Customer Reviews

Another Place Another Time: She Even Woke

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These recordings are among the most commercially successful country records ever done. Moreover, they are among the most artistically successful recordings done by anyone doing straight bar brand country music. JLL just kills these songs, he makes them all personal, he makes them all live, and makes you believe he has lived them.
Contrary to what some others say, JLL has been doing his own interpretations of the country classics since his original sun records the 1950s. His version of Crazy Arms (from 56 or 57 I believe) redefined the song. his version of You Win Again did something rare. He took a song away from Hank Williams. Today if you played or sang Hanks version of the song anywhere, it wouldnt be recognized, and wouldn't be as good as the standard way JLL does it. He did all kinds of country standards during the late 50s and early 1960s when Sun had him doing hundreds of recordings to be salted away until he made a come back.
JLL's work in the 1960s before these country recordings was not "in the wilderness." Some of the rock albums he did for Mercury Smah and Mercury represent some of the best rock and rockabilly recordings ever made, more mature musically, but wilder than things he did in the 1950. Get the two live recordings, one from Panther Hall in Houston, the other from Birmingham if you want to see the light.
It is interesting that these country side are a triumph of JLL as a singer. he barely plays the piano on some selections, on the last selections he plays no piano at all, but these are all classics. Anyone around anywhere where any music was coming off a radio or a juke box anywhere during the late 1960s and eary 1970s heard these songs.
This is among Jerry's best. That means it is among the world's greatest.
Dont forget JLL is still rocking his life away at 66 years old he is still pounding that piano!

In the late 1960s Jerry Lee Lewis moved back to the music he grew up with--country music. This disc brings together 2 of his very best country albums for Smash/Mercury plus few cuts from a third. The music is fine late 1960s honky tonk style, with excellent readings of some Merle Haggard, Webb Pierce, and Jimmie Rodgers songs. Some of Lewis' finest country titles are here, including "Another Time, Another Place." I especially enjoy his performance with Linda Gail Lewis on "We Live In Two Different Worlds," simply one of the best songs Fred Rose ever wrote. Of course some rockabilly rowdiness slips in, it would not be the Killer without it. Essential country music for the true country fan.

As another reviewer said, this is the place to start when it comes to true 1960s country. Not only that, but without this artist country would not have existed in its pure form anymore. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was all that country-rock and Nashville sound (now, yes, JLL can 'rock' but when he rocks, he rocks, when he does country he does country, when he does blues he does blues and he can get religious if required as well. In other words, he can do it all as it SHOULD be done). This album goes against all prevailing trends and gets back to the hard-core oldtime honky toink sound. Along with Moon Mullican ("I'll pour the wine", "This glass I hold", "Love that might have been", "Love don't have a guarentee", etc.) and maybe one or two others, JLL was the only true honky tonker around then.

1968 was a great year to start a country career for JLL. He did a lot for music in general. "Another place another time", "Play me a song I can cry to" and "On the back row" all are the ultimate in honky tonk experience and are all sung with a blues feel and really connect with the listener. This was like Hank singing "You win again" or Moon singing "Oh she's gone but not fogotten". Bluesy country with a real, sincere feel.

This album ended 10 years in the wilderness for JLL. Formerly a rock 'n' roll hitmaker, his real success was found in country music and this 1968 album was the start of 14 years of hits. Why JLL did not concentrate on country until now remains a mystery. But, by 1968, he was wanted. He was the only living singer/pianist in country (Moon had died the year before and JLL had to keep up the tradition of that type of country). JLL was doing soul in 1967 (just as convincing as he had done blues and country before and later), but his versatility is shown when he does a full 180 degree turn from pure soul to pure country in the space of 6 months. From 1968 on to 1981, JLL was rarely out of the charts. His blues, soul and gospel roots came out in his country, too. However, JLL never wanted to be part of the modern 'country-rock' circle and was always the rootsier alternative (with his own roots-based hybrid of country, gospel, western swing, blues and soul). This fine album is original JLL country material at its best. It should lead the listener to buy the many box sets.

It's Sad that "The Killer" is always over looked, but this cd makes his statement of "Elvis may be the greatest, but I'm the best." true. "There stands the glass," and "Waiting for a train." Is enough reason to buy this cd alone. The problem of why he is often overlooked may have to do with the amount of poor quality bootleg cds that bares his name. Unlike Elvis who's estate clamped down on the bootleg and poor quaility music, Jerry Lee Lewis's bootlegs are all over the place and his great studio work is hard to find. This is impart do to the many different labels that he has been signed to. I hope at some point he will get control of his music catalog and re-release his great studio work from the sun records era and those of his country recordings era, but until that happens this cd is a great place to start.

Jerry Lee finally made it to Finland 10 years ago. And the audience loved him. Not so much for his old rockers (his age started to show on those numbers) but for the real country tunes that he suddenly started to play. The audience in the huge Hartwall arena listened in awe: this was a man who had walked through hell and made a mess out of his personal life in the early 60's, then made a comeback and in the early 90's could still sing about heartbreak and being on the dole like nobody else on this planet. A stunning and captivating performance! And this album, this 2fer is just great, it has some of those songs he sang that night,like "What made Milwaukee famous" (we Finns love that one!)and the ironic "She even wake me up...". They say Jerry Lee was a bad boy. Maybe so, but he sure gave us some great music!

Picked the vinyl version up in 1968--and it became one of my favorites! Nice that they give us a 2 fer here. But "Another Place, Another Time" stands alone. The title cut demonstates Jerry Lee's talent was much more than "Whole Lot a Shakin'" or "Great Balls of Fire". Pure heart-felt emotion. And it only gets better! Great boozer tunes like "What Made Milwaukee Famous" along with his interpretations of "I am a Lonesome Fugitive", a great "Walking the Floor Over You", and "All the Good is Gone" should confirm why the "Killer" should be really considered the "King"! Don't think anything by Elvis could match these eleven tunes--plus you get a bonus of the entire follow-up album, "She Even Woke Me up to Say Goodbye" Kinda a cherry on top of that sundae!!! If you really want to understand late 1960s county rock--forget about Dylan and Parsons. Start here! And if your lady just dumped you and you want to sing some white man's blues, "Another Place, Another Time" just might get you through the night.

The Killer is My Man. Jerry Lee was a rocker when I was in highschool. When I got older I moved into classical music and opera. In the last decade I have been listening to country as well. And that's where I rediscovered the Killer. He is the Best. When he sings country standards he makes them his own, making me forget who first made the song famous. On this CD Jerry Lee puts his own stamp on two famous Merele Haggard standards, done differently but as well as Hag. Jerry Lee sings with open human abandon, which makes him so easy to love, his songs so easy to relate to. He is also a genius. When I was a girl he was thought to be too naughty, but my life experience has shown that we are on the same field, no one better than another. However, musically speaking, Jerry Lee is the Best. Listen to him and stomp and weep.

Little disappointing....hoped for a little more JLL variety..but all in all a "good " cd.