Live At The Star Club, Hamburg

#275/1001 🇺🇸 A short blast of an album, you know all of the songs and they are played here brilliantly. You can't however ignore the ego of the man responsible for this and it leaves me feeling a bit sick. Best tracks: Money, Great Balls of Fire.

Kind of enjoyed it. Nuts levels of energy.

I've really liked it. I mean, it's funny, energetic, a well-focused live (some great songs), concise. Yeah, it's not too much, nothing really surprising, there is not much to judge in here. It just comes and goes. And for that, I am down. Not to call it memorable, but to call it really good.

Oh hell yeah, okay Jez

Muy bueno

Decent enough but I didn't find it that remarkable. It's probably important to the development of rock so I should spotlight it more, but it doesn't do much for me. I ended up paying more attention to how many times he goes WOOOOOAAAAH like Danzig than actually focusing on the music Highlights: Good Golly, Miss Molly

Good golly

Hamburg, a piano, and a room full of people who didn't stand a chance, per the house rules. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Money (That's What I Want) - Great Balls of Fire - Good Golly, Miss Molly - Long Tall Sally

Every song is about sex.

Don't like Live albums, but I feel like the energy in this one is somehow a milestone. Guy was a creep tho.

"accompanied by the Nashville Teens" I bet he fucking was. 2.5 rounded up Heard before? No Owned: No, 112/449 (24%) Will I get: No

#365: There appear to be different versions of this album available, ranging from 22 minutes to 37-40 minutes. But because Jerry Lee Lewis is one of those music legends that was as good as music/entertainment as he was a horrible human being, I'm not going to look too deep for what's available beyond streaming. So besides the incest, pedophilia, alleged murders, constantly threatening to shoot people including Elvis Presley, and some other things Google will AI hallucinate for you, Jerry Lee Lewis was a very talented pianist and a chaotic on-stage entertainer that was critical for rock and roll's emerging popularity. So kind of like Ike Turner in the sense that rock and roll would be a lot different without him or Ike's discovery of distortion. Live at the Star Club, Hamburg displays his cathartic chops that propelled him to being one of the "early rock and roll greats". Over and over again we go through the discussion of art/artist separation. Jerry Lee Lewis died in 2022, and the people he hurt are still alive ("oh it was a different time", the times are always different, the present is a lie, blah blah blah I don't care for those arguments). Thankfully this is a random music website that people will not sort through thousands of music reviews on a (checks notes) Jerry Lee Lewis record. So I think I'm in the clear here. Album is fun for as short as it is, and the uptempo energy is something that ages better than something like the last album I reviewed, an Elvis record from 1960 (Elvis is Back). Alas unlike the genius brevity of Circle Jerk's Group Sex, I think the shortness album dips it a bit in my ratings. tl;dr I just canceled this dude fr fr (don't look at the stars)

I appreciate that this is here. That’s really all.

Incredibly short. Got his message across and then left. Not bad at all.

"live" = shit.

Horrible to think that these songs might have been about his 12 year old cousin. Lame genre and even lamer performer. 1/5

It seems the artist was pretty yuck, anyway now I'll check out the (whole) album (on YouTube). It's rowdy, raucous, but doesn't seem like there are too many missed notes - impressive accuracy in singing and piano, even when tempo is rushing like a nearly-runaway train. (Just a couple of points where the breath fades before singing line complete.) The band plays pretty well, particularly the drummer gives great close support to the piano/vocals but without overwhelming - and the mix in the recording is quite decent, nice and clear. Some classic songs in stomping versions - I don't mind that they're almost all covers, the originals here are weaker. But, do I like this album, to listen to? Not sure. I can relate musically to the rock and roll approach, but the interpersonal energy is not hitting right for me. And it's a long wait for any variety in musical styles. I could try it as high-energy background music, but the extent of in-your-face would grate. In summary, rating the music not the artist, it's Mix of Good and Bad, 5/10.

I mean it’s okay. He can sing and play piano. So what?

