BO DIDDLEY – “THE BLACK GLADIATOR” (1970)
Dusty Groove sez:
“One of Bo Diddley’s best funky albums! This one’s a powerhouse of original tracks, played by Bo with a heavy rockin’ group, and some very dope arrangements that bring out the best of his funky side. We don’t know who’s playing drums, but they’ve got a nice heavy handed approach that makes these tracks really boom!…Proof that Bo was still a major player at this later point in his career!“
Anyone expecting more of the same from Bo must’ve been aghast at his funk transformation. The before-and-after is almost as startling as Miles Davis’ from around the same time. Side 1 is the stronger of the two here, with the sultry, slinking “Power House” and the explosive album opener “Elephant Man”. Side 2 shows off Bo’s misogynist streak with “Shut Up, Woman”, one of Bo’s more repulsive tracks.
I only wish that I could find a bigger LP cover scan for you, because in it you can see in detail Bo’s “shirt”, a proto-S&M overalls getup made entirely out of pant belts! This guy wasn’t fucking around.
http://diddywah.lunarpages.net/pix/BoDiddley.jpg
Thanks a bunch for this. I didn’t even know Bo went through a funk period, which I guess means I don’t know diddley about him.
this LP is GREAT. beats “Electric Mud” hands down.
Thanks for this! Now, out of Bo’s 70′s output, there’s only Big Bad Bo left for me to find. With my meagre salary, I think I’ll check out if there’s a copy sold cheap somewhere.
I followed this link because of Capt Beefheart, and read further to check out the writing. Coincidentally, as I was reading this post about the Bo Diddley record, Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes was in our store purchasing said Bo Diddley masterpiece.
This page has a bigger image of the cover, and it hasn’t expired (yet).
http://flabbergasted-vibes.blogspot.com/2008/08/bo-diddley-black-gladiator-1970.html