20th Century Masters: The Best Of Chuck Berry (Millennium Collection) [Original recording remastered]

Chuck Berry, 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection (Series) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 23, 1999)
• Original Release Date: March 23, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Mca
• ASIN: B00000I8LJ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,553 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The 20th Century Masters series is the best-selling single-artist line in music history and is being re-released by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) in its ground-breaking, environmentally-friendly packaging format. A first for the music industry, the standard package (both sleeve and tray) will be completely paper-recyclable, continuing the company's long-standing commitment to being "green."

To further reduce the amount of paper in the Eco-Pack, the CD booklet will no longer be offered. Official liner notes are easily accessible on the Internet at http://www.ilovethatsong.com/green.

UMe is the first North American music company to replace the traditional jewel case with recycled paperboard sleeves and the plastic tray with trays made from PaperFoam®, a new packaging technology from Shorewood Packaging, a business of International Paper, that is paper-recyclable and biodegradable. Shorewood Packaging is the first North American packaging supplier to produce disc trays from PaperFoam®. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Can't Fault The Music, But..., September 9, 2004

By 

"The Woj" (Downers Grove, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 20th Century Masters: The Best Of Chuck Berry (Millennium Collection) (Audio CD)

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.****

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars just a taste of Chuck Berry, June 11, 2000

By 

Yellowkid (Casco, Maine USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 20th Century Masters: The Best Of Chuck Berry (Millennium Collection) (Audio CD)

If all you're looking for is an inexpensive sampling of this seminal Rock 'n Roller, then this slice, that features flawlessly re-mastered cuts, may be for you. But seriously, what is a Chuck Berry collection without "Little Queenie" or "Almost Grown"? Spend the extra bucks and get the two volumne collection, or wait for the upcoming "Anthology".

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great music, but 11 songs doesn't cover it, September 26, 2003

By 

Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 20th Century Masters: The Best Of Chuck Berry (Millennium Collection) (Audio CD)

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.