Ricky Nelson - Live in 85 (18 tracks) +Album Reviews

Worth Your Ten Bucks!

12/25/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"No one will ever read this, but what the heck it's good practice. After his teenage idol years, Rick ran away from his past with the Stone Canyon Band and, with the exception of "Garden Party", was ignored. However, if you want to see where groups like the Eagles and Poco got their ideas take a listen to "Live at the Troubador". When the '80ties rolled around, Rick's life was a shambles due to drugs and divorce, and he needed bucks. Thus, he fell into self-parody and hit the state fair and one-night stand circuits with an oldies show. From the beginning, one of the aspects that separated Rick from the sanitary, run of the mill late '50ties/early '60ties teen idols was that he was always backed by a solid rock band (his first lead guitar player was the legendary James Burton). This disc carries on that tradition. These guys can kick some serious butt! "Believe What You Say" would get anyone's attention and the whole line up here is fairly strong. Elvis certainly would appreciate "That's All Right", and "You Know What I Mean " is rockabilly at it's best (Carl Perkins was Rick's idol represented here by "Boppin' the Blues"). This recording has a good bottom end and a real punch lacking in many live recordings. Most of the songs make you want to hit the repeat button on your CD player, wish you were in the audience and, with 18 tracks, you get your money's worth. A must-have for any fan."

That's the way it was!

Edwin W. Hollenbaugh | USA | 03/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you were fortunate enough to have seen Rick's shows in the '80's, buy this before it disappears!

It's the audience tape-souvenir you didn't make yourself.

Yes, they're mostly oldies, but that's why we came. I saw

Rick in a dozen beer joints and motel lounges in the early eighties, and this CD is essentially his show. Most of the

people there felt like I did-we couldn't believe we were seeing

someone close in stature to Elvis with only a couple hundred people, most of us delerious on beer!

I never saw him with the Jordanaires, but the audience

filled in for them at every show. Rick seemed delighted at the

audience response. He was never less than very professional, and

if Rick wasn't getting off on playing close up to adoring fans,

he was a far better actor than his screen credits would indicate.

If you weren't there-sorry. You missed a Big Thing!

"

The older Rick rocks harder than the young Ricky

Theresa Welsh | Ferndale, Michigan, USA | 11/08/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I loved Ricky Nelson when he was younger and had sometimes seen his CDs in the store and thought about buying one. But my teen-age daughter, knowing I had been a Nelson fan, finally bought me a Rick CD for my birthday (The Best of Ricky Nelson) I played it so much, I realized I needed another Nelson CD. I read the reviews here (see, John Clemons, you were wrong about no one reading your review) and bought this one. I can't believe the passion of the older Ricky on these songs. I am now playing this one over and over."

Rick rocking to the end

Ron | Tacoma, WA | 11/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 1983, Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band was disbanded, and he put together a new group with a foundation in the rockabilly roots of his youth. 20-something drummer Ricky Intveldt and electric and standup bassist Pat Woodward combined to give Rick's new band an authentic rockabilly rhythm section, with longtime SCB members Bobby Neal and Dave Morgan continuing on guitar and piano, respectively. Although the group was mostly doing Rick's 50's and 60's hits, they sound fresh and revitalised here. This was not a stale oldies show. Carl Perkins' "Boppin' the Blues" sounds as cool here as the master's Sun original; the opening medley of "Stood Up/Waitin' in School" would make the Stray Cats envious; Bobby Neal dazzles with his guitar solo on "Fools Rush In"; Rick and the Jordanaires dust off the cobwebs from hits like "Never Be Anyone Else But You" and "It's Up to You", sounding every bit as good as they did back in the late 50's/early 60's. The one-two punch of "Travelin' Man"/"Hello Mary Lou" is a highlight, as is Rick's classic "Garden Party". His piano playing on "Honky Tonk Women" is a nice surprise - was there anything this man couldn't do? Gotta love the new version of "That's All Right", too - with Neal directly lifting Scotty Moore's solo from "Baby Let's Play House" in the break. "You Know What I Mean" also sounds as good as any of older songs. Best of all, though, is the rip-roaring take on "Believe What You Say" - Neal's guitar is on fire here, in fact the whole band is smokin' here! These guys were awesome with basic rock and roll. Cracks me up when some uninformed music know-it-all dismisses Rick Nelson's records as teen idol fluff. Obviously they never heard this disc. The 1983 half of the disc comes from a gig in Chicago that was taped for home video release (I think it's still available - try hunting for "Rick Nelson Live in Chicago"). The 1985 songs come from a show at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles that was made into a tv special with Fats Domino, and also released to home video. It would be nice if the complete concerts were released someday, but in the meantime, this is a good buy."

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