HAIL! HAIL! CHUCK BERRY

Chuck Berry is 79 years old, and most people that age wouldn't come within 10 feet of a rock 'n' roll concert.

But last Sunday, the legendary singer/guitarist was headlining an oldies show at Commerce Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, N.J.

Much about Berry is the same -- his thin mustache, his wicked smile. But age catches up with everyone, and that includes music pioneers.

He stalked the stage with ease Sunday night, but he wasn't nearly as graceful on the guitar, unable to fluidly play his trademark chunky leads and chugging rhythm parts. And with no second guitarist to pick up the slack, Berry's shortcomings really stood out.

To their credit, the audience members were patient and polite, applauding Berry even though he struggled through each song.

Far better Berry performances can be found on Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll. The Taylor Hackford-directed documentary about Berry, originally released in 1987, recently was issued as a four-DVD set.

It includes the original movie, which looks at Berry's life and career and concludes with a star-studded show in St. Louis celebrating Berry's 60th birthday. There's great rehearsal footage of Berry and music director Keith Richards arguing over the volume of Berry's amp, as well as Berry testing Richards' patience by insisting he's not playing a song's intro correctly.

Extras are part of the Hail! Hail! DVD set, including a segment called "The Burnt Scrapbook." It features Berry and Robbie Robertson sitting side by side and leafing through images and mementos from Berry's career.

And Hail! Hail! shows that Berry's career was more than just a bunch of hit records in the 1950s and 1960s. It's a must-see for any music fan with a sense of history.