The Ultimate Chuck Berry

Am big chuck berry fan loved this cd

For any serious, as opposed to obsessive fan, this largely excellent collection contains about as much Chuck Berry as anyone could ever want, and the contents are mostly well chosen. There are a fair number of obscure gems here that will please anyone who's enjoyed a single disc compilation and wondered if there was any more worth hearing: Childhood Sweetheart, Betty Jean, Little Marie (a surprisingly good sequel to Memphis Tennessee using the same tune but far better played and recorded), a fine cover of The Things I Used To Do, plus (nearly) all his classics and some fine minor hits such as Almost Grown, I'm Talking About You, You Can't Catch Me.So it seems churlish to point out the defects that make this a 4 star collection as opposed to a 5 star one, but defects there are. First and foremost is the omission of the wonderful hit version of Sweet Little Rock And Roller in favour of an alternate version. This isn't just an alternate take but a completely different arrangement. The hit version, with its spine-tingling guitar solo, is essential, this is merely an interesting alternative version, only of interest to completists - and it seems likely the inclusion of the wrong one was careless, not deliberate. Secondly, while the sound quality is good to excellent throughout, far too many of the 60s tunes are presented here in stereo. As a general rule, pop singles (and we are talking rock'n'roll here) from before about 1966 should be presented in mono - the stereo mixes were always an afterthought, the mono ones almost always sound better - as for instance on the Rolling Stones' Singles Collection; note also that the first stereo single came out in 1968. These aren't the worst examples I've heard by any means, but what's wrong with the mono versions? And finally, there are a few tunes here that really didn't need reviving. Foremost among these, of course, is the hideous and perhaps unavoidable My Ding-A-Ling, but several far more obscure tunes have either dated badly (Havana Moon), are cheesy, contrived novelties (Too Pooped To Pop) or just lame and out of tune (House Of Blue Lights). It's notable that of those four, Chuck only wrote Havana Moon, and that's a thinly disguised re-write of Louie Louie.So not a perfect compilation - I'd hoped I'd never need any other Chuck Berry CD but I'm going to have to hold on to the one with the proper version of Sweet Little Rock And Roller on it - but having said all that, 90% of this is completely brilliant, stereo mixes or not, so if you want a lot of Chuck's classics and you're on a budget, this is unbeatable.

It's been a few years since I last listened to Chuck Berry and now I'm asking myself: Why? You could subtitle this record 'The Joy of Rock'n'Roll' because one track after another is a joyful romp, an exhuberant celebration of rock'n'roll and rhythm & blues, of being being young with a girl on your arm, a fancy car, and listening to music with the open road in front of you.Memorable classic track after classic track along with a few unexpected detours. There's a swamp-bluesish Downbound Train, a great version of blues standard The Things That I Used To Do, a cover of crooner Charles Brown's Merry Christmas Baby, the just odd but likeable Jo Jo Gunne, Havana Moon with its Louie Louie echoes, along with a plethora of Berry's lesser but still fun rockers. And, of course, there are all the big hits that made him a sensation.In the unlikely event that you've never actually heard any Chuck Berry, you will certainly have heard several of his songs as he's one of the most covered artists in the history of Rock from Buddy Holly, The Beatles,the Rolling Stones up to the present. The sad thing is that such marvellous life-enhancing music comes from someone who is a notorious mean-spirited miserly curmudgeon who was never the same after a spell in jail in the early 60's.But we have his marvellous music. If you're ever feeling down, just put on this collection and if it doesn't put a smile on your face then check your pulse because you aint down you're dead.(And, really, it isn't compulsory to listen to My Ding-a-ling, indeed it's best avoided. But after everything else, we can forgive him this one.)

Was not as pleased with this album as I thought I would be. I really went off him after I had paid to see him and he played the first concert then got on the plane and went home leaving all us that had paid for the second concert out of pocket. Still I had to have a Berry album on my ipod so I bought it.

When it came to buying a compilation of Chuck Berry's recordings I was spoilt for choice. I was amazed at the number of compilations on offer some with more songs on than others. After much deliberation and comparisons I opted for the Ultimate Chuck Berry which seemed to have the best selection of songs at the best price.I am delighted with my choice, but why do the compilers insist upon including 'My Ding-a-Ling', probably the worst song that Chuck Berry recorded. Every other track by the great Poet of Rock 'n' Roll is well produced with neat and clear sound and Chuck's lyrics, to this day, are outstanding and stand the test of time. No other lyricist could express the feelings of teen age angst and teenage life in the fifties like berry. I would reccomend this set to any fan of Chuck's and to anyone bent on discovering what fifties music was all about.

If your a Chuck Berry fan this a must buy album set 3 albums with I guess all his recordings decent quality sound unlike another old album of hits I brought years ago. Thanks

If you can't get down to Chuck Berry check your pulse you just might be dead. A superb 3 disc set at a reasonable price. A number of reviewers have decried the inclusion of My Ding-a-ling, however I suspect an equal number would have decried its ommision. After all it was a number one hit in both America and Britain (4 weeks at the top in 1972). I'll never forget that it got up the blue noses of Mary Whitehouse et al and even as a 9 year old I could tell she hadn't listened to the song ("two silver bells on the end of a string"), I think she had masturbation on her filthy little mind!

I purchased this album recently but I am not able to download it as I used to do with previous albums. Can you help me to see it in My Music folder, please.kind regardsW. Wygnanski