Have Mercy: His Complete Chess Recordings, 1969-1974

Chuck Berry | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 23, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 4
• Label: Hip-O Select
• ASIN: B00373DB62
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,034 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Fulfilling Phil Chess's prophecy, Chuck Berry returned to Chess Records in 1969 after a three year stay with Mercury Records. And it was like he never left, as his very first session produced a great two-sided single, "Tulane" b/w "Have Mercy Judge." The record didn't chart, but it was obvious that Chuck was truly "back home" (as his first album back on Chess was called) and already producing high quality "Chess" recordings once again. This third and last 4 CD set of Chuck Berry's Chess recordings collects every available master and alternate from "Tulane" till the label shuttered its doors to recording new music. The 71 tracks here include his only #1 ("My Ding-A-Ling (live)"), plus 22 previously unreleased recordings, ranging from cool in-studio jams/instrumentals ("Turn On The House Lights," "Rockin'") to 4 additional live recordings from the smoking concert that produced the live side of The London Chuck Berry Sessions; from an intimate, small group session in October of 1972 which produced two throwback "Chuck blues" tracks, "Blues #1" and "Annie Lou," to Chuck's renditions of "Jambalaya" and "Dust My Broom." There's also a live version of "South Of The Border" only previously released as a "B" side in the U.K. and the hot concert London Sessions per formance of "Roll `Em Pete," also originally only released in edited form as a "B" side with a different rhythm section dubbed in - this set has both the complete original and single versions. As with the two earlier volumes, Have Mercy includes liner notes by Berry biographer (and the set's co-compiler) Fred Rothwell, great period photos and graphics, as well as complete sessionby- session credits.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots Of Lost Gems. Now Lets Have The Mercury Years!, April 5, 2010

By 

Wayside (Missouri) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Have Mercy: His Complete Chess Recordings, 1969-1974 (Audio CD)

The good news: The music is terrifically remastered. I believe these three sets are the best Chuck's music has ever sounded on CD or Vinyl. Also, to my knowledge they really are complete in terms of official releases and there is plenty of unreleased material included that is truly great to hear.

I should also note that Berry was in fine form during the late 1960s and 1970s. The music in this box sounds really fresh since most it was never included on any of the Hits albums. Many of the songs contained in this volume can stand right along side anything from his so called "Golden Decade". Christmas, I'm A Rocker, Fish & Chips, Oh Louisiana, I'm Just A Name, and Too Late are all top notch Chuck Berry. Also be sure and listen to Chuck's brilliant recitation of his My Pad poem with no instrumental backing! The man is truly one of the great poets.

The bad news: Just like the first two volumes in the series this set is a limited edition with clumsy packaging(These are minor complaints and should not stop you from purchasing this set).

A warm round of applause is in order for the people behind this project. Now, if only they would complete the series by issuing a final set which covers the Mercury years (this should not be a problem since Chess and Mercury are now owned by the same parent company).

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "...She Worked Night And Day To Keep Us Six Kids Alive...", May 9, 2010

By 

Mark Barry, Reckless Records, London (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Have Mercy: His Complete Chess Recordings, 1969-1974 (Audio CD)

"Have Mercy..." is the 3rd and final volume of Chuck Berry's Chess recordings. Hip-O Select/Geffen B0013790-02 houses 71 tracks across 4CDs, 23 of which are previously unreleased (plus one further track which is previously unreleased in the USA). Its packaging consists of a slightly oversized 4-way foldout digipak that is itself tied with a string on a lapel on the front - aping the layout of the two preceding sets (see PS below). It's a non-numbered worldwide limited edition of 6000 copies and Discs 1 to 4 run to 69:23, 71:37, 69:45 and 65:10 minutes respectively.

FRED ROTHWELL and ANDY McKAIE have compiled the set with Rothwell handling the 24-page booklet (he is author of the book "Long Distance Information - Chuck Berry's Recorded Legacy"). Pictured beneath the see-through trays and on the final flap are the following 5 albums from that period...

1. "Back Home" (November 1970 on Chess LPS-1550 in the USA, February 1972 on Chess 6310 113 in the UK)
2. "San Francisco Dues" (September 1971 on Chess CH-50008 in the USA, March 1972 on Chess 6310 115 in the UK)
3. "The London Chuck Berry Sessions" (June 1972 on Chess CH-60020 in the USA, July 1972 on Chess 6310 122 in the UK)
4. "Chuck Berry/Bio" [aka "Bio"] (September 1973 on Chess CH-50043 in the USA, October 1973 on Chess 6499 650 in the UK)
5. "Chuck Berry" [released as "Chuck Berry `75" in the UK] (February 1975 on Chess CH-60032 in the USA, March 1975 on Chess 9109 101 in the UK)

The three volumes of "Golden Decade" doubles are not referenced at all in the booklet (no exclusive tracks) neither is the "St. Louis To Frisco To Memphis" album from 1972 with The Steve Miller Band because that was released through Mercury Records. The studio side of "The London Chuck Berry Sessions" (Side 1) features Derek Griffiths of The Artwoods and Dog Soldier on Guitar, Rick Grech of Traffic and Family on Bass with Ian McLagan and Kenny Jones of the Faces on Piano and Drums respectively. Side 2 of that album was recorded live in Coventry in England and features the Average White Band as Berry's backing group. Elliott Randall of Steely Dan's "Reelin' In The Years" guitar-solo fame plays Pedal Steel guitar on "I'm Just A Name" and "Too Late" on Disc 4, while Jazz Fusion favourite and multi-instrumentalist Phil Upchurch plays Bass on Tracks 1 to 8 on Disc 1. A rarity for US collectors is the UK-only 7" single live version of "South Of The Border" (Chess 6145 027), which features Jimmy Campbell of Vertigo Spiral Label fame on Guitar (its the previously unreleased in the USA track).

