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"…Riding
Along In My Automobile...”
Part
of their American issued "Rock 'n' Roll 50th Anniversary" Series –
this April 2004 Universal CD reissue for "St. Louis To Liverpool" by CHUCK BERRY on Geffen/Chess B0001687-02 (Barcode
602498613528) gives us Chuck's 1964 classic album "St. Louis To
Liverpool" in Stereo - bolstered up with 3 bonus tracks (40:23 minutes).
Tape
Supremo ERICK LABSON of Universal has digitally remastered all 15 songs from
the 1st generation Stereo and Mono master tapes (over 1000 credits to his name)
- and he’s done a typically wonderful job – gems like "No Particular Place To
Go" and "You Never Can Tell" sounding as fresh as a bobby-soxer at a jukebox. Here
are the duck-walk details…
1.
Little Marie
2.
Our Little Rendezvous
3.
No Particular Place To Go
4.
You Two
5.
Promised Land
6.
You Never Can Tell
7.
Go Bobby Soxer [Side 2]
8.
The Things I Used To Do
9.
Liverpool Drive
10.
Night Beat
11.
Merry Christmas Baby
12.
Brenda Lee
Tracks
1 to 12 are the Stereo Version of "St. Louis To Liverpool" – released November
1964 in the USA on Chess LPS 1488
BONUS
TRACKS:
13.
Fraulein – Previously Unreleased In The USA
14.
O'Rangutang - Non-album B-side to the USA 7" single of "Nadine" issued 1964 on
Chess 1883 –Previously Unreleased on US LP
15.
The Little Girl From Central – First appeared on the 1990 US LP "Missing
Berries: Rarities, Volume 3" on Chess CH-9318
The
16-page booklet exactly reproduces the lovely full-colour front sleeve on Page
1 with its rear sleeve on the last page of the inlay - in between is a new
essay on the album by noted reviewer BUD SCOPPA with the original liner notes
also reproduced on Page 8 and 9. There's session details, reissue credits and
even the blue and white Chess label of the original LP is pictured under the
see-through tray - all nice touches and great attention to detail.
But
the real good stuff starts with the songs and the SOUND. Unlike the rough and
ready debut "After School Session" from 1957 (also in this series) - this
album has the muscle in STEREO and what a punch it gives when it kicks in. "No
Particular Place To Go" is simply fantastic - fun, in your face and
rockin' - packing all the wallop you'd expect from a truly great Chuck Berry
song but with that great extra muscle in the reproduction. The audio quality on
the lesser-heard “You Two” is superb (Odie Payne on Drums) with Chuck playing
some very tasty stuff while Paul Williams puts in a late piano solo. The
instrumentals “Liverpool Drive” and “Night Beat” are fun but feel like space
fillers. Better is the Bluesy “Merry Christmas Baby” with Johnnie Johnson on
Piano and Chess’ Willie Dixon on Bass – Berry plays some lovely licks on the
guitar as it ambles along. “Brenda Lee” is wicked fun too. It’s also amazing to
think that of the 12 tracks only “Liverpool Drive” and “Night Beat” ‘weren’t’
used as singles – the ten others were. The unreleased “Fraulein” is better than
I’d expected it to be – nice echoed vocals. Better is “The Little Girl From
Central” – a sort of “No Particular Place To Go” knockoff with
As
with "After School Session" - it's also wonderful to hear Berry's
songs again in their original inspiring form and realise what an astonishing
influence for good Chuck and his music has been. When you think of every garage
band, every bedroom poser, every guitar maestro on the planet and how they all
cut their teeth on Chuck Berry songs at some point in their careers - his
influence has been little short of World changing. The brevity, the wit, the cleverness
of his lyrics, the infectiousness of that party music – its all here folks –
and in Stereo too. Catch a snippet of "You Never Can Tell" with its
irresistible piano and brass fills…
“St.
Louis To Liverpool” is a fab listen then and an important and timely CD reissue.
Start your journey to the dark side here children - and remember - best not
tell your parents the reason for said joy - ROCK 'n' ROLL!!
PS: "Rock 'n' Roll 50th Anniversary Edition" is a secondary series title and is
displayed vertically on the side inlay beneath the see-through tray of each
release, but unfortunately, if you try to search databases for ANY titles under
this moniker, it doesn't recognise the 'name' at all. For those interested -
the series includes:
1.
"After School Session" by CHUCK BERRY (1958 debut LP on Chess, see
REVIEW)
2.
"St. Louis To Liverpool" by CHUCK BERRY (1964 STEREO LP on Chess, see
REVIEW)
3.
"The Chirping Crickets" by THE CRICKETS (their 1957 debut LP
featuring BUDDY HOLLY, see REVIEW)
4.
"Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger" by BO DIDDLEY (1960 STEREO LP on
Checker, see REVIEW)
5.
"Rock Around The Clock" by BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS
(ground-breaking 1955 LP on Decca, see REVIEW)
6.
"Buddy Holly" by BUDDY HOLLY (1958 1st solo LP on Coral, see REVIEW)
7.
"Rock, Rock, Rock! - From The Motion Picture" by THE MOONGLOWS, CHUCK
BERRY and THE FLAMINGOS (1956 1st Chess LP - a Rock'n'Roll Soundtrack - see
REVIEW)
There
is also a pictorial display of all 7 in LISTMANIA (in Amazon)
I
bought all 7 of these titles and I can't recommend them enough - each album
remastered, colour artwork lovingly restored and each bolstered up with 3 to 5
relevant releases from the time (many previously unreleased). Fans of Haley,
Holly, The Crickets, Berry, Diddley and Rock 'n' Roll in general should quickly
acquire all of these exemplary CDs. They make for the best basis of a
collection in a minefield of lesser compilations...
