Chuck Berry | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Of all the early breakthrough rock & roll artists, none was more important to the development of the music than Chuck Berry. He was its greatest songwriter, the main shaper of its instrumental voice, one of its greatest guitarists, and one of its greatest performers. Quite simply, without him there would be no Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, nor myriad others. There would be no standard "Chuck Berry guitar intro," the instruments clarion call to get the joint rockin in any setting. The clippety-clop rhythms of rockabilly would not have been mainstreamed into the now standard 4/4 rock & roll beat. There would be no obsessive wordplay by modern-day tunesmiths; in fact, the whole history (and artistic level) of rock & roll songwriting would have been much poorer without him. Like Brian Wilson said, he wrote "all of the great songs and came up with all the rock & roll beats." Those who do not claim him as a seminal influence or profess a liking for his music and showmanship show their ignorance of rocks development as well as his place as the musics first great creator. Elvis may have fueled rock & rolls imagery, but Chuck Berry was its heartbeat and original mindset. He was born Charles Edward Anderson Berry to a large family in St. Louis. A bright pupil, Berry developed a love for poetry and hard blues early on, winning a high-school talent contest with a guitar-and-vocal rendition of Jay McShanns big-band number "Confessin the Blues." With some local tutelage from the neighborhood barber, Berry progressed from a four-string tenor guitar up to an official six-string model and was soon working the local East St. Louis club scene, sitting in everywhere he could. He quickly found out that black audiences liked a wide variety of music and set himself to the task of being able to reproduce as much of it as possible. What he found they really liked -- besides the blues and Nat King Cole tunes -- was the sight and sound of a black man playing white hillbilly music, and Berrys showmanlike flair, coupled with his seemingly inexhaustible supply of fresh verses to old favorites, quickly made him a name on the circuit. In 1954, he ended up taking over pianist Johnny Johnsons small combo, and a residency at the Cosmopolitan Club soon made the Chuck Berry Trio the top attraction in the black community, with Ike Turners Kings of Rhythm their only real competition. But Berry had bigger ideas; he yearned to make records, and a trip to Chicago netted a two-minute conversation with his idol Muddy Waters, who encouraged him to approach Chess Records. Upon listening to Berrys homemade demo tape, label president Leonard Chess professed a liking for a hillbilly tune on it named "Ida Red" and quickly scheduled a session for May 21, 1955. During the session the title was changed to "Maybellene" and rock & roll history was born. Although the record only made it to the mid-20s on the Billboard pop chart, its overall influence was massive and groundbreaking in its scope. Finally, here was a black rock & roll record with across-the-board appeal, embraced by white teenagers and Southern hillbilly musicians (a young Elvis Presley, still a full year from national stardom, quickly added it to his stage show), that for once couldnt be successfully covered by a pop singer like Snooky Lanson on Your Hit Parade. Part of the secret to its originality was Berrys blazing 24-bar guitar solo in the middle of it, the imaginative rhyme schemes in the lyrics, and the sheer thump of the record, all signaling that rock & roll had arrived and it was no fad. Helping to put the record over to a white teenage audience was the highly influential New York disc jockey Alan Freed, who had been given part of the writers credit by Chess in return for his spins and plugs. But to his credit, Freed was also the first white DJ/promoter to consistently use Berry on his rock & roll stage show extravaganzas at the Brooklyn Fox and Paramount Theaters (playing to predominately white audiences); and when Hollywood came calling a year or so later, he also made sure that Berry appeared with him in Rock! Rock! Rock!, Go, Johnny, Go!, and Mister RocknRoll. Within a years time, Berry had gone from a local St. Louis blues picker making $15.00 a night to an overnight sensation commanding over a hundred times that, arriving at the dawn of a new strain of popular music called rock & roll. The hits started coming thick and fast over the next few years, every one of them about to become a classic of the genre: "Roll Over Beethoven," "Thirty Days," "Too Much Monkey Business," "Brown Eyed Handsome Man," "You Cant Catch Me," "School Day," "Carol," "Back in the U.S.A.," "Little Queenie," "Memphis, Tennessee," "Johnny B. Goode," and the tune that defined the moment perfectly, "Rock and Roll Music." Berry was not only in constant demand, touring the country on mixed package shows and appearing on television and in movies, but smart enough to know exactly what to do with the spoils of a suddenly successful show business career. He started investing heavily in St. Louis area real estate and, ever one to push the envelope, opened up a racially mixed nightspot called The Club Bandstand in 1958 to the consternation of uptight locals. These were not the plans of your average R&B; singers who contented themselves with a wardrobe of flashy suits, a new Cadillac, and the nicest house in the black section. Berry was smart, with plenty of business savvy, and was already making plans to open an amusement park in nearby Wentzville. When the St. Louis hierarchy found out that an underage hat-check girl Berry hired had also set up shop as a prostitute at a nearby hotel, trouble came down on Berry like a sledgehammer on a fly. Charged with transporting a minor over state lines (the Mann Act), Berry endured two trials and was sentenced to federal prison for two years as a result. He emerged from prison a moody, embittered man. But two very important things had happened in his absence. First, British teenagers had discovered his music and were making his old songs hits all over again. Second, and perhaps most important, America had discovered the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, both of whom based their music on Berrys style, with the Stones early albums looking like a Berry song list. Rather than being resigned to the has-been circuit, Berry found himself in the midst of a worldwide beat boom with his music as the centerpiece. He came back with a clutch of hits ("Nadine," "No Particular Place to Go," "You Never Can Tell"), toured Britain in triumph, and appeared on the big screen with his British disciples in the groundbreaking T.A.M.I. Show in 1964. Berry had moved with the times and found a new audience in the bargain, and when the cries of "yeah-yeah-yeah" were replaced with peace signs, Berry altered his live act to include a passel of slow blues and quickly became a fixture on the festival and hippie ballroom circuit. After a disastrous stint with Mercury Records, he returned to Chess in the early 70s and scored his last hit with a live version of the salacious nursery rhyme "My Ding-A-Ling," yielding Berry his first official gold record. By decades end, he was as in-demand as ever, working every oldies revival show, TV special, and festival that was thrown his way. But once again, troubles with the law reared their ugly head and 1979 saw Berry headed back to prison, this time for income tax evasion. Upon release this time, the creative days of Chuck Berry seemed to