Though Chuck Berry passed away yesterday at the age of 90, his "rock and roll music" will never die, any old way you choose it.  Berry was among the vanguard of artists who transformed rhythm and blues into rock and roll with such landmark recordings as "Maybellene," "Johnny B. Goode," "Roll Over Beethoven," and yes, "Rock and Roll Music", and in doing so, inspired The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and just about every kid who ever dreamed of picking up a guitar and making a joyful noise.  Blending distinctive musicianship with pure showmanship, Berry never stopped entertaining in his own defiant way, performing regular engagements through 2014 and even announcing a new album (his first in decades), scheduled for release later this year.  Hail, hail rock and roll...hail, hail, Chuck Berry.

In 2014, Bear Family Records released the definitive collection of Berry's complete recordings.  Below, you'll find our original coverage of this remarkably significant box set.

ORIGINAL POST OF SEPTEMBER 8, 2014: This fall, Bear Family Records is releasing the ultimate tribute to perhaps the ultimate rock and roll artist. On October 17, the label will unveil Chuck Berry's Rock and Roll Music - Any Old Way You Choose It - The Complete Studio Recordings Plus! -and its title isn't the only mammoth thing about it. The 16-CD box set is even lavish by Bear Family's gold standard, containing within its 28 x 28 x 6 cm clothbound box every single and LP track recorded in the studio by Chuck Berry, starting with a rare pre-Chess single with Joe Alexander from 1954 and continuing with:

• All of Berry's Chess singles and album cuts from 1955 to 1966 and from 1969 to 1974;
• All of his Mercury recordings from 1966-1969, and lone Atco album from 1979;
• Every surviving alternate take;
• Bonus live recordings from 1956 to 1972 including BBC performances;
• Two hardcover books totaling 356 pages and including an exclusive introduction by Sir Paul McCartney!

All of Berry's classics, needless to say, are here - some in multiple versions - on this set containing over 21 hours of music and 20 full studio albums. When assessing the single-disc anthology The Great Twenty-Eight back in 2011, I wrote, "'Maybellene,' 'Roll Over Beethoven,' 'Rock and Roll Music,' 'Sweet Little Sixteen,' 'Johnny B. Goode,' 'No Particular Place to Go.' If you ever have to explain rock and roll to an alien, you might as well hand the little green man a copy of The Great Twenty-Eight and go to town. The otherworldly creature would get it right away!" Indeed, Berry played an almost incalculable role in developing rock-and-roll, from its sound to its lyrical content to its style. Ironically, his sole No. 1 hit was "My Ding-a-Ling" - a double entendre-laden Dave Bartholomew novelty that's hardly worthy of his legend.

This massive box goes even further than Hip-o Select's acclaimed three-volume series which presented Berry's complete Chess recordings by continuing the Kennedy Center Honoree and first class Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee's story with his Mercury and Atco recordings. 1979's Rock It, for Atco, remains Berry's last studio album to date, but the 87-years young rocker still performs one Wednesday each month at Blueberry Hill, a restaurant and bar in St. Louis, Missouri.

Bear Family's Rock and Roll Music tells the Chuck Berry story in words and music. The label explains, "Expatriate British photographer Bill Greensmith lives in St. Louis and a few years back he found the photo archive of Chuck Berry's uncle, Harry Davis. Included are many previously unseen images of Chuck performing in St. Louis and hanging out with friends and family. In these images, Chuck is unguarded and relaxed. We also see him performing at blues nightspots in and around St. Louis before he was famous. These photos, included with this set in a high quality 104-page hardbound book, will open your eyes to Chuck Berry as you've never seen him." The Bear team adds, "Plus, there's a second 252-page hardbound book with a definitive essay from Chuck's biographer, Bruce Pegg, additional texts by Mike Snow and Roger Fairhurst, a comprehensive discography by Fred Rothwell, [and] hundreds of published and unpublished photos, including several images made by respected French photographer Jean-Marie Perrier in 1964."

Needless to say, this is a collection that belongs on the shelf of every rock-and-roll devotee. It's due from Bear Family on October 17 - in a "standard" edition and a limited version housed in an actual guitar case (see image below)! You can peruse the track listing below. You might notice we haven't provided full annotation; for that, you'll have to pick up the box set with its trademark Bear Family-style discography! You can pre-order the "standard" edition of Rock and Roll Music at the link below for Amazon U.S.!

