Bo Diddley - I'm A Man: The Chess Masters 1955-1958 (2007)

Fans have been waiting a long time for Bo Diddley to get the serious attention and reissue campaign he deserves. What a delight it is to find oneself listening to disc one of "I'm A Man: The Chess Masters 1955 - 1958", witnessing previously unheard primal ooze from the very creation of rock 'n' roll, happy as a baby that, thanks to context and previously unheard and historically crucial material - including two alternate versions of 'Bo Diddley ' itself, each surprisingly different from the other AND from the final master we all know and love - it all absolutely sounds so new again, so urgent, and so pleasureable, not the least bit academic or 'interesting' in the way you might expect when you notice a boxed set by a major artist includes several previously ureleased alternate takes.

Tracklist:

CD 1
1. Bo Diddley [Alternate 1][#] (2:48)
2. I'm A Man [Alternate Take] (3:05)
3. Little Girl [Alternate Take] (2:35)
4. Bo Diddley [Alternate 2][#] (2:32)
5. Bo Diddley (2:44)
6. I'm A Man (2:59)
7. Little Girl (2:32)
8. You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care) (2:47)
9. Diddley Daddy (2:26)
10. She's Fine, She's Mine (2:42)
11. Pretty Thing (2:49)
12. Heart-O-Matic Love [Partial/Alternate] (1:47)
13. Heart-O-Matic Love (2:46)
14. Bring It To Jerome [Unedited Version] (2:40)
15. Bring It To Jerome (2:28)
16. Spanish Guitar (4:11)
17. Dancing Girl (2:21)
18. Diddy Wah Diddy (2:29)
19. I'm Looking For A Woman (2:31)
20. I'm Bad (3:16)
21. Love Is Strange [#] (2:39)
22. Who Do You Love (2:28)
23. Cops & Robbers (3:25)
24. Down Home Special (3:12)

CD 2
1. Hey! Bo Diddley (2:11)
2. Mona (2:20)
3. Say Boss Man [Undubbed Alternate] (2:37)
4. Say Boss Man (2:31)
5. Run Diddley Daddy [Early Version][#] (3:42)
6. Before You Accuse Me (3:04)
7. Say Man [Alternate Take][#] (2:56)
8. Say Man (3:12)
9. Hush Your Mouth [Alternate Take] (3:05)
10. Hush Your Mouth (2:54)
11. Bo's Guitar (2:32)
12. Dearest Darling [Alternate Take] (3:00)
13. Dearest Darling (2:51)
14. The Clock Strikes Twelve (2:58)
15. Willie & Lillie (2:16)
16. Our Love Will Never Go [#] (2:40)
17. Bo Meets The Monster (3:06)
18. I Love You So [First Version] (2:30)
19. The Great Grandfather (2:28)
20. Crackin' Up (2:05)
21. Don't Let It Go (2:43)
22. I'm Sorry (2:25)
23. Oh Yea (3:07)
24. Blues, Blues (2:54)