Why is this on this list. I feel like I am at one of those piano battle bars. Maybe I need to take a couple shots.

eh

As much of a controversial figure as Jerry Lee Lewis is, I’ve always been one to be able to separate the art from the artist. To an extent of course, there are limits. Anyway, the impact that this man had on rock and roll is undeniable. He was one of the founding fathers. So the impact of this music (and concerts like this) can’t be overstated. I can imagine a young John Lennon or a young Jimmy Page listening to his albums and going to shows like this and being inspired to go on to create some of the greatest music ever made. So from an influential perspective, I totally get it. Judged on its own merits, in a vacuum, this particular concert was good… but I don’t see what makes it special. What makes this particular recording one of the 1,001 albums you have to hear? Maybe it’s the very reasons I mentioned above.

a tremendously energetic and enthusiastic set, but one that relies on that momentum and a very good vocal performance to pull through what is in retrospect a fairly monotonous set of arrangements

That album was fun!

he might've married his 13 year old cousin, but hot damn that guy can play a piano

I just don't really see the appeal of a live album. It sounds like this would have been a blast to attend in person, but if I'm at home doing my laundry while I listen, I'd rather have a polished version without screaming and whistling in the background.

This hour has 22 minutes. We've got another guy who likes kids, so unfortunately this isn't "Jerry Lee Lewis: DEAD at the Hamburg." He is dead now, but only after 17 marriages including one to a 13 year old relative of his. I love Wikipedia. What I don't like is boogie, woogie, and sexual relationships with children. Get all of these people in the incinerator, and lets move towards good, uncontroversial music like Norwegian black metal, and Michael Jackson. Wait I... Derest Quiznos, I am a loyal franchisee in Pugwash Nova Scotia, and a longtime eater of succulent Quiznos ham. Me and my friends call the slight headrush after "Hamming it up" "Riding the Q-Train to PigTown." You guys should use that in a commercial. Somebody has to compete with that Jarod asshold. Who doees Subway think they is and why? I had Subweay ONCE before I had ever been as far as Digby and it tasted like rotten Chihuahua skeletons. I've HAD fresh dog, and it is tastier, albeit greyer than a ghost. Akin to a day old Tuna on Rye from an ujpstajnidng Quizons location. This is a compiment to your fine chefs. I write to ask about the status of my latest request. To reiterate I wish to provide coastal catering to local whale watchign expeditions. Instead of watching the whales, you are surpirsed with a 6 week whalinjg voyage of the south seas. It is NOT kidnapping. You get to east beluga sandwiches made with quiznos bread that we stow aboard. Please PM me on MSN or call 902-555-0162 and ask for "The Big Habanero" LOUDLY. 2 HIGHLIGHTS: Oh no! My identity was revealed through an unfortunate crossing of files! DON'T STEAL MY IDEAS

Pure, unadulterated rock and roll and one of the most energetic and unhinged live performances put to vinyl. Ultimately, much of the music is taken from others (Little Richard in particular) so the creative and artistic merit is a bit middling, but this dude could rock.

Absolute fire and left me wanting more

Pretty cool. I won’t be listening to it again but I’m glad I heard it once before I died.

One of the reasons this album stood the test of time is its unparalleled mania, it has an energy of a punk album. Really a breath of fresh air. However, I do have a dislike towards the artist that manages to sour the entire experience. I usually manage to separate the art from the artist, but I don't enjoy this enough to do so, as hypocritical as that sounds. It's also a bit funny that I've heard about three renditions of half the tracklist so far throughout the challenge. Favourite track: Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

Regardless of what an trash human being Jerry Lee Lewis was, this is 22 minutes of energetic fun. The performance is wild, fast, and entertaining from start to finish.

Extremely energetic rock n roll piano. I like his style, but get bored really quickly, so it's only 22 minutes for a reason. Same repeating notes, which sound very fun and builds tension at first, but when you hear them in the third song in a row it's not interesting anymore. It's definitely more roll than rock and definitely not what I expected to hear. Perfect background for playing poker. Would listen again while playing poker 6/10 My favorites (not ordered): Money - just like it, I cant tell why; Your Cheating Heart - a nice break after repetitive energetic stuff; Whole Lotta Shaking - that fadeout in the middle;

I’ve heard this done way better… by the person he stole it from. Cant award unoriginality and laziness. 0 stars.

Great backing band, fantastic live album (maybe one of the best), but man was he creepy as hell.

I think this may be just a little too manic. I don't particularly care much about 50s rock and just listening to this tires me out. It's good, but not great.

