Jerry Lee Lewis: Lost and Found - out next week!

[thrund]

Would have been a lot better, had he not had alcohol and substance abuse problems, and had he treated his career more seriously.

A career in this business is mostly in he hands of record companies and not in the hands of the artists!
That what you means to know are the stories around and not the true.

[jllWAfan1982]

Duran Duran is mostly a rock band with early 80's synth flourishes. Trust me, if you saw their official Live in London dvd, you would be a fan because I know you like good rock music. And that is what they are at the core, rock. That is why I became a fan of them!

PSB is a totally different style of music, not everyone's cup of tea. I didn't like them when I first heard them, but if you like that kind of music, they are the best at it. It is the complete opposite of rock and roll though.

How do we know what JLL would be like without drugs if he has done every performance on drugs or drunk? Sure, it may not have been as manic at times, but it still would be wild. Sometimes he got a little sloppy because he was so wild. Jerry could have found that wild energy somewhere else. From inspiration from women, from a desire to do his best, from some other personal source. He took the easy way: drugs. And I think his singing and performances would have been much better if he had done everything with a clean mind. JLL is an artist with almost limitless potential, but he squandered a lot of it, I feel, because of his substance abuse and alcohol problems. He is so talented though that even still he is better than most artists, and sometimes still so even up in to his 70s. But if he had spent all his energy trying to polish and refine his musical gifts, putting all his energy into music instead of drugs and booze and women, then I think that he could have maybe created the best music of the century. As it is, he came pretty close at times, so one can only marvel at what might have been. JLL can best be described as talented squandered.

[jllWAfan1982]

Would have been a lot better, had he not had alcohol and substance abuse problems, and had he treated his career more seriously.

A career in this business is mostly in he hands of record companies and not in the hands of the artists!
That what you means to know are the stories around and not the true.

I agree that is mostly true. Some people now can get known through other ways, such as online social networking sites like myspace. I believe that is how the Arctic Monkeys came to be so popular. For most artists though only their friends and families will care to look at such things, and you pretty much DO need a record label behind you most of the time. However, there are times when you can get by without it. I don't know much about modern music, so I am afraid I can't give specific examples. I think the power of record companies will diminish as time goes by and they become somewhat irrelevant, as a lot of young people prefer to download via iTunes. But right now, record companies still represent needed financial backing for promotion and such.

As this relates to JLL -- he did have record company backing through most of his career. Even after the sex scandal, Sun continued to make records. It was the American radio that wasn't interested (reacting to what they perceived was the american public's wishes), but he had a record company behind him.

[Andrew McRae]

Would have been a lot better, had he not had alcohol and substance abuse problems, and had he treated his career more seriously.

A career in this business is mostly in he hands of record companies and not in the hands of the artists!
That what you means to know are the stories around and not the true.

I agree that is mostly true. Some people now can get known through other ways, such as online social networking sites like myspace. I believe that is how the Arctic Monkeys came to be so popular. For most artists though only their friends and families will care to look at such things, and you pretty much DO need a record label behind you most of the time. However, there are times when you can get by without it. I don't know much about modern music, so I am afraid I can't give specific examples. I think the power of record companies will diminish as time goes by and they become somewhat irrelevant, as a lot of young people prefer to download via iTunes. But right now, record companies still represent needed financial backing for promotion and such.

As this relates to JLL -- he did have record company backing through most of his career. Even after the sex scandal, Sun continued to make records. It was the American radio that wasn't interested (reacting to what they perceived was the american public's wishes), but he had a record company behind him.

Again, why are we now characterising Jerry Lee's addiction to wedding cake as a 'sex scandal'? I find this terminology rather offensive!

Andrew

[thrund]

....Even after the sex scandal, Sun continued to make records. It was the American radio that wasn't interested ......

Referring to Andrew's words (agreement from my side!), please let know us:
Which 'Sex Scandal' do you mean?

[bailbath]

How do we know what JLL would be like without drugs if he has done every performance on drugs or drunk? Sure, it may not have been as manic at times, but it still would be wild. Sometimes he got a little sloppy because he was so wild. Jerry could have found that wild energy somewhere else. From inspiration from women, from a desire to do his best, from some other personal source. He took the easy way: drugs. And I think his singing and performances would have been much better if he had done everything with a clean mind. JLL is an artist with almost limitless potential, but he squandered a lot of it, I feel, because of his substance abuse and alcohol problems. He is so talented though that even still he is better than most artists, and sometimes still so even up in to his 70s. But if he had spent all his energy trying to polish and refine his musical gifts, putting all his energy into music instead of drugs and booze and women, then I think that he could have maybe created the best music of the century. As it is, he came pretty close at times, so one can only marvel at what might have been. JLL can best be described as talented squandered.

Sometimes I wonder whether you are trying to get a reaction by saying things like this Jerry Lee was like a lot of other artists at a very young age they were introduced to pep up 'energy pills'. No one wants to get addicted to something and I'm sure that will be some regret for things that have happened in the past.
Talent and peoples opinion of how good talent is will always be subjective.
As far as I'm concerned Jerry Lee creates the best music ever. It is my 'soul' music. It is not only in his piano playing but also his singing and interpreting of material. Who else can you compare him to?
As for squandering talent you are assuming that all you have read about him is true, often legendary stories are just that and it all becomes part of the myth. I don't want Jerry to polish and refine his music as it will lose it's edge and feel!
Ian

[jllWAfan1982]

It's one thing for JLL to be someone's favorite. But I think it would be a fallacy to think he is the best musician because he certainly is not. I don't think polish or refinement of his musical gifts would have taken the edge away; it might have even enhanced it and brought it to a whole other level. Some of what I say here is half in jest, but I am totally serious about this matter. I think alcohol and substance abuse has had a devastating effect on his music, not to mention his career.

[peterchecksfield]

But I think it would be a fallacy to think he is the best musician because he certainly is not.

He's undoubtedly the world's greatest piano player. Perhaps more importantly he invented a whole new style of playing, & has been as innovative on the piano as Jimi Hendrix was on the guitar.

[jllWAfan1982]

He is the greatest rock piano player. Even Elton John has acknowledged that.

Did he actually invent that style of playing?

[peterchecksfield]

He is the greatest rock piano player. Even Elton John has acknowledged that.

He's much more than that, not that I'd call his music "rock" (I don't even like rock music much!).

Did he actually invent that style of playing?

Undoubtedly.

[Amadeu]

He is the greatest rock piano player. Even Elton John has acknowledged that.

He's much more than that, not that I'd call his music "rock" (I don't even like rock music much!).

Did he actually invent that style of playing?

Undoubtedly.

Chico Marx introduced him on this style

[jllWAfan1982]

By rock, I meant as a greater umbrella term that would include rock 'n' roll as well as other rock styles, such as classic rock, modern rock, etc. If that is incorrect, forgive me. I believe the thing I read had said Elton had called him the greatest rock 'n' roll piano player.

JLL's piano playing style is definitely my favorite. Unfortunately I do not know of any other artist who plays that way and who I also LIKE. Seems like most are family members of his (Linda Gail and MG, who are okay) and imitators (which I am not into).

[peterchecksfield]

JLL's piano playing style is definitely my favorite. Unfortunately I do not know of any other artist who plays that way and who I also LIKE. Seems like most are family members of his (Linda Gail and MG, who are okay) and imitators (which I am not into).

ALL people who play that way are imitators.

[jllWAfan1982]

That's the problem. I think there potentially could be an original artist who plays like him, and uses that style, but goes beyond it and makes original music that isn't completely derivative of him.