Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley

From the opening shave-and-a-haircut syncopation of the title track, this 1958 debut unleashed one of the most durable rhythmic foundations in popular music. Bo Diddley built his own rectangular guitars, cranked tremolo effects to sea-sick extremes and turned maracas into lead rhythm instruments alongside Jerome Green. Cuts like Who Do You Love? and I'm a Man do not sound polite or retro; they are hypnotic, stomping street voodoo that still sounds wilder than most modern garage rock.