Jerry Lee Lewis - Locust Years...And the Return to the Promised Land (CD)

All Music Guide

Picking up where the eight-CD set Classic left off, the eight-CD box The Locust Years...and the Return to the Promised Land rivals its predecessor in musical quality. Tracing Jerry Lee Lewis' '60s career at Smash Records, the first two discs find the pianist trying to replicate his rock roll success; while the performances were good, it was clear he was out of touch with the times. During the third disc, he begins to concentrate on country music. The fourth, fifth, and sixth discs match his Sun recordings for consistently brilliant performances; several of the songs became big hits on the country charts, establishing him as a country star. The seventh disc chronicles an exciting unreleased show, while the eighth disc is an unexceptional interview. For dedicated Jerry Lee Lewis fans, The Locust Years is every bit as essential as Classic.

- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide