Pop Talk by George Varga

Chuck Berry has made some of the greatest records in the history of rock 'n' roll, although he did not — for the record — create rock 'n' roll alone.

That heady feat, which irrevocably changed music and pop culture, was a cooperative effort. It was shared by Little Richard, Bo Diddley and such equally pivotal (if comparatively overlooked) African-American artists as Louis Jordan, Ike Turner, Ruth Brown, Fats Domino, Esquerita and dozens more. Together, they paved the way for Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Prince, recent Grammy Award-winner Bruno Mars and countless others who built upon the foundation of these pioneering artists.

Alas, nearly all the first wave of rock 'n' roll creators have passed. Apart from Berry, 84, only Richard, Domino and Price are still alive, and neither actively performs.

That is one reason to celebrate the fact Berry still performs regularly at Blueberry Hill's Duck room in his native St. Louis, as well as still hitting the road for periodic out-of-town concerts. At home or away, fans should welcome the rare opportunity to catch one of rock's progenitors, live and up close, in the autumn (if not winter) of his years. Another reason is that, while Berry was a co-founder of rock, his influence was the biggest.

With unmatched wit, vigor and a propulsive beat, his best songs perfectly captured the pulse of teenagers — young love, fast cars adolescent angst — across the United States and beyond. Equally significant was his pivotal role in making the electric guitar the supreme instrument in rock and pop, supplanting piano and saxophone.

Berry's seamless blend of blues, country and R&B created an enduring musical template. In the process, he captured a nationwide audience of young white fans at a time when much of the U.S. was still segregated. These fans were understandably captivated by his ebullient 1955 breakthrough hit, "Maybelline" (an updating of the country song "Ida Red"), and by such subsequent Berry classics as "Roll Over Beethoven," "School Day," "Rock & Roll Music," the autobiographical "Johnny B. Goode" and a slew of others.

In the words of John Lennon: "If you tried to give rock 'n' roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry."

Bob Dylan, saluting Berry in a 2009 interview, said: "In my universe, Chuck is irreplaceable. ... All that brilliance is still there, and he's still a force of nature. As long as Chuck Berry's around, everything's as it should be."

Commenting in 2004 on "Johnny B.

Goode," Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry told Rolling Stone: "If you want to play rock 'n' roll, you have to start here." Rolling Stone, incidentally, ranked "Johnny B. Goode" as No. 1 in its issue devoted to the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time."

There is little doubt Berry will play "Johnny B. Goode," his signature song, each time he performs. There is also no doubt, sadly, that this mythical artist is decades past his creative heyday.

Berry hasn't released an album of new songs since 1979's "Rock It," his best work since 1965's "Fresh Berry's." But he still performs, albeit with wildly varying results.

For reasons known only to him, Berry steadfastly refuses to do pre-concert sound checks, a move that would ensure decent audio quality. On stage, he seemingly prefers his guitar to be out of tune and starts and stops his songs on a whim.

He also expects the members of the local backing band hired in each city to be telepathic, since he always declines to rehearse with them and never provides a set list of the songs to be performed. He also seems averse to venues with large video screens.

The resulting concerts are alternately wince-inducing and riveting, fleeting brilliant and more often perverse (sometimes simultaneously). But a legend does as a legend likes, and Chuck Berry is undeniably a legend. With luck, his upcoming shows this year will at offer at least a few potent reminders of the brilliance of a man whose pioneering music helped change the world, literally and figuratively. As for his birthday on Oct. 18, if Berry has any plans for a public celebration, he's keeping them to himself — at least so far.

ROCK 'N' ROLL POET

The first and perhaps greatest rock 'n' roll poet, Chuck Berry in his prime was as adept creating perfectly crafted lyrics as he was classic guitar lines. Here are some favorite Berry couplets:

"As I was motorvatin' over the hill / I saw Maybelline in a Coup de Ville" — "Maybelline" (1955)

"You know, my temperature's risin' / And the jukebox blowin a fuse / My heart's beatin' rhythm / And my soul keeps on singin' the blues / Roll Over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news" — "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956)

"Last time I saw Marie she's waving me goodbye / With 'hurry home' drops on her cheek that trickled from her eye / Marie is only six years old, information please / Try to put me through to her in Memphis Tennessee" — "Memphis" (1963)

"San Francisco, Sacramento / Will I ever go to Los Angeles or San Diego? / To Reading or Fresno? / Needles or Barstow? California, I have so far to go" — "California" (1979)

To find out more about George Varga and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM