"Trouble Man: 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition" by MARVIN GAYE - Soundtrack Album from December 1972 (USA) on Tamla and February 1973 (UK) on Tamla Motown (November 2012 (US) and January 2013 (UK) Universal/Hip-O Select 2CD Reissue And Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…A Little Different Time Wise…"

As I sit here listening to Marvin instructing Trevor Lawrence (the Saxophone player) on Disc 1's Alternate Version of "T" Stands For Trouble" (dialogue above) – I’m properly drooling. This is just stunning stuff - and as a veteran of over 2000 reviews (hundreds for Soul) – I can safely say that this gorgeous 2CD set may just well be the coolest reissue ever put out in digital history.

While 1971’s "What's Going On" and 1973's "Let's Get It On" are regularly acknowledged as Soul masterpieces and name-checked by everyone who is everyone in love with music that genuinely touches you – real MG fans have always had a rush to the head at the mere sight of 1972's "Trouble Man" on vinyl. 

Gaye himself seemed to rate it as his best work and on the evidence presented to us on this fabulous 2013 overhaul – hot like an oven – doesn’t even come close to how good Marvin was at the time. So let’s get to the Blax facts right away…

Released November 2012 in the USA (January 2013 in the UK) – "Trouble Man" by MARVIN GAYE is a 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition 2CD Remaster on Universal/Hip-O Select B0017676-02 (Barcode 602537184040) and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (73:41 minutes):

1. Main Theme From Trouble Man (2)

2. "T" Plays It Cool

3. Poor Abbey Walsh

4. The Break In (Police Shoot Big)

5. Cleo’s Apartment

6. Trouble Man

7. Theme From Trouble Man

8. "T" Stands For Trouble

9. Main Theme From Trouble Man

10. Life Is A Gamble

11. Deep-In-It

12. Don't Mess With Mr. T

13. There Goes Mr. T

Tracks 1 to 13 are the album "Trouble Man" – originally released December 1972 in the USA on Tamla T322L and February 1973 in the UK on Tamla Motown STML 11225. The American issue famously came in a die-cut sleeve with a flap that had him seated beneath the flap – the UK version came in a single laminated cover with no flap and only the seated photo.

The "T" Sessions: 

14. Main Theme From Trouble Man (2) – Alternate Take With Strings

15. "T" Plays It Cool – Unedited Version

16. Poor Abbey Walsh, Part 2 – Take 1

17. Poor Abbey Walsh, Part 2 – Take 2

18. Trouble Man – Extended Version

19. Theme From Trouble Man – Vocal Version

20. "T" Stands For Trouble – Unedited Vocal Version

21. "T" Stands For Trouble – Alternate Version

22. Man Theme From Trouble Man – Vocal Version)

Tracks 14 to 22 are all PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS TRACKS

Disc 2 (47:37 minutes):

1. Trouble Man

2. Pool Hall

3. "T" Plays It Cool

4. Cadillac Interlude/Cleo’s Apartment

5. Man Tied Up/Jimmy’s West/Conversation With Cleo

6. Crap Game (A.K.A. The Break In)/Getting Rid Of Body/Talking To Angel

7. Outside Police Station

8. Bowling Alley Parking Lot

9. Stick Up

10. Cleaners/Cleo

11. Closing Jimmy’s

12. Police Break In

13. "T" Cleans Up/Police Station

14. Packing Up/Jimmy Gets Worked/Saying Goodbye/"T" Breaks In/Movie Theatre

15. Car Ride/Looking For Pete

16. Parking Garage/Elevator

17. Penthouse

18. Getting Pete

19. My Name Is "T"/End Credits

Tracks 1 to 19 are "Trouble Man Original Film Score" (in MONO) which features the movie score chronologically reconstructed for the first time since release over 40 years ago. It is PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED in this form.

