook that will not leave your head for several days, no matter how hard you try.

5. "Addams Groove" by MC Hammer from The Addams Family (1991)

Let's listen as Hammer paints us a sonic picture.  "I remember the day I needed to borrow a little bit of pepper for my chicken.  The next thing you know, coming at me was a hand with fingers high stepping!"  Okay, I give up on the sonic picture thing.  If you are truly brave (and already somewhat unhinged), see how long you can endure this ten minute loop of a one-second clip from the song.

4. "Space Jam" by Quad City DJs from Space Jam (1996)

Taking a man who can't act and putting him in front of a green screen for ninety minutes is like taking a group that can't sing or write and asking them to do the theme song.  Oh, wait.  And just in case you had already forgotten who the Quad City DJs were by late '96, they included a rousing chorus of "hoop, there it is!" to remind you and drive you even more insane than that "wicka-wild" bit did.

3. "Turtle Power" by Partners in Kryme from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

"They could terrorize and be angry youths.  They mugged people.  Who needed proof?  Then, from out of the dark came an awesome sound!  They shouted cowabunga as they hit the ground.  From the field of weeds, the heroes rescued the flower because they possessed turtle power."  Yep.  That is exactly how the movie played out.  Partners in Kryme thankfully dropped off the face of the planet after this track, so the producers were forced to lower their standards somewhat for the sequel soundtrack and settle for Vanilla Ice.

2. "Cool as Ice (Everybody Get Loose) by Vanilla Ice from Cool as Ice (1991)

And speaking of Vanilla Ice...  Somehow, this Floridian plagiarist's star had reached critical mass in 1991 and he got his own movie about how hard it is to be Vanilla Ice.  It was like Eight Mile but without a white rapper.  If you thought "Ice Ice Baby" (or its nu-metal remake, yeah that happened) was his greatest affront to the music world, then you don't know Vanilla Ice.  On "Cool as Ice (etc.)," we get to hear how litigious he can be with people who were spawned from his electrical equipment.  Don't believe me?  Check out this gem of a vocal: "lyrical lawyer suing al the suckers on the mic that bore ya."

1. "Conehead Love" by Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtain from Coneheads (1993)

Finally we get a great musician -- an actual Blues Brother!  All will be well.  Let's listen as Elwood Blues paints us a sonic picture.  "I'll never understand this planet, the way these humans love to ram it.  Don't want to hold my cone alone."  Oh.  Oh, no.  Just... just never mind.

Top Ten Songs About Saints - By ROA Staff

10. St. Vincent by Joe Fletcher

Keith Says: Invoking the spirit of Edna St. Vincent Millay in order to make your ex come back paints a particular image.  But then, this is a particular song about a very particular emotion... and that's what makes it great.

Brian Says: I am a huge fan of Joe Fletcher.  I love singer-songwriters.  I am a fan of clever lyrics and unique cadence in songs.  Joe Fletcher does that as well as anyone.  "When He sits down upon his knee, I'm gonna tell God how you treated me.  You're a criminal with a capital C.  I knew it from the start."  Make your own interpretation from the song.  It has "saint" in the title and it's Joe Fletcher.  That's how it made my list.


9. Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys

Brian Says: Is this song really about Santa's sleigh transformed into a hot rod?  They lyrics are pretty ridiculous and simple when just read them on paper.  How does that still hold up in 2014?  I'll tell you how - it's Brian Douglas Wilson.

Keith Says: One of the all-time "car" songs and it's not even about a car.  The Beach Boys penned a ditty so airtight that it has survived cover versions by Captain & Tennille, Sugar Ray, and even Hanson.

Misty Says: I prefer classic holiday music over Billboard charting holiday tunes.  Except The Beach Boys' "Little Saint Nick" because, well, THE BEACH BOYS.  Brian Wilson's genius idea to create surfer Christmas music with killer harmonies means The Beach Boys win Christmas every year.


8. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine by Bob Dylan

Keith Says: In typical Dylan fashion, we get the familiar themes of Universal wrongness and anti-establishmentarianism shrouded in heavily internalized lyrics that leave themselves open to numerous interpretations.  My interpretation recommends viewing The Green Mile immediately before listening to this particular song.

Brian Says; Did I mention I love singer-songwriters?  Bob Dylan is one of those.  You may have heard of him.  This one is on John Wesley Hardin, which was a return to acoustic roots-type music for Bobby D.  It is one of the best on the album.


7. St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) by John Parr

Misty Says: Who hasn't felt like a prisoner trying to break free?  According to every coming-of-age movie made during the Reagan era, we are all prisoners of society's expectations and our failure to meet those expectations.  With "St. Elmo's Fire," John Parr delivers an anthem of hope for surviving the 80's.