Loved it

-1 star for being a pedo racist

Killer, short live album for a terrible man I am learning. The live album knock down is null here, all music is just sort of live at that point, but yea this does rock, but he sucks.

Another old-time rock & roll singer here, and our first appearance from Jerry Lee Lewis. This could be considered a greatest hits album, since it includes “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On”, “Great Balls of Fire”, and High School Confidential”. Most of the remaining tracks are covers of old songs from Hank Williams, Ray Charles, etc. This is a live album and is very peppy and high-energy. Admin note: the web site directs to a Spotify album that is missing several tracks. The album has 13 tracks.

"Live" in this case actually means, well, live. Unnecessary quotes always make me laugh, so at least there's that. A live album of covers from the 60s though, I dunno. At least I do know several of the songs. (Except I didn't know 'High School Confidential' - I know a different song called 'High School Confidential' based on the same movie that this 'High School Confidential' is named for. Boo! The "Jerry" chanting at the end of that song was silly though because I can't help but associate it with Jerry Springer.) Anyway, of the songs I DID know, I think I always like a different (original?) version of them better. But they are more interesting songs than some of the boring "vocal jazz" covers from earlier this week. Though when I was in middle school we had a 50s day where they played 'Great Balls of Fire', and my friend Brandy was so into it and I was like, "this song sucks??", and unfortunately, I still kinda think that. How does this all factor in? These are like bowling alley songs. Is that better than dentist songs? Yes, but they're also live, so.... I think it's a 2 for me. Sorry! I know it's lauded!

This album is so rocking when it wants to be and also just ok on other parts. As someone who really loves a live record when done right this one has elements of what I think makes live records so fun to listen, for example, it really immersing you in the energy that Jerry and the band are making. But some of these cover choices all though goes well with the setlist is not given Justice by Jerry and I feel like a lot of the record is carried by the frantic energy given. Fav tracks: High school confidential, Great balls of fire, Good golly miss Molly, and Whole lotta shakin Goin on

The Killer! This was super short, but really awesome. The crowd loves him. Good energy. Great energy. Super sound quality.

The ERA for this type of music is gone, fortunately. In its day I'm sure the audience loved it.

Very nice.

rock and roll everybody

Fun! This man does not have a shady bone in his body :D

I already don't really like live albums, but this I have absolutely no interest in.

What a slog. Nonsense album.

Good live boogie

I know that Jerry Lee Lewis was generally a dick and a pedophile. Possibly (probably) racist. And just all around awful…but damn this album rocks. Mean Woman Blues into High School Confidential is a damn good time. What a great live recording from the early ‘60’s. Like I did with Ryan Adams earlier on, I’ll dock him a point for contemptibility, but this is a five-star live record

Fun songs, nostalgia. Overall a good listen.

Liked it more than I thought I would. Knew all the songs. It was short. Perfect reentry.

5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Criminal that the version of this album on Tidal only has 8 tracks. Recommend listening on youtube if you don't have access to the full 13 track version.

A great live album from a rock legend. The atmosphere is hopping with vibes and the band plays great. Classic rock n roll sings from a master piano player way back where it all began.

Gammelrocknroll

I get this was groundbreaking for a white guy back in the 50s/60s, but the lyrics and piano playing are, quite frankly, messy and unintelligible, which makes a lot it sounds the same. Negative points also apply for the pedo cousin lovin.

Concise and full of bangers eh?

Off the bat, the high point of the album is the fact that it is only 20 minutes. I mean, most of these aren't even his own songs and the ones that are his, you can absolutely tell were written by him. With it being alive album, the mixing is God awful a lot of the time. It also doesn't help that he managed to be out of time and out of tune with the band. I really don't like his vocals. I also really don't like the vocal affectations he's adding on, the purring and the growling really is a big no from me. I think the band sounds pretty good. They generally speak in, were probably the high point of the whole album. I don't think this is a very good album at all to be honest, but I'll give it a minor pass, purely because it doesn't really waste my time that much. It's pretty much over before you even realize it. Fav Track: Money

So much energy. The piano playing is great. Really fun live sound.

Many, if not most, of the parties I have attended would have been improved by playing this album. You can feel the crowd moving! And it nearly got me going to!

low 3 Very disappointed in this. Dont like his voice and its too formulaic. Spent the whole listening to Sam Cookes live album which is so much better.

