Rick Nelson - Greatest Hits [IMPORT]

Ricky Nelson

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 18, 2002)
• Original Release Date: February 12, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: EMI Int'l
• ASIN: B00005BJ9X
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,257 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Rick Nelson, July 10, 2003

By	AntiochAndy "antiochandy" (Antioch, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Rick Nelson was a TV personality before becoming a "teen idol". He established a pattern, followed by a number of other young TV personalities (Shelley Fabares, Johnny Crawford, etc.), by using his TV visibility as a springboard to the recording studio. Nelson, however, was easily the most musically talented and ultimately the most successful of the lot. Through the late 1950's and early 1960's he had a string of "Top-40" hits that established him as one of the leading recording artists of the time. His number one single, "Travelin' Man", dominated radio play for months in the spring and summer of 1961 and was a staple at school dances (it was my eighth grade year). Despite achieving enormous success at an early age, however, Nelson struggled to be taken seriously as an artist. Buried, along with many other artists of the time, when the Beatles turned the music world upside down, his later work was largely ignored by a more mature public that seemed to want him to forever remain the quintessential "teen idol". Nevertheless, he continued recording and performing until he was killed in a plane crash in 1985. Now a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he has begun to receive some of the recognition he deserves.

This "Greatest Hits" CD is a super collection. You get Rick's essential tunes, including "She Belongs To Me" and "Garden Party" (his last chart appearances, the only ones recorded with the Stone Canyon Band, and among my personal favorites). Other great "golden oldies" include "Stood Up", "Believe What You Say", "Poor Little Fool", "It's Late", "Just A Little Too Much", "Travelin' Man", "Hello Mary Lou", and more. Most also feature James Burton, Rick's great lead guitarist.

This is probably the most complete set available on a single disc for a single-disc price. It has the major hits from Nelson's vintage years and is especially well-suited to casual fans or those looking for an introduction to his work. If you have an interest in American pop/rock music from the pre-Beatles era, this collection is a must.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Sampler, February 20, 2002

By	T. C Lane (Marina, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

From his first Top 40 hit in 1957 to his last in 1972 this is a superb beginning to anyone interested in Rick Nelson. Only 2 of his Top 10 hits are missing (57's "A Teenager's Romance" and 62's "It's Up To You") but all his other Top 10's are here. Hard-core Nelson fans might find a favorite track missing, but this is geared for the Nelson novice, and succeeds on that level. Up-to-date liner notes, photos and chart information make this an ideal sampler. If you want to venture further into his career pick up the Legacy Box Set which goes from 1957-1985. If that's too much than 3 budget compilations will do the trick: Legendary Masters Vol. 1 and 2 go up to 1963. While the out-of-print (but easy to find used) Best of 63-75 covers the rest. P.S. Also try the remastered Ricky Sings Again/Songs By Ricky (Capitol 1959) just in case you're wondering if Nelson could cut it for a whole album (he could).

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Compilation Of Rick's Illustrative Career!, July 22, 2002

By	Barron Laycock "Labradorman" (Temple, New Hampshire United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Rick Nelson is one of the least celebrated and yet most profoundly memorable of all the rock stars of the late fifties and early sixties. His work spanned a time frame that included a lot of rock greats, and yet he stood shoulder to shoulder to them in delivering a phenomenal string of successes which no one other than Elvis Presley could keep pace with in his time. Yet today he is often seen in less than flattering terms, even though he is likely one of the greatest balladeers of the day. Anyone taking a good listen to such songs as "Lonesome Town", "Young World' and ""Never Be Anyone Else But You" can hardly deny his powerful and sensitive voice as a perfect vehicle for the songs. Unfortunately, Nelson is too often treated as more of a star than an artist.

Yet all of the proof of his ability is here in a collection of his greatest hits, which range from the early "Stood Up" to the more complex and appealing "Travelin' Man". There is quite a range of work here, from "Waiting In School" to "Be-bop Baby", from "Poor Little Fool" to "It's Late", and from "Hello, Mary Lou" to "Believe What You Say". My favorites here are a rocking rendition of "Just A Little Too Much", with some terrific guitar licks by his preferred studio back-up man, James Burton, and "Teenage idol", which shows Rick to considerable advantage later in his recording career. He later did some great covers of songs by everyone from Eric Andersen (a personal friend of Nelson's) to Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" to his own "Easy To Be Free" and "Garden Party". With a career that spanned more than thirty years before his untimely demise in an airplane crash, Rick Nelson remains one of rock's most under-appreciated artists.