Mix CD, "The Best of Ricky Nelson, Volume 2"

Rick Nelson driving a Studebaker Avanti, 1960's.

Rick Nelson, 1981.

In my previous post I covered a mix CD I made “The Best of Ricky Nelson, Volume 1,” which included all of Ricky’s Top 20 hit singles. For “The Best of Ricky Nelson, Volume 2,” I dug a little deeper to include my favorite Rick Nelson songs that were album tracks or lesser hit singles.  This is a pretty subjective list, and there are definitely some hit singles that I didn’t include on this CD.

Here are the 28 songs:

1. You Tear Me Up

2. My Babe

3. Milk Cow Blues

4. That's All

5. Summertime

6. String Along

7. The Very Thought of You

8. Since I Don't Have You

9. Mean Old World

10. Blue Moon of Kentucky

11. Mystery Train

12. You Just Can't Quit

13. Easy to Be Free

14. She Belongs to Me

15. I Shall Be Released

16. Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You

17. Love Minus Zero/No Limit

18. Honky Tonk Women

19. I'm Talking About You

20. I Don't Want to Be Lonely Tonight

21. Mama, You Been On My Mind

22. That's All Right

23. Rave On

24. True Love Ways

25. Dream Lover

26. Almost Saturday Night

27. Believe What You Say

28. That's All Right

Here’s some commentary about the songs:

You Tear Me Up-1959-from “Ricky Sings Again”: This is a great “All Shook Up”-style pop song. I’m surprised it wasn’t released as a single.

My Babe-1958-from “Ricky Nelson”: A cover of the Willie Dixon song, it shows that Ricky could indeed sing the blues. It features excellent guitar work by James Burton, as usual. 

Milk Cow Blues-1960-B-side of “You Are the Only One”: A cover of a song that Elvis recorded for Sun Records. Ricky’s vocal is impassioned, and the song shows the influence that Elvis and other rockabilly artists like Carl Perkins had on Ricky.

That’s All-1959-from “Songs By Ricky”: Changing gears, this is a lovely ballad version of this standard, which has been sung by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Johnny Mathis and Bobby Darin. Darin’s exuberant and up-tempo version is from 1959 as well, and it’s the title of his breakthrough album that also features “Mack the Knife” and “Beyond the Sea.” Ricky’s version features his typical ballad dreaminess.

Summertime-1962-from “Album Seven By Rick”: No, Rick’s early albums weren’t very creatively titled. But this rock/blues version of the Gershwin classic is quite creative. 

String Along-1963-from “For Your Sweet Love”: This was Rick’s first Top 40 single for Decca Records, and it’s actually a cover of a Fabian song from 1960. Needless to say, Rick’s version is much better than Fabian’s. Sonically, “String Along” is given the “Poor Little Fool” treatment, and it’s an addictive earworm that’s one of my favorites among Rick’s lesser hit singles. 

The Very Thought of You-1964-from “The Very Thought of You”: After Rick had hits with “Fools Rush In” and “For You,” his next single was “The Very Thought of You,” yet another song from his father Ozzie’s big band era. Which makes me think that Decca was not having success in getting writers to pen original hits for Rick, hence these versions of old songs. The arrangement of “The Very Thought of You” sounds a lot like “For You,” but it’s still an enjoyable song. This was Rick’s last Top 40 single until “She Belongs to Me” in 1969. Side note: the Decca album that “Fools Rush In” and “For You” were on was called “Rick Nelson sings ‘For You.’” As part of their ongoing campaign to confuse Rick’s fans, his old label Imperial promptly issued an album of old material called “Rick Nelson Sings For You.” The only difference is the lack of quotation marks around “For You.” Sneaky.

Since I Don’t Have You-1965-from “Best Always”: This is one of my favorite Rick Nelson album tracks. Originally a hit for the doo-wop group The Skyliners in 1958, this song features some great high notes from Rick.

Mean Old World-1965-from “Best Always”: This is a downbeat song with a passionate vocal from Rick. He practically screams the last refrain of “Oh, I need someone!”

Blue Moon of Kentucky-1966-from “Rick’s Rarities-1964-1974”: Rick turned towards country for two albums in the mid-1960’s, since his pop records were not making much of a dent in the charts. This is an excellent version of the Bill Monroe bluegrass classic, which was of course memorably covered by Elvis on Sun Records. For some reason, “Blue Moon of Kentucky” wasn’t released on either on either of Rick’s country albums and stayed in the vaults until 2004.

Mystery Train-1967-from “Country Fever”: Another great version of an Elvis Sun classic. James Burton unfurls some licks that he’ll use again in a couple of years when he’s playing the song live with Elvis in Las Vegas.