have come to an end. He appeared as himself in the Alan Freed biopic American Hot Wax, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but steadfastly refused to record any new material or even issue a live album. His live performances became increasingly erratic, with Berry working with terrible backup bands and turning in sloppy, out-of-tune performances that did much to tarnish his reputation with young and old fans alike. In 1987, he published his first book, Chuck Berry: The Autobiography, and the same year saw the film release of what will likely be his lasting legacy, the rockumentary Hail! Hail! Rock n Roll, which included live footage from a 60th-birthday concert with Keith Richards as musical director and the usual bevy of superstars coming out for guest turns. For the next three decades, Berry devoted himself to the oldies circuit, regularly appearing at the Blueberry Hill restaurant in his hometown of St. Louis and sometimes embarking on tours of the U.S. or Europe. In several interviews he promised the existence of a new record, but nothing was made official until he announced the 2017 release of Chuck on his 90th birthday. Berry didnt live to see its June release: he died at his home on March 18, 2017. For all of his off-stage exploits and seemingly ongoing troubles with the law, Chuck Berry remains the epitome of rock & roll, and his music will endure long after his private escapades have faded from memory. Because when it comes down to his music, perhaps John Lennon said it best, "If you were going to give rock & roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry." | ||
 | Album: 1 of 41 Title: Rock, Rock, Rock: From the Motion Picture Released: 1956-12 Tracks: 12 Duration: 31:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Knew It From the Start (02:03) 2 Would I Be Crying (03:01) 3 Maybellene (02:21) 4 Sincerely (03:12) 5 Thirty Days (02:23) 6 The Vow (02:51) 7 You Can’t Catch Me (02:44) 8 Over and Over Again (01:57) 9 Roll Over Beethoven (02:24) 10 I’ll Be Home (02:52) 11 See Saw (02:24) 12 A Kiss From Your Lips (03:03) |
 | Album: 2 of 41 Title: After School Session Released: 1957-05-01 Tracks: 12 Duration: 33:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 School Days (02:42) 2 Deep Feeling (02:19) 3 Too Much Monkey Business (02:55) 4 Wee Wee Hours (03:04) 5 Roly Poly (02:50) 6 No Money Down (02:58) 7 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (02:17) 8 Berry Pickin’ (02:32) 9 Together (We’ll Always Be) (02:36) 10 Havana Moon (03:08) 11 Downbound Train (02:50) 12 Drifting Heart (02:48) |
| After School Session : Allmusic album Review : Chuck Berrys debut LP is fairly strong musically, as well as having a really cool cover (a still shot of Berry, guitar slung in front of him, from the movie Rock, Rock, Rock!). After School Session was just the second long-player ever issued by Chess -- only the soundtrack to the movie Rock, Rock, Rock! preceded it. This May 1957 release made Berry something of a late-bloomer among rock & rolls foundation performers -- hed had his first recording session two years earlier, in May of 1955, and by the spring of 1957, Bill Haley already had a handful of LPs to his credit, Elvis Presley was gaining on him, and Clyde McPhatters version of the Drifters was represented on album, with numerous others soon to join their ranks. Berry had actually enjoyed only two major pop (i.e. rock as opposed to R&B) chart hits at the time: "Maybellene" in the summer of 1955, and "Roll Over Beethoven," which had just made the Top 30 in the summer of 1956. It was "School Day," the lead-off track here, that heralded his successful 18-month assault on the Top 40, opening a string of hits that included "Rock and Roll Music," "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Johnny B. Goode," and "Carol," and resulted in the release of After School Session -- the title offers curious multiple meanings, incidentally, intended to attract Berrys teen audience in the most innocent of terms (in connection with the rock & roll cuts), but also subtly invoking more daring "extra-curricular" activity in its blues and ballads, and older, post-teen concerns. In those days, as a policy, Chess rock & roll and blues LPs were comprised of previously existing single sides, and, thus, beyond the current single, the songs leap wildly across different sounds and styles -- impromptu blues ("Deep Feeling"), and dance ("Roly Poly," "Berry Pickin"), instrumentals are interspersed with a trio of rock & roll jewels, "Too Much Monkey Business" and "No Money Down," with their accents on the joys and textures of teenage life, which somehow didnt catch on among mainstream listeners as singles, and the piercing, provocative "Brown Eyed Handsome Man," which showed how easily Berry could broach sensitive or provocative material if it were masked by a hot enough beat and loud enough guitar, bass, and drums; and we take detours into blues ("Wee Wee Hours," "Downbound Train"), ballads ("Together (Well Always Be)," "Drifting Heart"), and even calypso music ("Havana Moon"). All of it was recorded in four separate sessions spread across almost two years; the rock & roll numbers and the guitar-driven instrumentals out-class most of the blues and ballads, but theres nothing here that could be classed as "filler," either -- a lot of British Invasion bands wore out copies of these same sides learning their basic repertory, and domestic roots rockers could have done worse than to listen to "Downbound Train" or "No Money Down." | ||
 | Album: 3 of 41 Title: One Dozen Berrys Released: 1958 Tracks: 12 Duration: 34:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:03) 2 Blue Feeling (03:04) 3 Lajuada (03:14) 4 Rocking at the Philharmonic (03:23) 5 Oh Baby Doll (02:37) 6 Guitar Boogie (02:21) 7 Reelin and Rockin (03:18) 8 Ingo (02:29) 9 Rock and Roll Music (02:34) 10 How Youve Changed (02:49) 11 Low Feeling (03:09) 12 It Dont Take but a Few Minutes (02:31) |
| One Dozen Berrys : Allmusic album Review : Chuck Berrys second album is ever so slightly more sophisticated than its predecessor. Although One Dozen Berrys is hooked around a pair of hit singles, "Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Rock & Roll Music," most of whats here doesnt really sound too much like either of those songs -- rather, the other ten tracks each constitute a close-up look at some individual component of the types of music that goes into brewing up the Chuck Berry sound. Thus, the slow instrumental "Blue Feeling" is a look at the blues sound that Berry initially proposed to bring to Chess Records; "How Youve Changed" presents him in a slow ballad, singing in a manner closer to Nat "King" Cole than to any rock & roller of the era; and "Lajaunda" shows off his love of Latin music. "Rocking at the Philharmonic" is a rippling guitar/piano workout, a compendium of the sounds that lay beneath those hit singles, and a killer showcase not only for Berry, but also for Lafayette Leake at the ivories, and also a decent showcase for Willie Dixons bass playing. "Oh Baby Doll" is a return to the beat of "Maybellene," this time carrying a lyric thats more sensual (in a bluesy sense) than rollicking fun, though it comes out that way amid the pounding beat and Berrys crunchy, angular guitar solo. "Guitar Boogie" is yet another guitar instrumental, one of four on this album, leading one to wonder if he was running short of first-rate lyrics in mid-1957, amid his frantic pace of recording and touring -- no matter, for the piece is a killer track, a pumping, soaring working out for Berrys guitar