18 Original Sun Greatest Hits (CD - 1984)

This 18-song CD contains Jerry Lee Lewis' best rock & roll sides from the 240 or so tracks that he recorded for Sun Records. If that sounds like the very tiny tip of a very large iceberg -- it is. But this 1984 compilation remains 40 of rock & roll's hottest minutes, revealing as much about Jerry Lee Lewis as it's possible to learn from watching the movie Great Balls of Fire! The hit singles and best B-sides are assembled around the core of his 1957 Sun album -- a great, and instructive, musical decision. Lewis' rocking version of "Jambalaya" and his ivory-based rendition of "Matchbox," "Big Blon' Baby," "Big Legged Woman," and "It'll Be Me," are all prime examples of his fiercely sexual personality, pounding away on those keys and whooping and hollering like a white version of Piano Red. Equally important, "Crazy Arms" held what would prove to be the key to his professional salvation: a distinct way with a country song that didn't blow the song right apart and also didn't lose the rock 'n roll audience. A big hunk of this stuff is available on the Sun debut album, which should be heard at least once (assuming one can't afford the Bear Family label's Classic box with his whole Sun output), but this is the place to start. The mid-'80s digital transfer still sounds good; its quality proves that Rhino always gave good value to its customers. The guitars on "Put Me Down" and "Wild One" -- yes, there is guitar on a lot of these sides -- are nice and crunchy, even though they're buried under the piano. If there's a flaw here, it's the absence of any liner notes (not that much needs to be said about music like this). ~ Bruce Eder

As any rock critic worth her salt will tell you, rock and roll is supposed to be dangerous, wild, just beyond the pale of respectability. True rock and roll, in other words, emanates from the legacy of Jerry Lee Lewis, rock's first incorrigible punk. Jerry Lee lived the wild life, but more importantly for music fans, he channeled all his manic abandon into his music. When he's at his best--and whenever he decides to put in the effort, he is--Jerry Lee rocks better than anyone. For proof, check out 18 ORIGINAL SUN GREATEST HITS, a solid collection of Lewis' legendary early singles.

18 ORIGINAL SUN GREATEST HITS includes all of Lewis' most familiar classics, among them "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Great Balls of Fire," and "High School Confidential." The less obvious choices--"Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee-o-dee" and "All Night Long," for example--are expertly chosen (although nearly everything Lewis recorded during this period has something to recommend it!). Those looking for more might prefer the two-disc ALL KILLER, NO FILLER, but for those seeking a single-disc overview of the Killer's music, 18 HITS will fill the bill perfectly. minimize