The A & B sides of the US 7" single Chess 2090 ("Tulane" and "Have Mercy Judge") start things off strongly on Disc 1 and you immediately hear two things - the quality song-writing and the cool sound upgrade. The 1st-generation master tapes have been remastered by ace-engineer ERICK LABSON (has over 850 credits to his name including the majority of the Chess catalogue) and his work here is again exemplary - the sound is great. There's hiss on a few tunes for sure and the unreleased live stuff is untreated so it sounds very rough - but there's a fab little instrumental called "Woodpecker" tucked away on Side 2 of "Bio" that I've been trying to get a good CD copy of for years - and here it is at last - and (if you'll forgive the pun) it's ring, ringing like a bell. So too when the British band back up Berry on the T-Bone Walker cover of "Mean Old World" (off "The London Chuck Berry Sessions") - you can really feel and hear that as well - thrilling stuff.

More than a few of the 23 previously unreleased tracks are shockingly good - "Untitled Instrumental" features the fab piano playing of Ellis "Lafayette" Leake with great harmonica fills from Robert Baldori, while the 9-minute instrumental "Turn On The Houselights" sees Chuck play a blinding lead guitar. It's not all good of course - from the "Chuck Berry" LP sessions in 1975 (all of Disc 4) both outtakes "Jambalaya" and "The Song Of My Love" are truly awful, while the abomination that is "My Ding A Ling" on Disc 3 is on here in its full album length version of eleven minutes and the 7" single edit too and even has an added previously unreleased studio version. But it is to this day quite possibly the worst song ever made - and cringing to listen to (I dare say his bank balance rather enjoyed it though). But overall - the outtakes are excellent - and along with the largely unheard remastered album tracks - it all makes for a rather spiffing listen.

Niggles and speculation - like the other two sets, the packaging is ok rather than great and had Bear Family of Germany gotten their hands on this project, we would have had a 9 disc box (instead of 12) with a 180-page 12" x 12" hardback book for about the same cost - and it would have been complete with visuals that would have taken 2 years to compile rather than two days to dash off. A fantasy reissue I know, but worth making the comparison...

Having said that - as it stands "Have Mercy" is far better than I thought it would be - his Rock'n' Roll mojo and lyrical brilliance still intact in the Seventies (the 6-minute poem "My Pad" is deep and prophetic as are the lyrics from "Bio" which titles this review). And if you were to make up a single disc representing the best of what's on this mini box set - then I guarantee you'd shock certain people as to how good it is.

So there you have it - fabulous in places, a let down in others - 2010's "Have Mercy" does at least see Chuck Berry's Seventies' legacy be given some proper respect at last.

Recommended.

PS: His initial output for the famous label was released in 2008 as "Johnny B. Goode - The Complete 50's Recordings" - then followed in 2009 by the 2nd set - "You Never Can Tell - The Complete Chess Recordings 1960 to 1966" (see separate review for "Tell"). See also the tag "Erick Labson Remasters" for a list of goodies remastered by him.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This Final Chapter in Berry's Chess Catalog is another Must Have!, July 5, 2010

By 

Steve Wachholder (United States of America) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Have Mercy: His Complete Chess Recordings, 1969-1974 (Audio CD)

Geffen Records and H I P-O [...] recently released the third and final chapter in the long and very creative musical career of Chuck Berry's studio recordings for Chess Records. This 4-CD boxed set showcase's every song Berry recorded in the Chess studio's between 1969 and 1974. In 1969, Berry had just returned to Chess after taking a two and a half to three year stint with the Mercury Record Lable. A union that did not produce anything in the way of even a top-20 single. Being a huge fan of Chuck's music since the early 70s, I must say that this later period of time in Chuck's career was not quite as creative as was the period between 1955 and 1966. In listening to these tracs one can surely notice an absence to some degree of the early Chuck Berry sound which crashed onto the music scenc in 1955 and changed the world of popular music for many generations to come, paving the way for other artist such as Elvis Presly, Carl Perkins, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran just to name a few. Without going into too much detail, it must be said that this 4-disc boxed set is a must-buy for any serious fan of Chuck Berry as there are several great recordings to be heard on each of the four disc's. Some of these include Tulane, Im a Rocker which features Chucks signature guitar style and an awesome song called Festival. A rare version of Roll Em Pete and Around and Around from Chuck's incredible live concert recorded in Coventry England in 1972 are here along with Rellin and Rockin (which hit #27 on BillBoard) and My Ding-A-Ling (Chuck's only #1 ever on BillBoard) and Johnny B Good, all from the same show are here of course as are all of the other great songs from the London Chuck Berry LP released in 1972. Songs such as I Will Not Let You Go, London Berry Blues, Hello Little Girl are all genuine rockers in the traditonal Chuck Berry style with lot's of great guitar. Talkin About My Buddy and Bio are just totally awesome and could have been top 20 hits. There are several songs which have never been released before which are also part of this set. Like the first two boxed sets of Chuck's Chess sides, this one also includes an information booklet with a few photo's, some rare and some seen before along with the usual recording details. If you purchased this set along with the first two, which is a must do, then what you have is every recording laid down in the Chess studio's and some recorded live by the most influential and inn
ovative artist ever, in the history of Rock and Roll. "Long live Rock and Roll, the feeling is there body and soul".