that had some of the most impressive pyrotechnics that one was likely to hear in 1957; whats more, the track was good enough to form the template for Jeff Becks more ornate adaptation, "Jeffs Boogie," from the 1966 album Roger the Engineer (aka The Yardbirds aka Over Under Sideways Down). The best of the albums tracks is easily "Reelin & Rockin," which is also just about the dirtiest song that Berry released in all of the 1950s (and for many years after that), essentially a blues-boogie recasting, on a more overt level, of the extended feats of sexual intercourse alluded to in Bill Haleys "Rock Around the Clock." The one totally weird track here is "Low Feeling," which is nothing but "Blue Feeling" doctored in the studio by Leonard and Phil Chess, slowed down to half speed and edited to create a 12th track -- doing that to the original was bad enough, but sticking it on the same LP with the original was downright bizarre. And the albums closer, "It Dont Take But a Few Minutes," is a reminder of just how much Berry owed to country music for his sound, and explains, to anyone coming in late, how he could have been mistaken for a white hillbilly in those early days, based on the sound of this song and "Maybelline." | ||
 | Album: 4 of 41 Title: Chuck Berry Is on Top Released: 1959-07 Tracks: 12 Duration: 30:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Almost Grown (02:21) 2 Carol (02:48) 3 Maybellene (02:21) 4 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (02:22) 5 Anthony Boy (01:54) 6 Johnny B. Goode (02:40) 7 Little Queenie (02:41) 8 Jo Jo Gun (02:47) 9 Roll Over Beethoven (02:24) 10 Around and Around (02:40) 11 Hey Pedro (01:56) 12 Blues for Hawaiians (03:25) |
| Chuck Berry Is on Top : Allmusic album Review : If you had to sweat all of Chuck Berrys early albums on Chess (and some, but not all, of his subsequent greatest-hits packages), this would be the one to own. The song lineup is exemplary, cobbling together classics like "Maybellene," "Carol," "Sweet Little Rock & Roller," "Little Queenie," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Around and Around," "Johnny B. Goode," and "Almost Grown." With the addition of the Latin-flavored "Hey Pedro," the steel guitar workout "Blues for Hawaiians," "Anthony Boy," and "Jo Jo Gunne," this serves as almost a mini-greatest-hits package in and of itself. While this may be merely a collection of singles and album ballast (as were most rock & roll LPs of the 1950s and early 60s), it ends up being the most perfectly realized of Chuck Berrys career. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 41 Title: Rockin’ at the Hops Released: 1960 Tracks: 12 Duration: 27:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bye Bye Johnny (02:05) 2 Worried Life Blues (02:11) 3 Down the Road a Piece (02:13) 4 Confessin the Blues (02:09) 5 Too Pooped to Pop (02:35) 6 Mad Lad (02:09) 7 I Got to Find My Baby (02:15) 8 Betty Jean (02:30) 9 Childhood Sweetheart (02:44) 10 Broken Arrow (02:22) 11 Driftin Blues (02:19) 12 Let It Rock (01:42) |
| Rockin’ at the Hops : Allmusic album Review : The two classic cuts that bookend this album should be enough to attract the uninitiated -- Berry at his best wrote danceable little "vest-pocket" screenplays dealing with teen life, of which "Bye Bye Johnny" and "Let It Rock" were two of his best; but because theyve been so heavily anthologized, those two cuts dont have the pulling power here that they would have had 40-some years back. So get this record for everything else thats on it -- Rockin at the Hops not only has no filler, but its chock full of records that show off a bluesy side of Berrys output that was never fully appreciated at the time. His version of Big Maceos "Worried Life Blues" shows how good a bluesman Berry mightve been had he been more the Muddy Waters-type player and singer that Chess had been looking for; "Down the Road a Piece," a song written by Don Raye (of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" fame), is a lost Berry single that couldve rated right up there with "Roll Over Beethoven," except that its roadhouse ambience and story line were more mature than a lot of kids mightve embraced in 1959; and Walter Browns "Confessin the Blues" and "Driftin Blues" fit into the same category, Berry the adult bluesman rather than the teen-oriented teaser. "Childhood Sweetheart" is a sequel to "Wee Wee Hours," Berrys very first blues side, lifting a fragment or two from Elmore James "Dust My Broom" for its guitar break. "Too Pooped to Pop" and "Betty Jean," by contrast, are a pair of enjoyably upbeat rock & roll numbers, each featuring uncharacteristic elements, a sax solo on the former, and a male chorus on the latter; in between them is "Mad Lad," an instrumental that presents Berry drifting into what would later be defined as a surf guitar mode -- a quicker tempo would have done it (and does anyone want to bet that a young Carl Wilson didnt wear out a copy or two listening to this track?). | ||
 | Album: 6 of 41 Title: New Juke Box Hits Released: 1961 Tracks: 12 Duration: 29:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Talin About You (01:46) 2 Diploma for Two (02:31) 3 Thirteen Question Method (02:14) 4 Away From You (02:40) 5 Dont You Lie to Me (02:03) 6 Way It Was Before, The (02:52) 7 Little Star (02:47) 8 Route 66 (02:47) 9 Sweet Sixteen (02:46) 10 Run Around (02:33) 11 Stop and Listen (02:28) 12 Rip It Up (01:59) |
| New Juke Box Hits : Allmusic album Review : Chuck Berrys fifth Chess Records album, New Juke Box Hits, was recorded and released in the midst of the legal difficulties that would put him in jail the following year. That distraction seems to have kept him from composing top-flight material, while the attendant publicity adversely affected his record sales, such that the album contained no hits. The included single was "Im Talking About You," later successfully recorded by the Rolling Stones, and the album also contained "The Thirteen Question Method" and "Dont You Lie to Me," worthy minor entries in the Berry canon. Elsewhere, Berry filled out the record covering others hits -- Nat "King" Coles "Route 66," B.B. Kings "Sweet Sixteen," Little Richards "Rip It Up." The result is a good rock & roll set, but not in the same league with Berrys earlier albums. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 41 Title: Twist Released: 1962 Tracks: 14 Duration: 35:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Maybellene (02:21) 2 Roll Over Beethoven (02:24) 3 Oh Baby Doll (02:38) 4 Around and Around (02:40) 5 Come On (01:47) 6 Let it Rock (01:45) 7 Reelin’ and Rockin’ (03:16) 8 School Days (02:42) 9 Almost Grown (02:21) 10 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:02) 11 Thirty Days (02:23) 12 Johnny B. Goode (02:40) 13 Rock and Roll Music (02:32) 14 Back in the USA (02:26) |
 | Album: 8 of 41 Title: More Chuck Berry Released: 1963-12 Tracks: 12 Duration: 02:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (?) 2 Anthony Boy (?) 3 Little Queenie (?) 4 Worried Life Blues (?) 5 Carol (?) 6 Reelin’ and Rockin’ (?) 7 Thirty Days (?) 8 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (?) 9 Too Much Monkey Business (?) 10 Wee Wee Hours (?) 11 Jo Jo Gunne (?) 12 Beautiful Delilah (02:10) |
 | Album: 9 of 41 Title: St. Louis to Liverpool Released: 1964 Tracks: 12 Duration: 31:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Little Marie (02:37) 2 Our Little Rendezvous (02:04) 3 No Particular Place to Go (02:43) 4 You Two (02:11) 5 Promised Land (02:25) 6 You Never Can Tell (02:42) 7 Go Bobby Soxer (03:00) 8 The Things I Used to Do (02:43) 9 Liverpool Drive (02:57) 10 Night Beat (02:45) 11 Merry Christmas, Baby (03:03) 12 Brenda Lee (02:13) |
