Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Mean Woman Blues/Blue Suede Shoes

Posted in Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Youtube Favs on April 27th, 2011 by Willie

In part 47 of my youtube countdown I present to you two titans of classic rock and roll.  Jerry Lee Lewis, the Killer, and Carl Perkins, the king of rockabilly, united, as they often were, having a ball playing a medley of “Mean Woman Blues,” and “Blue Suede Shoes.”  This video is a blast of fun.  Jerry is playing the piano with his shoes, with his usual fire, while Carl steps up to Jerry’s near unmatchable energy and provides a FANTASTIC guitar solo.  There are so many things to like about this video.  First, I love Carl’s gorgeous powder blue electric guitar.  I love how when Jerry misses a line, he makes this hilarious Looney Tunes like face, but rolls on smoothly.  Of all the classic rock and rollers, Jerry was the closest to an abstraction, a larger then life hellcat sent from the moon to turn your High School Hop into a scene of pure raging anarchy.  Because of Jerry’s scandal where he married his 13 year old cousin, the world was really robbed of appreciating Jerry’s star at its highest levels of ridiculousness.  But whatever, he still rolls on.  Sadly, Carl doesn’t, but no one need worry there, he burned such a legacy of genius, and I’ll be exploring that more tomorrow.  Enjoy.

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Jerry Lee Lewis, I'm On Fire

Posted in Jerry Lee Lewis, Youtube Favs on April 20th, 2011 by Willie

Woohoo!  Welcome to the 40th entry in my now glorious youtube favorites countdown.  In it, I bring you a breathtaking clip of pure rock and roll power, Jerry Lee Lewis singing “I’m On Fire.”  “I’m On Fire” was a 1964 single Jerry released at the height of his anti-fame, meaning the time when the public had rejected him for his torrid marriage to his 13 year old cousin Myra.  Commercially dead in America, Jerry was still quite popular in Europe, and toured it quite extensively in the 60s.  The sad and ironic fact of Jerry’s life in the 60s was, his skills as a performer and artist were BOILING with passion and perfection.  He just absolutely blew the lid off nearly every live show he did in this era, determined to prove to any witness that he was best rock and roll artist breathing.  If you don’t believe me, check out this review of a record you all must own, Live at the Star Club from 1964.  It’s perhaps the greatest live record of strait rock and roll ever recorded.  The clip of “I’m On Fire,” gives you a taste of what it was like to see Jerry in 1964.  He absolutely explodes his audience, all gathered around his piano, with sensational rock and roll, driving them NUTS.  His vocal delivery and facial expressions are priceless beyond words as well.  Also, I just love this song, its a lost gem that is just a perfect rock and roll song, and I think its the Killer’s best, better than “Great Balls of Fire.”  Dig this, and start to roast, like toast!

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