"Jerry Lee Lewis" Plus "Jerry Lee's Greatest!" (2 Original Albums on 1 CD)

"Commercial mastering" (dynamic compression).
That is not an exact reissue of both albums: some tracks are different than on original releases.
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Jerry Lee Lewis is, of course, the "Greatest", as the title of one half of this set suggests.
What a shame, though, that 21st century album compilers have so little respect. The set purports to offer Jerry Lee's first two albums, Sun LPs 1230 and 1265. At first glance all seems well. Unlike the last time Charly issued "Jerry Lee's Greatest", on vinyl back in the eighties, they've got the tracks in the right order this time.... BUT.... (and it's a big one).
Once again this album has been subjected to appallingly casual, albeit no doubt unintentional, revisionism, with the inclusion of the wrong recording of "Break-up". Ironically, it's yet another different version to the one erroneously featured by Rhino, when they issued "Greatest" on both vinyl and CD back in 1989. This poor old album changes its character every time it goes near a pressing plant!
Even more seriously, the debut album (SLP 1230) has suffered a similar fate, with an 'incorrect' version of "Crazy Arms". The latter must be particularly galling for the writer of the liner notes, who lauds this specific recording as the 'performance which mesmerized Sam Phillips' and provided Lewis with his debut on Sun 259. Well, we sure as heck aren't listening to that on this CD.
These 'wrong' tracks, being vocal/piano only solo performances by Jerry, whilst of great merit in themselves, stick out like sore thumbs on this CD and change the balance and character of the 'original' albums. This ain't what Sam Phillips intended.
Another 'tape selection' error has been made in picking up the 'raw' recording of "When The Saints Go Marchin' In", with no backing singers. Whatever one may feel about overdubbed vocal choruses, the fact is that in this context, on Jerry Lee's first album, they belong - to exclude them is a nonsense. Fortunately the other tracks with vocal chorus added ("Fools Like Me", "It All Depends", "Matchbox" and "Goodnight Irene") are presented in the authentic format.
There also appears to be something seriously amiss (a tape crease?) with the ending to "High School Confidential".
Great performances by Jerry Lee Lewis; sloppy work by Charly, a disservice both to history and to the new generation of fans, who are not being offered the 'genuine' product.
By Mr. A. Mc Rae