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Best single-"Greatest Hits"-CD available

08/18/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"At last, somebody put the original (and uninterrupted) "Travelin' Man" AND "Hello Mary Lou" together on one CD. Considering they were originally on one 45, what took so long? Released to coincide with A&E's "Biography" special, this also includes "I'm Walkin" (his pre-Imperial hit) and "She Belongs To Me" and "Garden Party" (2 post-Imperial singles) as well as "Believe What You Say", "Poor Little Fool", "It's Late" and "Lonesome Town". All-in-all, this is probably the best single-CD hits package currently out there. But just to drag in even the most fanatical who may have every CD to date, it also contains "Glory Train" (from his SPIRITUALS EP) and the previously-unreleased "Cindy" (from the movie RIO BRAVO).I see Rick's first 2 Imperial LPs are getting the CD "two-fer" treatment at long last! Can Nelson fans hope they'll be including the rare & unreleased songs as bonus tracks (a la the recent BYRDS remasterings) when they do?"

Short but sweet--some of Rick's best on ALL three labels

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 03/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just as another reviewer correctly notes, A&E Biography - Ricky Nelson is a single CD that gives us some of Ricky's greatest hits from all three record labels he worked on--Verve, Imperial and Decca. The sound is fine and the artwork is pretty cool. I wouldn't consider this to be a true blue greatest hits collection; but as a single CD with hits from all three labels it does become very useful--especially for the newcomer or casual fan who doesn't want to shell out big bucks for CDs and box sets that are more substantial.



"I'm Walking" starts off the CD with Rick doing some mighty fine rockabilly work that sounds so wonderful! This is truly fine music to dance to; and the guitar work stuns me because Ricky was able to play very complicated arrangements very rapidly and flawlessly. Impressive! Rick sounds great on "I'm Walking." "Be-Bop Baby" features a young Ricky Nelson singing very well; he sounds fresh and warm while he bats this one out of the ballpark! Rick's excellent diction bolsters his performance even further. "Be-Bop Baby" again sports a fine guitar arrangement that only a pro like Rick could ever handle. Great!



"Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" features Rick singing sweetly like the best of the crooners of the twentieth century; and the backup chorus sounds great when they combine their forces with Rick's delivery of this ballad. "Poor Little Fool" also scores a big hit for Rick as he sings this country flavored ballad to perfection. The guitar and percussion adds a lot to "Poor Little Fool." There's also "Lonesome Town;" this ballad is about a place where broken hearted people go after their lover is gone. Rick performs "Lonesome Town" very well and his polished performance stuns me with its beauty.



"Travelin' Man" was one of Rick's biggest hits ever; and when you hear it there's no doubt as to why! Rick sings this strong and yet he is able to inject a certain degree of sensitivity that just makes this tune sparkle. I love it! "Hello Mary Lou (Goodbye Heart)" is another huge hit by Rick Nelson; the country/soft rock approach lets this song hold its own very well and Rick gives it all his might as he sings this. "She Belongs To Me" showcases a more mature Rick who still never misses a beat; and "She Belongs To Me" is a ballad I think you'll enjoy very much. The album ends with his hit entitled "Garden Party;" Rick laments that people want him to sing only his older songs while he wants to perform newer songs. "Garden Party" has a great country feel to it and it brings a strong ending to this collection of songs.



If you are a casual fan who wants a brief but very shiny retrospective of Rick's very best on all of the three labels he recorded on, this CD's for you! More diehard fans like me will want albums that are more substantial; and of course they are for sale on this website.

"

Complete enough

Matthew G. Sherwin | 10/09/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Are you, like me, looking for a set that features original versions Nelson's classic songs from the 1950s and 1960s, along with some of his pioneering country/rock sides from Decca/MCA. Then, this set will do you just fine. Nice retrospective of Nelson's whole career, very good liner notes and photos. I saw the A&E BIography episode on Nelson, to which this CD is a companion, and I actually think it's better than the show itself. Very goodFour stars instead of five: There's a weird outtake with Dean Martin and Walter Brennan that makes no sense. I would have swapped that for something else from Nelson's Stone Canyon days."