| St. Louis to Liverpool : Allmusic album Review : This album puts the lie to the popular myth that Chuck Berrys music started to fade away around the same time that the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, et al. emerged covering his stuff. His songwriting is as strong here as ever -- side one is packed with now-familiar fare like "Little Marie" (a sequel to "Memphis, Tennessee"), "No Particular Place to Go," "Promised Land," and "You Never Can Tell," but even filler tracks like "Our Little Rendezvous" and "You Two" are among Berrys better album numbers, the latter showing off the slightly softer pop/R&B side to his music that many listeners forget about. Side two includes a bunch of tracks, including the hard-rocking "Go Bobby Soxer" and the even better "Brenda Lee," the slow blues "Things I Used to Do" (with a killer guitar break), and the instrumentals "Liverpool Drive" and "Night Beat," one fast and the other slow, that never get reissued or compiled anywhere. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 41 Title: Two Great Guitars Released: 1964 Tracks: 8 Duration: 42:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Liverpool Drive (02:56) 2 Chuck’s Beat (10:36) 3 When the Saints Go Marching In (02:53) 4 Bo’s Beat (14:08) 5 Fireball (02:51) 6 Stay Sharp (03:44) 7 Chuckwalk (instrumental) (02:28) 8 Stinkey (02:35) |
 | Album: 11 of 41 Title: Chuck Berry in London Released: 1965 Tracks: 14 Duration: 33:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 My Little Love-Light (02:39) 2 She Once Was Mine (02:27) 3 After Its Over (02:20) 4 I Got a Booking (02:55) 5 Night Beat (02:45) 6 His Daughter Caroline (03:17) 7 You Came a Long Way From St. Louis (02:08) 8 St. Louis Blues (02:39) 9 Jamaica Farewell Song (?) 10 Dear Dad (01:50) 11 Butterscotch (02:43) 12 Song of My Love (02:31) 13 Why Should We End This Way (02:56) 14 I Want to Be Your Driver (02:15) |
| Chuck Berry in London : Allmusic album Review : This album, along with St. Louis to Liverpool and Fresh Berrys, constitutes part of Chuck Berrys lost Chess years, and, for most listeners, a broader "lost period" for Berry. At the time, his music was never more widely copied and covered, courtesy of the British invasion bands streaming into the U.S. in person and on record, yet he couldnt chart a single or get top bookings in the U.S. Chuck Berry in London has its feet planted in 1965, offering harder blues-based numbers like "Why Should We End This Way" and "I Got a Booking," both influenced by Big Bill Broonzy (the latter, in particular, is Berrys rewrite of "Key to the Highway"), along with lean hot rockers like "St. Louis Blues" and the loud, sneering "I Want to Be Your Driver." The latter was a clear influence on Bob Dylans "Obviously Five Believers," and demonstrates that Berry was still an influence on rock & roll as late as 1965. Therein lies the beauty of this record -- it shows Berry evolving as a singer and guitar player, exploring sides of his music and persona in a very contemporary way, and not at all awkwardly. He does revert back to past formula here and there -- "His Daughter Caroline" is the kind of sentimental ballad that Berry used to insert between his classic rock & roll on his early albums, in attempt to break the mood and vary the pacing. "Jamaica Farewell" and the Spanish-flavored "The Song of My Love" are more diverting and successful. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 41 Title: Fresh Berrys Released: 1965 Tracks: 12 Duration: 29:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 It Wasn’t Me (02:34) 2 Run Joe (02:18) 3 Everyday We Rock & Roll (02:11) 4 One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) (02:40) 5 Welcome Back Pretty Baby (02:37) 6 Its My Own Business (02:11) 7 Right Off Rampart Street (02:24) 8 Vaya Con Dios (02:39) 9 Merrily We Rock and Roll (02:10) 10 My Mustang Ford (02:17) 11 Aint That Just Like a Woman (02:14) 12 Wee Hours Blues (03:16) |
| Fresh Berry's : Allmusic album Review : Chuck Berrys last album for Chess, for the next four years, has him back in the U.S., and running smack into the mid-60s blues revival, playing with the likes of Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield (who were beginning a brief but productive association with Muddy Waters around this time). The material varies from first-rate songs ("It Wasnt Me," "My Mustang Ford," "Aint That Just Like a Woman") that sound utterly contemporary, to fascinating experiments ("One for My Baby") and filler like "Everyday We Rock and Roll" and "Merrily We Rock and Roll." He still rocks out, and sounds like hes having a great time playing blues with Bloomfield and Butterfield ("Sad Day-Long Night" etc.), sounding like an old Chicago bluesman, which, ironically, was the direction he chose to go in during his subsequent four-year stint with Mercury Records. He still does some straight rock & roll -- "Its My Own Business" is a great teen rebellion number -- and occasionally indulges his taste for music from the islands ("Run Joe"), in what was essentially an era-closing album, and his last attempt at making a contemporary album with his established sound. Berrys next step was four years of neglect, followed by his rediscovery as an "oldies" act. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 41 Title: Golden Hits Released: 1967 Tracks: 15 Duration: 37:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sweet Little Sixteen (02:14) 2 Memphis (02:08) 3 School Days (02:36) 4 Maybelline (02:35) 5 Back in the U.S.A. (02:27) 6 Around and Around (02:21) 7 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (02:22) 8 Johnny B. Goode (02:45) 9 Rock and Roll Music (02:33) 10 Roll Over Beethoven (02:02) 11 Thirty Days (02:10) 12 Carol (02:24) 13 Let It Rock (01:55) 14 Reelin and Rockin (04:17) 15 Club Nitty Gritty (02:18) |
| Golden Hits : Allmusic album Review : Anyone spotting this album beware. It is not a compilation of hits, but consists of all-"new" (mid-60s) recordings by Chuck Berry of his classic Chess hits for his then-new label, Mercury, with one new song added. The re-recordings wouldnt be a problem, except that Berry and whoever produced this record decided to update his sound, not only mixing it in stereo but also replacing the upright bass on the original hits with much flashier electric bass (played by Forrest Frierson) that screws up the solid rhythm section thats essential for any of this material to work. The addition of a saxophone, courtesy of Carey Enlow, is only a distraction on "Rock & Roll Music," and Berrys efforts at embellishing the lead guitar parts on "Memphis," "Maybellene" (where Johnnie Johnson makes the regrettable decision to play an organ), "Around and Around," and "Roll Over Beethoven" add nothing to the originals and are often downright annoying. "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" almost works in its more laid-back incarnation here, until the band seems to let the beat go completely for a moment. "School Days" also sort of works as a studio recording of the way he was doing it on-stage, and "Reelin and Rockin" is the one track thats 100-percent what it should be, dirtier than the Chess original and the one place where, stylistically, Berry transcends his original work. In one instance, "Back in the U.S.A.," he would have had another passable track but for his gratuitous addition of lots of unenthusiastic "yeah yeah yeah yeah"s between the verses. And based on nearly half the tracks here, one might also add that Berry even seems on this record to have lost any knack for knowing how to end a song. Finally, the one new composition, "Club Nitty Gritty," doesnt measure up to the least of the classics alongside which it appears, and whatever worth the album mightve had is compromised by the stereo mastering, the excessively clean sound, and the echo that drenches Berrys voice. Except for the implicitly salacious "Reelin and Rockin" (which would sound dirty even if sung by a choir of nuns), nothing here approaches the in-your-face raunchiness of Berrys classic Chess sides. Golden Hits was a lousy inaugural effort for his new label. