Customer Reviews

Chuck Berry: The Autobiography

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have finally gotten around to reading Chuck's story, 20 years after it was written. I was moved by his honesty, by his lyricism, by his compelling story and complicated life. Blues and Rock and Race in America... not an easy subject to understand, nor a smooth journey. But Mr. Berry tells it as he lived it and as he remembers it, rough edges and all. I was intrigued by his writing style, as poetic and heartfelt, even obtuse at times, as the lyrics for his songs. One of the attributes I look for in an autobiography is, when I have finished reading it, if I have a better understanding of the person. Why he is like he is, what the forces were and are that shaped his life. In this book, my answer is an unqualified "yes." I'm glad he wrote it. I'm even happier I read it.

I love Chuck Berry and was eager to read his memoirs. I came away with mixed feelings.

I liked that he tells stories about writing his greatest songs. That was a good chapter. Also intriguing were his scrapes with racism, his (many) dalliances with women over the years, and his prison terms in the early-60s and late-70s. Does he reveal everything? Of course not. No autobiography does, but he can be candid.

What I didn't like was Chuck's clumsy writing style with run-on sentences, use of arcane words when simpler ones would've sufficed, and weird changes in active/passive voice. His style comes off as pretentious and distracts the reader from what he's trying to say. (I actually preferred Springsteen's foreword which told a good story in clear terms.)

For hardcore Berry fans, really.

Like most autobiographies, Chuck's is rather self serving, and his writing style may dismay some, but hey, this is a rock and roll legend, not an English major.
Chuck writes about his early musical influences by performers such as Louis Jordan, his meeting with Muddy Waters, and how he came to write many of his hits. The origin of the famous "duck walk" is told and Chuck tells about his brushes with the law.
I am not alone in my opinion that he is the most important R&R figure of the twentieth century. I believe it was John Lennon who said that if you needed another name for R&R it could be Chuck Berry, most fans will thoroughly this book.

Chuck Berry is Rock & Roll! This book tells his story from his perspective. While reading his words you get a very good understanding of the consummate lyricist of early Rock & Roll. Every rocker should read about the life of one of rock & roll's greatest showmen. Without Chuck Berry & Elvis, we'd all be listening to elevator music.

This book is a fascinating autobiography from Chuck Berry (founder of Rock & Roll). This account covers everything from his invention of the "Duck Walk" to his inspiration for "Johny Be Good". He is not only a wild man on stage but off the stage as well. This book gives the reader a first hand look into his life before and during his famous career. This witty account is interesting and enjoyable for large fans (like myself) or even people who have never heard of him. He could play a guitar just like ringing a bell.........

This book gives a glimpse into the complicated mind of a true one of a kind musician.

You will either come out of this book saying that man is a sex maniac,or you will say to yourself at least he is honest.Whatever option you may choose,the facts remain the same,CHUCK BERRY more than anybody else is the one who helped shaped rock music the way we came to understand it.After all,what is rock but sex put to music.You may beleive that my definition is simplistic,but if you think about it,it is not far from the truth.Still parts of this book(and i do not consider myself a puritan)shocked me,and i am sure some of you will feel the same.Do we really need to know about his sexual prowess that unfortunately proves that the man has an ego bigger than CASANOVA?I still like CHUCK BERRY's music a lot,but CHUCK BERRY the man is a big disapointment.He at least recognizes that MUDDY WATERS is responsible for his recording career at CHESS records ,and that LOUIS JOURDAN was his favorite singer.To resume,i must say that if you choose not to read this book,i won't blame you.There are better autobiographies on the market. (...)