Jerry Lee Lewis, unbridled early rocker, dies at 87

[BBbats]

27. I recommend "Live At The Star Club Hamburg".

This wasn't released here until the 1980's. Recorded in 1964. Jerry Lee Lewis had another live LP released here about the same time(The Greatest Live Show On Earth) that's real good but this one drives. I'll let an explanation from the Guardian describe it.

"At his lowest point in 1964, a German producer taped his performance backed by the Nashville Teens at Hamburg’s Live at the Star Club, ironically one of the Beatles’ pre-fame haunts. Roughly recorded, it captured the astonishing sound of Lewis with his back against the wall. Audibly accelerated by something – whether rage, bitterness or chemicals – it’s a performance of scarcely believable ferocity: from the first note, the backing musicians struggle to keep up with him. The end result is undoubtedly the greatest album Lewis ever put his name to. It may well also be the greatest live album ever made or the greatest rock’n’roll album of all time: whichever you choose, it’s an implausibly thrilling listen."

Here's some other mentions.
Milo Miles raved in Rolling Stone that "Live At The Star Club, Hamburg is not an album, it's a crime scene: Jerry Lee Lewis slaughters his rivals in a thirteen-song set that feels like one long convulsion. Recorded April 5th, 1964, this is the earliest and most feral of Lewis' concert releases from his wilderness years.

Rhino put it out on CD. Bear Family has a real nice vinyl pressing. Wasn't released over here for many years. The whole thing is on YouTube. Essential. One of my all time favorite live albums.