The Complete London Sessions

Jerry Lee Lewis wasn't the first American musical legend to make an album in London in the early '70s with an all-star cast of British rockers, but he was probably the most successful at it. He was knee-deep in the second act of his career, cutting country records with a dash of rock 'n' roll, when he headed to England for a "super session" with U.K. heavyweights including Rory Gallagher, Alvin Lee, Gary Wright, Kenney Jones, and a pre–Comes Alive Peter Frampton. Whether it was the sonic heft added by the aforementioned players, The Killer's brief return to the rock realm, or simply the chemistry among Jerry Lee and the lads, the album gave Lewis his best showing on the charts in nearly a decade. Not only does the piano king kick up a storm on tunes that are more or less in his comfort zone (like Louisiana rocker Frankie Ford's '50s hit "Sea Cruise" and Roy Orbison's Sun Records–era rockabilly romp "Down the Line"), he also puts his own powerful stamp on everything from Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" to Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain."