The Killer Live (1964-1970)

RELEASE
July 24, 2012
LABEL
Mercury
GENRES
Country, Rock & Roll, Traditional Country, Rockabilly, Honky Tonk

Album Review

Hip-O Select's triple-disc 2012 set The Killer Live (1964-1970) fills a bit of a gap in Jerry Lee's archival discography by rounding up his four officially released live albums for Smash and Mercury: Live at the Star Club, Hamburg and The Greatest Live Show on Earth, both released in 1964; By Request: More of the Greatest Live Show on Earth from 1966; and Live at the International, Las Vegas in 1970. The Killer Live expands these four LP by adding 16 bonus tracks, ten of which are previously unreleased, all of which are equally as good as the finished albums -- and that means they're terrific, as good as rock & roll music gets. That is particularly true of Live at the Star Club, by many measures a serious contender for the best live album ever made, and if the other three records aren't quite as galvanizing as this furious set -- so heated that the Killer berates his backing band the Nashville Teens for not quite keeping up -- well, that's an unfair comparison as so few sets could measure up. The two Greatest Live Show on Earth LPs and Live at the International showcases are different affairs. The Greatest Live Show LPs are a shade less frenzied but in a similar vein to Star Club -- they're hard rock & roll albums tempered with a bit of R&B and country. Conversely, the Vegas LP appropriately showcases a Killer with a bit more showbiz pizzazz, rooted in country -- his big hits are bypassed in favor of his honky tonk late-'60s hits and his covers, both classic ("San Antonio Rose") and contemporary (Tom T. Hall's "The Ballad of Forty Dollars"), are country -- but given a slightly splashy rocking spin, all sounding unmistakably like Jerry Lee, just like the harder-rocking boogie of a few years earlier does. There's not a bad performance here -- it's all on a sliding scale from great to transcendent, so don't let the transportive stuff let you overlook the merely excellent music. Just bask in the glory of the Killer and enjoy every precious note on this superb set.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Track Listing

  1. Mean Woman Blueshttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  2. High School Confidentialhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  3. Moneyhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  4. Matchboxhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  5. What'd I Sayhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  6. Great Balls of Firehttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  7. Good Golly Miss Mollyhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  8. Lewis Boogiehttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  9. Your Cheatin' Hearthttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  10. Hound Doghttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  11. Long Tall Sallyhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  12. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin Onhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  13. Down the Line [*]http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  14. Jenny Jennyhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  15. Who Will the Next Fool Behttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  16. Memphishttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  17. Houng Doghttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  18. Mean Woman Blueshttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  19. High Heel Sneakershttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  20. No Particular Place to Gohttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  21. Together Againhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  22. Long Tall Sallyhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  23. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' Onhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  24. Introductionhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  25. Little Queeniehttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  26. How's My Ex Treating Youhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  27. Johnny B. Goodehttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  28. Green Green Grass of Homehttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  29. What's I Say, Pt. 2http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  30. You Win Againhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  31. I'll Sail My Ship Alonehttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  32. Cryin' Timehttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  33. Moneyhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  34. Roll Over Beethovenhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  35. She Even Woke Me to Say Goodbyehttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  36. Jambalayahttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  37. She Still Comes Around (To Love What's Left of Me)http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  38. Drinkin' Champagnehttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  39. San Antonio Rosehttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  40. Once More with Feelinghttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  41. Band Introductionshttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  42. When You Wore a Tuliphttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  43. Take These Chains from My Hearthttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  44. The Ballad of Forty Dollarshttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  45. Flip, Flop and Flyhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  46. Blue Suede Shoeshttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  47. Crazy Armshttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  48. Lovin' Up a Stormhttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  49. Mean Woman Blueshttp://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  50. What I'd Say, Pts. 1-2http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  51. Down the Line/I'm Movin' On [#]http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  52. Shoeshine Man [#]http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  53. Invitation to Your Party [#]http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  54. San Antonio Rose [#]http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  55. Homecoming [#]http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  56. Once More with Feeling [#]http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  57. Stagger Lee [#]http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  58. Got You on My Mind Again [#]http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  59. Great Balls of Fire [#]http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
  60. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On [#]http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-killer-live-1964-1970/id543657631?uo=5
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