Customer Reviews

Playing to Win

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This has been called a Rock-A-Billy album, (known as "Neo-Rock-A-Billy" back in 1981) but only contains a bout half in that genre. Those tracks alone: "Almost Saturday Night", "Call It What You Like", "Don't Look At Me", "Back To Schooldays" and the REMARKABLE remake of "Believe What You Say" certainly sell this album. The six "Bonus" tracks are from a further set of Capitol sessions, most unreleased originally. It was a very strong comeback album for Rick, and when released, it was exactly what I wanted to hear from him. Long anticipated for re-release, the remastering is properly done: the analog tape hiss you'd expect is still audible during the fade outs, just as it should be. This is a fine, modern album by Rick with a band better than his Stone Canyon group. Essential for the Ricky Nelson collector.

John Fogarty referred to "Almost Saturday Night" as his "cult hit"...well this,in my opinion,is the definitive version.This is worth the purchase price just for this one song.Rick Nelson was the most under appreciated talent in American Rock music,and this CD doesn't have a note in the wrong place.Nelson's feel for the music,and his understanding of his vocal limitations and the using of them ,make for a classic modern Rock record.It's a shame more people didn't hear this while he was with us.

This is a MUST for any real rock'n'roll collector. I was playing New Year's Eve with my band in Malakoff, TX when we heard the news of Rick's plane crash during our sound check. The band I was with were already covering TRAVELING MAN, HELLO MARY LOU, and IT'S LATE. We dedicated the evening to Rick and his band.I totally agree with John Fogerty that Rick was right up there with Elvis. His influence on me (I'm a guitarist and singer) started when I was five...2 years before I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. This CD has long been over-due and I am so glad to see a re-surgence in Rick's marvelous music, as displayed by the release of this CD, the Legacy Package, and the Behind the Music bio on VH1. Rick, We All Miss You And Love You!!!

I just picked up my copy today and I must say this is going to be one of those cd's that ends up in my cd player alot....A very enjoyable cd..The sound was nicely remastered and I enjoyed reading the info that came in the booklet..I love the redo of Believe What You Say...It seems to take on a whole new life in this new version of it...If your a lover of Rick Nelson and 70's/80's music you should own a copy of this cd...Kelly

This album is often described as Rick's return to rockabilly, but the sound is actually closer to the hard rock side of the Stone Canyon Band. Think "Promises", "Gypsy Pilot", "Look at Mary", "Someone to Love" or "A Flower Opens Gently By", and you've got a pretty good idea of what this album sounds like. Rick's early 80's Stone Canyon Band featured the phenomenal Bobby Neal on lead guitar, and he shines right from the kickoff track, "Almost Saturday Night", written by CCR man John Fogerty. This song sounds like it was written just for Rick, it's such a natural fit for him and the band. Their updated version of "Believe What You Say" had been blowing away concert audiences for some time, so it was nice that they committed it to wax. Listen for John Davis' bass solo in the break, and another smokin' guitar solo from Bobby Neal. Davis co-wrote the power pop-ish "Can't Take it No More" with drummer Micky McGee, and I have to say this is the album's overlooked "hit-that-should-have-been". The drum fills, the bouncy piano, Neal's tasty guitar licks, and Rick's understated vocal, this is a classic. Rick's "Call it What You Want" is a response to all the talking heads around him trying to convince him to go disco or new wave. The band cooks on this basic, 3 chord rocker. "The Loser Babe is You" is one of the few slow songs on this album, and seems to be Rick's comment on the state of his marriage. The John Hiatt song "It Hasn't Happened Yet" is a pretty ballad, but the lyrics are biting, sarcastic. Ry Cooder's "Do the Best You Can" is a more straight foward, country influenced slowie, with nice tremelo guitar from Neal. The bonus tracks are also high quality, including another John Hiatt song, "Radio Girl", Rocky Burnette's "Tired of Toeing the Line", and Rick's second attempt at Buddy Holly's "Rave On" (he recorded it while with Epic a couple years before). There's also a few tracks from an aborted second Capitol album, "Give 'Em My Number" (Rick's final single for the label, released in the fall of 1982), "No Fair Fallin' in Love" (b-side of the single), and the previously unreleased "Doll Hospital" (where Rick really does get back to his rockabilly roots - too bad it took 20 years to get released). After Rick left Capitol in 1983, he really did go back to rockabilly. The Stone Canyon Band broke up, and he put together a new group that played authentic rockabilly, with standup bass, and the Jordanaires singing backup. Maybe this album, then, can be seen as yet another transition, moving away from the country rock sound, back to basic rock and roll. The sound on this cd is exceptional, and the liner notes by James Ritz are excellent as always. A must have for Rick Nelson fans.

