JERRY LEE LEWIS...Last Man Standing

[KiwiCoromandel]

For those whose first contact with rock'n'roll was in the mid-1950s, Jerry Lee Lewis was a god. His frenetic piano playing, wildly raucous vocal delivery and sexually ambiguous (at least for pimply teenagers) hits such as Great Balls of Fire, Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and Breathless were the stuff of teen rebellion and dance heaven.

By the 1960s he had changed musical direction and was out of favour. He insisted on singing country ballads when his fans still wanted a wild man who shouted and played piano with his feet. Still, the Lewis legend endured and it is not surprising that a bunch of old rockers - Jimmy Page, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, Neil Young, Robbie Robertson, John Fogerty, Keith Richards, Ringo Starr and Little Richard - should join him on this album of duets. It is also not surprising that country stars and blues legends such as B.B. King, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Buddy Guy should also be represented.

This is not an album where Lewis re-records his old classics. Rather, it is an extraordinary demonstration of the iconic old rocker's ability to turn his vocals and piano to virtually anything and come up with something memorable and distinctly Lewis. Not bad for a wild man who turned 70 last year.

The diversity of material on this album is extraordinary. Lewis seems as comfortable on Led Zeppelin's Rock and Roll, which sounds more like an old Lewis song than a Zeppelin standard, as he does duetting with the Eagles' Don Henley on a rather folky and countrified version of Van Morrison's What Makes The Irish Heart Beat.

The magic of this album lies in Lewis's total domination of proceedings. This is not an album of homage; it's a collection of songs where an old man, with more than a hint of disdain, shows the younger men he's singing with that in the pantheon of rock'n'roll he is still the great master. He really is "the Killer". So, for example, when he sings Springsteen's Pink Cadillac (with Springsteen providing muted backing vocals) it becomes a Lewis song.

He is totally dominant on a Nashville interpretation of Jagger's Evening Gown, despite Mick almost pushing and shoving for attention. His version of Fogerty's Travellin' Man , complete with wild piano riffing, is pure Sun Studios circa 1955 in its frenetic energy and attack. Even when Lewis is joined by Little Richard on Lennon and McCartney's I Saw Her Standing There, Lewis dominates - and Little Richard has never been one to give up the spotlight voluntarily.

This is Lewis both wild and tame. The result is extraordinary. After 50 years, this original rock'n'roller has lost none of the passion.

source:smh.com.au/Bruce Elder

image:AP:After 50 years JERRY LEE LEWIS has lost none of the passion...

[DudeAsInCool]

You can stream the full album at CNet Downloads :)

[slum_goddess]

This is Lewis both wild and tame. The result is extraordinary. After 50 years, this original rock'n'roller has lost none of the passion.

fuckin' A! you go JERRY LEE! :)

[DudeAsInCool]

I also posted Jerry Lee Lewis - Live On KCRW in the downloads section somewhere

[Redneck4sure]

What a long strange trip it has been for one of the original wild ones.

[KiwiCoromandel]

What a long strange trip it has been for one of the original wild ones.

you got that right mate.... :)

[Shawn]

For those whose first contact with rock'n'roll was in the mid-1950s, Jerry Lee Lewis was a god.

Was?

[Kooperman]

Was?

No "was" here...the first song on the album, Rock & Roll, done with Jimmy Page, sends a searing message that the old man still rocks even if it takes longer to roll than it did fifty years ago.