Bo Knows What He’s Doin’
On Sunday, January 14, 2007 Richie Unterberger of All Music Blind says of Bo Diddley’s album "Ain't It Good to Be Free"
“At this point, Diddley began displaying a social conscience in his lyrics, and these efforts, while well-meaning, are uniformly embarrassing”
Embarrassing to whom Richie Unterberger?
Au contraire, Mr. McDaniel is extremely proud of “Ain’t It Good to Be Free”
and not only do you not get it, Mr. Richie Unterberger, you CAN’T get it!
Richie Unterberger says: ““Ain’t It Good To Be Free” has no wit or sense of purpose”
In "I Don't Want Your Welfare" Bo said: “If you wanna give me something, give me a job”
Richie Unterberger says: "I Don't Want Your Welfare" might have been compelling in third-person anecdotal form rather than first-person invective.
Skyntyte says: What? First of all, Ellas is putting himself in BOTH positions at the same time which allows the listener the same opportunity; to be an instigator and follower simultaneously. Bo is the voice of the people proclaiming to the powers that be “I don’t want a hand out and I am ready, willing and able to do my share and be a positive influence in society.”
Richie unterberger says:
“Oddly enough, (Bo’s) only Top 20 pop hit was an atypical, absurd back-and-forth rap between him and Jerome Green, "Say Man," that came about almost by accident as the pair were fooling around in the studio.”
Skyntyte says:
Righto Wrongo reindeer breath!
“Say Man” was neither an accident nor a product of fooling around in the studio.
It was Bo’s way of:
- Showing the Chess brothers the unique quality of he and Mr. Green’s adlib-abilities as performing artists.
- Showing the Chess Brothers how He and Jerome could take what they did on the street, to the stage in the form of a musical and
- Bo is paying tribute to black radio personalities Pigmeat Markham and Mom’s Mabley and
- Bo wanted to bring the black experience of “ playin’ the dozens” to mainstream America so that through humor, mainstream Americans might feel a sense of familiarity with their Black-American counterparts. In other words, we are all just people. Bo knows what he’s doing!
Bo did produce a catalog of classics that rival Chuck Berry's in quality. "Bo Diddley,"
"Diddley Daddy," "Pretty Thing," "Diddy Wah Diddy," "Who Do You Love?," "Mona," "Road Runner," "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover" are standards but some of his most delicious work is self-produced. “This Should Not Be” and “Breakin’ Thru The B.S.” are fantastic examples of Bo’s ability as a musician/singer.
Songs From Ain’t It Good To Be Free:
1. Ain't It Good To Be Free
2. Bo Diddley Put The Rock In Rock'N'Roll
3. Gotta Be Change
4. I Don't Want Your Welfare
5. Mona, Where's Your Sister
6. Stabilize Yourself
7. I Don't Know Where I've Been
8. I Ain't Gonna Force It On You
9. Evil Woman
10. Let The Fox Talk
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