Excuses aside, I'll get back into my routine this week for sure, so I figured I'd go with a little staple for today. Gotta love Chuck Berry, and being a Stones fan I appreciate his influence all the more. At heart, I'm a Mick Taylor fan. I still believe he was the Stones most promising guitarist, but being that Keith lasted through the years, the flavor of Chuck has always been one strum away.
I enjoy the Rolling Stones version of Route 66, I think its a classic take on the song itself. But Chuck Berry's rendition is my favorite, hands down. The song itself was written as a popular R&B standard in 1946 by Bobby Troup, and first recorded by Nat King Cole that same year. Berry covered it in '61, and the Stones in '64. Obviously there are similarities in the Berry's and The Rolling Stones versions, but I like Berry's tempo, and the piano is marvelous, assumedly played by Johnnie Johnson (Berry's piano men through 1973).
Many artists have covered this song through the years, and I've heard quite a few versions. Depeche Mode even covered it (and they only covered three songs in their entire career), not that their version is really any good. It's a little too...Duran Duran - "Hungry Like The Wolf" for me, which is not what this song needs. The song is an American staple, and my guess is it will continue to be covered for years to come. However, I think you'll need to reach out to the past to find the best quality versions of this one.
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