Jerry Lee Lewis - Mercury Smashes...And Rockin' Sessions (CD)

All Music Guide

The third installment of Bear Family's exhaustive reissue of Jerry Lee Lewis' complete recordings, Mercury Smashes...and Rockin' Sessions, covers the era that many listeners, even some fans, dismiss -- his late-'60s and '70s recordings for Mercury. Conventional wisdom claims that the Killer was pretty much spent as a creative force during this time, since he had already made his near-triumphant comeback as a hard country singer on Mercury in the mid-'60s, and that he coasted on formula, except for the concentrated burst of the Roots album. Like most conventional wisdom, this one has a hint of truth, because his recordings did start to have a bit of formula and he did coast for a bit, but it ignores the fact that this was enjoyable formula and that Lewis remained an expert stylist, kicking out songs that may not have been first-rate, but were often given first-rate performances. This is why this set is enjoyable for the dedicated, even at its length of ten discs, because it's at a fairly consistent quality throughout; it also helps that the alternates are all stowed away on the final few discs, which means it's much easier to hear Lewis' main Mercury recordings and much easier to simply listen to, unlike either the Classic or Locust Years set. To be sure, this is for the dedicated, but if you're of the opinion that Lewis is one of the musical titans of the 20th century, this will enhance and deepen your love and respect instead of sully it.

- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide