Search - Ricky Nelson :: Greatest Hits (CD + DVD)

Ricky Nelson Sings, Excellent But With Flaws!!

Ian Cooke | Highland, CA USA | 12/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At long last a Ricky Nelson DVD of some of his performances from Ozzie and Harriet. For Baby Boomers a nice reminder of the early days of Rock & Roll and for younger viewers a chance to see some of Rick's great performances. Thus some of the problems! First song out of the gate is "Hello Mary Lou." A Rock Classic with one of the definitive guitar solos in Rock history. Except, they cut out the guitar solo. Saving 19 seconds! The next quibble is talking during the solo of "It's Late" and than on "You Tear Me Up" utilizing a version which doesn't even have James Burton but a fake guitarist hidden behind James Kirkland's Stand Up Bass. There are at least 3 versions of this song available with James playing. One last song complaint is "A Teenagers Romance" a song Rick hated when they could have used "Sweeter Than You" or "Just A Little Too Much."

The interviews are heartfelt by the Nelson Family, Kris Kristofferson and its great to see James Burton talking about Rick instead of Elvis. Playing with Rick was James best guitar solo years. The Three Part Singing by The Nelson Boys on Garden Party is GREAT! Another nice aspect is that all songs are complete before interviews come in. No talking over the songs. Refreshing!!



The bonus material with the Twins playing with James Burton on "It's Late and "Believe What You Say" is just awesome to see.



So yes, it would have been nice to have a few things corrected but this is for most Rock & Roll Golden Era/Rick Nelson fans a GREAT BUY!! Hopefully, in the future we will get some of Rick's great Rockabilly songs, "My Babe", "Milkcow Blues", "Good Rockin' Tonight", "Just A Little Too Much" "Down The Line" and more in another release.



ROCK ON RICK!!"

An excellent dvd of ricky nelsons greatest hits.The perfoman

stewart L | flushing ,ny | 12/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let me tell you.This is a great album.Ricky,sings most of his top 10 hits,and a few lesser known tracks...I am a fan of fifties music,and television shows...When i saw the dvd release for sale,i jumped at ordering it...I got to see the pre-release,and had seen the videos on pbs...I wish i had ordered the pbs version,as i would have had this dvd a few months ago.Both versions are identical!!!..The sound and video quality,could be a little better...and maybe,a fully restored release might be in the offering in the future...All in all 5 star rated...!!A must have for fifties music collectors.!!Enjoy!Thank you stewart L."

Best of the "Best Of's"

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 12/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a heavy metal fan, have no love for "teen idol" singers, and didn't grow up listening to Ricky Nelson, though I'm sure I caught a few Ozzie & Harriet episodes in syndication. I'm probably the last guy who should be raving about a Ricky Nelson Greatest Hits album, but I'm doing it just the same. I've developed an appreciation for 50's rock and rockabilly, and despite Nelson's "teen idol" status, he was a big part of that era's rock scene. Beyond having one of the absolute warmest and steadiest voices in rock, you have to admire the way Nelson took the wilder rock sounds of the era and brought them to mainstream America's living rooms. Admittedly his material was a lot "safer" than that of Gene Vincent or Buddy Holly, but I'd argue that a rockin' song like "Hello Mary Lou" comes pretty close.



There is no shortage of Ricky Nelson "Greatest Hits" packages out there (at least two dozen available on Amazon), but Capitol's 2005 compilation jumps straight to the head of the pack. In terms of sound quality, song selection, and price, you just can't beat this one. You get a whopping 25 songs, including hits like Travellin' Man, I'm Walkin, It's Late, and many more. There are so many great singles, I almost feel like I should list them all.



If you're a Ricky Nelson fan and have one of the earlier "hits" compilations, you may want to consider upgrading to this version. The difference in sound quality is very noticeable. If you're not a Nelson fan, but enjoy early rock & roll, I encourage you to give this disc a try. You might be surprised.



NOTE: The deluxe (translation: more expensive) version of this album that comes with a DVD featuring Ricky's musical performances on the Ozzie & Harriet Show. It's well worth the higher price tag.

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