Lewis was one of teh best rockabilyl singers, complete with the echoe in his voice and that rockabilly accent and sound in his voice, he's truly a good time singer. His piano playing is boogie woogie stylisticly, however he sounds like James P. Johnson, with maybe a little too much too drink(no that would be Champio Jack Dupree). In anycase his sporadic vocals and spasmic piano playing make for great jitterbug dancing, and party good time fun music. A great cd, even if there is a lack of liner notes or recording date and session information. This cd makes up for the lack of information, by including all of Lewis' most boogieing tracks on one cd, making this the only truly essential cd of Lewis yo uwill ever need. great music.

This is a marvelous collection if you're only sampling Jerry Lee Lewis' music. It contains his greatest early hits, but still omits some of his best music, so beware. Most people listening to Jerry's music for the first time can never stop at just one CD, so this will serve as a fine introduction to some of the best music you'll ever hear. Though these songs are all more than 40 years old, they wear well and are timeless.

Most casual rock fans can name only a few Lewis tunes: Great Balls of Fire and Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On, but there is so much more than that. This collection includes some of his most haunting, beautiful ballads or slower tempo pieces.

He was a genuine innovator and talent. This compilation proves that.

Wow, who would have thought that Jerry Lee Lewis would be the last surviving Sun Records legend? After the wild life he lead, it's somewhat of a miracle. Now, on to the review. Jerry Lee Lewis recorded a ton of great material at Sun Records. Much more than the mere 18 songs recorded here. However, all 18 songs here are great, so I won't complain about that. I might have selected different songs if it was up to me, but that's just personal preference. Jerry only had five real hits at Sun Records, so any other songs included are debatable. My one real complaint would have to be the lack of liner notes. But that won't stop me from recommending the CD.

As another reviewer has pointed out, I too was born long after Lewis's heyday. However, hearing his "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls of Fire" on various oldies stations got me hooked when I was a teenager. It is hard to describe. The man had....something. Was it extremely sophisticated, complicated music? Hell, no. But it didn't have to be. It was raw, passionate and true. You could tell this guy loved what he was doing. Plus, even if the music was relatively simplistic, well, so was all of rock and roll. And Lewis was good at it.

It has been pointed out that Lewis posed a "short-lived challenge" to Elvis Presley for the title of King of Rock and Roll. Lewis's shot at the real big time was basically wrecked when word got out that he'd married his 14-year-old cousin Myra Brown. It's a shame too - of course, I don't condone grown men marrying minors. Lewis screwed up there. However, as Albert Goldman pointed out in his controversial 1982 biography of Elvis, Lewis's downfall was ironic: Lewis was pilloried for marrying his 14-year-old cousin, while in the meantime 24-year-old Presley cohabitated with 15-year-old Priscilla at Graceland, and nobody seemed to consider this a problem.

Besides that obvious bit of unfairness, it's also pretty damn sad that Lewis's challenge to Presley was so short-lived...because in this reviewer's opinion, he was a hell of a lot better of a musician than Presley, for a whole host of reasons, but I'll stick to the main ones. Firstly, Lewis actually played an instrument, the piano, and played it well. This is in contrast to Presley, for whom the guitar was a prop rather than an instrument he truly knew how to play. Secondly, Lewis sang on key with breath control, which Presley did not do.

And for the fan who wants a good intro to Lewis's rock and country work, this disc will be a treat. As another reviewer has pointed out, certain key things unfortunately are missing, like "You Win Again."

But despite that, it's an entertaining disc that you'll find yourself playing again and again. In every song, Lewis's driving passion for his work is evident, and his love for the music will make you love it too. The old standbys "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin" are on there, as well as a rockin' "When the Saints Go Marchin' In," "Matchbox," "What'd I Say," and "Jambalaya". Also of interest is an early version of "Drinkin' Wine (Spo-dee-o-dee)" (although Lewis did a remake of this song in the early '70s that was bass-driven rather than piano-driven, and was actually better than the early one, but no matter). No doubt, this disc will entertain...and the sampling of songs definitely shows who the real "King of Rock and Roll" should've been.

I agree with the review above, anytime you have a chance to find (and grab) the original recordings from a legendary artists, take advantage of it. Rhino is a great company that has devoted its time to restoring and making available material from everyone from Jerry Lee Lewis to Captain Beefheart to Alex Chilton.

This compilation of 18 classic Jerry Lee Lewis songs is a treasure. And can I tell you, as a 28-year old listener who was born well after Lewis's heyday (I was born in 1971), that this man's music still sounds as vital today as it did over forty years ago? I find myself bouncing along not only with the obvious radio hits (Great Balls of Fire and Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On), but the lesser-known cuts as well (I love Big Blon' Baby). Lewis, along with Little Richard, paved the way for piano-playing rockers, and Lewis also straddled the line between rock and country; fans of both genres will find much to savor here. I wholeheartedly recommend this fine disc.