Track 20 is a Film Band Bonus - "T" At The Cross

The three-way fold out digipak looks the business – the CDs are the same colour as the 1973 American Tamla label while the centre pages of the booklet picture the shot of Marvin sat in his chair from the die-cut sleeve. Under the see-through plastic trays are snaps of tape boxes for Side 1 and 2 and each flap has lovely colour shots of the great man. Very tasty…

But the booklet is a mixture of the beautiful and the baffling – it’s 28 pages are gorgeous – filled with Motown Archive memorabilia, stuff from the collection of Mathieu Bitton, British and American trade adverts from the time, full colour spreads - even Turkish and Japanese pressings of rare singles. There are superb contributions from fans like Joni Mitchell, Lenny Kravitz, movie legend Cameron Crowe and filmmaker George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food, Men Of Honor and Notorious) –as well as reminiscences from the album’s song arranger Dale Oehler (Joni used him for "The Hissing Of Summer Lawns") and the lone guest musician Trevor Lawrence who played Saxophone (Marvin played everything else). All this and detailed annotation on the sessions on the last set of pages etc.  All good…

But then when you get to Page 17 of the Andrew Flory liner notes and the last sentence starts "Less than a year after its release, Trouble…" – you turn over the page – and nothing! It’s not continued because someone’s obviously missed a whole set of paragraphs. It’s staggering sloppy for such a classy looking reissue.

But although that’s a goof worth pointing out – in truth it’s a sideshow to the real deal for long-time Gaye fans and lovers of this nugget album – the BEAUTIFUL NEW REMASTERED SOUND and STUNNING PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED EXTRAS…

ANDREW SKAROW did tape Research, JOHN MORALES mixed the bonus tracks and long-standing Universal Engineer KEVIN REEVES did the overall remaster. The work is exceptionally good – full of muscle and power. The booklet informs us that the 'reconstruction of the score for Disc 2 was painstaking' and it sounds it – segments I’ve never heard finally mixed in with what punters saw on the night. Some of it seems to fade out prematurely but I suspect that is to do what they had to work with. Other than that – track after track – and you’re hit with sonic clarity and warmth that is thrilling.

I’ve had the 1998 CD remaster for years and this version is better – more detail and without being over-trebled for the sake of it. The punch off some of the tracks is shocking – and who can resist the only single taken off the album "Trouble Man" b/w "Don’t Mess With Mister "T"" – it sounds glorious.

The Bonus Tracks on Disc 1 for me are the best – the Unedited Vocal Version of "T" Stands For Trouble is brill – huge sound and sexy rhythms – with Marvin scatting over the cool rhythm and Sax. WOW!

Over 300 tiny sound cue segments were recorded for the movie and for this reissue the usable cues have been painstakingly cobbled together to make a cohesive whole. It’s easy to see why music-hall crud like "Pool Hall" was left off the album but slink like "Cadillac Interlude/Cleo's Apartment", "Crap Game…", "Outside Police Station", "Cleaners/Cleo" and the sexy patter of "Penthouse" are so good and moodily atmospheric that they make you want to check out the actual movie itself (well almost). Although the Film Band Bonus "T" At The Cross is probably the worst audio on here – its string arrangement is lovely and I can hear why it was included despite the wall of hiss that comes at you as it plays.

Apart from the presentation glitch – this is yet another superb Hip-O Select Motown release (they did the award-winning Singles Box Sets Volumes 1 to 12A).

As the years go by – Marvin Gaye's legend only grows. And I'll be honest – this fabulous reissue made me shed a tear. Put the blame on Mister T people…

"The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 12B: 1972 (July to December 1972)" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (December 2013 USA - January 2014 UK Hip-O Select 5CD Hardback Digibook Set with Attached 45-Vinyl-Single - Ellen Fitton Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry

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"...Mama Just Hung Her Head And Said...Papa Was A Rolling Stone..."

There's a photograph on page 125 of this 14th and final box set for "The Complete Motown Singles" Series that will make most Motown aficionados weak at the knees. It shows a lady in the original Motown Tape Library filing master boxes. I don't know if this mythical place has ever been snapped before - but there's a room I'd like to spend an hour or two in. And I mention it because it's typical of the in-depth and lavish nature of this truly amazing series - beautifully presented and full of fan-pleasing goodies.

