Go Get 'Em, Killer

On the fun, flammable Last Man Standing, Jerry Lee Lewis kicks Father Time in the teeth, rocking and raging for 21 cuts and making damn sure the nickname "the Killer" still fits at the age of 71.

Great balls, indeed: This is more slugfest than comeback, as Jerry Lee teams up with such bold-name pals as Neil Young and Mick Jagger, Kid Rock and Eric Clapton for rock, blues and honkytonk covers.

Jerry Lee didn't invite a single female singer to the party, but that's not a slight against the ladies. As the title suggests, this is a battle between the boys, and you'd be unwise to bet on anyone but the star attraction.

You can just about hear Jimmy Page sweating his tail off as the Killer merges his Great Balls of Fire and Led Zep's Rock and Roll with all the Louisiana lightning of his old Sun Records self. "It's been a long time since I rock and rolled"? Could have fooled me.

And hell, there's even an element of danger from a dude who once set his piano on fire to show up Chuck Berry. Sweet Little Sixteen is a cocky cover from a grinning wild child with no qualms about marrying his 13-year-old cousin -- and bragging about it. And you get the feeling he invited Bruce Springsteen to duet on a swaggering, switchblade cover of Pink Cadillac just so he could show him who's really the Boss.

Comments

[Sean Daly]

Regarding Hot New Music:

Here's the track listing for the new Julio Iglesias covers album (which is identical to the track listing for the new Clay Aiken covers album)

1. Everybody's Talking
2. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?
3. Careless Whisper
4. Me So Horny
5. Always on My Mind
6. Waiting for a Girl Like You
7. Drive
8. I Want to Know What Love Is
9. Right Here Waiting
10. This Guy's in Love With You
11. The Most Beautiful Girl
12. It's Impossible