"Love Is A Secret" is s soulful, languid mid-tempo R&B tune with doo-wop roots, a brilliant Diddley vocal performance, 'oo-ee-oo' backing harmonies, and some nice guitar tone. "Congo," really an instrumental version of Diddley's previous "Road Runner," is another Bo/Peggy guitar work-out, and a fine one at that, mixing a Chicago blues sound with Memphis-styled rockabilly riffs. A long-forgotten B Side, "Call Me (Bo's Blues)" is a strong Chicago-styled barn-burner with some trembling guitarplay and Diddley's infrequent, albeit entertaining use of the violin as a lead instrument.
The Reverend's Bottom Line
Unless you're already a major league Bo Diddley fan, the collection of alternate takes, home studio demos, and instrumentals on Ride On: The Chess Masters, 1960-1961 might seem like sheer sonic overkill. For the "newbie," I'd recommend Diddley's The Definitive Collection instead, which offers up 20 red-hot tracks, including his influential R&B chart hits.
If you are a rabid fan, however, you should definitely add Ride On to your music shelf alongside the similar and chronological I'm A Man and Road Runner sets. Ride On: The Chess Masters, 1960-1961 provides a complete portrait of an otherwise too-often overlooked period of the great Bo Diddley's career. (Hip-O Select, released June 5, 2009)