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 41 Title: Chuck Berry in Memphis Released: 1967-09 Tracks: 12 Duration: 30:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Back to Memphis (02:42) 2 I Do Really Love You (02:30) 3 Ramblin Rose (02:36) 4 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (02:14) 5 My Heart Will Always Belong to You (02:41) 6 Oh Baby Doll (02:16) 7 Check Me Out (02:34) 8 It Hurts Me Too (02:59) 9 Bring Another Drink (02:36) 10 So Long (02:44) 11 Goodnight Well Its Time to Go (02:23) 12 Flying Home (02:25) |
| Chuck Berry in Memphis : Allmusic album Review : Chuck Berry in Memphis was the artists first effort to record an album of new material under his contract with Mercury Records -- it followed a blatant cash-in attempt, Golden Hits, on which Berry had cut new versions of his classic Chess Records hits. Recorded over a three-day period in Memphis in March of 1967, the record features Berry mixing blues and pop with rock & roll. None of it is bad, though his version of the Nat King Cole hit "Ramblin Rose" raised a few eyebrows. Much more encouraging were the bluesy "It Hurts Me Too" and "Back to Memphis," and the recut "Sweet Little Rock and Roller." The main problem with the record, however, was that it was too slick-sounding, especially when compared to Berrys classic Chess Records sides -- backed by the Memphis Horns and a contingent of the citys top session musicians, the resulting sides also lacked the inherent "dirtiness" of those earlier sides, as well as a measure of excitement. Still, its not a bad album, and shows that as late as 1967, Berry was still serious about making records. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 41 Title: From St. Louie to Frisco Released: 1968-10 Tracks: 16 Duration: 42:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Louie to Frisco (02:21) 2 Ma Dear (02:16) 3 The Love I Lost (03:03) 4 I Love Her, I Love Her (05:57) 5 Little Fox (03:00) 6 Rock Cradle Rock (01:22) 7 Soul Rockin (02:48) 8 I Can’t Believe (02:45) 9 Misery (02:32) 10 Alomst Grown (Mercury version) (02:27) 11 My Tambourine (02:17) 12 Laugh & Cry (02:30) 13 Oh Captain (02:27) 14 Campus Cookie (02:07) 15 Mum’s the Word (01:29) 16 Song of My Love (03:13) |
| From St. Louie to Frisco : Allmusic album Review : Chuck Berrys fourth in a five-LP set released during his stay at Mercury is only partly successful, with a handful of genuinely good songs -- the rocking "Misery," the rollicking "Mums the Word," and the ravishing "Song of My Love" (maybe the prettiest Spanish, or in this case, Mexican-style number that Berry ever cut) -- interspersed with some far less well-thought-out and executed pieces, such as "The Love I Lost." The album also bore a funny pop culture footnote for containing Berrys first official release of "My Tambourine," a dirty New Orleans-spawned song about what used to be politely called "self-indulgence" that had been in his concert repertory for at least 12 years, which he eventually redid and released, as part of a live concert recording, as "My Ding-A-Ling." | ||
 | Album: 16 of 41 Title: Im a Rocker Released: 1970 Tracks: 9 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tulane (?) 2 Have Mercy Judge (?) 3 Instrumental (?) 4 Christmas (?) 5 Gun (?) 6 Im a Rocker (?) 7 Flyin Home (?) 8 Fish and Chips (?) 9 Some People (?) |
| I'm a Rocker : Allmusic album Review : Contours 1975 release Im a Rocker is a budget-line reissue of Berrys 1970 Chess homecoming album, Back Home -- a very good comeback effort highlighted by the terrific single "Tulane." | ||
 | Album: 17 of 41 Title: Back Home Released: 1970 Tracks: 15 Duration: 52:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Tulane (02:35) 2 Have Mercy Judge (02:40) 3 Instrumental (02:47) 4 Christmas (03:27) 5 Gun (instrumental) (02:45) 6 Im a Rocker (04:34) 7 Flyin Home (04:17) 8 Fish & Chips (02:50) 9 Some People (04:10) 10 Untitled (instrumental) (04:48) 11 My Ding-A-Ling (03:45) 12 Gun (instrumental - Fast) (02:10) 13 Gun (instrumental - Slow) (02:41) 14 Thats None of Your Business (02:22) 15 My Pad (Poem) (06:26) |
| Back Home : Allmusic album Review : Back in Chicago and on Chess, Berry comes back true-to-form, reconstituting his 1950s sound. Berry keeps his reputation for shaping the English language his own way, only in a late 1960s setting. "Tulane" and "Have Mercy Judge" are the two best known songs, but theres not a bad track here, even if none of it is what hes known for. Unfortunately, Berry found the new, more business-like Chess Records--with Leonard Chess no longer running things--less to his liking than the old, and it began to show in some of the recordings, which were simply less inspired than his old work. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 41 Title: San Francisco Dues Released: 1971 Tracks: 10 Duration: 33:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Oh Louisiana (04:30) 2 Lets Do Our Thing Together (02:22) 3 Your Lick (02:35) 4 Festival (04:08) 5 Bound To Lose (03:07) 6 Bordeaux In My Pirogue (02:37) 7 San Francisco Dues (03:25) 8 Viva Viva Rock N Roll (02:02) 9 My Dream (05:59) 10 Lonely School Days (02:59) |
| San Francisco Dues : Allmusic album Review : Chuck Berrys second record for Chess following his return to the label in 1970 is a sincere effort at sounding contemporary that yields mixed results. Parts of it, such as "Oh Louisiana," are moodier, more meandering pieces than one is used to from him, and "Bordeaux in My Pirough" is a not too skillful rewrite of "Jambalaya." Others, such as "Your Lick" and "Festival," are attempts at adapting his classic sound to the tastes and sensibilities of the late 60s/early 70s -- the latter track, the title cut, "Viva Rock & Roll," and "Lonely School Days" are all respectable efforts, if not nearly enough to hang an album around, and none would be out of place on an appropriate anthology covering Berrys post-1965 career. "My Dream (Poem)" shows Berry getting serious (and playing the piano for a change) and presenting a side of himself that is usually masked by his prodigious musical cleverness. For all of its good points, however, too much of San Francisco Dues just isnt that interesting as music, a charge that could never have been leveled at even the poorest of Berrys late-50s work. Ironically, it was his next album, The London Chuck Berry Sessions, that would recharge his commercial batteries, principally by going back to the roots he was drawing on only furtively here. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 41 Title: Chuck Berrys Golden Decade: The Original Two Albums Released: 1972 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:02:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Maybellene (02:21) 2 Deep Feeling (02:19) 3 Johnny B. Goode (02:40) 4 Wee Wee Hours (03:04) 5 Nadine (02:31) 6 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (02:17) 7 Roll Over Beethoven (02:24) 8 30 Days (02:24) 9 Havana Moon (03:08) 10 No Particular Place to Go (02:43) 11 Memphis, Tennessee (02:13) 12 Almost Grown (02:21) 1 School Days (02:42) 2 Too Much Monkey Business (02:55) 3 Oh Baby Doll (02:38) 4 Reelin’ and Rockin’ (03:16) 5 You Can’t Catch Me (02:44) 6 Too Pooped to Pop (02:35) 7 Bye Bye Johnny (02:05) 8 Around and Around (02:40) 9 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:02) 10 Rock and Roll Music (02:32) 11 Anthony Boy (01:54) 12 Back in the USA (02:28) |