I've never been a fan of Jerry Lee Lewis, and the more I learn about the man the more disdain I have for him and his music. The song High School Confidential feels especially gross in light of his marrying his thirteen year old cousin. This recording didn't do anything to move the needle for me. If anything it worsened my outlook on him. This was rough. The sound quality is horrendous, and his words are a garbled and unintelligible mess. I could easily get through life without ever hearing this again.

I didn’t find this record particularly interesting before discovering that this guy was an awful dude.

Though it's not quite a 4 in my book, I did very much enjoy this.

The energy of this recording is electric. Coupled with some of the biggest hits of the time allows this to live on and be a solid listen for decades to come. At roughly 20 minutes it left me wanting more.

I just couldn't get through this album. The constant piano chords without any discernable dynamic changes felt like icepicks in by brain, and his voice didn't do enough to make me feel.

Apparently its really heavy for the time. Looks intereating No, it aged like cheese not heavy at all. Actually quie boring. Like most albums of the time its full of covers and all the songs sound the e x a c t s a m e. The album is not long but it feels so much longuer than it is. Also I thought it kinda sounded like shit. Oh god this guy is a pedophile/5

i'm sick of these live albums. music wasn't half bad and the recording sounds good all things considering but stilllllll...

I'm not sure why this live album is on the list, but it is a decent rock-and-roll album. Not bad, not special just sounds exactly like what you'd expect the genre to sound like.

From the opening notes you know how essential this is to understanding Rock and American pop music. Absolute must listen. That backing band are road tested dogs- damn they are on fire!

I already thought it was a bit creepy for a dude who sounded 40+ to be singing songs about wanting to date high school girls, and then my husband told me he got married to a 13 year old at 22 (and she was his cousin). Soooo yeah, 1/5 just for that unfortunate tidbit.

teria sido surreal estar lá presencialmente

Its ok, but nothing amazing really.

I’m not listening to this incestuous pedo cunt. Get him the fuck off this list.

I totally see how this album is considered one of the greatest live rock albums of all time. What really surprised me is how heavy this album is, especially for the early 60s. Jerry Lee Lewis is like a madman on the piano, and the band does a great job of keeping up with his pace and intensity. This album is very straightforward with minimal overdubs, and it's rough and imperfect, which all adds to its authenticity.

Very fun, bummer JLL is awful

It does seem like studio recording of Rock N Roll do something to drain them of their energy and meaning, at least to modern ears, something that this short live album does something to restore: it makes a song that feels as remote, dated and corny as Great Balls of Fire and revives it of its excitement and power.

Another live album. It hasn't been too long since I last pulled one of these. It's good to know I haven't completely driven the live album species to extinction seeing that I poached a whole host of them when I created pre-written reviews for the albums over an hour in length. Anyhoo, this thingymajig. Obviously, I've never heard of Jerry Lee Lewis and this album cover isn't giving me a lot of hints as to what the genre could be. Neither is the year of release, really. What could this be other than pop rock? Guess that's my prediction. Here gooooessssss. Rock and roll. I was more or less there, right? This album started off solid, though it was dragging its heels by the time it crossed the finish line. What can I say? This brand of rock and roll is decently engaging on a surface level thanks to its quick tempo and focused musical approach, though the stagnant instrumentation and restrictive format undermine the appeal. Speaking on the instrumentals themselves, they're decent. The of-the-time rock guitars have a distinct twangy sound which fills out these songs nicely. Similarly, the ragtime pianos are quite appealing and the clashing percussion matches the intensity of this music well. Lewis' vocals are nothing I haven't heard before (especially for 1964), though I suppose there's an appeal to the safe sound of his performances. All in all, I found this album to be uninspired, though I suppose the 37-minute runtime wasn't the worst thing in the world. Book time. "Most people would be hard pressed to name four songs made famous by the Killer, but almost everybody knows of the news story that engulfed his 1958 tour of Britain. Fortunately, his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin Myra did not finish Jerry Lee - it just drove him underground, where, away from public gaze, he could record the wildest live album in rock 'n' roll." That's some pragmatism. What fucked up psychos are they hiring to curate this thing? "You can feel the years in the wilderness roll off the 30-year-old veteran from the second he hurtles into Mean Woman Blues." The book entry closes with "Supercharged? This is rock as it was always meant to be: faster, more breathless, and more possessed than anything the world would pay money to hear until the arrival of The Ramones." Wikipedia says that this album is widely considered to be one of the best rock and roll performances. The response from the four critics that reviewed this album was glowing across the board. It doesn't appear to have charted anywhere, however. Sure, this seems like a solid pick. I cosign this inclusion.

