5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rick's final recordings, November 24, 2007
The original release of these tracks was a double record/cassette with 22 tracks. After Rick's death, they were released as a single record with 17 tracks, so this is the one to get if you want all 22 songs. Rick took his band into Baby O' Recorders in 1985 to record new versions of many of his hits, and the results are excellent. His voice had matured in the intervening years, adding further weight to the sadder songs like "Lonesome Town", and more warmth on a pretty ballad like "Never Be Anyone Else But You". The Jordanaires are here, doing the background harmonies, just as they did on most of the original recordings. The band is one of Rick's best, especially guitarist Bobby Neal, who plays in the same style as James Burton - on some songs, recreating Burton's original solos note for note ("Travelin' Man", "It's Up to You"). On the rockers, the band gets to cut loose, giving Neal the chance to vary the guitar parts a bit ("Just a Little Too Much", "Mighty Good"). During his fiery solo on "I Got a Feeling", you can hear Rick hollering approval at him. There's also one new song, a great rockabilly raver titled "You Know What I Mean". Often times when older rockers revisit their hits, the results are disappointing. Such is not the case with this album. It's too bad that Rick and the band were not able to complete the album of new songs they were working on after this, but if they had to die young, this collection is a good way to remember them. Why is he billed as "Ricky Nelson" on the cover, though? This is not the teenage Ricky with a crewcut. this is the 45 year old music legend.
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