 | Album: 20 of 41 Title: St. Louis to Frisco to Memphis Released: 1972 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:18:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Medley: Rockin at the Fillmore / Everyday I Have the Blues (08:28) 2 C.C. Rider (04:09) 3 Driftin Blues (03:50) 4 Feelin It (03:54) 5 Flying Home (02:41) 6 Im Your Hoochie Choochie Man (05:43) 7 It Hurts Me Too (04:34) 8 Fillmore Blues (03:22) 9 Wee Baby Blues (04:06) 10 Johnny B. Goode (02:55) 1 Louie to Frisco (02:20) 2 Ma Dear, Ma Dear (02:15) 3 Soul Rockin (02:43) 4 Check Me Out (02:30) 5 Little Fox (03:02) 6 Back to Memphis (02:39) 7 My Tambourine (02:17) 8 Misery (02:30) 9 Its to Dark in There (03:50) 10 I Do Really Love You (02:28) 11 I Cant Believe (02:40) 12 My Heart Will Always Belong to You (02:34) 13 So Long (02:42) |
 | Album: 21 of 41 Title: Chuck Berrys Golden Decade, Volume 2 Released: 1972 Tracks: 24 Duration: 58:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Carol (02:48) 2 You Never Can Tell (02:42) 3 No Money Down (02:58) 4 Together (We’ll Always Be) (02:36) 5 Mad Lad (02:04) 6 Run Rudolph Run (02:37) 7 Let It Rock (01:54) 8 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (02:17) 9 It Don’t Take but a Few Minutes (02:28) 10 Im Talking About You (01:44) 11 Driftin Blues (02:13) 12 Go Go Go (02:27) 1 Jaguar and the Thunderbird (01:48) 2 Little Queenie (02:38) 3 Betty Jean (alternate take 14) (02:23) 4 Guitar Boogie (02:20) 5 Down the Road Apiece (02:10) 6 Merry Christmas Baby (03:07) 7 The Promised Land (02:16) 8 Jo Jo Gunne (02:39) 9 Dont You Lie to Me (01:57) 10 Rockin at the Philharmonic (03:14) 11 La Juanda (Española) (03:10) 12 Come On (01:43) |
 | Album: 22 of 41 Title: Bio Released: 1973 Tracks: 7 Duration: 32:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bio (04:25) 2 Hello Little Girl Goodbye (03:57) 3 Woodpecker (03:31) 4 Rain Eyes (03:47) 5 Aimlessly Driftin (05:30) 6 Got It and Gone (04:19) 7 Talkin About My Buddy (06:52) |
| Bio : Allmusic album Review : Chuck Berrys 15th new studio album and his follow-up to The London Chuck Berry Sessions demonstrated the fluke nature of its predecessor by missing the charts. Berry told his autobiography in song in the title track and on the brief LPs other six tracks recycled his familiar themes and riffs. The result is an adequate, but inessential collection. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 41 Title: Golden Decade, Volume 3 Released: 1974 Tracks: 24 Duration: 59:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Beautiful Delilah (02:10) 2 Go Bobby Soxer (03:00) 3 I Got to Find My Baby (02:14) 4 Worried Life Blues (02:10) 5 Roly Poly (02:50) 6 Downbound Train (02:50) 7 Broken Arrow (02:22) 8 Confessin’ the Blues (02:10) 9 Drifting Heart (02:48) 10 Ingo (instrumental) (02:28) 11 Man and the Donkey (02:05) 12 St. Louis Blues (02:05) 1 Our Little Rendezvous (02:04) 2 Childhood Sweetheart (02:44) 3 Blues for Hawaiians (03:25) 4 Hey Pedro (02:18) 5 My Little Lovelight (02:35) 6 Little Marie (02:35) 7 County Line (02:18) 8 Viva, Viva, Rock & Roll! (02:01) 9 House of Blue Lights (02:26) 10 Time Was (02:28) 11 Blue on Blue (02:59) 12 Oh Yeah (02:31) |
 | Album: 24 of 41 Title: Motorvatin Released: 1977 Tracks: 22 Duration: 02:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Johnny B Goode (02:38) 2 Roll Over Beethoven (?) 3 School Days (?) 4 Maybellene (?) 5 Rock and Roll Music (?) 6 Oh Baby Doll (?) 7 Too Much Monkey Business (?) 8 Carol (?) 9 Let It Rock (?) 10 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (?) 11 Bye Bye Johnny (?) 12 Reelin and Rockin (?) 13 No Particular Place to Go (?) 14 Thirty Days (?) 15 Sweet Little Sixteen (?) 16 Little Queenie (?) 17 Memphis (?) 18 You Never Can Tell (?) 19 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (?) 20 Nadine (?) 21 The Promised Land (?) 22 Back in the USA (?) |
| Motorvatin' : Allmusic album Review : Released in Europe in 1977 release Motorvatin is an excellent collection of 22 highlights from Chuck Berrys classic Chess recordings. Although its six tracks short of The Great 28, it nevertheless is almost as good, hitting almost of all Berrys biggest hits in a tight compilation. Of course, these songs were reissued many, many times over the next decades, so its little wonder that this particular comp never showed up on CD, but if it can be found for cheap on LP, its a very good listen. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 41 Title: Rockit Released: 1979-08 Tracks: 10 Duration: 36:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Move It (02:31) 2 Oh What a Thrill (03:09) 3 I Need You Baby (03:11) 4 If I Were (03:04) 5 House Lights (04:31) 6 I Never Thought (03:52) 7 Havana Moon (05:08) 8 Wudent Me (02:42) 9 California (02:19) 10 Pass Away (05:35) |
 | Album: 26 of 41 Title: The Great Twenty‐Eight Released: 1982 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:09:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Maybellene (02:21) 2 30 Days (02:24) 3 You Can’t Catch Me (02:44) 4 Too Much Monkey Business (02:55) 5 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (02:17) 6 Roll Over Beethoven (02:24) 7 Havana Moon (03:08) 8 School Days (02:42) 9 Rock and Roll Music (02:32) 10 Oh Baby Doll (02:38) 11 Reelin’ and Rockin’ (03:16) 12 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:02) 13 Johnny B. Goode (02:40) 14 Around and Around (02:40) 15 Carol (02:48) 16 Beautiful Delilah (02:10) 17 Memphis, Tennessee (02:13) 18 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (02:22) 19 Little Queenie (02:41) 20 Almost Grown (02:21) 21 Back in the USA (02:28) 22 Let It Rock (01:46) 23 Bye Bye Johnny (02:05) 24 I’m Talking About You (01:49) 25 Come On (01:50) 26 Nadine (Is It You) (02:35) 27 No Particular Place to Go (02:43) 28 I Want to Be Your Driver (02:15) |
| The Great Twenty‐Eight : Allmusic album Review : This is the place to start listening to Chuck Berry. The Great Twenty-Eight was a two-LP, single CD compilation that emerged during the early 80s, amid a brief period in which the Chess catalog was in the hands of the Sugar Hill label, a disco-oriented outfit that later lost the catalog to MCA. It has proved to be one of the most enduring of all compilations of Berrys work. Up until the release of this disc, every attempt at a compilation had either been too sketchy (the 1964 Greatest Hits album on Chess) or too demanding for the casual listener (the three Golden Decade double-LP sets), and this was the first set to find a happy medium between convenience and thoroughness. Veteran listeners will love this CD even if they learn little from it, while neophytes will want to play it to death. All of the cuts come from Berrys first nine years in music, including all of the major singles as well as relatively minor hits such as "Come On" (which was more significant in the history of rock & roll in its cover version performed by the Rolling Stones as their debut release). The sound is decent throughout (surprisingly, except for "Come On," which has some considerable noise), although it is considerably outclassed by the most recent round of remasterings. In the decades since its release, there have been more comprehensive collections of Berrys work, but this is the best single disc, if one can overlook the relatively lo-fi digital sound. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 41 Title: Alive and Rockin’ Released: 1983 Tracks: 10 Duration: 28:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rock and Roll Music (02:30) 2 Maybelline (02:00) 3 Roll Over Beethoven (02:35) 4 How High the Moon (03:10) 5 Vacation Time (02:23) 6 Chuck’s Jam (03:10) 7 Reelin’ and Rockin’ (03:35) 8 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:10) 9 Chilhood Sweetheart (03:15) 10 Changed (03:06) |
