Date: Jul 21, 1973
Weeks: 2
I couldn't find any embeddable versions of the original recording, so I embedded that live performance instead. If anything, I think the song is improved by the simpler orchestration and raw energy of the live performance.
Not that there's a lot wrong with the studio recording. At its core, this is a bouncy guitar, bass, drum and piano tune, and it's a lot of fun. I like the bass breakdown near the bridge. It has a very jazz-like string bass feel to it. The jaunty piano has a bit of a ragtime feel to it. And the guitar feels like a blues song. All of that combined with the lyrics left me with the impression that the song was about a gangster in 1930s Chicago. But I guess that's not accurate.
As far as I can tell, that interpretation wasn't intentional. Leroy Brown was supposed to be a contemporary character, who was known for being the big, mean guy who pushed people around to get what he wanted. It's a well-paced story. It sets up Leroy as tough, describes how intimidating a character he is, and then tells the story of his comeuppance at the hands of someone bigger and meaner than he is. It's a good story, and I can't really find any fault with the lyrics to pick at.
I think the recording is a bit overproduced, though. There's too much unnecessary use of background singers. This should just be simply performed by a small group, like in the live performance, rather than by a massive chorus. I actually kind of like some of the background shouts that make the song feel like it's being performed in a music hall to a tough, indifferent crowd. But the chorus singing along contradicts that and makes it feel like it's being recorded in a studio.
My verdict: Like it. Overall, I think the overproduction issues are pretty minor, and don't disrupt the fun.
Yeah, I always thought this was about someone in the 1930s, too. The music really sets that tone. Also, I think I always heard the lyric as "South Side old Chicago" instead of "South Side of Chicago."
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