UK released Monday 6 January 2014 (December 2013 in the USA) - "The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 12B: 1972" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Hip-O Select B0019213-02 (Barcode 602537532193) is a 5CD Hardback Digibook set with Attached 45-Vinyl Single that breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (overall Disc No. 71) has 22 tracks, 69: 26 minutes

Disc 2 (overall Disc No. 72) has 20 tracks, 63:08 minutes

Disc 3 (overall Disc No. 73) has 19 tracks, 70:17 minutes

Disc 4 (overall Disc No. 74) has 18 tracks, 65:11 minutes

Disc 5 (overall Disc No. 75) has 21 tracks, 69:03 minutes

The comprehensively annotated pages give you all the details you'd want - writers, arrangers, exact catalogue numbers, release dates, session and recording details from the official Motown files and a paragraph on each release (some of which are over two pages long). There are also some of the most beautiful photographs of artists’ ever produced - fabulous full-page plates. To top it all off there are 3 very detailed indexes at the rear - Artist, Title and Label (using the Disc numbers provided above).

A word about the sound quality... As with this entire series - the remastering has been done by ELLEN FITTON – an engineer that I've noted before for top quality work (I've tagged many of her releases on Amazon for a pictorial - go to my Profile page and you'll see ELLEN FITTON REMASTERS in the Tags section below). It has to be said that to my ears - this is the very best I've ever heard Seventies Motown sound - absolutely sensational. Take tracks like Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" backed with "You've Got It Bad Girl" - WOW! Even better is the Marvin Gaye double whammy "Trouble Man" backed with "Don't Mess With Mr. T" - beautifully clear and full of presence. But the bomb for me is a B-side I've been after on CD for literally decades. "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" is almost 12-minutes long on the album - the single was edited down to four seconds short of 7 minutes - but it's B-side is the rare "Instrumental" version at 4:48 minutes. Although it's not strictly voiceless (a chorus line sung here and there) - it is unique and it just amazing. To my knowledge it makes a first appearance here - sounding incredible. Right from the opener by The Supremes "Your Wonderful Sweet Sweet Love" - the audio is gorgeous. 

The downside is that it's obvious why so many of the tracks in-between the huge hits didn't make it - most are just too ordinary - some just stylistically out of place. But even the unknowns and less-than-famous tracks have nuggets too - Rare Earth, The Undisputed Truth, The Crusaders, Valerie Simpson and Eddie Kendricks - all of which are ace (and definite discoveries are Puzzle, Lesley Gore, G.C. Cameron and Willie Hutch).

First proposed in casual conversation in 2004 - Hip-O Select issued Volume Number 1 in early 2005 and only now - in January 2014 - does it finish at 12B covering July to December 1972. 9 years, 75 CDs documenting everything from 1959 to 1972, 1849 singles, 435 Billboard Hot 100 Entries, 60 Number One hits etc. I'm missing only the pricey Volume 1 and 6 in the whole series - but I'm so glad I kept up with the purchases. If we get lucky Hip-O Select are working on the 'Los Angeles' years (1973 onwards).

A truly amazing series goes out with a sonic blast…

"The Motown Singles Collection" by Hip-O Select 

(14 Released Volumes as of January 2021)

75 x CD Volumes, 1847 CD Tracks Plus 28 Tracks On 14 x 7" Vinyl Singles

1. Volume 1: 1959-1961, Released January 2005, Catalogue No. Hip-O Select B-0003631-02 (Barcode 602517643310), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 5000 (Non-Numbered), 155 Tracks, CDs are Volumes 1 to 6

2. Volume 2: 1962, May 2005, 4CDs, B-00004402-02 (Barcode 602517807552), Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non Numbered), 112 Tracks, Volumes 7 to 10

3. Volume 3: 1963, October 2005, B-0005352-02 (Barcode 602517845691), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 7500 (Non-Numbered), 119 Tracks, Volumes 11 to 15

4. Volume 4: 1964, February 2006, B-0005945-02 (Barcode 602517882443), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 163 Tracks, Volumes 16 to 21

5. Volume 5: 1965, August 2006, B-0006775-02 (Barcode 602517789414), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 166 Tracks, Volumes 22 to 27