| Alive and Rockin’ : Allmusic album Review : SRIs 2000 release Alive and Rockin is a live release of questionable origin, made noteworthy by the inclusion of such songs as "How High the Moon," "Vacation Time," "Chucks Jam" and "Childhood Sweetheart." These songs date these recordings as being from the 50s or 60s and based on the recording quality, they sounded lifted from a shaky live broadcast. This is interesting stuff, as they were recorded close to Chucks peak, but theyre balanced from latter-day selections that arent as good and the whole thing is pretty shoddy. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 41 Title: The Collection: 20 Rock ’n’ Roll Greats Released: 1986 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:02:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Maybelline (02:21) 2 Carol (03:20) 3 Johnny B. Goode (05:13) 4 Roll Over Beethoven (02:27) 5 Hootchie Kootchie Man (04:12) 6 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (02:21) 7 Oh Baby Doll (02:37) 8 Around and Around (02:38) 9 Hail Hail Rock ’n’ Roll (03:44) 10 Thirty Days (02:42) 11 Sweet Little Sixteen (02:40) 12 Memphis (03:30) 13 Reelin’ and Rockin’ (03:13) 14 Too Much Monkey Business (02:50) 15 You Can’t Catch Me (02:42) 16 In the Wee Wee Hours (05:10) 17 Rock and Roll Music (02:32) 18 Havana Moon (03:03) 19 No Particular Place to Go (02:40) 20 Little Queenie (02:40) |
 | Album: 29 of 41 Title: More Rock n Roll Rarities Released: 1986 Tracks: 12 Duration: 30:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Ain’t That Just Like a Woman (02:45) 2 Rock and Roll Music (02:41) 3 Down the Road a Piece (02:24) 4 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (01:46) 5 Route 66 (alternate take 11) (02:51) 6 Sweet Little Rock ’n’ Roller (02:33) 7 My Mustang Ford (02:48) 8 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:12) 9 I Got to Find My Baby (02:16) 10 I’m Talking About You (01:48) 11 House of Blue Lights (02:26) 12 Go Go Go (Johnny B. Goode) (02:46) |
 | Album: 30 of 41 Title: Rock ’n Roll Rarities Released: 1986 Tracks: 20 Duration: 51:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 No Particular Place to Go (02:40) 2 Rock and Roll Music (02:22) 3 It Wasnt Me (02:32) 4 Reelin & Rockin (03:34) 5 Come On (01:48) 6 Johnny B. Goode (03:08) 7 Bye Bye Johnny (02:02) 8 Little Marie (02:34) 9 Time Was (02:26) 10 Promised Land (02:28) 1 Little Queenie (02:34) 2 You Never Can Tell (02:40) 3 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:08) 4 County Line (02:14) 5 Run Rudolph Run (02:42) 6 Nadine (02:46) 7 Betty Jean (02:28) 8 I Want to Be Your Driver (02:16) 9 Beautiful Delilah (02:28) 10 Oh Yeah (02:30) |
| Rock ’n Roll Rarities : Allmusic album Review : On this follow-up to The Great Twenty-Eight, the songs are familiar, but the versions are not. Delving into the Chess Records archives, producer Steve Hoffman has come up with 20 tracks, many in unreleased or unusual versions. Some are demos, some are stereo recordings of songs usually heard in mono. Hoffman has remixed many of them, bringing up the 50s and 60s sound quality to near-80s standard. Start with The Great Twenty-Eight, but come to this collection for interesting new ways to hear the old Berry favorites. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 41 Title: His 30 Greatest Hits Released: 1987 Tracks: 30 Duration: 1:14:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 You Never Can Tell (02:42) 2 No Particular Place to Go (02:43) 3 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:02) 4 Wee Wee Hours (03:04) 5 Nadine (Is It You) (02:35) 6 Roll Over Beethoven (02:24) 7 Maybellene (02:21) 8 Johnny B. Goode (02:40) 9 The Promised Land (02:23) 10 Deep Feeling (02:19) 11 Rock and Roll Music (02:32) 12 School Days (02:42) 13 Back in the USA (02:28) 14 Oh Baby Doll (02:38) 15 Memphis, Tennessee (02:13) 16 Viva Viva Rock and Roll (02:00) 17 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (02:17) 18 Beautiful Delilah (02:10) 19 County-Line (02:16) 20 Dont You Lie to Me (02:02) 21 Little Queenie (02:41) 22 Down the Road Apiece (Raye) (02:14) 23 No Money Down (02:58) 24 Let It Rock (01:56) 25 I Got To Find My Baby (02:16) 26 Confessin the Blues (02:09) 27 Too Much Monkey Business (02:55) 28 You Can’t Catch Me (02:44) 29 Reelin’ and Rockin’ (03:16) 30 Jaguar and the Thunderbird (01:51) |
 | Album: 32 of 41 Title: Let It Rock Released: 1987 Tracks: 20 Duration: 02:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Let It Rock (?) 2 Sweet Little Sixteen (?) 3 Childhood Sweetheart (?) 4 One O’Clock Jump (?) 5 Thirteen Questions Method (?) 6 Do You Love Me (?) 7 Big Ben Blues (?) 8 Vacation Time (02:28) 9 O-Rangutang (?) 10 Ramona Say Yes (?) 11 Rock and Roll Music (?) 12 Reelin’ and Rocking (?) 13 The Little Girl From Central High (?) 14 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (?) 15 Twebty One Blues (?) 16 I’ve Changed (?) 17 That’s My Desire (?) 18 Lonely Schooldays (?) 19 Interview (?) 20 South of Her Border (?) |
 | Album: 33 of 41 Title: The Best of the Best of Chuck Berry Released: 1987 Tracks: 10 Duration: 28:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Johnny B. Goode (02:40) 2 School Days (02:46) 3 Reelin’ and Rockin’ (03:16) 4 Rock and Roll Music (02:38) 5 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:02) 6 Maybellene (02:21) 7 Roll Over Beethoven (02:24) 8 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (02:21) 9 No Particular Place to Go (02:46) 10 My Ding-a-Ling (04:23) |
| The Best of the Best of Chuck Berry : Allmusic album Review : Hollywoods The Best of the Best of Chuck Berry is a budget-line recycling of all the usual Chuck suspects. It looks a little shoddy and it sounds a little cheap, but the music itself is good and worthwhile if found at a bargain price. | ||
 | Album: 34 of 41 Title: Chuck Berry Released: 1987 Tracks: 16 Duration: 42:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Maybelline (02:38) 2 Sweet Little Sixteen (02:16) 3 School Day (02:37) 4 Rock and Roll Music (02:32) 5 Johnny B. Goode (02:45) 6 Carol (02:25) 7 Reelin and Rockin (04:22) 8 Memphis, Tennessee (02:10) 9 Bring Another Drink (02:35) 10 Good Lovin Woman (02:22) 11 Roll Over Beethoven (02:03) 12 Back in the U.S.A. (02:33) 13 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (02:14) 14 Oh Baby Doll (02:15) 15 C.C. Rider (04:15) 16 Thirty Days (02:13) |
 | Album: 35 of 41 Title: The Best Of Released: 1987 Tracks: 16 Duration: 41:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Maybellene (02:21) 2 30 Days (02:24) 3 Back to Memphis (02:12) 4 Roll Over Beethoven (02:24) 5 School Days (02:42) 6 Rock and Roll Music (02:32) 7 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:02) 8 Johnny B. Goode (02:40) 9 Carol (02:48) 10 Too Much Monkey Business (02:55) 11 You Can’t Catch Me (02:44) 12 Back in the USA (02:28) 13 Baby Doll (02:35) 14 Beautiful Delilah (02:10) 15 Around and Around (02:40) 16 Reelin’ and Rockin’ (03:16) |
