Beep Beep

I thought of titling this post with the more obvious "Who Do You Love?" but, since "Roadrunner" was always my favorite Bo Diddley song, and it seems like a proper send-off for the guitar great, I'm going with the "Beep Beep" instead.

Hearing today that Diddley had died wasn't surprising (the last time I saw him was years, years ago, and he looked a little shaky then), but it put me in a reflective mood. I first learned of Bo Diddley reading an interview with Joe Strummer, who cited him as a big influence. A little later, I got a double live album of Diddley (yes, vinyl... this really was back in the day) from my brother as a birthday gift, if memory serves. Or maybe I just stole it from him, like I stole his London Calling album. Remembering the specifics of ownership are a little fuzzy in my middle-aged head, but my reaction to hearing those primal, perfect guitar riffs was not. Wow.

"Roadrunner" was one of the first songs I learned to play on the guitar by ear. Unfortunately, it was also a song I attempted to sing, and I'm sure the neighborhood dogs' ears never recovered from a teenaged girl's shriek of "I'm a roooooooadrunnah, babeee! Beep beep!"

In any case, I don't mean to sound old, but thinking back on Strummer's comments leading me to discover Diddley made me feel that most kids today are getting cheated. With all the interviews I've read in the last decade, I can't think of many rock stars and rappers and pop idols who really reach back and reference someone as an influence, unless that individual is appearing on their new album, has just died or is on the same label and said interviewee has been told to shill for them. It's unfortunate to think about all the great music being lost because its maker doesn't have a Facebook page.

So thanks, Joe. Introducing me to Bo Diddley is something else I have to thank you for. And thanks, Bo, for your music. Maybe you and Joe are jamming together up there in that Great Gig in the Sky along with Layne Staley, Syd Barret, Pete Farndon, James Honeyman-Scott and Keith Moon. Oh, wait a minute. That would sound horrible. But wherever you are, I owe you one.