Chuck Berry’s final album, CHUCK (and his first studio album since 1979), will be released June 16, one last compilation of new music from the sensational entertainer who performed until the very end. CHUCK’s first two tracks have been released so far, both with alliterative titles—“Big Boys,” and now “Wonderful Woman.”
Some musicians get slammed for not evolving enough, but Berry’s greatest strength was always the consistency of his sound, his reliance on the structure classic riffs and motifs that one never tires of hearing. That’s heard here at the start of “Wonderful Women,” which carefully details the aesthetic appeal of a woman he’s intrigued by with the same detail as “Sweet Little Sixteen” did. And the start of “Big Boys” brings back a similar guitar lick heard the top of songs like “Roll Over Beethoven,” its reminiscing about being young explored on songs like “School Days.”
And as is the way, joining Berry on CHUCK are his son and grandson, reeling and rocking and... well, you know the song.