Review: Jerry Lee Lewis: A Half Century of Hits

Disc 1:

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On'
It'll Be Me
Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
You Win Again
End of the Road
I'm Feelin' Sorry
Great Balls of Fire
Lewis Boogie
It All Depends (Who Will Buy the Wine)
Breathless
Down the Line
High School Confidential
Big Legged Woman
Real Wild Child (Wild One)
Let's Talk about Us
Little Queenie
Bonnie B.
Night Train to Memphis
What'd I Say
Invitation to Your Party
One Minute Past Eternity
I Can't Seem to Say Goodbye
Carry Me Back to Ol' Virginia
Jerry Lee Lewis and Sam Phillips: Religious Discussion

Disc 2:

Hi-Heel Sneakers
I'm on Fire
Green, Green Grass of Home
Memphis Beat
Another Place, Another Time
What's Made Milwaukee Famous
Workin' Man Blues
She Even Woke Me up to Say Goodbye
Me and Bobby McGee
To Make Love Sweeter for You
There Must Be More to Love than This
Think About It, Darlin'
Chantilly Lace
Once More with Feeling
Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee
Middle Age Crazy
Meat Man
A Damn Good Country Song (alternate vocal)
That Kind Of Fool
No Headstone on My Grave
Your Cheatin' Heart
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On'

Disc 3:

Rockin' My Life Away
Rita May
Don't Let Go
I Wish I Was Eighteen Again
Folsom Prison Blues
Who Will the Next Fool Be
Rockin' Little Angel
I'd Do It All Again
Thirty-Nine and Holding
Rockin' Jerry Lee
Over the Rainbow
Down the Road Apiece
Miss the Mississippi and You
Crown Victoria Custom '51
It Was the Whiskey Talkin' (Not Me)
Good News Travels Fast
One Has My Name...The Other Has My Heart
Hadacol Boogie
Don't Stay Away ('Til Love Grows Cold)
Jerry Lee's Boogie

From the press release:

Jerry Lee Lewis: A Half Century Of Hits, the first-ever complete career retrospective on the music icon, will be released on June 13th (Time Life). Personally overseen by Jerry Lee Lewis himself, the collection will include the first two tracks he ever recorded, neither of which has ever been released before. "Sometimes I can't believe all the things I've done. Some seemed like a good idea at the time," Lewis reflects. "The Time-Life story is the truth and, if I do say so myself, makes for interesting reading and great listening."

His recordings and riveting live performances are matched only by his larger-than-life personality. Lewis has scored 65 country hits, placed 22 albums in the Country Top 20, won a Grammy award, and was immortalized in the hit film Great Balls of Fire.

This specially designed 3 CD box set is not only filled with his career-defining rock hits, like "Great Balls of Fire," "High School Confidential," "Breathless," and the original hit version of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On," but every major country hit, three previously unreleased live recordings, additional rare performances, and the very first two tracks Lewis recorded (also the first original Jerry Lee Lewis composition), "New Orleans Boogie," and a cover of Lefty Frizzell's "Don't Stay Away." No one, not even Jerry Lee, had heard those two songs since the day he sang them at a record your own voice studio in 1952 when he was just sixteen years old.

The acetates, belonging to Lewis' friend, Cecil Harrelson, had been held back from release until such time as Mr. Lewis wished them to be distributed to the public and were painstakingly transferred by Country Music Hall Of Fame sound engineer Alan Stoker exclusively for A Half-Century of Hits.

The box set features 66 tracks in all. Other highlights include rare outtakes from sessions done for the Sun Records label and even a heated argument between Lewis and Sun founder Sam Phillips about whether rock n roll was the Devils music. "I got the Devil in me!" Lewis yells, while Phillips tries to convince him that he can be both a believer and a rock 'n roll star. Accidentally captured while the tape was still rolling at the studio, this tape has never been released in the United States. In addition to the hits, out-takes, studio argument, and the two 1952 recordings, this collection also features three previously unissued live recordings (recorded live by Jim Isbell at Opryland in 1981) and two live songs from his 1964 European tour. A Half-Century of Hits is accompanied by a 40- page book made up of extensive interviews with Lewis and compiled by Grammy Award winner Colin Escott, along with rare and previously unpublished photos, many of them from Phoebe Lewis' (Jerry's daughter) very own personal archives.