6. Volume 6: 1966, November 2006, B-0007872-02 (Barcode 602517092761), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 125 Tracks, Volumes 28 to 32

7. Volume 7: 1967, May 2007, B-0008993-02 (Barcode 602517341906), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 120 Tracks, Volumes 33 to 37

8. Volume 8: 1968, October 2007, B-0009708-02 (Barcode 602517431775), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 144 Tracks, Volumes 38 to 43

9. Volume 9: 1969, December 2007, B-0010270-02 (Barcode 602517507722), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 148 Tracks, Volumes 44 to 49

10. Volume 10: 1970, June 2008, B-0011056-02 (Barcode 602517659209), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 144 Tracks, Volumes 50 to 55

11. Volume 11A: 1971, February 2009, B-0011579-02 (Barcode 602517776555), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 119 Tracks, Volumes 56 to 60

12. Volume 11B: 1971, January 2010, B-0012227-02 (Barcode 602517876903), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non Numbered), 120 Tracks, Volumes 61 to 65

13. Volume 12A: 1972, May 2013, B-0012935-02 (Barcode 602527044453)), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 7500 (Non Numbered), 117 Tracks, Volumes 66 to 70

14. Volume 12B: 1972, December 2013, B-0019213-02 (Barcode 602537532193), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 7500 (Non Numbered), 100 Tracks, Volumes 71 to 75

“The Solo Albums: Volume 4 – Love Breeze & Where There’s Smoke…” by SMOKEY ROBINSON (2011 Hip-O Select/Motown CD Reissue - Ellen Fitton Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Baby Let's Cruise…Away From Here..."

This is the 4th of 6 volumes by Hip-O Select chronicling Smokey Robinson's solo albums for Motown. It was initially available from their US website from 28 Jan 2011 and then commercially released 15 Feb 2011. Now it’s the UK’s turn - let’s get to the details…

UK released 21 February 2011 (28 January 2011 in the USA) - "The Solo Albums: Volume 4 – Love Breeze & Where There's Smoke…" by SMOKEY ROBINSON on Hip-O Select/Motown B0015163-02 (Barcode 602527586359) offers 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD plus 1 Bonus Track and breaks down as follows (78:15 minutes):

1. Why You Wanna See My Bad Side

2. Love So Fine

3. Feeling You, Feeling Me

4. Madam X

5. Shoe Soul [Side 2]

6. Trying It Again

7. Daylight & Darkness

8. I'm Loving You Softley

Tracks 1 to 8 are his 6th solo album "Love Breeze" - released February 1978 in the USA on Tamla T7-359R1 and in May 1978 in the UK on Tamla Motown STML 12081.

9. It's A Good Night

10. I Love The Nearness Of You

11. The Hurt's On You

12. Ever Had A Dream

13. Get Ready [Side 2]

14. Share It

15. Cruisin'

Tracks 9 to 15 are his 7th solo album "Where There’s Smoke…" - released May 1979 in the USA on Tamla T7-366R1 and August 1979 in the UK on Tamla Motown STML 12115. Side 1 is called 'Smoke' (tracks 9 to 12) and Side 2 is called 'Fire' (tracks 13 to 15).

BONUS TRACK:

16. Get Ready (12-Inch Instrumental) - June 1979 non-album B-side to the US 12" single of "Get Ready" on Motown M 000027D1

The gatefold card-digipak has the same generic look and feel of the Volumes 1 to 3 and 5. This edition (Vol. 4) has a 28-page colour booklet containing liner notes by PETER DOGGETT (formerly of Record Collector magazine and author of the book "There's A Riot Going On"). It also reproduces the American artwork front and rear for each album (even though in truth they're impossible to read), has photographic outtakes from the album sleeves, the lyrics to all the songs and detailed recording and release credits. It’s very tastefully done…

Remastered by ELLEN FITTON from the original Stereo tapes - the sound quality is superb (she did an equally great job on Volumes 1 and 3). I've reviewed CDs remastered by Fitton before - she's one of Universal's top engineers (others are Erick Labson, Suha Gur, Gavin Lurssen, Gary Moore and Kevin Reeves). I've created a TAG above (pictorial displays of artwork) for both her remasters and Hip-O Select releases she’s been involved in that are worth noting.

