It occurred to me just now that it might be fun to put 'em up in order. And this 1973 version of Maybellene, during the height of Chuck Berry's post London Sessions revival, is just about perfect. It's got everything. First, watch Chuck play "stump the band" on national teenage primetime television. There's no backup at all for at least ten seconds. The bass player looks to the piano player. No one plays. They're trying to guess the key. Then you hear some tinkling keys and the bass player starts relaxing. I'm not sure even the drummer starts for the first several bars.
Then you get a great duckwalk, a great (and pretty authentic) solo, and even the extra verse.
I remember this as the glory days. My hero (I had discovered him just a few years prior) had made yet another comback. He was the big thing. Of course, he still is.
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