Jerry Lee Lewis - Who's Gonna Play This Old Piano (1972) & Sometimes A Memory Ain't Enough (1973)

Jerry Lee Lewis - Who's Gonna Play This Old Piano (1972) & Sometimes A Memory Ain't Enough (1973) [2CD]
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Two Mercury label country albums dating from 1972 and 1973. Both albums reached the Top 10 US Country chart, spawning the hits 'No More Hanging On', 'Sometimes A Memory Ain't Enough', 'I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone' and 'Who's Gonna Play This Old Piano'. With his new biography getting rave reviews, Jerry Lee's profile is as huge as ever. Digitally remastered and slipcased, and with new notes by Andrew McRae.

Another collection of work from ‘the killer’, Jerry Lee Lewis; this time we have two albums from his Mercury catalogue from the early 1970s (1972, and 1973 respectively) during his comeback country years. Jerry Lee’s selection of material is on paper good, not least due to him calling on the work of Harlan Howard, Dallas Frazier & Owens, Foster & Rice, Billy Joe Shaver, Paul Craft and the likes of Ray Griff (“Who’s Gonna Play This Old Piano”, “The Morning After Baby Let Me Down”).

Complimented by Andrew McRae’s copious liner notes, where he underlines my sentiments more than once on how Jerry Lee’s vocals are doused in over use of strings, as a result his cutting edge, and unique phrasing doesn’t have the impact hoped. But it isn’t all doom and gloom, there are occasions he cuts through this. As on gospel piece “Wall Around Heaven” (written by Carmon Holland, Jerry and long time friend, Carl Harrelson), easy paced shuffle “Bottom Dollar” and the flowing “No Traffic Out Of Abilene” (Jimmy Webb) as he speaks of standing at the side of the road with his thumb stuck out, and few takers on the highway to help him out. Others of note include “Sometimes A Memory Ain’t Enough”, Shavers’ brilliant “Ride Me Down Easy” (as covered by Johnny Rodriguez, Bobby Bare and others), and to a degree “What My Woman Can’t Do”, if only Lewis was allowed to show off some real arrogant swagger and it would be a great recording! As for the remainder, “I’m Left, You’re Right” (Mark Vickery) and “I Think I Need To Pray” as he speaks of becoming lost, and looking for redemption for the wrongs he’s done the benchmark is lifted. While Griff’s “The Morning After Baby Let Me Down” has all the right ingredients for the Killer to mop up, his performance though good it lacks pep! It is like he might have been singing, and playing but his mind was elsewhere as he made these albums. From accounts known, and problems he was having, as was pretty much was the case with ol' Jerry Lee for a two or more decades as one marriage, divorce and tragedy took place in his life.

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Tracklist:
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Who's Gonna Play This Old Piano... (Think About It Darlin') (1972)

01. Who's Gonna Play This Old Piano
02. She's Reachin' For My Mind
03. Too Many Rivers
04. We Both Know Which One Of Us Was Wrong
05. Wall Around Heaven
06. No More Hanging On
07. Think About It Darlin'
08. Bottom Dollar
09. No Traffic Out Of Abilene
10. Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow
11. The Mercy Of A Letter


Sometimes A Memory Ain't Enough (1973)

12. Sometimes A Memory Ain't Enough
13. Ride Me Down Easy
14. Mama's Hands
15. What My Woman Can't Do
16. My Cricket And Me
17. I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone
18. Honky Tonk Wine
19. Falling To The Bottom
20. I Think I Need To Pray
21. The Morning After Baby Let Me Down
22. Keep Me From Blowing Away

*1972-73, 2015 Mercury / BGO Records | BGOCD1174


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