Customer Reviews

Ricky Nelson - Greatest Hits [Prism]

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

 

 

I highly recommend NOT wasting money on this CD. I am a huge Ricky Nelson fan and the Legacy set is a bit out of my price range; so I decided to purchase this CD. It has all of my favorite Ricky Nelson songs so what could possibly be wrong with it?? It's TERRIBLE!! These tracks are all re-recordings. Most of the time it doesn't sound like him and when it does, he sounds tired and bored. These tracks have no energy and none of the qualities that make me such a big fan. The front of the CD should say, in plain view, that this CD contains all re-recordings but that is not the case. It's written small on the bottom of the back, and was covered by a sticker placed on the back by the record company. Just a friendly warning that if you are looking for a great compliation with the originals, splurge on the Legacy set. That's just what I am going to do.

I love this disc! The songs are terrific, and it has most of the songs you would want in such a compilation. I was surprised however that they are not the original recordings (and this is not disclosed in the description before you purchase). The songs were re-recorded by Rick in 1985 shortly before his untilmely passing. While it is great to hear him do his songs again (and they do sound close to the originals) I was expecting the original recordings. So, if you love Rick...buy this disc, but if you want the original sound...look for another.

This album is a collection of songs that were re-recorded by Ricky Nelson in the 1990s. The orignal recordings are better. I thought they were the originals so I was somewhat dissapointed.

I ordered this C.D. thinking it was the original recordings.
When I received this CD, I opened it and put in the CD player and
was disappointed to hear that the songs had all been re-recorded.
They don't sound the same as the original recordings.
If I had known this was CD was re-recorded I would not have opened it. I would have sent it back.

The ONLY way to buy this cd is with the knowledge that all the songs are rerecordings by a grown-up Rick Nelson. With that in
mind, I'll say that this is a GREAT disc. I missed an opportunity to see Nelson in concert before he died, so for me,
this was a way to hear what he had to offer in his later
years. The arrangements are very faithful renditions of the original hit versions and the work of the musicians and backing vocalists is flawless. I can see how anyone expecting Ricky's hit radio versions would be disappointed, and honestly, his voice is the weakest link in these remakes but still, he does sound pretty good on the rockin' tunes and a bit mournful and mature on the ballads.
If you really like Rick Nelson you should love this cd.

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 to his own "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.

I wish I had read the other review prior to buying this cd - it's truly a piece of trash. I've thrown it out. Save your money.

I liked it. You really have to listen close to tell they were re-recorded. The background music is identical. The selection of songs is great

Done in 1985 these recordings were among the very last Rick Nelson lived to do. All songs, exept "Do You Know What I Mean", are remakes of his early hits and favourites.

The arrangements are very true to the originals and his band, featuring the terrific Bobby Neal on guitar, is great. The Jordanaires are backing Rick on several tracks.

When I first bought the record, I actually thought they were the original recordings, and this album was in fact the one that started my interest in Rick Nelson's music.

Having heard most of his Imperial catalogue, I would say that in most cases the originals are slightly better. But in some cases I prefer these newer recordings, for example "It's Up to You", which is one of my all-time Rick Nelson favourites.

At the time of his death ( a plane crash with his band ) Rick was still writing songs and recording, and his last studio album ( of new material ) "Playing to Win" shows that he still had it in him.