"The Chess Story 1957-1964" - Part 2 of 3 (November 2001 EU MCA-Universal/Chess 5CD Book Set Reissue with Erick Labson Remasters) - A Review and Discography by Mark Barry

PART 2 of a 3. A long hardback book-shaped box set - coloured blue - 5CDs.
(Originally issued by Universal in the States in 1999 as a 15CD Set). 

EU released 6 November 2001 - "The Chess Story 1957-1964" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on MCA/Universal/Chess 1126952 (Barcode 0008811269524) plays out as follows:

TRACKS and ARTISTS:
CD 6:
1. We Go Together (The Moonglows)
2. Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry)
3. You Better Believe It (Paul Gayten)
4. A Kiss From Your Lips (The Flamingos)
5. Take It Easy, Greasy (Bobby Charles)
6. Who Do You Love (Bo Diddley)
7. See-Saw (The Moonglows)
8. Brown-Eyed Handsome Man (Chuck Berry)
9. Don't Go No Farther (Muddy Waters)
10. I Asked For Water (Howlin' Wolf)
11. 29 Ways (Willie Dixon)
12. Would I Be Crying (The Flamingos)
13. Keep It To Yourself (Sonny Boy Williamson)
14. Too Much Monkey Business (Chuck Berry)
15. Don't Touch My Head (J.B. Lenoir)
16. I'm Ashamed Of Myself (Floyd Dixon)
17. A Simple Prayer (The Ravens)
18. Tall, Dark And Handsome Man (Bobby Cisco)
19. Walkin' By Myself (Jimmy Rogers)
20. Been So Long (The Pastels)
21. Got My Mojo Workin' (Muddy Waters)
22. School Day (Chuck Berry)
23. Please Send Me Someone To Love (The Moonglows)
24. Susie Q (Dale Hawkins)
25. Rock Me (Muddy Waters)
26. Blue Velvet (The Moonglows)

CD7:
1. Hey Bo Diddley (Bo Diddley)
2. Fattenin' Frog For Snakes (Sonny Boy Williamson)
3. Long Lonely Nights (Lee Andrews) (The Hearts)
4. Mona (Bo Diddley)
5. Cool Off Baby (Billy 'Curley' Barrix)
6. Flat Foot Sam (T.V. Slim)
7. Happy, Happy Birthday Baby (The Tuneweavers)
8. Rock And Roll Music (Chuck Berry)
9. Before You Accuse Me (Bo Diddley)
10. That's Why I Love You So (Al Kent)
11. My Soul (Clifton Chenier)
12. Go Ahead (Billy Miranda)
13. Ninety Nine (Sonny Boy Williamson)
14. Book Of Love (The Monotones)
15. Look Out Mabel (G.L. Crockett)
16. Sittin' On Top Of The World (Howlin' Wolf)
17. The Walk (Jimmy McCracklin)
18. Nothin' Shakin' (Eddie Fontaine)
19. Ten Commandments Of Love (The Moonglows)
20. Yea Yea (The Kendall Sisters)
21. Sweet Little Sixteen (Chuck Berry)
22. Tornado (Dale Hawkins)
23. Four O'clock In The Morning (Stanley Mitchell) (The Tornados)
24. Say Man (Bo Diddley)
25. Everybody Rock (Jimmy McCracklin)
26. Anything To Say You're Mine (Lula Reed)
27. Your Funeral And My Trial (Sonny Boy Williamson)
28. Anything To Say You're Mine (Lula Reed)

CD8:
1. You Got Me Whistlin' (Johnny Fuller)
2. Oh-Oh (Eddie Bo)
3. Carol (Chuck Berry)
4. La-Do-Dada (Dale Hawkins)
5. Loud Mouth Annie (Dupont) (Myles)
6. Do You Remember? (L.C. Cooke)
7. Vacation's Over (Lou Josie)
8. Key To The Highway (Little Walter)
9. Close To You (Muddy Waters)
10. Sweet Little Rock And Roller (Chuck Berry)
11. I'm Sorry (Bo Diddley)
12. Sugaree (Rusty York)
13. This Broken Heart (The Sonics)
14. Crackin' Up (Bo Diddley)
15. Almost Grown (Chuck Berry)
16. This Should Go On Forever (Rod Bernard)
17. I Want To Know (Sugarpie DeSanto)
18. Save It (Mel Robins)
19. Back In The U.S.A. (Chuck Berry)
20. Bad Girl (The Miracles)
21. Unseeing Eye (Sonny Boy Williamson)
22. Howlin' For My Darlin' (Howlin' Wolf)
23. Anna Macora (The Calvaes)
24. Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Little Walter)
25. Let It Rock (Chuck Berry)
26. Road Runner (Bo Diddley)
27. Trying To Make A Living (Bobby Saxton)
28. Goin' Back To Memphis (Gene Simmons)
29. First Time I Met The Blues (Buddy Guy)