Brian Says: Remember when I told you I was a fan of singer-songwriters?  Well, with that being the case, I am not a big fan of 80's pop music.  When it was bad, it was REALLY bad.  However, sometimes your brain just can't deny cleverly crafted synth-filled goodness.  This is one of those times.  Short of the number one song on this list, I am not sure that there is more well-known "saint" song.  I'm glad it made the list, if for nothing else than the rad video.

Keith Says: Somewhere, someone is wearing a headband and training (possibly montage-style) to beat the evil preps or jocks or prep-jocks.  And this song is most certainly playing in the background.


6. St. Augustine in Hell by Sting

Keith Says: Leave it to Sting to write a pop song - a love song no less (at least, I think it's a love song) - built around a keyboard jazz riff.  In an unfriendly time signature.  About a philosopher from the Dark Ages.  With a Luciferian monologue in the middle.  And yet, it works soooo well...

Brian Says: Boo me now if you must, but I'm just not a Sting guy.  Call me uncultured if you will.  It isn't that I don't get that the man is brilliant.  I know he is, and I can listen to a song and confirm that fact.  It just isn't the type of music I prefer to listen to.  That said, after listening to this song, I told myself, "Dude, you should really listen to Sting more."  I'm going to do that, but first I think I will watch Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels again.  Baby steps.

Misty Says: Okay, so I ran out of time to construct my brilliant argument for why every music lover needs to know this song.  Allow me at least to submit an exhibit list for the defense.  Exhibit 1: Sting - at his solo career peak.  Exhibit 2: 7/8 time signature.  Exhibit 3: Vincent Price-esque soliloquy.  Exhibit 4: Theme - homicidal ideation.  Exhibit 5. That organ solo!


5. St. Stephen by The Grateful Dead

Keith Says:  When I think of The Dead, I think of jangly and loose psychedelic-folk acoustic guitars .  And those are definitely here.  I would not have called the freaky organ breakdown, but it does not come a surprise.  What does come as surprise (to great effect) is the shift that happens when an overdrive pedal gets stomped and power chords ring out.  Put that alongside some well-timed gutteral howls and "St. Stephen" is a very unique beast indeed.

Brian Says: I can take The Grateful Dead in small doses.  The ones I like, I really like, and this is one of my favorite Dead songs.  I love lyrics and "Talk about your plenty, talk about your ills / One man gathers what another man spills" are good lyrics.  The song just drives, man.  I mean you get get lost in the groove.  Wikipedia says: "The song also makes reference to the last days and the trial of the first century AD saint, Stephen, the first martyr  of the New Testament of the Bible, who was stoned to death."  Wow, man.  That's heavy.

Misty Says: While I will readily admit this is not a song to convert the non-Deadhead (the Undeadhead?), "St. Stephen" delivers the psychedelic, genre-bending sound that has made The Grateful Dead one of the most beloved bands with a fan base bordering on zealots (but in a good way).  "St. Stephen appears on Aoxomoxa, but if you are listening to the studio version then you have missed the point of The Grateful Dead.  Most Deadheads agree that the earlier live performances (1968-1970) are the best.


4. It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City by Bruce Springsteen

Keith Says: The build on this song is amazing.  It begins with a simple acoustic guitar chord and a snare drum.  But just like the best Dusty Springfield tunes, they give you a feeling that something great is about to happen.  Next comes some nasty R&B vamping on the piano and it all goes up another notch.  And then we get the first line of the song and there's no turning back.  "I had skin like leather and the diamond-hard look of a cobra."  The sermon has begun; let us all say, "Amen!"

Brian Says: In 1972, Bruce Springsteen took a handful of songs to Columbia and Clive Davis.  This was one of those songs.  This is one of the songs that launched The Boss' career.  It isn't one of Springsteen's best songs, but given what this list is, and what the song represents historically, it belongs here.  Also, I'm a Springsteen fanboy (stay tuned for that).  So, if I have an opportunity to put Springsteen on a list, I'm going to do it.  If John Prine had a "saint" song, I would have lobbied for his inclusion too.  Have I mentioned I like singer-songwriters?


3. St. James Infirmary Blues by Various Artists

Brian Says of the White Stripes Version: This is a classic song.  I love depressing, and, by George, it doesn't get much more depressing than death.  I was to review the Jack White Version.  Jack White is a brilliant mad scientist.  That is all.

Misty Says of the Cab Calloway Louis Armstrong Version: I had this really cool idea that each of us take a particular version of this song to review.  I was supposed to review the Cab Calloway version.  I had trouble finding Cab's rendition on Youtube, so I clicked on Louis Armstrong's just to check it out.  GAME OVER.  Instantly, I regretted being at a computer surrounded by fluorescent light.  This song is meant for a dark, smoky room and a shot of bourbon.  Louis gives his trumpet a heart only  to break it, and each heart within earshot.

