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Rating: The Killer is back. He’s back to try and re-establish some hierarchies that, over time, had been somewhat forgotten. He’s back to remind everyone who the King Of Rock'n'Roll is, the one who, at his debut in the distant '50s, was generically listed on the Sun Records label card by Sam Phillips as a "rock'n'roll pianist" and not as one of the most astonishing stage animals ever existed. The one who, on a famous occasion, set his piano on fire and then told Chuck Berry, who was to perform after him, "please, now it's your turn."
The beauty is that in this album, which marks his return to the recording studio after eleven years, he is accompanied by an impressive array of rock and country stars and, despite that, at the end of listening to the album, one cannot help but be convinced that the King is still him.
Indeed, the artists chosen for these duets always seem to be there to submit to the Killer's style, unlike in other duet albums where the supposed protagonist bends to the others, examples of which are endless.
The voice is as it always was and is in excellent shape, despite some ailments that had affected the great cocker in the last year, and the piano style is still the same.
It starts with a bang with an explosive version of Led Zeppelin's "Rock'n'roll", where Jimmy Page, the Led Zeppelin guitarist, supports Jerry Lee for a piece that, played this way, can rightfully enter among Lewis's classics.
Obviously, there's not only room for rock'n'roll but also for blues (with B.B. King on a beautiful "Before the night is over"), for the sad country of "Evening gown", with a surprising Mick Jagger (the piece was his and was on the 1993 "Wandering spirit").
Superb also is the track performed together with Bruce Springsteen, "Pink Cadillac", one of those classic 45s from the juke-box that the Boss churned out in the early '80s.
Neil Young might have felt like he was back in the period between '82 and '88 when he paid homage to the most disparate music genres, in particular the blues "You don't have to go" carries a lot of atmospheres reminiscent of "This note's for you".
Robbie Robertson also presents himself at the starting line with a beautiful ballad, "Twilight", John Fogerty gifts Our Man his "Travelin' band," and he takes full advantage of it for a fiery version.
Another country ballad along with the delightful Keith Richards ("That kind of woman"), while "Sweet little sixteen" by his great rival Chuck Berry is rendered together with the evergreen Ringo Starr.
Merle Haggard also joins the parade with a country titled "Just a bommin' around", while the Stones' "Honky tonk woman" is rendered here in a cross between blues and rock'n'roll in the company of Kid Rock.
Even more pure country in tandem with Rod Stewart on "What's made Milwaukee famous", then the delightful "Don't be ashamed of your age" with George Jones, then the country theory continues with Willie Nelson and "A couple more years".
Perhaps the least significant track on the album, though not bad, quite the opposite, is "Old glory" with Toby Keith, while with Eric Clapton, Jerry can't help but interpret a blues classic like "Trouble in mind", again a great version here.
Another great rival from the golden years, Little Richard, is present to sing alongside him on the Beatles’ "I saw her standing there", while Delaney Bramlett makes his mark on another country, "Lost highway." The album heads towards the end, and it does so magnificently with another rock'n'boogie together with Buddy Guy ("Hadacohl boogie").
With Don Henley, Jerry Lee then offers a bit of Irish folk with a piece by Van Morrison, "The Irish heart beat", while closing it out is Kris Kristofferson, who remembers he is also a good country singer aside from being a great actor, so on to "The pilgrim ch. 33".
Again, EVERYONE does their great part, but this album proves that to feel young inside, you don’t need to be under seventy, as old age can wait with characters like Jerry Lee Lewis.
Tracklist
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