I will start by saying to my mind Chuck Berry was the real King of R'n'R 11 Tracks first track is a Wood original a tribute to Chuck and then we have10 Chuck tracks Imelda May as vocals on a couple of tracks which are very good her voice as a bluey tone the Guitar work is fantastic Keyboards Ben Waters sax by Tom Waters both are very good. Why 4 stars well the packaging could have been better a digipak single gatefold that's the only little thing but the music is great and 40 minutes its longer than I thought.
Unfortunately, what made the audience so enthusiastic on the night does not transfer well to the album. I was also surprised by the focus on Chuck's more bluesey songs, not the usual covers album fare. They do, however, give Ronnie the chance to do what he does best these days; play guitar. Ronnie's still an ace there, but his voice is no longer what it was and frequently sounds strained. In fact, what I like best on this album, apart from the two pure instrumentals, are the instrumental breaks! A special Mention in Despatches for Ben Waters' piano playing; Johnnie Johnson would have been proud. For a Chuck Berry tribute album that really rocks, check out Mike Zito.
The first track should be skipped as it's a poor tribute, But the rest of the album really rocks, Ronnie and the rest bring out the best of all the Chuck Berry songs and the Instrumental Mad Lad sets your feet tapping, well worth buying.