Chuck Berry, Rock and Roll Music - Any Old Way You Choose It - The Complete Studio Recordings Plus! (Bear Family, 2014)

CD 1

1. Maybellene
2. Wee Wee Hours
3. Thirty Days (To Come Back Home)
4. Together (We Will Always Be)
5. You Can't Catch Me
6. Roly Poly
7. Berry Pickin' (Instrumental)
8. (The) Down Bound Train
9. No Money Down
10. I've Changed
11. Drifting Heart
12. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
13. Roll Over Beethoven
14. Too Much Monkey Business
15. Havana Moon
16. Rock And Roll Music (Demo)
17. Untitled Instrumental
18. Deep Feeling (Instrumental)
19. School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell)
20. Lajaunda (Español)
21. Blue Feeling (Instrumental)
22. Low Feeling (Instrumental)
23. How You've Changed
24. Rock And Roll Music
25. Oh Baby Doll
26. Question Method
27. How High The Moon (Instrumental)
28. Maria Joe Alexander
29. Hope These Words Will Find You Well - Joe Alexander
30. Sweet Little Sixteen (Demo)

CD 2

1. Sweet Little Sixteen
2. Rock At The Philharmonic (Instrumental)
3. Guitar Boogie (Instrumental)
4. Night Beat (Instrumental)
5. Time Was (slow version)
6. Reelin' And Rockin'
7. Chuckwalk (Instrumental)
8. Johnny B Goode
9. Around And Around
10. Ingo (Instrumental)
11. It Don't Take But A Few Minutes
12. Blues For Hawaiians (Instrumental)
13. Beautiful Delilah
14. Vacation Time
15. 21
16. 21 Blues
17. Oh Yeah
18. Hey Pedro
19. Time Was
20. House Of Blue Lights
21. Carol
22. Jo Jo Gunne
23. Memphis Tennessee
24. Anthony Boy
25. Sweet Little Rock And Roller
26. Long Fast Jam (Instrumental)
27. Long Slow Jam (Instrumental)

CD 3

1. Merry Christmas Baby
2. Run Rudolph Run
3. Little Queenie
4. That's My Desire
5. Do You Love Me
6. Almost Grown
7. Back In The USA
8. Fast B 6 (Instrumental)
9. Blue On Blue (Instrumental)
10. Betty Jean
11. County Line
12. Childhood Sweetheart
13. One O'Clock Jump (Instrumental)
14. I Just Want To Make Love To You
15. Broken Arrow
16. Let It Rock
17. Too Pooped To Pop
18. Say You'll Be Mine - The Ecuadors
19. Let Me Sleep Woman - The Ecuadors
20. Drifting Blues
21. I Got To Find My Baby
22. Don't You Lie To Me
23. Worried Life Blues
24. Our Little Rendezvous
25. Bye Bye Johnny
26. Run Around
27. Jaguar And Thunderbird
28. Diploma For Two
29. Little Star
30. The Way It Was Before
31. Away From You
32. Down The Road Apiece
33. Confessin' The Blues
34. Sweet Sixteen
35. Thirteen Question Method
36. Stop And Listen

CD 4

1. I Still Got The Blues
2. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
3. Mad Lad (Instrumental)
4. Crying Steel (Instrumental)
5. Route 66 (Take 10)
6. I'm Talking About You
7. Rip It Up
8. On
9. Adulteen
10. The Man And The Donkey
11. Go Go Go
12. Trick Or Treat
13. Brown Eyed Handsome Man (Instrumental)
14. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
15. All Aboard
16. Nadine (Is It You?)
17. You Never Can Tell
18. The Little Girl From Central
19. (The) Things I Used To Do
20. I'm In The Danger Zone
21. I'm In The Twilight Zone
22. Fraulein
23. Lonely All The Time (Crazy Arms)
24. O Rangutang (Instrumental)
25. Big Ben (Blues)
26. (The) Promised Land
27. Brenda Lee
28. No Particular Place To Go
29. You Two
30. Liverpool Drive (Instrumental)
31. Chuck's Beat (Instrumental)
32. Bo's Beat (Instrumental)
33. Little Marie
34. Go, Bobby Soxer

CD 5

1. Lonely School Days
2. His Daughter Caroline
3. Dear Dad
4. I Want To Be Your Driver
5. Spending Christmas (My Blue Christmas)
6. The Song Of My Love
7. Butterscotch (Instrumental)
8. After It's Over (Instrumental)
9. Why Should We End This Way
10. You Came A Long Way From St Louis
11. She Once Was Mine
12. Jamaica Farewell
13. My Little Love Light
14. I Got A Booking
15. St Louis Blues
16. Shake Rattle And Roll
17. Honey Hush
18. Wee Wee Hours (Instrumental)
19. Run Joe
20. It's My Own Business
21. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
22. Every Day We Rock And Roll
23. My Mustang Ford (Instrumental)
24. My Mustang Ford
25. Merrily We Rock And Roll
26. Vaya Con Dios
27. Wee Hour Blues
28. It Wasn't Me
29. Ain't That Just Like A Woman
30. Right Off Rampart Street 2:21
31. Welcome Back Pretty Baby
32. Sad Day, Long Night (Instrumental)

