Third Man Live - Black & Blue (2011) / Black & CD (2012)

[Henry]

(I have no idea who Steve Cropper is, but that will come as no surprise to people as I hadn't heard of Slash either, or Freddie Mercury, or...... practically any musician not rock'n'roll or Country who emerged since the 1960s. A slight exaggeration, but I suspect Jerry Lee is similar to me is this respect. I hadn't clue who that fat old bloke was who wandered on stage during 'Goodnite Irene' in 1989 at Hammersmith Odeon. Van Morrison, I later discovered. Didn't know who Brian May was either, or most of the other guests.)

The difference is that Steve Cropper has backed Jerry in the studio before, & you probably even have photos of them together (he was on 'Southern Roots'!).

With Jerry's recordings my attitude is similar to his when he said: 'I played on 'em, what the Hell else d'ya need to know?' The big exception being Kenny Lovelace - love his fiddle and guitar playing.

Jerry is exaggerating,whitout all the good mucicians that have been on his record there would be no good JLL records at all.Jerry alone with his piana is nothing.Think about it.

[bailbath]

With Jerry's recordings my attitude is similar to his when he said: 'I played on 'em, what the Hell else d'ya need to know?' The big exception being Kenny Lovelace - love his fiddle and guitar playing.

Jerry is exaggerating,whitout all the good mucicians that have been on his record there would be no good JLL records at all.Jerry alone with his piana is nothing.Think about it.

excuse me...!

[fede4avar]

I just bought this concert on vinyl should reach me in a few days

[bluesinc.]

i got it yesterday. listened to it this morning. well, it´s classic JLL in his 70ies. His voice is thin and shaky, his piano playing is solid but has nothing new, the versions are the same since i don´t when. The only thing I was keen on was I wish I was 18. But when I heard it, my god, normally you edit this song out and don´t release it. Some other songs are ok, but nothing more. But the sound is quite good. Anyway, to be serious, a live show of Jerry is great when you are there but to make an lp of such a recording is useless. It could have been better when they (record labels, etc.) release live shows from the 70s & 80s, but Jerry nowadays isn´t that audio pleasure. But I love him and I´m happy that somethings going on in his live.

I also don´t understand how people could praise such recordings. This ain´t a question of personla taste, sometimes I think some are "blind followers".

[PeterC]

Jimmy Rip could probably compile a better latter-day live album, as he professionally recorded most of the shows on the Feb-March 2004 Scotland / England / Holland tour, as well as at The Viper Room (Hollywood) in 2003.

[Tony Papard]

i got it yesterday. listened to it this morning. well, it´s classic JLL in his 70ies. His voice is thin and shaky, his piano playing is solid but has nothing new, the versions are the same since i don´t when. The only thing I was keen on was I wish I was 18. But when I heard it, my god, normally you edit this song out and don´t release it. Some other songs are ok, but nothing more. But the sound is quite good. Anyway, to be serious, a live show of Jerry is great when you are there but to make an lp of such a recording is useless. It could have been better when they (record labels, etc.) release live shows from the 70s & 80s, but Jerry nowadays isn´t that audio pleasure. But I love him and I´m happy that somethings going on in his live.

I also don´t understand how people could praise such recordings. This ain´t a question of personla taste, sometimes I think some are "blind followers".

it is strange how people see, and hear, things differently. The one and only thing I can agree on regarding the above comments is that 'I Wish I Was 18 Again' is the weakest track due to Jerry forgetting two important lines, and going off-key once or twice. However I didn't find his voice generally 'thin and shaky', though of course it could have been 'tweaked' in the mastering/editing or whatever they call it.

As to no point in audio recordings like this, I feel the very opposite - he comes across much better in this audio recording than in 'live' shows where you see him on stage or on screen in DVDs and can see how different he looks and acts to the Jerry Lee of a few decades ago. On this record, he sounds to me much the same as in the 1960s and 1970s, with the exception of Star-Club Hamburg which was an exceptionally wild performance rarely if ever matched in his entire career.

[PeterC]

On this record, he sounds to me much the same as in the 1960s and 1970s, with the exception of Star-Club Hamburg which was an exceptionally wild performance rarely if ever matched in his entire career.

I wish I had your hearing Tony!

I feel the very opposite - he comes across much better in this audio recording than in 'live' shows where you see him on stage or on screen in DVDs and can see how different he looks and acts to the Jerry Lee of a few decades ago.

I think this has been the case for nearly 30 years to be honest, ever since he became far less animated on stage. Listen to a show like Hammersmith Odeon '83 without the visuals, it's far more exciting imo. Someone like Chuck Berry (who often plays badly but still has the on stage charisma) is the complete opposite in that I don't enjoy latter day audios as much as videos.

