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The (Complete) Session recorded in London w/ great guest artists

Jerry Lee Lewis - The (Complete) Session recorded in London w/ great guest artists Audio CD

A fair review of the Jerry Lee Lewis "The (Complete) Session recorded in London w/ great guest artists" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Jerry Lee Lewis reviews here, or go back to the Jerry Lee Lewis tabs.

Band: Jerry Lee Lewis
Title: The (Complete) Session recorded in London w/ great guest artists
Rating:

Release Date: 2006-08-01
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Drinking Wine Spo-Dee O'Dee 2: Music to the Man 3: Baby What You Want Me to Do 4: Bad Moon Rising 5: Sea Cruise 6: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 7: Juke Box 8: No Headstone on My Grave 9: Big Boss Man 10: Pledging My Love 11: Dungaree Doll 12: Memphis 13: I Can't Give You Anything But Love 14: Trouble in Mind 15: Johnny B. Goode 16: High School Confidential [Instrumental] 17: Early Morning Rain 18: Be Bop a Lula 19: Singing the Blues 20: Goldmine in the Sky 21: Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On 22: Sixty-Minute Man 23: Down the Line 24: What'd I Say 25: Rock & Roll Medley: Good Golly Miss Molly/Long Tall Sally/Jenny, Jenny/

Jerry At His Best
Give it a listen. Jerry Lee Lewis surrounded by top musicians created a great album. You won't be disappointed.

The Killer Vs. The King
There was a virtual plethora of Elvis movies and documentry style shows broadcast on television. Yesterday, Jan 8, 2009 marked what would have been the seventy fourth birthday of Elvis Aaron Presley. I watched "Presley By The Presleys" for the first time, getting an insightful look at The King, through the perspective of Prisilla and Lisa Marie. What struck me most here was the preciptious decline of Elvis from the mid-sixties until is untimely death in 1977. Yes, there was the great Comeback Special in 1968, that found Elvis in great shape. He looked better than ever, his voice was in top form and he reached back to his catalog of great hits like "Hound Dog", "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Don't Be Cruel". Unfortunately, there's very little else Elvis did after The Comback Special that marked the genius that once was "The King of Rock 'n Roll".

So how does this help us to understand Jerry Lee Lewis and in particular "The Complete Session", recorded in London. Well to begin with, Jerry Lee too had fallen out of favour with a contemporary audience, circia late 1960's to mid 1970'S. He really hadn't a hit record, other than a few singles that made their way into the top-fourty on the country charts. And like Elvis the whole political and social upheavel taking place accross America rendered him virtually irrelevent.

Elvis chose to reinvent himself. He donned those hideous looking sequined jump suits, played Vegas to an audience of middle-aged housewives and sang those big show numbers like "You'll Never Walk Alone", "My Way" and "If I Can Dream". He continued making movies with virtually the same trite plot, movies that even he tired of. The bottom line on Elvis during this period was that he grew old before his time. The King Of Rock 'n Roll was nowhere to be found. And just who was this over the hill, out of shape character desperately trying to recapture his former glory?

And how did Jerry Lee Lewis fare during this same period? Well, of course he was no longer the wild and wooley, piano slammin', howlin' and screemin', lovable "Killer". But did he still have the chops needed to pull off smokin' versions of "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O'Dee", "Sea Crusie", "Big Boss Man", "Memphis", "Johnny B Goode", "Whole Lot Of Shakin' Goin' On", "Good Golly Miss Molly", and "What I'd Say"? You bet he did! For not only was Jerry Lee in great voice on these sessions, but he also assembled an all star group of session players, who were equally up to the task. These sizzeling hot sessions boast the colossal talents of Eric Clapton, Rory Gallagher, Peter Frampton, Albert Lee, Alvin Lee, Kenny Jones, Matthew Fisher and Gary Wright. . . . A virtual band made in rockabilly heaven.

So the comparison here is simple. If you could go back in time to say Ceaser's Palace, Las Vegas circa 1974 and watch Elvis on bended knee, arms extended, holding one of those gaudy satin capes and belting out "In The Ghetto" or "Crying In The Chapel". . . . . Or if you could be a "fly on the wall" in a London recording studio during these incredible sessions, while Jerry Lee and the boys are ripping their way through the likes of "No Headstone On My Grave" or "Bad Moon Rising". . . Where would you rather be? I don't know about you, but unless you can guarntee me a million dollar jackpot at Ceaser's Palace. . . Then fly me to London and let me hear some bonifide rip roarin' rock 'n roll classics, as only The Killer and company can provide. It just dosen't get better than this. I guarntee it!.

THE KILLER
I HAD IT ON A DOUBLE RECORD VINYL LP BACK IN THE MID 70'S , WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER, AND SOMEHOW IT GOT LOST. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A COPY OF THIS RECORDING FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS. THE KILLER ROCKS! JUST LIKE JERRY'S CURRENT RELEASE, LAST MAN STANDING, THIS ALBUM RECORDED IN ENGLAND IN THE 1970'S, FEATURES JERRY LEE WITH SOME GREAT BACKUP AND PLAYING BY OTHER GREAT MUSICIANS. THIS RECORDING FEATURES SOME OF ENGLAND'S BEST ROCKERS FROM THAT ERA; THE WHO, ERIC CLAPTON, RORY GALLAGER, ALBERT LEE, AND LOTS OF OTHERS. A GREAT CD.

A Jerry Lee Lewis lifetime highlight
It features a host of top names including Alvin Lee, Albert Lee, Rory Gallagher, Peter Frampton, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Chas Hodges and many more. This recording turned out to be a landmark in Jerry Lee Lewis's record production.
The sound is also unique. A very tight, tough, compact yet full, distinct and complete sound. Slick in a very positive sense.
The tracks includes many titles unique for this recording.
The extended version of the original London Sessions double LP, named "Complete", was anticipated for many years. Bear Family records in Germany which has issued some massive top quality collections of Jerry Lee Lewis material had mentioned they were trying to gather all existing material from the London Sessions for a wall-to-wall production including session details and what-not. I still have a feeling that Bear Records could have made the ultimate London Sessions . . . but maybe this Complete London Session [Limited] is as close as it gets. And that IS very good.

All Killer, No Filler
His piano pumping is prominantly placed in the fore front and there is no denying this is a Jerry Lee's projest. Recorded in London circa 1973, and bolstered by british rock luminaries, Jerry Lee Lewis pounds out classic after classic, making rock chestnuts like Johnny B Goode, all his own. He sounds as fresh and focused as his earliest work in the 1950s. This is the first place to go after you own Lewis' golden hits collection. Fantastic!!! .

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