Rock And Roll Music - Any Old Way You Choose It - The Complete Studio Recordings

The first thing to say about this set is that the amount of material is quite overwhelming! 16 CDs packed with hundreds of tracks (396 individual tracks to be precise).I was expecting most of the tracks to be out takes and inferior versions of the popular songs we all know and love. As it turns out, this is an absolute treasure trove of both original and cover songs that I had never come across before! In addition to the original famous recordings, there are dozens of other tracks from the same era that would have definitely sold well as singles. There are also many jazz and blues standards that Chuck covers in his own inimitable style. Whether you prefer classic Rock n Roll, or have tastes leaning towards blues, jazz, country, folk or South American dance rhythms - you will definitely find something you love in this set.My favourite parts of this box-set were the many instrumental numbers that basically turned into extended Blues/Rock n Roll jam sessions. You also get to see that Chuck also has some skills as a soloist, despite him being predominantly a rhythym player on most of his well-known tracks.Along with the instrumentals, it was great to hear re-recordings of his famous earlier songs, some of which are actually better than the originals - particularly in the quality of recording, which had obviously moved on a lot since the 1950s. To cap it all off, there are many full live performances from Chuck's heyday. This was a period when Chuck still took a pride in his live performances, and this is reflected in both his own performances, and the quality of the band he was backed by.This is certainly not a cheap box-set - currently priced at £275 from Amazon. For me it was well worth the money, as this is by far the most complete set of Chuck Berry Recordings that exists. Now that Chuck has passed away, his estate is likely to milk every penny it can, by releasing small compilations, and perhaps even repackaged early albums. I doubt we will ever see another set like this, and I expect the price to continue rising, as I see from other reviews it was only £150 at one point!Highly Recommended for anyone who loves great music!!

I have waited for the right moment to buy this set,and at last managed to get it from Amazon at a "bargain" price.First off,the packaging. The two books and the folder holding the cd's are housed in a fairly basic box,which is covered-as are the books and cd folder- in a cloth like finish. The overall feel of the box is quite shoddy,in my opinion.The cd's in are held in their "housing" via a circle of rubber,onto which the hole in the cd is pushed onto. Though obviously unbreakable,unlike the normal pieces of plastic in cd jewel cases, I can visualise with constand use the rubber get worn and the discs becoming loose. In fact,just the opposite at the moment,as the discs are quite difficult to remove.All of this may seem like knit-picking,but when you're paying upwards of £150, you expect a little bit of quality,especially from a company such as Bear Family. The two books are excellent. One full of photographs of the man and the other, especially good,as it tells you all you need to know about Chuck and his recording career.What about the music? The sound quality and mastering is generally superb,as is usual from this company. But also a few gripes here,as well. In the blurb about the set,it states that as well as every issued recording from Chuck,it also contains every remaining outtake. Not so. The Hip-o select sets of the 50's and 1960 to '66 masters there are numerous outtakes etc that are not included here. Possibly not a great deal of difference between some of these and the released versions. Would still have been nice to have had them, though. Lastly,the live cd's. Some of these are not much better than bootleg qualityDisappointing Bear Family

All the kudos you would expect for the full Bear Family treatment of Chuck's career. The sound, packaging and quality rings out. Just that one niggle that other reviewers have identified. Why-O-Why the reduced size of the box. I can accept slightly smaller books as they are still superb but as a long time collector of Bear Family Box sets, with over 50 of them sitting on my custom made shelving, this one just looks plain odd.Hope this is not a sign of things to come. Explanation please from the good folk at Bear Family. 12 x 12 rules.

Excellent listening. Very varied music.

Great music. Great price

Well put together - great item.

good amazonian

This is a stunning product, meticulously and comprehensively created by Bear Family Records. Expensive, but worth every penny: the ultimate Chuck Berry collection, and essential to the collection of every serious devotee of rock 'n' roll music. Highly recommended!