Customer Reviews

London Sessions 1973

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A much nicer sounding 2disc version(5000 limited edition)which was released on Aug 26th 2005 is available....which incudes some great tracks that are missing from this & other releases(Satisfaction-Dungaree Doll-I Can't Give You Anything But Love-Be Bop A Lula-Goldmine In The Sky-Singing The Blues)......google is your freind.


Disc 1 -
1. DRINKING WINE SPO-DEE O'DEE
2. MUSIC TO THE MAN
3. BABY WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO
4. BAD MOON RISING
5. SEA CRUISE
6. (I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION
7. JUKE BOX
8. NO HEADSTONE ON MY GRAVE
9. BIG BOSS MAN
10. PLEDGING MY LOVE
11. DUNGAREE DOLL
12. MEMPHIS
13. I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE


Disc 2 -

1. TROUBLE IN MIND
2. JOHNNY B. GOODE
3. HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL
4. EARLY MORNING RAIN
5. BE BOP A LULA
6. SINGING THE BLUES
7. GOLDMINE IN THE SKY
8. WHOLE LOT OF SHAKIN' GOIN' ON
9. SIXTY-MINUTE MAN
10. DOWN THE LINE
11. WHAT' D I SAY
12. ROCK & ROLL MEDLEY

This is one of the great albums of all time, any time. In the early 1970s Jerry Lee Lewis was recording some of the best rock and roll (hear me rock and roll, not rock) that has ever been recorded. It is unfortunate that few know this because this wasn't the music of the going moment. The Killer is not and has not every been one to dwell on nostalgia even today at 67 years old. He is rocking and reeling "because it's in him and it's got to come out" as John Lee Hooker said.

This recording sets him in a total jam session in London with some of the greatest British and American rock guitarists of the day. They all let you know how they were raised on the rockabilly and RB of Jerry Lee, Little Richard, Chuck Berry and other greats. They sizzle and grind. The band here is up to Jerry Lee Lewis' power and drive, and everyone just goes for the hotest wildest sonds imaginable.

Jerry Lee is Swinging and moving and grovin. This drives the Killer to get lose and wild and creative in the music. You see his artistry in overdrive here because he is matched with other great musicians who are clearly exited to be in the prescence of JLL.

There is a lot more sharp music and Jerry at his creative finest here. Of course, like any true Jerry Lee Lewis album, you get the JLL personality, worth the price alone here, but this is more freely produced, and more music oriented than many of his albums of the period.
Everyone with a set of ears needs this CD. Even if you don't have a CD player, get this CD first, then get the player!

ps this may not be want to play on your car stereo while driving. I have gotten tickets when JLL's music of this strength has gotten to me and I have put my pedal to far to the metal!

After making a well-deserved comeback as a solid country artist in the late 60's, Jerry Lee Lewis went to England in 1973 and recorded this great album that was a welcome return to his rock n' roll roots. Lewis recorded some good albums throughout the 70's, but most of them were aimed primarily at the country music market. This is pure rock n' roll all the way, with a couple of old blues tunes thrown in the mix as well.

The London Sessions sounds like one big jam session with Jerry Lee Lewis in his prime, pounding his way through a selection of great classic tunes like Johnny B. Goode, What'd I say, Movin' on down the line, No Headstone on my grave, and Baby what you want me to do. The studio band of top British musicians lay down some strong backing to Jerry Lee's great piano playing and singing, and the spontaneous, live in the studio feel of this album is an approach that brings out the best in Jerry Lee.

Highlights include a rockin' version of Johnny B. Goode, a superior remake of his old Sun recording Drinkin' Wine spo-dee-o-dee that kicks off the album, and a truly dynamic medley of Little Richard hits that ends it. It is great to see that this has been remastered on CD since this is probably Jerry Lee's most vibrant album and surely one of the best rock n' roll albums of 1973. Any lover of classic rock needs to get their hands on this CD. This is simply the best set of rock n' roll the Killer has recorded since his classic Sun recordings!

Polygram/Mercury did reissue this album on CD back in either the late 80's or early 90's. However, in order to squeeze the original 2 LP set onto a single CD, several tracks were left off that CD version, including the excellent instrumental version of High School Confidential. It does not appear as if that CD version remained in print for very long.