You Just Can’t Quit-1966-from “Bright Lights & Country Music”: A Rick Nelson original, this song reflects Rick’s position in the pop culture world of 1966. “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” was finally canceled in 1966, after 14 years on TV, and Rick’s singles and albums were having no impact on an indifferent public. Like every other rock and roller from the 1950’s, Rick’s career was being swept away by the Beatles and the British Invasion. But Rick vows to carry on, as he sings, “When the whole world puts you down/And makes you feel like a clown/That’s not it/You just can’t quit.”

Easy To be Free-1969-single A-side, available on “The Best of Rick Nelson 1963-1975”: This is probably my favorite song that Rick Nelson wrote. It’s a gorgeous tune, with idealistic and yearning lyrics. “Did you ever want to go/Where you’ve never been before/Did you ever want to know/Things you’ve never known before/I’ll take you there with me/And maybe then you’ll see it’s easy to be free.” 

She Belongs to Me-1969-single A-side, available on “The Best of Rick Nelson 1963-1975”: A cover of a Bob Dylan song, this was Rick’s first single with the Stone Canyon Band, and the first to highlight his new country rock sound. After a few years of floundering, Rick had found a sound that really worked for him. I think that Rick was a great interpreter of Bob Dylan’s songs; he really should have recorded an entire album of Dylan songs. I think the contrast between Dylan’s nasally voice and Rick’s sweet and pure voice makes Rick’s versions of Dylan’s songs really interesting.

I Shall Be Released-live-1969-from “In Concert, the Troubadour, 1969”: Taken from his first concerts with the Stone Canyon Band, “In Concert” was a triumphant album for Rick. It showed that the former teen idol had grown up and matured, and had also become an excellent song writer. This cover of the Bob Dylan song, first sung by The Band, was one of the highlights of the album, featuring an excellent vocal from Rick, and great support by the Stone Canyon Band.

Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You-live-1969-from “In Concert, the Troubadour, 1969”: A Bob Dylan song from 1969’s “Nashville Skyline,” I’ve always thought that Elvis would have done a great version of it. Elvis never recorded it, but thankfully Rick Nelson did, and Rick brought the sexiness to the song that Dylan’s version is missing. Unfortunately, this song was unreleased until the 2011 2-Disc CD of the Troubadour shows, which I would highly recommend to any Rick Nelson fan.

Love Minus Zero/No Limit-1971-from “Rudy the Fifth”: Another Dylan song, Rick’s beautiful voice works well against Dylan’s obscure lyrics. 

Honky Tonk Women-1971-from “Rudy the Fifth”: This is the song that caused all of the fuss for Rick when he sang it at an oldies show in Madison Square Garden in 1971. Fans booed, and Rick thought they were booing his choice of material. Some stories suggest that fans were booing other rowdy fans, but whatever the cause of the booing, it inspired Rick to write his 1972 hit “Garden Party.” Rick’s studio recording of the Rolling Stones hit was excellent, with some filthy guitar work. 

I’m Talking About You-1972-from “Garden Party”: There are many great songs from the “Garden Party” album, like “A Flower Opens Gently By,” but I chose this Chuck Berry song because of the excellent band performance. Rick had previously sung “I’m Talking About You” on 1964’s “Spotlight on Rick,” you can listen to that version to see how much his music had changed in 8 years.

I Don’t Want to Be Lonely Tonight-1974-from “Windfall”: Not to be confused with the similarly-named James Taylor song of the same period, “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight.” Side note: I think Rick Nelson would have done great versions of James Taylor’s songs. Written by Baker Knight, who had written “Lonesome Town” and other hits for Nelson, this energetic song really should have been released as a single, it could have been a big hit.

Mama, You Been On My Mind-1978-from “The Complete Epic Recordings”: After Decca, which had by this time become MCA Records, dropped Nelson in 1975, he signed with Epic Records. Rick’s time at Epic would be extremely frustrating, as he recorded enough material for 3 albums, but saw only one issued in his lifetime, 1977’s “Intakes.” “Mama, You Been On My Mind” is another excellent version of a Bob Dylan song, and it was cut for an album that would have been called “Back to Vienna,” but once the album was complete Epic shelved the master tapes. Fortunately, all of Rick’s Epic recordings were issued in 2012 on the excellent 2-disc set “The Complete Epic Recordings.” 

That’s All Right-1978-from “The Complete Epic Recordings”: Rick’s second unreleased Epic album was recorded in Memphis and found Rick recording many of his favorite rock songs from the 1950’s. Some of these songs were issued shortly after his death as “The Memphis Sessions.” Rick’s cover of Elvis’s first record is a highlight. 