Pretty short for a live album. And separating the art from the artist I say this is a decent listen 6/10

There's nothing wrong with the old timey tunes on here which are fun and innovative for their day. But I don't think Jerry Lee Lewis has a particularly great voice and just not sure this 22 minute live album is really one of the best ever?

Fun jazz

This has me shaking my leg like the nozzle at the pump once you’re done filling up your automobile with gasoline. There’s energy here. Call me kith and kin to Jerry Lee Lewis because this album impregnated me. It feels like 90mph.

What an absolute creep. However, this album is great. The bounce off the walls craziness of early rock n roll, with some impressive piano riffs. The whole backing band is on point too. Still lose a star for being a creep.

Fun. Kinetic. Woozy. I love how everything slurs together. I’m certain this guy was really pleasant to be around, right?

I tried--I tried to dislike this, for all the obvious reasons, but I'm a sucker when a prodigy plays devil music. Or when a devil plays prodigy music? Idk. What a blitzkrieg...in all good and bad extreme meanings (not least Jerry's Nazism). The man perfected the glissando. It's funny...I thought to myself, "This is fun, but it could use a slow one" literally three seconds before he said, "Now we got a slow one for ya." Every timeless rock archetype is alive here. The world could use a few more rock PIANO gods, ya know?

That was chaos. That was joy. I wish I was in that room

I kinda love the album cover and, if referencing JLL didn’t feel so gross, I’d be tempted to steal it as a template. So it goes.

Es macht Sinn, dass die Musik so wild und intensiv ist, wenn der dazugehörige Künstler so ein Trainwreck und Predator ist. Gibt den Leuten Hilfe, nicht ne Plattform.

Nach Tobis Review zur Person ins Rabitthole gefallen und kann's nur Wiederholen: Musik ist nicht immer Therapie. Dazu einiges an uninspirierten covern.

2.88

Starting with a baseline 5 stars for being a talented piano player and a powerful stage personality. -1 star for this being a Live album, just hate them. -1 star for the vocals, they're not _bad_ but they're too shouty, and although energetic and fitting for the musical style and piano playing, they're largely incoherent. -1 star for marrying, abusing and conceiving a child with his 13 year old cousin -1 star for all the other messed up shit on this guy's wikipedia page including but not limited to: several marriages starting before the previous one had ended, multiple marriages being seemingly abusive, his wives seemingly dying in strange circumstances, marrying his ex-brother-in-law's ex-wife, tax evasion, and generally being a creep. 1/5

I hate rock and roll. But something about this album is infectious. Only half the songs on this album are actually written by him which is a bit disappointing. Maybe it shows how hard it was to write new rock'n'roll songs because it's such a niche genre. The recording of this live album really captures the essence of live music and god I love it... The songs definitely started blurring together but it was still fun. The guy is a dick but his charisma is undeniable. High 3

A breezy, decent enough 22 minutes of live rockabilly, but the reviews highlight how the guy is a bit of a nonce, a racist, a plagiarist and an incestuous prick. Only two songs on this are actually credited to Lewis so it's more of a live covers album than anything else, and therefore, it's a waste of space in the book.

A lot of great songs that were already hits for others which tells me that Lewis was more a performer than an artist. The song tempos are so much the same and repeatedly relentless that it gets kind of fatiguing.

Pretty good, 50s sounding songs. Like that style of music.

God

impressive live album, but not gonna give this more than a 2 because was a racist pedophile sorry thems the breaks

ok...

This was a fun album, good energy and would've been a cool show to attend. Suppose I'd have felt a bit short changed at a 22 minute gig, especially in this day and age of Bruce Springsteen playing 3 hour sets

The best concert I ever went to was a band I didn’t like. This is a similar vibe.