This 2004 edition, on Lemon Records, takes advantage of improved CD technology and for the first time, the entire 19 tracks from the 1973 album are included on a single CD. So this is great news for JLL fans - thank you Lemon Records, whoever you are!

[The German label Bear Family did, in the pre-CD era, issue a 2 LP set called The COMPLETE London Session - which included the 19 released tracks plus some additional songs that were recorded but left off of the original 1973 release. When Bear Family put out the CD boxed set of JLL's Mercury recordings a few years back, they intentionally left out all of the London Sessions material. They said in the accompanying press release that the complete London Sessions tracks would be released in a separate CD package, sometime in the near future. This has yet to happen. In the meantime, though, it sure is good to have the original 19-track release avaialable on CD. Think about it, darlin']

I should have heeded the warning of the last reviewer. This baby is downright incediary. I burnt out my car CD player, my walkman is fried and now my home unit is overheating. If you don't want more of the same, steer clear of Jerry Lee's London Sessions. It's dangerous.

This is a GREAT album. Of all the "London Sessions" lps from this period, this is one of the best. Problem is, the sound quality on this version is very poor. Sounds to me like it was taken from vinyl, and old, dirty, badly tracked vinyl at that. What is the problem with this? I sent to Lemon records, but they did not respond. Is there some reason why masters could not be located? Did no-one even have a copy of the Reel-To-Reel version which was released at the superior 7 & 1/2 IPS speed? That might have done almost as well as a master tape-it sounded great. This thing is an embarrassment. This album was released previously on CD, but several tracks were removed, and the order changed-but it sounded fine for it's day; clearly taken from a respectable master tape of some kind. Shame on Lemon for messing up such a classic! Wake up, UNIVERSAL! Do this one right will you?

This album really speaks for it's self. It was produced in 1972 and Jerry Lee is accompanied by some of Britain's finest musicians eg, Rory Gallagher, Albert Lee, Peter Frampton, Alvin Lee, Delaney Bramlett and the entire cast from Albert Lee's band 'Head Hands & Feet'. You have to remember that all these musicians were in absolute awe of Jerry Lee and considered him a living legend. This album covers all the influences that spurred Jerry Lee along, from gospel, blues, country, soul, all ingredients that have inspired the 'Killers' unique and vibrant form of Rock n' Roll. He covers such artists as Jimmy Reed, Big Bill Broonzy, CCR, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles and Little Richard. The selection of songs on this album and the backing musicians is what drew me to it, but of course the main attraction is the wonderful and enigmatic style of Jerry Lee Lewis. I was also surprised by the quality of this recording, for all Jerry Lee fans this is a must have CD.

I think it would be safe to say that Jerry Lee was not exactly brimming with excitement to do this "London Session." Many American '50s icons had already made the trip across the water to revive their flagging careers, and here was yet another. Nothing about this session particularly stands out; there are too many cooks in the kitchen and too many songs. There are certainly no lack of great musicians, including one of my favorite guitarists, Albert Lee, but the session has a stiff feel. They do catch a bit of fire on some songs, but the length of the album ultimately does it in. It would have worked better if they had pared down the ensemble to five or six, and gone with them for the entire sessions.

There are definitely some high points here, and this would have made a decent single album. But the music here does not sustain itself over the course of 2 LPs, now one long CD. The killer is still the killer, and he certainly brings his style these oldies, but it doesn't rate with his Sun sides, or many of his country sides with Smash Records.

If you're a Jerry Lee fan, you will want to have this. If you're just starting with Jerry Lee, there are many other CDs that blow this away.

I bought this "Album" when it came out. I played the hell out of it and eventually broke the second album (it really broke). I was thrilled when I saw it was available on Cd (finally). There's nothing bad on this record.

And what's with the guy from Miller place...
"Interesting but it just doesnt capture the magic of the originals. Since when does an artist like Jerry Lee Lewis need help ???"

Jerry never NEEDED help (except maybe with some of his life decisions). I think what happened is these other artists needed to play with Jerry and they probably begged to do so.
One of the true originals on the rock and roll scene, the killer continues to kill.
I'm ordering mine today. I recommend you do too.

Just to set the record straight, Polygram issued this on cd (with limited liner notes) in the early days of CD's. I've had it in my collection for years! The music is classic Killer! Long may he live!