CD9:
1. All I Could Do Was Cry (Etta James)
2. All Your Love (Otis Rush)
3. I Can't Hold Out (Elmore James)
4. If I Can't Have You (Etta James) (Harvey Fuqua)
5. Blue Shadows (Lowell Fulson)
6. Spoonful (Howlin' Wolf)
7. Tiger In Your Tank (Muddy Waters)
8. Gunslinger (Bo Diddley)
9. But I Do (Clarence 'Frogman' Henry)
10. At Last (Etta James)
11. Back Door Man (Howlin' Wolf)
12. The Watusi (The Vibrations)
13. Just Your Fool (Little Walter)
14. Come On (Chuck Berry)
15. I Won't Be Hanging Around (Albert King)
16. You Always Hurt The One You Love (Clarence 'Frogman' Henry)
17. Peanut Butter (The Marathons)
18. Down In The Bottom (Howlin' Wolf)
19. Music, Music, Music (The Sensations)
20. I'm A Little Mixed Up (Betty James)
21. Little Red Rooster (Howlin' Wolf)
22. So Mean To Me (Little Milton)
23. Proof Of Your Love (Jackie Cannon)
24. Let Me In (The Sensations)
25. Smokey Places (The Corsairs)
26. Nine Below Zero (Sonny Boy Williamson)
27. Something's Got A Hold On Me (Etta James)
28. Stone Crazy (Buddy Guy)

CD10:
1. Reap What You Sow (Billy Stewart)
2. Rinky Dink (Dave "Baby" Cortez)
3. You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover (Bo Diddley)
4. Stop The Wedding (Etta James)
5. Lonely Baby (Ty Hunter)
6. Mama Didn't Lie (Jan Bradley)
7. Got You On My Mind (Cookie & The Cupcakes)
8. Pushover (Etta James)
9. Help Me (Sonny Boy Williamson)
10. 300 Pounds Of Joy (Howlin' Wolf)
11. Sally Go Round The Roses (The Jaynettes)
12. You Keep Her (Joe Tex)
13. Second Hand Lover (The Knight Brothers)
14. Hi-Heel Sneakers (Tommy Tucker)
15. Nadine (Chuck Berry)
16. You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had (Muddy Waters)
17. Soulful Dress (Sugar Pie DeSanto)
18. My Time After A While (Buddy Guy)
19. Selfish One (Jackie Ross)
20. Don't Mess Up A Good Thing (Fontella Bass & Bobby McClure)
21. I Had A Talk With My Man (Mitty Collier)
22. Promised Land (Chuck Berry)
23. The Entertainer (Tony Clarke)
24. Voice Your Choice (The Radiants)
25. Crawlin' King Snake (Buster Brown)
26. I Do Love You (Billy Stewart)

CATALOGUE NUMBERS:
CD 6 1955-1956 (73:40 minutes):
1. Chess 1619 [A]
2. Chess 1626 [A]
3. Checker 836 [A]
4. Checker 837 [A]
5. Chess 1628 [A]
6. Checker 842 [A]
7. Chess 1629 [A]
8. Chess 1635 [B] (see 14)
9. Chess 1630 [A]
10. Chess 1632 [A]
11. Checker 851 [A]
12. Checker 853 [A]
13. Checker 847 [A]
14. Chess 1635 [A] (see also 8)
15. Checker 856 [A]
16. Checker 857 [A]
17. Argo 5261 [A]
18. Chess 1650 [A]
19. Checker 867 [A]
20. Argo 5259 [A]
21. Chess 1643 [A]
22. Argo 5287 [A]
23. Chess 1652 [A] (see also 27)
24. Chess 1653 [A]
25. Chess 1661 [A]
26. Checker 863 [A]
27. Chess 1652 [B] (see 23)
28. Chess 1811 [A]

