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There’s been lots of talk of late about faith what with the recent Papal visit to these shores so what better time to release an album by one of rock ‘n’ roll’s legendary hell raisers - the one and only Jerry Lee Lewis with a cast well known mainstream musical legends.

As Tom Jones said on Desert Island Discs a couple of weeks ago, “Elvis couldn’t be the only white man inspired by the southern Black community” and opened his choices with Jerry Lee Lewis’ ‘A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’ (which he later said it’d be the record he’d most like on the island).

And as Tom re-invented himself in his old age, Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935 in Louisiana) is now a inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986) and acknowledged rock and roll and country music singer, songwriter, and pianist, as well as being an early pioneer of rock and roll music at the legendary Sun Studios with Elvis et al.

Like Presley, he was raised singing the Christian gospel music of integrated southern Pentecostal churches and this album still have a lot of that influence along with the beer drinking country blues and like another, Johnny Cash, is having a bit of a flourish late on in his career.

Talking of Presley, James Burton turns up on ‘You Can Have Her’ but this is mostly a downtempo covers album in a Johnny Cash-style way on the Hank Wangford side of miserable that makes this album is full of joy. And with thoughts of Wangford, you think of his old mate Gram Parsons and low and behold there are two Rolling Stones on here plus a Beatle and Eric Clapton (to mention just a few).

After the untimely and tragic death of ELO’s Mike Edwards, this version of ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ is close to ELO’s classic (OK, I own up that I probably wouldn’t say that if I wasn’t a Brummie) but it features John Mayer on guitar and Ringo!

Also on the up is ‘Bad Moon Rising’ but it’s the country blues that are the most impressive. ‘I Really Don’t Want To Know’ ‘Please Release Me’ (possibly the best version ever!), ‘Whiskey River’ (now that sounds danger mix with Willie Nelson), ‘Swinging Doors’, ‘Middle Age Crazy’, ‘Dead Flowers’ (with Jagger) and incredibly, the strangest of the lot is ‘You Are My Sunshine’ with Sheryl Crow:; you’d hope this was recorded in Memphis (or similar) as it’s got a good time roll to it.

But when it comes to female vocalist, you don’t get much bigger in reputation than Mavis Staples - and throw in Nils Lofgren and Robbie Robertson as they find redemption in the county/gospel classic ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’ (not forgetting the Mavis tribute by Ashley Beedle and Darren Morris, MAV!S).

On the intro to ‘Railroad To Heaven’ he says he sang this as a kid and it never fails! Well it probably does but not in this case a Grammy Award winning soul legend Solomon Burke is helping out (who released his own Memphis recorded album Nothing’s Impossible a couple of months ago).

And the album closes with a blues by Bill Halley/William Schoenberg tune ‘Miss The Mississippi And You’ which is a reminder of what been going on in the Gulf Of Mexico and hurricane Katrina 5 years ago (so where did the yodel come in?) but you can tell that for Jerry Lee Lewis, this is his musical home; ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’ is guaranteed to bring a tear to your drunken eye.

For anyone who has tickled the ivories on you’ll immediately spot Lewis has lost none of his technique (and he’s just turned 75 years old you know) and let’s hope he’s seen the back of the rock demons that most/some of his ‘contributing artists’ have encountered in their careers but expect Johnny Cash type euphoric revivalism for Mean Old Man as he’ll touch your soul:

When you think of Rock ‘n’ Roll, any ‘Best Of’ must include Bill Halley’s ‘Rock Around The Clock’, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis’ ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ (if not ‘A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’) and I’m reminded listening to this album that of the much missed Charlie Gillett (RIP) used to host Honky Tonk on BBC Radio London before and I’m sure he’d have loved this album: more than recommended.

Reviewed: Jerry Lee Lewis - Mean Old Man (Verve) Released: 4th October 2010
Tracklisting:
1. “Mean Old Man” with Ronnie Wood (written by Kris Kristofferson) (2:49)
2. “Rockin’ My Life Away” with Kid Rock/Slash (2:40)
3. “Dead Flowers” with Mick Jagger (3:53)
4. “Middle Age Crazy” with Tim McGraw/Jon Brion (3:45)
5. “You Can Have Her” with Eric Clapton/James Burton (2:18)
6. “You Are My Sunshine” with Sheryl Crow/Jon Brion (3:36)
7. “Hold You In My Heart” with Shelby Lynne (2:41)
8. “Swinging Doors” with Merle Haggard/James Burton (2:43)
9. “Roll Over Beethoven” with Ringo Starr/John Mayer/Jon Brion (3:05)
10. “Sweet Virginia” with Keith Richards (3:57)
11. “Railroad to Heaven” with Solomon Burke (3:51)
12. “Bad Moon Rising” with John Fogerty (2:48)
13. “Please Release Me” with Gillian Welch (2:20)
14. “Whiskey River” with Willie Nelson (3:40)
15. “I Really Don’t Want To Know” with Gillian Welch (3:21)
16. “Sunday Morning Coming Down” (5:09)
17. “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” with Mavis Staples/Robbie Robertson/Nils Lofgren (3:50)
18. “Miss The Mississippi and You” (3:25)
19. “Here Comes That Rainbow” with Shelby Lynne (bonus track)

Links:
BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs - Tom Jones
Music played
Jerry Lee Lewis - A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On
Record: A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On
Book: The Rise and Fall of the British Empire -Lawrence James
Luxury: A Bucket and Spade.
Mike Edwards, ELO cellist (31.05.48 - 03.09.10) RIP