Search - Chuck Berry :: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Chuck Berry (Eco-Friendly Packaging)

Can't Fault The Music, But...

"The Woj" | Downers Grove, IL | 09/09/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I've always looked at "greatest hits" albums as "starter" albums.

A great way to sample the artists work, then decide whether you want to further explore (ie purchase)more from their body of work. This collection from Chuck Berry serves the above premise to some degree. It is decent way to sample Chucks's music, especially for someone on a budget. But, only 11 tracks? Each logging in at about two minutes, on a medium that can hold 80 minutes of music. I'll let you do the math to see where this collection really comes up short, literally. My recommendation for single disc Chuck Berry compilation is "The Great Twenty-Eight" album, obviously containing 28 songs.

However, if you can afford a few extra bucks, I would highly recommend the "Anthology 2" album over "The Great Twenty-Eight".

And, if you can upgrade even further, opt for the Mount Olympus of Chuck Berry compilations, "The Chess Box", which boasts over 70 tracks on 3 discs.

****July 2006 Update. The release of "Definitive Collection" with it's 30 tracks makes it the definite single disc compilation of choice.****"

Great music, but 11 songs doesn't cover it

Candace Scott | Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA | 09/26/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"t's a shame that Chuck Berry is not universally recognized as one of the greatest rock lyricists and most innovative figures. This CD will convince even skeptics of his brilliance. Without Chuck Berry, there would be no Beatles, Rolling Stones or Kinks, or at least in the forms they eventually took.This CD contains all of Berry's original recordings, pristine and beautifully remastered. Who can deny that his way with words was umatched: "He never, ever learned to read or write so well, but he could play a guitar just like a-ringing a bell..." It's a tragedy that most people have grown up listening to inferior musicians do paltry cover versions of the songs Berry wrote and performed better than anyone else. This set is an absolutely essential component of any collection, of any genre. Chuck Berry was a pioneer with words and music and his influence is sorely underestimated today. Had Chuck Berry been born white, he would be regarded as a rock God instead of being neglected and virtually forgotten in many circles. The only problem is that 11 songs just doesn't begin to cover his catalogue. This is a great sampling, but incomplete."

Poor introduction to the genius of Berry

TimothyFarrell22 | Massachusetts | 08/18/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The music is certainly great, not to mention groundbreaking, making Berry an essential entry in any music collection. However, there are so many other compilation albums to get before this one. The problem with skimpy single-artist compilations like these is, while they do serve a proper introduction, that after you begin liking the artist you have absolutely no use for the compilation. Almost every song here can be found on both "The Great Twenty-Eight" and the Chess "Anthology" release, two superior (and superiorly compiled) introductions to Berry's work. The songs on here are great (with the exception of "My Ding-A-Ling"), but honestly - way too brief. There is about twenty-five minutes worth of material, and a CD can hold up to eighty. A used copy of "The Great Twenty-Eight" probably costs less, get that instead."