Mean Old Man [Deluxe Edition] [Deluxe Edition]

Jerry Lee Lewis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 7, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Deluxe Edition
• Label: Verve
• ASIN: B003V0860W
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,969 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Mean Old Man w/ Ronnie Wood

2. Rockin' My Life Away w/ Kid Rock/Slash

3. Dead Flowers w/ Mick Jagger

4. Middle Age Crazy w/ Tim McGraw/Jon Brion

5. You Can Have Her w/ Eric Clapton/James Burton

6. You Are My Sunshine w/ Sheryl Crow/Jon Brion

7. Hold You In My Heart w/ Shelby Lynne

8. Swinging Doors w/ Merle Haggard

9. Roll Over Beethoven w/ Ringo Starr/John Mayer/Jon Brion

10. Sweet Virginia w/ Keith Richards

11. Railroad to Heaven w/ Solomon Burke

12. Bad Moon Rising w/ John Fogerty

13. Please Release Me w/ Gillian Welch

14. Whiskey River w/ Willie Nelson

15. I Really Don't Want To Know w/ Gillian Welch

16. Sunday Morning Coming Down

17. Will The Circle Be Unbroken w/ Mavis Staples/Robbie Robertson/Nils Lofgren

18. Miss The Mississippi and You

Editorial Reviews

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not As Much Shaking Going On, But There's Still a Lot of Fire Left, September 7, 2010

By 

tvtv3 "tvtv3" (Sorento, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Mean Old Man [Deluxe Edition] (Audio CD)

A few years ago, Jerry Lee Lewis released a new album, LAST MAN STANDING that surprised the music world. Some people were surprised that Jerry Lee still had it, but the biggest surprise is how well received the album was by the general public. That album featured Jerry Lee singing a series of duets with other musicians. MEAN OLD MAN follows a similar format with most of the songs on the album consisting of a duet with Jerry Lee and someone else.

The songs on MEAN OLD MAN consist of a wide variety of genres from class rock & roll, country, and even a little bit of gospel. Some of the artists that sing or play along include Kid Rock, Ringo Starr, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, and Tim McGraw. There are no signature Jerry Lee tunes, but the album does end with a Jerry Lee solo, "Miss the Mississippi & You".

Jerry Lee Lewis was one of the musicians that I heard over and over and over when I was a kid. My dad loved his pounding piano playing and the wild spirit he seemed to bring to his performances. Well, the Wild Child of classic rock has aged, but still has it in him and now he's a Mean Old Man.

There are two versions of this album available. Spend the extra three or four dollars and get the deluxe version because it's well worth it.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars adult pleasures, September 18, 2010

By 

Boxodreams "[e-mail]" (district of columbia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mean Old Man [Deluxe Edition] (Audio CD)

We clearly need a corrective here to some of the lousy reviews. I don't like to assume what I don't know, but I'll play a hunch that the disappointed here were thrilled with "Last Man Standing" because it flat-out rocked. These are the people who know Jerry Lee Lewis, the flying madman of the Sun years. But there's a whole different set of folks out there who are more country, and know Jerry Lee as the hitmaker for Mercury and Smash, who could take a great country song, like "She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye," mine it for every last bit of gold and send it straight into the charts. In those days, the 1960's and early '70s, he was leaning hard on the lyrics, on the stories, his masterful delivery shot straight down into the founding American roots of popular song, Stephen Foster forward into the hills, the bayous, the black joints and the white joints. But the music that enveloped these vocals was often full of layered instruments. This is just how it was done, not lean and raw, but refined and sometimes string-laden. You don't have to worry about strings being here, but people are still having a problem. It's not THEIR Jerry Lee. "Last Man Standing" was rocking Jerry Lee, "Mean Old Man" is grown-up Jerry Lee, and Jim Keltner, the great old session drummer has moved into the producer's chair and crafted one of the best albums of Jerry Lee's long, long career. It is roots rock and country in sharp contrast with the loose-limbs but steely sheen of "Last Man Standing," whose label even boasted about the recording technology. The packaging of "Mean Old Man" couldn't be leaner, with no odes to the Killer's glory. It's all cake and no icing. I'm not saying every one of these songs works. I agree with others who have problems with Tim McGraw. The less Kid Rock, the better, even though their collaboration is scorching. John Fogerty is not cutting it, I'm afraid, but he's not the only one not harmonizing very well. But the rest of this is bluesy, rootsy storytelling, crooning, reeling and rocking ... what used to be country before it became whatever it is today -- plus a couple Rolling Stones nuggets and, to be clear, a barn-burning "Roll Over Beethoven" with Ringo whamming the drums. People knocking the album are bringing in preconceived and limited notions of who and what Jerry Lee Lewis is, and they just plain don't seem to know enough about him, the breadth and scope of his genius and ability to inhabit different vernaculars. This is as fine a record as any 74-year-old could hope to make, and that's not saying you should cut him slack because of his age. He -- and the disc -- don't need your sympathy. He's reminding the youngin's in Nashville how it's done. It's a true country and rock 'n roll album. He clearly loves the Stones, who paid him all that honor years ago, and it's American copied by Brits copied by Americans. That's how music works, the push and the pull. The version of "Sunday Morning Coming Down" is weathered and towering. Jerry Lee makes "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" effortlessly his. It's glorious to hear all of this stuff from one of America's greatest. He embodies everything. And, at the end of the disc, when he's just alone there on the piano, singing that old Jimmie Rodgers tune and just starts a-yodelin', Jerry Lee stops seeming any age at all. He channels Jack Teagarden and Jimmie Rodgers and the Bob Dylan of "Twice Told Tales," and, well, he just becomes timeless. The more I play it, the deeper it becomes. I can't begin to say how great, but onward we go.

