Nick Tosches wrote a whole book on Lewis and proclaimed him elsewhere, “the last man to have been touched by the Holy Ghost of Gnosis.” Does that leave everybody else (even Sun Ra) stumbling in the Spiritual Dark for the Light Switch? Tosches goes on to say that Lewis has never made a great album. Mean Old Man won’t change that man’s mind, but the main attraction sings over, under and through all those potentially saggy guest artists. This sounds convincingly enough like a house party, not a northern-style wake.

Kid Rock, true, can’t do more than impersonate Steven Tyler for “Rockin’ My Life Away.” Jerry Lee’s succulent Louisiana vowels shame and shellac Mick Jagger’s trademark faux-southern on “Dead Flowers;” Keith Richards sounds better sounding like himself on “Sweet Virginia” (docked a notch for switching “shit” for “shine”).

AllMusic calls this “country,” and over its sweeter majority it sounds country-grown rather than rock-rolled. Except for “Roll Over Beethoven,” Ringo Starr slipping into what he does best (backbone) and John Mayer oddly keeping his mouth shut. “Miss the Mississippi and You,” got cut solo, our Killer keeping himself company with Hank Sr.’s hiccup and Jimmie Rodgers’ yodel. He still misses them, too.