Whole Lotta Killer (& A Little Filler)

Last Man Standing
Jerry Lee Lewis
(Artists First)

Lest you think that the only way a seventysomething icon of American music can make a successful reentry to the spotlight is with the gothic, world-weary approach of the excellent (and proven) Johnny Cash/American Recordings formula, give a listen to Jerry Lee Lewis' "Last Man Standing." "The Killer," who turns 71 on Sept. 29, comes back with the style that made the God-fearing, hell-raising wildman a larger-than-life rock 'n' roll star in the first place – lots of pumping piano boogie with attitude to spare.

Attitude always has been the key for Lewis, who has made a career out of backing up his boasts. For instance, Peter Guralnick's excellent liner notes cite an oft-cited and long-held belief by Lewis that there are four great stylists in American music history: Jimmie Rodgers, Al Jolson, Hank Williams and Lewis his own self. Most would probably say that number should be expanded. But of Sun Records' famous "Million Dollar Quartet," Lewis is indeed the last man standing. Johnny Cash has been gone for three years; Carl Perkins for eight. Poor Elvis has been a theme-park attraction at Graceland for nearly 30. Lewis has been many things in his career: Rock 'n' roll pioneer, husband to a child bride, pariah, country singer, biopic subject and elder statesman. Through it all, one job description always has applied: survivor.

No matter the number of true originals in American music, Lewis proves again on "Last Man Standing" that it isn't bragging if you can back it up. The setup is simple: 21 duets with 22 big-name guests (two artists guest on one track). Duets records by aging artists are risky and, without mentioning names (Frank Sinatra, R.I.P), they often come off as sounding phoned in. But it's apparent from start to finish that this disc is Lewis' show all the way, and he's more than capable of not only standing, but delivering. It's obvious from the opening track, a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll." It's certainly not the song you remember blasting out of FM radio. Like all of the tunes (and guests) on "Last Man Standing," it bends to Lewis' indomitable will. Stripped of its famous riff, "Rock and Roll" sounds like a lost take from Lewis' legendary work at Sun. It's one of the best cuts on the album, because it isn't a duet in the two-vocalist sense. Jimmy Page just takes his place in the band and contributes hot rock-and-roll guitar that harkens back to his pre-Zeppelin days in The Yardbirds and as an in-demand studio cat.

The rock numbers on the album work best when the guests follow Page and show a measure of deference to Lewis. B.B. King doesn't sing, adding only his trademark, hair-raising guitar work, albeit with a slightly grittier tone than usual, on the melodic "Before the Night is Over." Bruce Springsteen, who in the liners earns a comparison from Lewis with Big Joe Turner for his sense of rhythm, stays in the background on his "Pink Cadillac." "Evening Gown," featuring Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood, sounds just like the Rolling Stones' country stylings from the '70s. Lewis also is paired with Neil Young, Robbie Robertson (an excellent version of The Band's "Twilight"), John Fogerty, Keith Richards and Ringo Starr, all in the mostly rocking first half of the disc.

Of course, Lewis is more than just a rocker. After weathering the scandal brought on by his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin, he remade himself as a country singer in the '60s and '70s, and that part of his career is well represented on the middle stretch of "Last Man Standing." The country tunes work best when Lewis' duet partners are sure they belong in the same room. Merle Haggard carries his share of the load on "Just Bummin' Around." George Jones delivers on "Don't Be Ashamed of Your Age." Willie Nelson shows up and does the standard, laconic Willie Thing on "Couple More Years." Even the always cocksure Toby Keith, still wet behind the ears compared to most of the other guests here, turns in a confident performance on his half of "Ol' Glory."

Unfortunately, the middle of the album also is where one of the real clunkers resides. Rod Stewart takes a break from perpetrating crimes against the Great American Songbook to drag down "What's Made Milwaukee Famous." Stewart certainly knows his way around a pub, but he's out of his element on a barroom weeper. He makes matters worse by trying to ingratiate himself with ass-kissing ad-libs like, "But every time I start to, they play another Jerry Lee song" and "Don't go, Jerry." It's one of the few pairings here that doesn't work. But there are a few. Kid Rock sticks out like a sore thumb on "Honky Tonk Woman." Don Henley adds little of value to "What Makes the Irish Heart Beat," and it's even more disappointing when you think about what might have been if producers Jimmy Rip and Steve Bing had lined up Van Morrison to sing on his composition.

For the most part, the disc regains tempo and momentum in the stretch run. Eric Clapton's lead guitar (and no vocals) on "Trouble in Mind" echoes King's stellar contribution. Little Richard, himself a golden oldie, helps out on "I Saw Her Standing There." Delaney Bramlett joins in on "Lost Highway," and Buddy Guy helps tear it up on "Hadacol Boogie."

"Last Man Standing" closes with Lewis and fellow septuagenarian Kris Kristofferson tackling Kristofferson's "The Pilgrim, Chapter 33." The tune, about a man who's "a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction / Taking every wrong direction on his lonely way back home" is a fitting choice for Lewis, who always has barreled ahead, burning pianos and bridges, consequences be damned, to his own boogie-woogie beat. As if you couldn't tell from his strong performances elsewhere on the album, Lewis appears to feel satisfied and probably to a degree vindicated. After the fadeout, he returns to drive it home with a spoken recitation of Kristofferson's lyrics:

"From the rocking of the cradle to the rolling of the hearse / The going up was worth the coming down."

But Lewis hasn't hit bottom yet; he's still standing, and swaggering as well.