"Playing to Win" originally released in 1981 is often referred to as Rick Nelson's last studio album. This is actually not quite true, since the 1985 release "All My Best" contained re-recordings of many of his old hits and one new song "Do You Know What I Mean". "All My Best" is actually a great album featuring terrific guitarist Bobby Neal who was killed in the same tragic crash that took the life of Nelson on New Year's Eve 1985/86.

Bobby Neal is also very important charcter on this album. His great skill for rock/rockabilly licks helps making this album one of the most overall satisfying Nelson albums.

At this time Nelson still had ambitions to be more than just an oldies act, a situation he had already described in his 1972 come-back hit "Garden Party"

After 10 years with his country-rock inspired Stone Canyon Back, Nelson had gathered a handful of very skilled musicians and was ready for yet another come-back and a return into the rock-field.

The opening track is a terrific version of John Fogerty's "Almost Saturday Night", this version beats Fogerty's own by miles. Funny thing is that Nelson had already recorded the song for an unreleased 1978/79 album "Rockabilly Renesaince" - that version has released on the fine posthumous album "The Memphis Sessions"

Bobby Neal is really showcased on the breathtaking re-recording of the old 1950's rocker "Believe What You Say", which was also a live-favourite on Nelson last tours.

Rick Nelson was also a fine songwriter himself, and his songs are usually among the stand-outs on his albums. At times though, the song did not come very easy to him and many of them very results of hard work. This album only features two Nelson originals. Among these two "The Loser Babe is You" ( describing his painful divorce" ) is Nelson at his very best. The other "Call it What You Want" is a classic rocker.

Band-members John Davis and Micky McGee wrote another highlight on the album "I Can't Take it No More".

The only real ballad type song on the album is the closing track "Do the Best You Can", which along with "The Loser Babe is You" is my favourite track.

The CD re-release also contains 6 fine bonus-tracks.

"No Fair Falling in Love" is an out-take which was released as a single in 1982 - a fine song.

"Give Ém My Number" was recorded in 1982 and intended for a follow-up album, but ended up as the B-side to "No Fair".

"Tired of Toing the Line" was recorded before the album-sessions, and it could have been the song that gave Nelson his deserved come-back; but for inexplainable reasons the record-company was not willing to release. Soon after the song was a big hit for its writer Rocky Burnette.

That Nelson was a fan of John Hiatt shows in his recording of 3 of his songs for the album. Somehow on "It Hasn't Happened Yet". "Doll Hospital" and "Radio Girl" are included as the final two bonus-tracks. Though none of these tracks are paticularly memorable, I think at least "Radio Girl" should have been included on the original album.

No doubt that Nelson had much more to offer when he sadly died.

I had this lp, and his ep from about the same period with a different version of Fogerty's "Almost Saturday Night", a song Ricky Nelson made his own.

I listen to this cd regularly; Rick's voice is golden and his band rocks. This selection has held up well since it's release in 1981.

If you're looking for fifties oldies, this isn't your record.

If you're a fan of late sixties and early seventies music, then this is Rick Nelson's version, with rockin guitars, and a solid beat.

Rave On, Rick! When you're rockin with this record, you AREN'T rockin too slow.