by Bill Dahl
Bo Diddley shared this 1964 Chess album with his labelmate, Chuck Berry. They duel it out on a pair of incredibly lengthy instrumentals (brilliantly titled &Chuck's Beat& and &Bo's Beat&) that get tiresome long before they run their full course. Better (and briefer) are two numbers where they don't cross paths -- Diddley's rendering of &When the Saints Go Marching In,& and Berry's amazing country breakdown &Liverpool Drive.& A couple of bonus Bo Diddley sides (&Stay Sharp& and &Stinkey,&) also make this digital re-incarnation worth acquiring.