40 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Mix of,Rock & Roll, Country, Roots, & Gospel Soul W/Big Name Fans/Guest Artists = A1+!!!!!!, September 7, 2010

By 

Gary Covington "Southern Rocker" (Louisiana, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Mean Old Man [Deluxe Edition] (Audio CD)

Let me get right to the point. On this Deluxe Edition CD, you get great sound quality, that is "rich & deep", because, there are many, many, studio, backing muscians, playing all kinds of instruments. The only exception, is on Jerry Lee's solo, of "Miss the Mississippi and You", which simply has Jerry Lee alone, only with his piano.

The guest artists generally, play a lessor role, than the ones that were on the CD/DVD, "Last Man Standing", from a few years back. Jerry Lee sings lead vocals, and plays piano on all tracks. Some of the guest artists play a greater role than others. Some actually co-sing lead vocals with Jerry Lee. Some are only minor, just singing background vocals, or playing the guitar, drums, etc. However, all the music & sound is fantastic.

You do get some of Jerry Lee's unique, "Boogie Woogie", piano playing. Plus, you get crisp, clear, lead vocals, on all the songs.

All the songs are great, but some of my favorites include:

Rock & Roll: "Dead Flowers",/w Mick Jagger
"Mean Old Man",/w Ronnie Wood.
"Rockin' My Life Away", w/Kid Rock/Slash. (Now, this one contains Jerry Lee's signature, "Boogie Woogie", piano playing.)
"Roll Over Beethoven", w/Ringo Starr/John Mayer/Jon Brion.(This one also contains some great "boogie-woogie", piano playing by Jerry Lee.)

Country: "Middle Age Crazy", w/Tim McGraw/Jon Brion.
"Swinging Doors", w/Merle Haggard.
"Whiskey River", w/Willie Nelson.

Roots Music: "You Are My Sunshine", w/Sheryl Crow/Jon Brion (This is an old Gov.
Jimmie Davis song.)
"Will The Circle Be UnBroken", w/Mavis Staples/Robbie Robertson/Nis
Lofgen. (This is an old Carter Family Song.)
"Miss the Mississippi & You", Jerry Lee solo. (This was a big hit for
Jimmy Rodgers, back in 1932, Jerry's Dad, Elmo, was a big fan of
Jimmy Rodgers.)

Gospel Soul: "Railroad to Heaven", w/Soloman Burke on backing vocals.
+ Ivan Neville on B-3 Organ (Even though he's
not listed on the cover. He is in the liner notes.)

An interesting thing about this album, is that there are no "classic 50's", Jerry Lee Rock & Roll songs, such as "Whole Lotta' Shakin' Goin' On", "Great Balls of Fire", etc. But you do get the Jerry Lee "classic", of "Rockin' My Life Away".

Observation note: The song "Sweet Virginia" includes Kris Kristofferson, on back-up vocals, even though it does not list him on the CD back-cover. He's listed in the liner-notes.

Jerry Lee is from my home state of Louisiana. I've visited the Jerry Lewis home, in Ferriday, serveral times, where he was raised. It's a museum now. There's also, the Delta Music Museum, in Ferriday. I've become great friends, with Jerry Lee's sister, Frankie Jean & her daughter Jerry, who operate the JLL museum.

This is a great deluxe album, and I gladly recommend it. You will not be disappointed in this one, for sure. Thanks!!!!

P.S. Soloman Burke died today, Oct.10, 2010, at the age of 70, at an Amsterdam Airport. He was a dear friend of Jerry Lee's, and he was a legend himself, in his own right. He will be greatly missed.