CD7 1957-1959 (73:32 minutes)
1. Checker 860 [A] (see also 4)
2. Checker 864 [A]
3. Chess 1665 [A]
4. Checker 860 [B] (see also 1)
5. Chess 1662 [A]
6. Checker 870 [A]
7. Checker 872 [A]
8. Chess 1671 [A]
9. Checker 878 [A]
10. Checker 881 [A]
11. Checker 939 [A]
12. Checker 957 [A]
13. Checker 883 [A]
14. Argo 5290 [A]
15. Checker 1120 [A]
16. Chess 1679 [A]
17. Checker 885 [A]
18. Argo 5309 [A]
19. Chess 1705 (Full Version) [A]
20. Checker 889/Argo 5291 [A]
21. Chess 1683 [A]
22. Checker 892 [A]
23. Chess 1649 [A]
24. Checker 931 [A]
25. Checker 893 [A]
26. Argo 5297 [A]
27. Checker 894 [A]
28. Chess 1695 [A]

CD8 1957-1959 (75:09 minutes)
1. Checker 899 [A]
2. Chess 1698 [A]
3. Chess 1700 [A]
4. Checker 900 [A]
5. Argo 5326 [A]
6. Checker 903 [A]
7. Chess LP 9124
8. Checker 904 [A]
9. Chess 1704 [A]
10. Chess 1709 [A]
11. Checker 914 [A]
12. Chess 1730 [A]
13. Checker 922 [A]
14. Checker 924 [A]
15. Chess 1722 [A]
16. Argo 5372 [A]
17. Veltone 103
18. Argo 5340 [A]
19. Chess 1729 [A]
20. Chess 1734 [A]
21. Checker 927 [A]
22. Chess 1762 [A]
23. Checker 928 [A]
24. Checker 930 [A]
25. Chess 1747 [A]
26. Checker 942 [A]
27. Checker 947 [A]
28. Checker 948 [A]
29. Chess 1753 [A]

CD9 1960-1961 (74:41 minutes)
1. Argo 5359 [A]
2. Chess LP 1538 (Albert King & Otis Rush - "Door To Door", 1959)
3. Chess 1756 [A]
4. Chess 1760 [A]
5. Checker 959 [A]
6. Chess 1762 [A]
7. Chess 1765 [A]
8. Checker 945 [A]
9. Argo 5378 [A]
10. Argo 5380 [A]
11. Chess 1777 [A]
12. Checker 969 [A]
13. Checker 1013 [A]
14. Chess 1779 [A]
15. Chess LP 1538 (see 2)
16. Argo 5388 [A]
17. Argo 5389 [A]
18. Chess 1793 (Unedited Version)
19. Argo 5391 [A]
20. Chess 1801 [A]
21. Chess 1804 [A]
22. Checker 994 [A]
23. Chess 1807 [A]
24. Argo 5405 [A]
25. Chess 1808 [A]
26. Checker 1003 (Unedited Version)
27. Argo 5409 [A]
28. Chess 1812 [A]

CD10 1961-1964 (74:27 minutes)
1. Chess 1820 [A]
2. Chess 1829 [A]
3. Checker 1019 [A]
4. Argo 5418 [A]
5. Checkmate 1015 [A]
6. Chess 1845 [A]
7. Chess 1838 [A]
8. Argo 5437 [A]
9. Checker 1036 [A]
10. Chess 1870 [A]
11. Tuff 369 [A]
12. Checker 1055 [A]
13. Checker 1064 [A]
14. Checker 1067 [A]
15. Chess 1883 [A]
16. Chess 1895 [A]
17. Checker 1082 [A]
18. Chess 1889 [A]
19. Chess 1903 [A]
20. Checker 1087 [A]
21. Chess 1907 [A]
22. Chess 1916 [A]
23. Chess 1924 [A]
24. Chess 1904 [A]
25. Checker 1099 [A]
26. Chess 1922 [A]

The entire set is remastered from original master tapes by one of Universal's top engineers ERICK LABSON and soundwise (with over 800 mastering credits to his name) it's a typically superb job.

The packaging I feel could have been a lot better, disappointing booklets - but for Chess fans many of these tracks are simply not available anywhere else...

Recommended - even at a price.

PS:
The 1st box is 5 discs also and covers 1947-1956 (133 tracks)

The 3rd box is 5 discs too and covers 1965-1975. However, in box 3, there are only 3 audio CDs (70 tracks) - Disc 14 is divided into 18 interview parts (just over 74 minutes) and Disc 15 is a CD-Rom with interactive downloads, Chess catalogue etc