Keith Says of the Van Morrison Version: Stemming from the same cycle of folk songs as "Streets of Laredo," we get another classic tale of dying too young.  In some versions, it's due to a life of gambling and drinking; others paint a less dignified picture.  "St. James Infirmary Blues" has been covered by everybody from Josh White to Jack White.  But for my money, it's almost impossible to beat Van Morrison when he sinks his teeth into something he likes.


2. St. Cajetan by Cracker

Misty Says: I confess.  I have a crush on David Lowery.  But it is Johnny Hickman's red hot love affair with his Les Paul in the opening minute and a half of "St. Cajetan" that creates the very thirst David laments within the lyrics.  Cracker then sends our parched musical palette into a slow, cool, thirst-quenching groove, thereby satisfying the need they themselves created.

Brian Says: This song begins with a great acoustic riff, some sweet leads on an electric, and a subtle hi-hat.  Then, with a cool drink of water, Cracker punches you in the face.  When this happens, I dare you not to bob your head forward with just a touch of aggression.  I love this song.  There is nothing musically superior about it, but it is simple, raw, dirty, and mean.  It is my favorite song on the list.  Also, Keith once texted me "this room is hot and all I want is a cool drink of water."  I was listening to this song.  I swear to you, it was creepy.

Keith Says:  What do you get when you filter the blues through Cracker's unique punk rock / alt. country aesthetic?  Pure bliss, that's what.


1. When the Saints Go Marching In by Various Artists (but, c'mon, we all know we're talking about the Louis Armstrong version)

Brian Says: I am  pretty sure there isn't anything that can be said about this song that hasn't been said before.  I had this really funny joke about how this used to be the theme song for Family Matters before they switched it to that godawful one.  Then I realized I was confused.  It was Louis Armstrong, but it was "What a Wonderful World."  Ah, hell, I'm going with it.  So, what DID happen to the youngest daughter?  I mean she just disappears, and NO one seems to discuss it.  I had to google what happened to her.  I had to know what she is doing now.  Do yourself a favor and do the same.  Ahhh, those wacky child actors.  (Note: This wasn't the original joke, but after I googled her, the joke changed."

Keith Says: My favorite memory of New Orleans is wandering the streets of the French Quarter and perpetually coming across a brass band blaring this song.  It never got old because this is one of those songs that reaches deep into our souls and finds that shiny magic spot.  It is a NOLA tradition to play "The Saints" as a slow dirge on the way to a burial, and then play it as a triumphant swing number on the way back from the funeral.  I can't imagine a better way to go.

Misty Says: "When the Saints..." not only makes our countdown, but it holds the number one spot because it is the quintessential Gospel song.  Gospel music, at least as I define the genre, ignites the spirit within and every rendition of the song I ever experience lifts my spirit, quells my uncertainties and sparks my joy.  From the foot-stomping Holiness church of my youth to the local dive bar stage, and everywhere in-between (including, of course, the streets of New Orleans), this song always sets my hands to clappin' and my hips to shakin'.

It Has to Start with Chuck Berry

It has to start with Chuck Berry.  There are no two ways about it.  Chuck Berry is the nexus, the convergence of all the music that came before him - blues, R&B, jazz, country, folk and even bluegrass.  He is the epicenter and the inspriation of soooo many musical ideas that followed.

First off, there's the sound.  Granted, there had been melodic guitar lines before in the blues and in country, but the guitar riff was officially born in 1955 when slender fingers danced across the neck of a Gibson ES and pounded out the opening notes of Maybellene.  After that, he turned it into an art form.  It can be easy to forget how different Chuck Berry sounded than anyone else, because so many guitarists sound like Chuck Berry in his aftermath.  He wrote in odd keys.  He took the established blues progression and shifted it slightly, yet definitively.  And his songs still hold up.  I cringe every time I hear Rock around the Clock because it has not stood the test of time well.  I, however, will still get up and dance (or at least boogie in my seat) whenever I hear Roll Over Beethoven. 

And then, there are the lyrics.  The man always has a story to tell, and usually in a very folksy sort of way.  Just listen to the what's going on in the song Memphis, Tennessee.  Tutti Fruitti, it ain't.  There are also usually a whole lot of syllables jammed in to boot.  They always just flow out, but if you stop and count them, there are a LOT of sounds coming at you.  Promised Land is a great example.

And then, there is the showmanship.  Chuck Berry introduced the world to the idea of a "signature move."  His onstage antics drove co-headliner Jerry Lee Lewis to set his piano on fire.  A decade later, they led Jimi Hendrix to set his guitar on fire like a sacrificial lamb and pray to the gods of rock and roll.  To put it briefly, the world has never been the same since Chuck Berry first duck-walked across the stage during a solo, and we're all better off for it.  Of course, that spectacle isn't just limited to the live show.  You can hear it on the record.  There is a genuine swagger in the sound of Nadine.

Chuck Berry is the event horizon for modern popular music.  Chuck Berry is the alma mater.  It has to start with Chuck Berry.