The third installment of
Bear Family
's exhaustive reissue of
Jerry Lee Lewis
' complete recordings,
Mercury Smashes...and Rockin' Sessions
, covers the era that many listeners, even some fans, dismiss -- his late-'60s and '70s recordings for
Mercury
. Conventional wisdom claims that
the Killer
was pretty much spent as a creative force during this time, since he had already made his near-triumphant comeback as a hard
country
singer on
in the mid-'60s, and that he coasted on formula, except for the concentrated burst of the
Roots
album. Like most conventional wisdom, this one has a hint of truth, because his recordings did start to have a bit of formula and he did coast for a bit, but it ignores the fact that this was enjoyable formula and that
Lewis
remained an expert stylist, kicking out songs that may not have been first-rate, but were often given first-rate performances. This is why this set is enjoyable for the dedicated, even at its length of ten discs, because it's at a fairly consistent quality throughout; it also helps that the alternates are all stowed away on the final few discs, which means it's much easier to hear
' main
recordings and much easier to simply listen to, unlike either the
Classic
or
Locust Years
set. To be sure, this is for the dedicated, but if you're of the opinion that
is one of the musical titans of the 20th century, this will enhance and deepen your love and respect instead of sully it. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine