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Jerry Lee Lewis
Last Man Standing
(Artist First)
First Appeared in The Music Box, September 2006, Volume 13, #9
Written by John Metzger
Given the Grammy possibilities — and hence, the sales potential — that
star-studded affairs designed to resurrect the careers of faded rock stars
typically have, it would be easy to dismiss Jerry Lee Lewis’ latest offering
Last Man Standing as nothing more than an attention-grabbing publicity
stunt. Throughout the 21-track collection, Lewis is paired with a diverse array
of well-established artists — Little Richard, Kris Kristofferson, Eric Clapton,
Buddy Guy, and Merle Haggard — and he is asked to perform a song for which they
— not he — are known. Whatever the intentions behind Last Man Standing
were, however, it’s clear that Lewis had other plans. Neither he nor his
collaborators resort to run-of-the-mill deference; instead they take inspiration
from each other and find ways of delivering the material with the sense of
urgency it deserves.
There’s no denying that Last Man Standing is carried by Lewis rather
than by his accompanists, and although hints of Robbie Robertson and The Band
lurk beneath the surface of Twilight; Willie Nelson’s Latin-tinged twang
filters through A Couple More Years; and That Kind of Fool
encapsulates the boozy swagger of Keith Richards’ work with the Rolling Stones,
the outing is remarkably devoid of pretense. Without the clash of egos that
typically undermines such similarly constructed collections, the music is given
plenty of room to breathe. Stripped bare and recast as a Memphis-born,
rockabilly classic, Led Zeppelin’s Rock and Roll showcases the
exuberantly joyous give-and-take that occurred between Lewis and guitarist Jimmy
Page; while the ragged and raw treatment that is applied to Bruce Springsteen’s
Pink Cadillac significantly improves upon its original incarnation.
Elsewhere, Lewis and Neil Young revel in the barroom blues of Jimmy Reed’s
You Don’t Have to Go; he and B.B. King sufficiently ignite Ben Peters’
Before the Night Is Over; and with the help of John Fogerty, he rips into
Travelin’ Band with a vengeance.
For the record, Lewis’ voice isn’t quite what it once was, and as a result
some of the slower selections — such as a cover of Evening Gown with Mick
Jagger and Ronnie Wood; a rendition of Hank Williams’ Lost Highway with
Delaney Bramlett; and an interpretation of What’s Made Milwaukee Famous
with Rod Stewart — are a little rougher around the edges than they need to be.
Even so, the enthusiasm that both he and his collaborators brought to the
project not only marks Last Man Standing as one of the more successful
star-studded sets, but it also proves that Lewis can still rock with the same
fiery intensity as he did 50 years ago.  ½
Last Man Standing is available from Amazon.com.
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28th Annual Blues Music Award Winner:
Comeback Album of the Year
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2006 The Music Box
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