Bo Diddley - The Black Gladiator '1970; 2012

Tracks list

It was four years between the release of Bos last album of all-new cuts, 500\%
More Man, and this album, during which time hed spent time recording with Chess
top bluesmen, Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf. The death of Leonard Chess in
October of 1969 resulted in the sale of the label to the GRT corporation, and
cost the company what little artistic guidance it had. The result was The Black
Gladiator, an attempt to reshape Bo into a funk artist, in the manner of Sly and
the Family Stone. As an experiment its understandable, and Bo tries very hard
(even making another song-length sexual boast on You, Bo Diddley, which also
ends with a great guitar/organ duet between Bo and Bobby Alexis), but he finally
fails to find a groove that works. Despite some good guitar here and there, this
record falls into the same category as Muddys Electric Mud and After the Rain
albums, and Howlin Wolfs New Album, all of which attempted to transform each
into a psychedelic rocker. Power House is a pretty good cut, using a modified
Muddy Waters-Im a Man/Mannish Boy beat and lyrics. Much of the rest is for
absolute completists only, however.

Tracklist:
4:31 | 01. Bo Diddley - Elephant Man
3:17 | 02. Bo Diddley - You, Bo Diddley
2:50 | 03. Bo Diddley - Black Soul
2:52 | 04. Bo Diddley - Power House
3:11 | 05. Bo Diddley - If the Bibles Right
2:47 | 06. Bo Diddley - Ive Got a Feeling
3:48 | 07. Bo Diddley - Shut Up, Woman
3:57 | 08. Bo Diddley - Hot Buttered Blues
3:10 | 09. Bo Diddley - Funky Fly
3:11 | 10. Bo Diddley - I Dont Like You

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