Mean Old Man

Jerry Lee Lewis is timeless — but not ageless. At 74, Lewis has lived a crazy life and his music has worn its scars, often to great effect. His 2010 album, Mean Old Man, is similar to his 2006 release, Last Man Standing, where the studio is jammed with celebrities wishing to pay their respects to a living legend. He sings with a sense of knowing. Whether he’s mocking his own persona on the title track, or moving on over for Kid Rock and Slash on “Rockin’ My Life Away,” the Killer still holds all the cards in the studio as his piano pumps throughout the album like a human heart. Keith Richards joins him for a woozy-boozy version of the Rolling Stones’ “Sweet Virginia.” “Whiskey River,” with Willie Nelson, is a match of two legends. “You Can Have Her” comes off like vintage Sun sessions with Eric Clapton and James Burton slinging their guitars into the solo slots. The man can throw a party. The expanded version includes another Stones cut, “Dead Flowers,” with Mick Jagger, for a smooth country stroll into depravity. Gillian Welch brings sweet harmonies to “Please Release Me” and “I Really Don’t Want to Know.” Country, rock n’ roll, and everything in between, the Killer does it all. At 74.