Rating:
Genre: Rock
Release Date: 04/26/2005

Universal's 2005 release Gold is a repackaged reissue of their excellent 2000 release Anthology, containing the same 50 tracks over two CDs, the same mastering, and the same liner notes. The only difference is the title and the artwork, which are tailored to be part of Universal's ongoing Gold series (which somehow is more extensive than their ongoing Platinum series, even if it isn't as precious a metal). Clearly, anybody who owns that previous compilation has no need to repurchase this set, but anybody who's looking for a good compilation of Chuck Berry's classic Chess recordings of the '50s and '60s should get this, since this contains all of the hits plus the great majority of such excellent non-hit singles as "Jaguar & Thunderbird," "Tulane," and "Jo Jo Gunne," none of which are on the seminal Great Twenty-Eight comp (all 28 songs from that collection are here, however). While it's not as exhaustive as the triple-disc Chess Box, there's not a bad cut here outside of the abominable "My Ding-A-Ling" -- a novelty that grows worse with each passing year, but is regrettably (yet somehow fittingly) Chuck's only number one single -- and it comes as close to being a definitive Chuck Berry anthology as a double-disc compilation can be.

~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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Willie Dixon - Bass
Etta James - Vocals (Background)
Hubert Sumlin - Guitar
Harlan Leonard - Producer
Johnnie Johnson - Piano
Nic Potter - Bass (Electric)
Fred Below - Drums
Martha Berry - Vocals (Background)
Bo Diddley - Guitar
Reggie Boyd - Bass
Stan Bronstein - Saxophone
Phil Chess - Producer
L.C. Davis - Saxophone
L.C. Davis - Sax (Tenor)
Esmond Edwards - Producer
Mike Fink - Design
Rick Frank - Drums
Wayne "Tex" Gabriel - Guitar
Jerome Green - Maracas
Ebby Hardy - Drums
Adam Ippolito - Piano
Lafayette Leake - Piano
Robbie McIntosh - Drums
Andy McKaie - Producer
Andy McKaie - Compilation
Odie Payne - Drums
Jimmy Rogers - Guitar
Otis Spann - Piano
Jasper Thomas - Drums
Gary VanScyoc - Bass (Electric)
Chuck Stewart - Photography
Don Paulsen - Photography
Dave Kafinetti - Piano
Owen McIntyre - Guitar
Erick Labson - Digital Remastering
Donna Ranieri - Photo Research
Baron Wolman - Photography
Baron Wolman - Cover Photo
Emily Cagan - Product Manager
Popsy Randolph - Photography
Paul Williams - Piano
G. Smith - Bass
Matt Murphy - Guitar
Beth Stempel - Production Coordination
Mark Humphrey - Liner Notes
Ryan Null - Photo Research
James Robinson - Saxophone
Ecuadors - Vocals (Background)

American Graffiti
    Original Soundtrack / CD / 1973
The Very Best of the Coasters
    The Coasters / CD / 1993
The Georgia Peach
    Little Richard / CD / 1991
The Best of Parliament: Give Up the Funk
    Parliament / CD / 1995
Let the Good Times Roll: Anthology 1938-1953
    Louis Jordan / CD / 1999
Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
    The Beach Boys / CD / 1999
Anthology
    Chuck Berry / CD / 2000
Elvis: 30 #1 Hits
    Elvis Presley / CD / 2002

Release Date: 04/26/2005
Genre: rock