The Definitive Collection

by Chuck Berry

Overview

There have been many, many Chuck Berry compilations released by Chess over the years, but as of the spring of 2006, there was no comprehensive single-disc set in print; there was the double-disc 2005 set Gold, which itself was a retitled reissue of 2000's Anthology, but the classic comp The Great Twenty-Eight was long out of print, and nothing had replaced it until the 2006 release of The Definitive Collection. This generous 30-track selection offers nearly everything that was on The Great Twenty-Eight and in nearly the same sequence -- "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" and "Roll Over Beethoven" are swapped, for instance, but it's not really a noticeable change. "Bye Bye Johnny" is the only song missing from The Great Twenty-Eight, which is not a huge omission, especially since it's been replaced with two great singles, "You Never Can Tell" and "Promised Land." "My Ding-A-Ling" is also here and, while it is a worse song than "Bye Bye Johnny," it was Chuck's only number one single, so its inclusion makes sense -- and it hardly sinks a collection that is by far the best, most comprehensive single-disc Chuck Berry set yet assembled. Sure, there are some great Berry songs that are absent, but all the major songs are here; plus, if you need more than 30 songs, turn to either Gold or The Chess Box. If you want a single-disc best-of collection of all of Chuck's finest, this is the one to get. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	04/18/2006
Label:	Geffen/Chess
UPC:	0602498808801
Rank:	4521

Tracks

1. Maybellene
2. Thirty Days
3. You Can't Catch Me
4. Too Much Monkey Business
5. Roll Over Beethoven
6. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
7. Havana Moon
8. School Day
9. Rock & Roll Music
10. Oh Baby Doll
11. Reelin' and Rockin'
12. Sweet Little Sixteen
13. Johnny B. Goode
14. Around and Around
15. Beautiful Delilah
16. Carol
17. Memphis, Tennessee
18. Sweet Little Rock & Roller
19. Little Queenie
20. Almost Grown
21. Back in the U.S.A.
22. Let It Rock
23. I'm Talking About You
24. Come On
25. Nadine (Is It You?)
26. You Never Can Tell
27. Promised Land
28. No Particular Place to Go
29. I Want to Be Your Driver
30. My Ding-A-Ling

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Chuck Berry   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Multi Instruments
Reggie Boyd   Bass
Ebby Hardy   Drums
Dave Kafinetti   Piano
Robbie McIntosh   Drums
G. Smith   Bass
Johnnie Johnson   Piano
Jerome Green   Maracas
Martha Berry   Vocals (Background)
Nic Potter   Bass (Electric)
Odie Payne, Jr.   Drums
Jimmy Rogers   Guitar
Lafayette Leake   Piano
Fred Below   Drums
Hubert Sumlin   Guitar
Jasper Thomas   Drums
Willie Dixon   Bass
Paul Williams   Piano
Otis Spann   Piano
Owen McIntyre   Guitar

Technical Credits

Jenny Shapiro   Licensing
Donna Ranieri   Photo Research
Michael Putland   Photography
Ryan Null   Photo Research
Andy McKaie   Compilation Producer
Bud Scoppa   Liner Notes
Chuck Berry   Composer,Producer
Esmond Edwards   Producer,Photography
Erick Labson   Digital Remastering
Leonard Chess   Producer
Phil Chess   Producer
Adam Starr   Product Manager
Harry Goodwin   Photography
Mike Fink   Design
Beth Stempel   Production Coordination