 | Album: 36 of 41 Title: The 21 Greatest Hits Released: 1987-05 Tracks: 21 Duration: 54:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Maybelline (02:38) 2 Sweet Little Sixteen (02:16) 3 School Day (02:37) 4 Rock and Roll Music (02:32) 5 Johnny B. Goode (02:45) 6 Carol (02:25) 7 Reelin and Rockin (04:22) 8 Memphis, Tennessee (02:10) 9 Bring Another Drink (02:25) 10 Good Lovin Woman (02:22) 11 Roll Over Beethoven (01:51) 12 Back in the U.S.A. (02:33) 13 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (02:14) 14 Oh Baby Doll (02:15) 15 C.C. Rider (04:15) 16 Thirty Days (02:13) 17 Goodnight, Well Its Time to Go (02:21) 18 Back to Memphis (02:39) 19 Check Me Out (02:32) 20 My Heart Will Always Belong to You (02:36) 21 I Really Do Love You (02:28) |
 | Album: 37 of 41 Title: Greatest Hits Released: 1988 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:06:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Roll Over Beethoven (02:24) 2 Rock and Roll Music (02:32) 3 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:02) 4 No Particular Place to Go (02:45) 5 Johnny B. Goode (02:40) 6 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (02:22) 7 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (02:17) 8 Let It Rock (01:45) 9 Nadine (02:32) 10 Maybellene (02:21) 11 Memphis, Tennessee (02:13) 12 Too Much Monkey Business (02:55) 13 School Days (02:42) 14 Reelin’ and Rockin’ (03:16) 15 No Money Down (02:58) 16 Little Queenie (02:43) 17 You Never Can Tell (02:42) 18 Promised Land (02:33) 19 Carol (02:48) 20 Back in the USA (02:25) 21 Almost Grown (02:21) 22 30 Days (02:24) 23 Merry Christmas Baby (03:06) 24 Run Rudolph Run (02:44) 25 My Ding-A-Ling (04:15) |
 | Album: 38 of 41 Title: Chess Masters Released: 1988 Tracks: 16 Duration: 41:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 No Particular Place to Go (02:42) 2 Maybellene (02:21) 3 You Can’t Catch Me (02:44) 4 School Days (02:42) 5 Roll Over Beethoven (02:24) 6 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:02) 7 Around and Around (02:40) 8 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (02:22) 9 Nadine (02:33) 10 Rock and Roll Music (02:32) 11 Old Baby Doll (02:37) 12 Johnny B. Goode (02:40) 13 Reelin’ and Rockin’ (03:16) 14 Memphis, Tennessee (02:13) 15 Carol (02:48) 16 Come On (01:55) |
| Chess Masters : Allmusic album Review : The 1983 LP compilation Chess Masters is a generous 25-track set that concentrates on the usual suspects -- all the big hits from "Maybellene" to "My Ding a Ling" are here -- but there are a couple of left-field choices like "La Juanda" and "Hail Hail Rock & Roll" that keep thing interesting. That said, this has so much familiar material that it doesnt need to be sought out, but if its stumbled upon it entertains nicely. | ||
 | Album: 39 of 41 Title: Hail! Hail! Rock n Roll Released: 1988 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:10:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Maybellene (02:21) 2 30 Days (02:24) 3 No Money Down (02:58) 4 Roll Over Beethoven (02:24) 5 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (02:17) 6 Too Much Monkey Business (02:55) 7 You Can’t Catch Me (02:43) 8 School Days (02:42) 9 Rock and Roll Music (02:32) 10 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:12) 11 Reelin’ and Rockin’ (03:16) 12 Johnny B. Goode (02:40) 13 Around and Around (02:40) 14 Beautiful Delilah (02:10) 15 Carol (02:48) 16 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (02:22) 17 Almost Grown (02:21) 18 Little Queenie (02:41) 19 Back in the USA (02:28) 20 Memphis, Tennessee (02:13) 21 Let It Rock (01:46) 22 Bye Bye Johnny (02:05) 23 I’m Talking About You (01:49) 24 Come On (01:50) 25 Nadine (Is It You) (02:35) 26 No Particular Place to Go (02:43) 27 You Never Can Tell (02:42) 28 Promised Land (02:23) |
 | Album: 40 of 41 Title: Jonnhy B. Goode Released: 2014-11-18 Tracks: 18 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Jonnhy B. Goode (?) 2 Around and Around (?) 3 Little Queenie (?) 4 Confessin the Blues (?) 5 Maybellene (Live) (?) 6 Nadine (?) 7 Havana Moon (?) 8 Memphis Tennesse (Live) (?) 9 Memphis Tennesse (?) 10 Nadine (Live) (?) 11 Guitar Boogie (?) 12 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (?) 13 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (?) 14 Wee Wee Hours (?) 15 Let it Rock (?) 16 Jo Jo Gunne (?) 17 Too Much Monkey Business (Live) (?) 18 Johnny B. Goode (Live) (?) |
 | Album: 41 of 41 Title: Chuck Released: 2017-06-09 Tracks: 10 Duration: 34:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wonderful Woman (05:19) 2 Big Boys (03:05) 3 You Go to My Head (03:21) 4 3/4 Time (Enchiladas) (03:47) 5 Darlin’ (03:20) 6 Lady B. Goode (02:55) 7 She Still Loves You (03:00) 8 Jamaica Moon (03:50) 9 Dutchman (03:47) 10 Eyes of Man (02:27) |
| Chuck : Allmusic album Review : Chuck Berry didnt hang up his rock & roll shoes after releasing Rock It in 1979, but he did stop writing and recording new songs. The next few decades were filled with performances as he traveled across the country with guitar in hand, settling down in his hometown of St. Louis for a residency at the local restaurant Blueberry Hill in 1996. He wasnt a recluse but he was indifferent to a recording career, consenting to be the subject of Taylor Hackfords 1987 documentary Hail! Hail! Rock n Roll (and proceeding to drive the director mad) but adding no new songs to the film. By all indications, Berry had lost interest in composing, but in a December 2001 profile in Rolling Stone he mentioned that he had started writing songs again. He admitted he had been "reluctant to make new songs" and worried that it might be "ill-mannered to try and top myself, adding, "You see, Im not an oldies act. The music I play, it is a ritual. Something that matters to people in a special way. I wouldnt want to interfere with that." New Chuck Berry music didnt appear the following year or the next. It didnt arrive until June of 2017, when Chuck appeared three months after Berry passed away at the age of 90. Chuck proves Berrys contention that he wasnt an oldies act to be correct. Neither an exercise in nostalgia nor a desperate stab at relevance, Chuck is the most unexpected of things: a new album that feels like authentic Chuck Berry music. It helps that Berry frequently tips his hat to the past, revisiting all the sounds and styles hes favored since the mid-60s. Naturally, there are a bunch of three-chord rockers and blues, but Chuck also indulges in a bit of raunchy crowd work via "3/4 Time (Enchiladas)" (a sharper variation of "My Ding-A-Ling"), dreamy love songs ("You Go to My Head," "Darlin"), and his song-poems ("Dutchman," which is the best of these he ever wrote). Whats striking about these cuts, along with the ravers "Wonderful Woman" and "Big Boys" that get Chuck off to a rousing start, is how this record feels familiar but fresh: Berry may have been working from a weathered playbook but hes only interested in the moment at hand, the present when he steps to the mike to play guitar and sing. To that end, Chuck benefits by existing somewhat outside of time. It contains ten songs written between 1980 and 2016, all recorded sometime after 2001 (and likely well before 2014, considering how robust Chucks vocals sound). Berry makes no attempt to chase trends or offer a final statement; he just gathers his ten best recent tunes and thats why Chuck is such a fitting epilogue to a legendary career. It captures the essence of Chuck Berry, how he could turn the everyday into something exciting. | ||