The (Complete) Session recorded in London w/ great guest artists

Jerry Lee Lewis' first trip to the United Kingdom ended in less than spectacular fashion, as the tabloids got hold of the age (and ancestry) of his young bride. In 1973, though, he returned triumphantly. His all-star backing band includes Eric Clapton, Rory Gallagher, Peter Frampton, Albert Lee, Alvin Lee, The Who's Kenney Jones, Procol Harum's Matthew Fisher, and Gary Wright, among others. Virtually all of the previously releases of these sessions were truncated in some fashion, usually to satisfy the demands of the medium (only eighty minutes on a CD, so either tracks had to go, or the number of discs had to increase). As a consequence, six songs-"Satisfaction," "Dungaree Doll," "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Be Bop A Lula," "Goldmine In The Sky," and "Singing The Blues" -make their CD debut on the Select release. And how does Jerry Lee sound in the company of these talented artists backing him up? Better than he had since the Fifties. Not only did he take on such early rock hits as Frankie Ford's "Sea Cruise," Johnny Rivers' "Memphis" and Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode," but he also turned in creditable versions of Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain" and Creedence's "Bad Moon Rising." He's totally on his game throughout, surprisingly laid back as he pumps the piano with virtuosic intensity, letting his fingers do the talking. The man from Ferriday, Louisiana, is rocking big time on this finally-restored-to-its-original-glory album.