[rockin532000]

i got it yesterday. listened to it this morning. well, it´s classic JLL in his 70ies. His voice is thin and shaky, his piano playing is solid but has nothing new, the versions are the same since i don´t when. The only thing I was keen on was I wish I was 18. But when I heard it, my god, normally you edit this song out and don´t release it. Some other songs are ok, but nothing more. But the sound is quite good. Anyway, to be serious, a live show of Jerry is great when you are there but to make an lp of such a recording is useless. It could have been better when they (record labels, etc.) release live shows from the 70s & 80s, but Jerry nowadays isn´t that audio pleasure. But I love him and I´m happy that somethings going on in his live.

I also don´t understand how people could praise such recordings. This ain´t a question of personla taste, sometimes I think some are "blind followers".

Actually this is exactly how I felt. Sound quality is the best.

But I have to come back to "drinking wine": Admittedly I am not a musician, but despite the fact that it is played too slow (which does not make it Blues song by the way), is it not play in a wrong key???

Best Wishes
Joerg

[wolfgangguhl]

Got it today. It is JLL as we know him today. But the production quality is awesome!!!

[wolfgangguhl]

it is strange how people see, and hear, things differently. The one and only thing I can agree on regarding the above comments is that 'I Wish I Was 18 Again' is the weakest track due to Jerry forgetting two important lines, and going off-key once or twice.

So it is important to you now that JLL plays perfect polished versions of songs? That's not Jerry Lee Lewis in my opinion. I love such little mistakes, the improvisations et cetera. So the messed up version brings back memories of days of old. I love it! I hate most of his polished shows nowadays.

[Tony Papard]

it is strange how people see, and hear, things differently. The one and only thing I can agree on regarding the above comments is that 'I Wish I Was 18 Again' is the weakest track due to Jerry forgetting two important lines, and going off-key once or twice.

So it is important to you now that JLL plays perfect polished versions of songs? That's not Jerry Lee Lewis in my opinion. I love such little mistakes, the improvisations et cetera. So the messed up version brings back memories of days of old. I love it! I hate most of his polished shows nowadays.

I do think the version of 'I Wish I Was 18 Again' on this album works, and yes when he changes the lyrics slightly it does make it more interesting. I was a bit more concerned about his voice being a bit shaky and off-key on this number, but yes it wouldn't be Jerry Lee if it were too polished would it?

[rockin532000]

I actually do not understand you both, Tony and Wolfgang. Unlike many other Semi-official releases this is an official output. And while the two of you might like off-key, wrong lyrics, wrong speed in a Jerry Lee Lewis performance these days, I am very doubtful that the average record buyer theses days would share your view.

As written before e sound quality is excellent and the mix is ok but that alone is not good enough!
Best wishes
Joerg

[Tony Papard]

I actually do not understand you both, Tony and Wolfgang. Unlike many other Semi-official releases this is an official output. And while the two of you might like off-key, wrong lyrics, wrong speed in a Jerry Lee Lewis performance these days, I am very doubtful that the average record buyer theses days would share your view.

As written before e sound quality is excellent and the mix is ok but that alone is not good enough!
Best wishes
Joerg

We have to remember this was a live album, so will not be perfect. Were it a studio album I'd have said re-record that one number, I Wish I Was 18 Again. The rest of the album I find very good. And even that number, though the weakest, is acceptable for a live album I thought.

[wolfgangguhl]

I actually do not understand you both, Tony and Wolfgang. Unlike many other Semi-official releases this is an official output. And while the two of you might like off-key, wrong lyrics, wrong speed in a Jerry Lee Lewis performance these days, I am very doubtful that the average record buyer theses days would share your view.

As written before e sound quality is excellent and the mix is ok but that alone is not good enough!
Best wishes
Joerg

If Jerry Lee Lewis had always cared about the "average record buyer" in his career, I doubt anyone of us would be here. In my opinion the "average record buyer" had and has an awul taste and is easy to manipulate by record companies/marketing agencies et cetera. The "average record buyer" is watching and listening to stuff like casting shows and hardly to Jerry Lee Lewis.

[PeterC]

There's often a thin line between spontaniety and sloppiness...

I don't think any songs on Jerry's first 4 live albums from 1964 to 1970 crossed that line (he was a very tight musician before alcohol, drugs, age and laziness started to effect him in later years), but there's no doubt that there's been many times in concert since. Another "official" sample I can think of is the dreadful out-of-time version of 'Hey Good Lookin' on the "Six of one, half dozen of the other" LP (later reissued as "Live At Vapors", though it was in fact recorded at The Palomino in Hollywood during 1979) - this mars an otherwise very fine live album in my opinion. I certainly don't mind the occasional mistake though, & don't like "perfection" (whatever that is).

I've always thought that Hammersmith Odeon 1983 would've made a great live album, as every song is complete, there's no garbled lyrics, no confusion over chord changes, no cussing out the band, etc... but I certainly wouldn't call it slick or polished - thank god!