GOLDEN HITS
by CHUCK BERRY It's not rock history, but with songs this good, how can you go wrong? By Rick Hines, Apr. 28, 2017 So, after the passing of Chuck Berry, I decided to take a look at some of his less-known material. I have The Chess Box and a couple other Chess recordings, so it was natural to look at his Mercury output. It was nice to find all his old cut-out albums back in print, at least as mp3s. I knew this collection did not contain the original versions of these songs, but I already had them. I was looking for a fresh take, and that's what I found here. Many reviewers seem to shun this collection due to it not having the original versions (and shame on the record company for their cover implying otherwise). Think of this more as a well-recorded live album with no audience, or perhaps more accurately, it's similar to the Peel/BBC Sessions recordings on the market. If you like things like that, you'll probably get a kick from this album. What you will find here is a gutsy, faceless band energized by re-cutting a bunch of classic rock songs with their originator. Berry takes vocals and lead guitar, and for the most part leads the band through pretty straight renditions of his major works. After playing these songs for years, Berry's guitar parts tend to cut with a precision and confidence often lacking in the original recordings. The band rocks pretty hard, often getting into slightly faster, more rhythmic grooves than the originals had, and Berry seems to like the energy. The songs are in stereo, making it easier to discern the instruments, and they carry a heavier sound reflecting the current rock production sound of 1966. There's an embarrassing re-imagined vocal on "Back In the USA" and a tambourine out to take over the world on "Rock and Roll Music." Otherwise, most of the changed words and small instrumental variations are interesting and will tease the ear of anyone who has heard the originals hundreds of times. If you want a slice of Rock and Roll History, get "The Great Twenty-Eight" or "The Chess Box." If you want to hear Berry rocking hard, circa 1966, forget the haters and give this a spin. It's a lot more consistent than his other Mercury recordings of the period. I was pleasantly surprised. RIP, Chuck. |
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