CD 6

1. Ramona, Say Yes
2. Viva (Viva) Rock And Roll
3. His Daughter Caroline (Fast version)
4. Lonely School Days (Fast version)
5. Campus Cookie (Instrumental)
6. Mum's The Word
7. My Tambourine
8. Laugh And Cry
9. Maybelline
10. School Days
11. Sweet Little Sixteen
12. Johnny B Goode
13. Memphis
14. Roll Over Beethoven
15. Rock'n'Roll Music
16. Club Nitty Gritty
17. Around And Around
18. Oh Captain
19. Thirty Days
20. Back In The USA
21. Misery
22. Carol
23. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
24. Let It Rock
25. Reelin' And Rockin'
26. Almost Grown
27. Ramblin' Rose
28. Check Me Out
29. I Do Really Love You
30. Back To Memphis
31. Bring Another Drink
32. It Hurts Me Too
33. Goodnight, Well It's Time To Go
34. So Long
35. My Heart Will Always Belong To You
36. Flying Home (Instrumental)

CD 7

1. Sweet Little Rock'n'Roller
2. Oh Baby Doll
3. I Can't Believe
4. Soul Rockin'
5. Ma Dear
6. Rock Cradle Rock
7. The Love I Los
8. Louie To Frisco
9. I Love Her, I Love Her
10. Little Fox
11. Song Of My Love
12. Rock Cradle Rock (alt take)
13. Good Lookin' Woman
14. My Woman
15. It's Too Dark In There
16. Put Her Down
17. Concerto In B Goode (Instrumental)
18. Tulane
19. Have Mercy Judge
20. Untitled Instrumental
21. My Ding-A-Ling

CD 8

1. Gun (Instrumental)
2. Gun (Fast) (Instrumental)
3. Gun (Slow) (Instrumental)
4. That's None Of Your Business
5. Instrumental
6. Christmas
7. I'm A Rocker
8. Flyin' Home (Instrumental)
9. Fish & Chips
10. Some People
11. My Pad (Poem)
12. Oh Louisiana
13. Festival
14. Let's Do Our Thing Together
15. Your Lick
16. Bound To Lose
17. Bordeaux In My Pirough
18. San Francisco Dues
19. My Dream (Poem)
20. Roll 'Em Pete
21. Reelin' And Rockin'
22. My Ding-A-Ling
23. Johnny B Goode
24. Let's Boogie

CD 9

1. Mean Old World
2. I Love You
3. I Will Not Let You Go
4. London Berry Blues (Instrumental)
5. Blues #1 (Instrumental)
6. Annie Lou
7. Rain Eyes
8. You And My Country
9. Sue Answer
10. Got It And Gone
11. A Deuce
12. Talkin' About My Buddy
13. Hello Little Girl Goodbye
14. One Sixty Nine AM (Instrumental)
15. Aimlessly Driftin'
16. Woodpecker (Instrumental)
17. Bio
18. Roll Away
19. Hi-Heel Sneakers
20. Jambalaya
21. The Song Of My Love
22. South Of The Border

CD 10

1. I'm Just A Name
2. Too Late
3. Turn On The Houselights (Instrumental)
4. Swanee River
5. You Are My Sunshine
6. Johnny B Blues (Instrumental)
7. Dust My Broom
8. Don't You Lie To Me
9. My Babe
10. Here Today
11. I Just Want To Make Love To You
12. Rockin' (Instrumental)
13. Shake Rattle And Roll
14. Baby What You Want Me To Do
15. Chuck's Beat
16. Bo's Beat
17. Bio

CD 11

1. I Got To Find My Baby (Stereo)
2. Bye Bye Johnny (Stereo)
3. Run Around (Stereo)
4. Diploma For Two (Stereo)
5. Down The Road Apiece (Stereo-longer fading)
6. Route 66 (Stereo, alt take)
7. I'm Talking About You (Stereo)
8. Come On (Stereo, alt take)
9. Go Go Go (Stereo)
10. Brown Eyed Handsome Man (Stereo remix)
11. Jamaica Farewell (Mono)
12. My Mustang Ford (Stereo remix)
13. It Wasn't Me (Stereo, alt take)
14. Ain't That Just Like A Woman (unfaded)
15. Ramona, Say Yes (Stereo, alt mix w/o sax)
16. Move It
17. Oh What A Thrill
18. California
19. Pass Away
20. I Need You Baby
21. If I Were
22. House Lights
23. I Never Thought
24. Havana Moon
25. Wuden't Me