Unfortunately, like Volume 3, the really great sound quality helps you to swallow the huge amount of saccharine pap that Motown produced in those disintegrating years – and these 1978 and 1979 offerings are guilty of the same. Both have been (and will probably always remain) absolute dollar-bin fodder on both sides of the pond. But – and this is the big but – there’s rediscoveries on here absolutely worth making…

The smoochy "Feeling You, Feeling Me" would do a night in a Theopolis P. Wilderbeast shagpad proud - while "Madame X" is a sort of "Cruisin'" variant that talks about 'faces in discotheques' and is excellent. "Shoe Soul" is a terrible song about sneakers, but the lovely slink of "Daylight & Darkness" is much better. And again the sound quality is ace. The slap-bass, strings and hooky beat of "It’s A Good Night" reflect the club sound of 1979 and it’s a good opener for the "Where There’s Smoke…" album. "Share It" is an uptempo love song – the kind of infectious Summer-feeling hit that Smokey is so good at. Then of course there’s the huge and sexily wonderful "Cruisin'" (lyrics above) which is represented here in its full six-minute glory. It was issued as an edit on 7” single and is wicked - I’ve had it on CD for a few years now just to have the track – shame there wasn’t room for that unique version of it on here.

There's one bonus track, but it’s a peach and a genuinely sought-after rarity. "Get Ready" was originally done by RARE EARTH back in 1970 (Smokey wrote the song) – his new version is a funked-up one. But the reason DJs love the B-side so much is because it removes the lyrics, peppers it with a girly chorus every now and then and concentrates instead on the funky guitar…and man what a groove it is – fabulous stuff.

To sum up – like Volume 3 – it’s not all genius of course and there’s cringingly awful stuff on both albums. But there’s also the good gear - that cracking bonus track and the warm and funky sound that make it another enjoyable purchase in this ongoing series…

"Have Mercy: His Complete Chess Recordings 1969 To 1974" by CHUCK BERRY (2010 Hip-O Select/Chess 4CD Book Set Of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…She Worked Night And Day To Keep Us Six Kids Alive…"

Chuck Berry's "Have Mercy: His Complete Chess Recordings 1960 to 1974" is the 3rd and final volume of his Chess recordings reissued by the USA's premier Mail-Order label - HIP-O SELECT. And like so much of their product - it’s both a thing of reissue beauty and presentation mediocrity. Here are the merciful details...

Released in the USA via their website in January 2010 (general release March 2010) - "Have Mercy: His Complete Chess Recordings 1960 to 1974" by CHUCK BERRY on 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 - Track 4, Disc 3). 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 liner notes (he is author of the book "Long Distance Information – Chuck Berry's Recorded Legacy") - while Universal's hugely experienced Audio Engineer ERICK LABSON (who does almost all the Chess material - has over 1000 credits to his name) has handled the expert transfers and Remasters from first-generation master tapes. This 4CD set sounds fantastic - the best I've ever heard this material.   

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 neither is the "St. Louis To Frisco To Memphis" album from 1972 with The Steve Miller Band live on one side because that was released through Mercury Records. 

Guest are many - 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) in that it features Jimmy Campbell of Vertigo Spiral Label fame on Guitar (it's the previously unreleased in the USA track). Let's get to the music...

The A and 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 the quality song-writing and the cool sound upgrade. Although Labson's transfer work is exemplary throughout - there's hiss on a few tunes for sure and the unreleased live stuff is untreated so it sounds very rough. But to get an inkling of the fab sound - there's a wickedly cool 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. Check out iTunes for this - it's (if you'll forgive the pun) ring- ringing like a bell. So too when the British band back up Berry on the T-Bone Walker cover of "Mean Old World" (from "The London Chuck Berry Sessions" LP) – 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 o.k. rather than great and had Bear Family of Germany gotten their hands on this project - we would have had a 12" x 12" Box with a 180-page 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 "You Never Can Tell...")