Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Music / Post No Bills The Killer is back
Posted by Peter Margasak on 11.30.11 at 02:00 PM
I wrote a preview of Lewis's July show, and you can read it again (and watch a great live video) after the jump:
Jerry Lee Lewis's two most recent studio records are poorly conceived collections of duets with rock and country stars decades his junior, many of whom aren't fit to empty the Killer's spittoon. (His last proper album, Young Blood, came out in 1995.) Last year's Mean Old Man (Verve) includes a duet with Kid Rock on "Rockin' My Life Away" that's an inadvertently hilarious study in contrasts: the Detroit knucklehead invokes Steven Tyler's screech with all the subtlety and soul of a cinder block, while Lewis uses his preternatural gift for phrasing to illustrate the don't-give-a-fuck essence of rock 'n' roll without breaking a sweat. Lewis's talent is baked into his bones; he still has it because he's still alive. At 75 [now 76], he can sing his ass off, and he remains as menacing as Iggy Pop, G.G. Allin, and Eugene Robinson rolled into one—even without the threat of violence.
I could watch videos of the Killer all day long, but in this performance of "Wild One," which seems to be from the 80s and features a band utterly devoid of subtlety, I'm riveted by his icy, almost hollow demeanor. Few rock artists will ever be as frightening as Lewis.
photo: Silvio Tanaka from Sao Paulo, Brazil
Today's playlist:
Luis Bonilla, Twilight (Planet Arts/Now Jazz Consortium)
Oddjob, Luma (Amigo Musik)
Lasse Marhaug, All Music at Once (Smalltown Superjazz)
Akira Rabelais, Caduceus (Samadhisound)
Servicemen, Meet . . . the Servicemen (Wind Hit)
Comments (4)
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Jerry Lee Lewis’ breakout hit, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” was recorded at Sun Records in one take as a probable B-side. Lewis, backed by just drums and a lead guitar, knew it was a hit as soon as he cut it. Rockaeology at http://bit.ly/iSotWm tells how the song, co-written by Dave “Curlee” Williams and pianist Roy Hall in 1954, did not originate with Lewis; it was covered a few times without success until Jerry Lee hit the top ten in 1957.
like
dislikeAs ill conceived as you might think his last wo albums were...they still showcased a rocking Jerry Lee Lewis and are very well worth the price....
I'd love to be able to get behind this, but I've seen the performance video that came out a few years ago alongside the duets album, and it was painful to behold. The Killer propped up at the piano, still banging out some sterling barrelhouse licks but so, so frail. I don't think I could stand to see him perform.
Jim--I certainly hear where you're coming from. But on these recent records he can still sing beautifully, frail though he may be.