CD 12

1. Maybeline [sic]
2. Roll Over Beethoven
3. Schooldays (School Day)
4. No Money Down
5. Sweet Little Sixteen
6. Johnny Be Goode
7. First Set Introduction
8. Guitar Boogie (Instrumental)
9. Johnny B Goode
10. Sweet Little Sixteen
11. School Day
12. Memphis
13. Maybellene
14. Rock And Roll Music
15. Dust My Broom
16. Instrumental Boogie (Instrumental)
17. Too Much Monkey Business
18. Johnny B Goode

CD 13

1. Rock At The Philharmonic (Instrumental)
2. Memphis
3. Guitar Boogie (Instrumental)
4. Let It Rock
5. Wee Wee Hours
6. Goodnight Sweetheart/Johnnie B Goode/Let It Rock/Rock & Roll Music Medley
7. Introduction Walled Lake Casino, Detroit (October 26, 1963) first set
8. Guitar Boogie (Instrumental)
9. Let It Rock
10. Almost Grown
11. Chuck Berry Dialogue #1
12. Memphis
13. Johnny B Goode
14. Introduction Walled Lake Casino, Detroit (October 26, 1963) second set
15. Instrumental Boogie
16. Sweet Little Sixteen
17. Wee Wee Hours
18. Chuck Berry Dialogue #2
19. Maybellene
20. Goodnight Sweetheart/Johnny B Goode/Let It Rock/School Day Medley

CD 14

1. Fillmore Auditorium Introduction (June 27, 1967)
2. Rockin' At The Fillmore (Instrumental)
3. Everyday I Have The Blues
4. CC Rider
5. Driftin' Blues
6. Feelin' It (Instrumental)
7. Flying Home (Instrumental)
8. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man
9. It Hurts Me Too
10. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
11. Fillmore Blues (Instrumental)
12. Wee Baby Blues
13. Bring Another Drink
14. Worried Life Blues
15. Reelin' And Rockin'
16. My Ding-A-Ling
17. Johnny B Goode 3:00

CD 15

1. Rock And Roll Music
2. Nadine
3. School Day (Long Live Rock And Roll)
4. (In The) Wee Wee Hours
5. Carol/Promised Land Johnny B Goode
6. Hoochie Coochie Man
7. Memphis Tennessee
8. Too Much Monkey Business
9. Reelin' And Rockin'
10. Sweet Little Sixteen
11. My Ding-A-Ling
12. Bonsoir Cherie
13. Johnny B Goode
14. Maybelline

CD 16

1. Lanchester Arts Festival Introduction, Coventry (February 3, 1972)
2. Roll Over Beethoven (Lanchester Arts Festival, Coventry (February 3, 1972))
3. Nadine (Lanchester Arts Festival, Coventry (February 3, 1972))
4. Sweet Little Sixteen (Lanchester Arts Festival, Coventry (February 3, 1972))
5. Instrumental (testing) (Lanchester Arts Festival, Coventry (February 3, 1972))
6. Roll 'Em Pete (Lanchester Arts Festival, Coventry (February 3, 1972))
7. Around And Around (Lanchester Arts Festival, Coventry (February 3, 1972))
8. It Hurts Me Too (Lanchester Arts Festival, Coventry (February 3, 1972))
9. Promised Land (Lanchester Arts Festival, Coventry (February 3, 1972))
10. Reelin' And Rockin' (Lanchester Arts Festival, Coventry (February 3, 1972))
11. My Ding-A-Ling (Lanchester Arts Festival, Coventry (February 3, 1972))
12. Johnny B Goode (Lanchester Arts Festival, Coventry (February 3, 1972))
13. South Of The Border (BBC Television Theatre, London (March 29, 1972))
14. School Days (BBC Radio, May 11, 1964 'Saturday Club' (BBC Light Programme))
15. Memphis Tennessee (BBC Radio, May 11, 1964 'Saturday Club' (BBC Light Programme))
16. Sweet Little Sixteen (BBC Radio, May 11, 1964 'Saturday Club' (BBC Light Programme))
17. Interview (BBC Radio, May 11, 1964 'Saturday Club' (BBC Light Programme))
18. Nadine (BBC Radio, May 11, 1964 'Saturday Club' (BBC Light Programme))
19. Johnny B Goode (BBC Radio, May 11, 1964 'Saturday Club' (BBC Light Programme))
20. Interview (Dr. Pepper Promo)
21. Pepper Commercial (Dr Pepper Promo)
22. Reelin' And Rockin' - Roll Over Beethoven (Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles (Late 1977))