Playing to Win [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

Ricky Nelson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 19, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00005BJA2
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #205,176 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Almost Saturday Night

2. Believe What You Say

3. Little Miss American Dream

4. The Loser Babe Is You

5. Back To Schooldays

6. It Hasn't Happened Yet

7. Call It What You Want

8. I Can't Take It No More

9. Don't Look At Me

10. Do The Best You Can

11. No Fair Falling In Love

12. Give 'Em My Number

13. Tired Of Toeing The Line

14. Rave On

15. Doll Hospital

16. Radio Girl

Editorial Reviews

This CD is an out of print collectible! It is the original 2001 Capitol release. Catalog 72435-32453-2-0. There is a white mark through the UPC.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Winning Form, August 9, 2001

By 

Ian Cooke (Wenatchee, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing to Win (Audio CD)

Rick Nelson returned to his Rock and Roll Roots with the release of 1981's "Playing To Win." It was his first offical release after a four year absence from the record stores.

Burning out of the grooves with the opening to "Almost Saturday Night," Rick proves he could rock with the best of the current Rock scene. Scoring with a contempary remake of "Believe What You Say," Nelson hits it right in the pocket. Other excellent rockers include "Back To School Days," "Don't Look At Me" and "I Can't Take It No More."

Rick shows he could still sing a ballad like no one else interperting Ry Cooders, "Do The Best You Can" and John Hiatt's "It Hasn't Happened Yet."

Nelson provides two excellent originals with a Little Featish "The Loser Babe Is You" and the rocking "Call It What You Want." The lyrics of both songs revel a glimpse into Rick's world.

Bonus Tracks include the first song Rick recorded for Capitol, "Tired Of Toeing The Line." John Beland plays Lead Guitar on this track recorded before Beland formed The Burrito Brothers. Unfortuantely, Capitol declined to release this wonderful song and Rocky Burnette went Top 10 with it soon after. "Doll Hospital," Give 'Em My Number" and "Rave On" also score.

The weakest cuts are "Little Miss American Dream" and the previously unreleased "Radio Girl."

With 16 songs, great Liner Notes by Jim Ritz and a outstanding remastering job, this is a excellent addition or introduction of Rick Nelson and his music. No wonder he was the only 50's rock and roll artist to have new albums chart from the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's.

One final note, the late Bob Hyde did the Nelson family and fans a GREAT service in reissuing this album.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful album made better, June 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Playing to Win (Audio CD)

I loved this album when it first came out. Unfortunately it came out when Rick was having difficult times in terms of commercial success, so this great album did not generate the kind of sales that it deserved. But it was and is a killer album. The opening cut, John Fogerty's "Almost Saturday Night," is worth the price of the CD by itself. Rick's renditions of John Hiatt's "It Hasn't Happened Yet" and Ry Cooder's "Do the Best You Can" (aka "The Tattler") are nearly definitive. There is not a weak cut on the album. I have been waiting for years for this to make it to CD and now it is finally here as a part of Capitol's "Ricky Nelson" series. The CD re-release is made even better by the addition of six new cuts, including the superb "No Fair Falling in Love" (a classic Rick Nelson song) and two more John Hiatt songs. This CD is a must for all Rick Nelson fans and for all fans of great rock and roll. Rick was at his best on this album. The band, led by the wonderful guitarist Bobby Neal (who sadly died in the same plane crash that took Rick's life) was tight and rockin'. The sound is excellent.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rick rocked to the end..., October 16, 2002

By 

Ronald (JACKSON, OH, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Playing to Win (Audio CD)

This was Rick's last complete studio album before he died (not counting the re-records he did for Silver Eagle records). It showed that even though he had matured and added depth to his music, his love for rock and roll never waned. A final MCA album could have been truly incredible, for to me his last single "You Know What I Mean" was his best record. This Capitol album is really great...it should probably warrant 5 stars and would except that some of the guitar playing by his band isn't the greatest. Rick's choice of material and his singing are flawless. He could do it all! Why "Tired of Toeing the Line" wasn't released as a single by him should be investigated. It's as good a rock record as the Burnette boy's version and as good as Shakin' Stevens cover version. Pick this up if you liked the original album...this cd has great sound and the bonus cuts make it an incredible buy.