Anthology (Chuck Berry album)

The Anthology
Greatest hits album by Chuck Berry
Released	June 27, 2000[1]
Recorded	May 21, 1955 – December 22, 1969 in Chicago, Illinois September 28, 1958 in St. Louis, Missouri February 3, 1972 at the Lanchester Arts Festival, Coventry, England 1973 in New York[2]
Genre	Rock and roll
Label	Chess
Producer	Leonard Chess, Phil Chess, Esmond Edwards, Andy McKaie[2]
Compiler	Andy McKaie[2]
Chuck Berry chronology
Live! (Chuck Berry album) (2000) Chuck Berry - Anthology (2000) Live on Stage (2000)
Chuck Berry - Gold
The cover of the 2005 repackaged version of the Anthology album

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]
Robert Christgau	A−[4]
Rolling Stone	[5]

Anthology is a two-disc compilation album by rock and roll performer Chuck Berry released on July 27, 2000 by Chess Records.^[1] The album is intended as an overview of Chuck Berry's song-writing career. It is a two-disc anthology which contains 50 tracks of Chuck Berry's finest songs. It contains every track issued on the previous anthology The Great Twenty-Eight. The album was later reissued and packaged in 2005 as part of Universal Records' Gold series, and simply retitled Gold.

Reception

Robert Christgau states how Anthology is less expensive than The Chess Box, he thinks that it removed several good songs like "Have Mercy Judge" and "Anthony Boy".^[4] David McGee, Milo Miles, and Mark Kemp, of Rolling Stone magazine, are of the opinion that Anthology is one of the best of Chuck Berry's compilation albums.^[5]

Track listing

All songs written by Chuck Berry, except as indicated. All songs produced by Leonard & Phil Chess, except where indicated.^[2]

Disc 1

1. "Maybellene" – 2:22
2. "Wee Wee Hours" – 3:05
3. "Thirty Days" – 2:24
4. "You Can't Catch Me" – 2:45
5. "Downbound Train" – 2:51
6. "No Money Down" – 2:59
7. "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" – 2:18
8. "Roll Over Beethoven" – 2:24
9. "Too Much Monkey Business" – 2:56
10. "Havana Moon" – 3:09
11. "School Days" – 2:43
12. "Rock and Roll Music" – 2:33
13. "Oh Baby Doll" – 2:39
14. "Sweet Little Sixteen" – 3:03
15. "Guitar Boogie" – 2:21
16. "Reelin' and Rockin'" – 3:17
17. "Johnny B. Goode" – 2:42
18. "Around and Around" – 2:41
19. "Beautiful Delilah" – 2:11
20. "House Of Blue Lights" (Don Raye, Freddie Slack) – 2:29
21. "Carol" – 2:50
22. "Jo Jo Gunne" – 2:47
23. "Memphis" – 2:15
24. "Sweet Little Rock & Roller" – 2:24
25. "Little Queenie" – 2:44
26. "Almost Grown" – 2:19

Disc 2

1. "Back in the U.S.A." – 2:29
2. "Do You Love Me" – 2:24
3. "Betty Jean" – 2:28
4. "Childhood Sweetheart" – 2:45
5. "Let It Rock" – 1:49
6. "Too Pooped To Pop" – 2:37
7. "I Got to Find My Baby" – 2:17
8. "Don't You Lie to Me" – 2:05
9. "Bye Bye Johnny" – 2:07
10. "Jaguar & Thunderbird" – 1:52
11. "Down the Road a Piece" (Raye) – 2:16
12. "Confessin' the Blues" (Jay McShann, Walter Brown) – 2:10
13. "I'm Talking About You" – 1:51
14. "Come On" – 1:51
15. "Nadine (Is It You?)" – 2:36
16. "You Never Can Tell" – 2:44
17. "Promised Land" – 2:25
18. "No Particular Place to Go" – 2:44
19. "Dear Dad" – 1:52
20. "I Want to Be Your Driver" – 2:17
21. "Tulane" – 2:39
22. "My Ding-a-Ling (Live, Single Edit)" – 4:19
    • Produced by Esmond Edwards
23. "Reelin' and Rockin (Live)" – 7:04
    • Produced by Esmond Edwards
24. "Bio" – 4:24

Personnel

Per liner notes^[2]

• Chuck Berry – vocals, guitar
• Willie Dixon – bass
• Johnnie Johnson – piano
• Jasper Thomas – drums
• Ebby Hardy – drums
• Jerome Green – maracas
• Otis Spann – piano
• L.C. Davis – tenor saxophone
• Fred Below – drums
• Jimmy Rogers – guitar on "Havana Moon"
• Hubert Sumlin – guitar on "School Days"
• Lafayette Leake – piano
• George Smith – bass
• Etta James – background vocals
• The Marquees – background vocals
• The Ecuadors – background vocals
• Matt "Guitar" Murphy – guitar
• Martha Berry – background vocals on "Come On"
• Odie Payne – drums
• James Robinson – saxophone
• Paul Williams – piano on "No Particular Place to Go"
• Owen McIntyre – guitar on "My Ding-a-Ling" and "Reelin' and Rockin' (live)"
• Dave Kafinetti – piano on "My Ding-a-Ling" and "Reelin' and Rockin' (live)"
• Nic Potter – electric bass on "My Ding-a-Ling" and "Reelin' and Rockin' (live)"
• Robbie McIntosh – drums on "My Ding-a-Ling" and "Reelin' and Rockin' (live)"
• Stan Bronstein – saxophone on "Bio"
• Adam Ippolito – piano on "Bio"
• Wayne "Tex" Gabriel – guitar on "Bio"
• Gary Van Scyoc – electric bass on "Bio"
• Rick Frank – drums on "Bio"
• Leonard Chess – producer
• Phil Chess – producer
• Esmond Edwards – producer
• Andy McKaie – producer, compiler
• Erick Labson – digital remastering
• Vartan – art direction
• Mike Fink – design

References

1. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Overview: Anthology by Chuck Berry". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
2. Gold (CD liner). Chuck Berry. United States: Geffen Records/Chess Records. 2005. pp. 20–25, 27. 0602498805589.
3. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Review: Anthology by Chuck Berry". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
4. Christgau, Robert. "Review: Anthology by Chuck Berry". Robert Christgau. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
5. David McGee, Milo Miles, Mark Kemp. "Chuck Berry Album Guide". Rolling Stone. United States: Jann S. Wenner. Retrieved December 4, 2010.