Rave On-1978-from “The Complete Epic Recordings”: An excellent version of the Buddy Holly rocker. This was the final song that Rick Nelson sang at his final concert appearance in December 1985.

True Love Ways-1978-from “The Complete Epic Recordings”: A lovely, spare version of the Buddy Holly ballad. 

Dream Lover-1978-from “The Complete Epic Recordings”: A slowed-down version of the Bobby Darin hit, Rick performed “Dream Lover” on “Saturday Night Live” in early 1979 to a rapturous reception. Rick was hopeful that the song could become a hit, but the release of the single was delayed, supposedly because an Epic executive thought that a bongo drum should be overdubbed.  “Dream Lover” was moderately successful on the country and adult contemporary charts, but it didn’t crack the Top 100. “Dream Lover” would have been helped immensely if it had been released in support of an album, rather than as just a random single. Had Epic released the excellent “Memphis Sessions” as an album, Rick might have had another comeback hit.

Almost Saturday Night-1981-from “Playing to Win”: This was an excellent version of a John Fogerty song from “Playing to Win,” which would be the last album released in Rick’s lifetime. It’s proof that Rick could still rock and roll, even after turning 40.

Believe What You Say-1981-from “Playing to Win”: A superb re-recording of Rick’s 1958 hit single, this wasn’t just trading on past glories, but a re-imagining of one of Rick’s signature songs, with more aggressive lead guitar work.

That’s All Right-live-1983-85-from “Live 1983-1985”: I could have ended the CD with Rick’s re-recording of “Believe What You Say,” but I really like this live version of “That’s All Right,” recorded with his excellent final band. It leaves us with a glimpse of Rick Nelson as he was in his final years, still making great music, and still rocking and rolling. 

Rick Nelson died in a plane crash on December 31, 1985, while traveling to a concert in Texas. But the music that he made continues to live on. I think anyone who is familiar with Rick Nelson’s music knows that he was much more than just a teen idol; he was an excellent singer, songwriter, and performer who contributed a great deal to American rock and roll music. On this CD I’ve tried to show Rick Nelson’s versatility and his commitment to making great music. Later on in Rick’s career he was no longer making hit records, but he was still making good records, and that proves to me what a dedicated musician he truly was.

Mix CD: "The Best of Ricky Nelson, Volume 1-The Top 20 Hit Singles"

Ricky Nelson, 1950's.

Rick Nelson, on the back cover of the "Windfall" album, 1974.

Shortly after I wrote my post about the career of Rick “Ricky” Nelson, I made my own “Best of Ricky Nelson” CD. I’m a big fan of Rick Nelson, so I made it two CDs to include what I felt were all of Rick’s best songs. Volume 1 is all of Rick’s hit singles that reached the Top 20 in the charts, 27 songs in all! Even at 27 songs, the CD is only 64 minutes long, so I could have added even more songs, but I really liked the idea of having all of Rick’s big hit singles on one CD.

Here are the 27 songs:

1. I'm Walkin'

2. A Teenager's Romance

3. You're My One and Only Love

4.  Be-Bop Baby

5. Stood Up

6. Waitin' In School

7. Believe What You Say

8. My Bucket's Got a Hole In It

9. Poor Little Fool

10. Lonesome Town

11. I Got a Feeling

12. It's Late

13. Never Be Anyone Else But You

14. Just a Little Too Much

15. Sweeter Than You

16. I Wanna Be Loved

17. Young Emotions

18. Travelin' Man

19. Hello, Mary Lou

20. A Wonder Like You

21. Everlovin'

22. Young World

23. Teenage Idol

24. It's Up To You

25. Fools Rush In

26. For You

27. Garden Party

Here’s some commentary about the songs:

I’m Walkin’-1957: This was the B-side of Ricky’s very first single, a cover of the Fats Domino song. It was common practice in those days to cover hit songs instantly, even while the original version was still riding high on the charts, and oftentimes the singer covering the hit would also have a big hit of their own with the same song. It’s rather hard to believe now, but this was very common in the late 1950’s. It was also common during the 1950’s for white artists to cover songs by African-American singers and groups, as some radio stations didn’t play “R&B” records. (Pat Boone famously covered “Ain’t That a Shame” and “Tutti Frutti.”) By 1957 this practice was winding down. Ricky himself was a huge fan of Domino’s and they would tour together in 1985, shortly before Nelson’s death. 

A Teenager’s Romance-1957: This was the A-side of “I’m Walkin’” and also charted in the Top Ten. It’s much more typical of teen pop material from 1957, and it’s a rather silly song that hasn’t proven to be as durable as “I’m Walkin.’” The message of the song is that teenagers are just like everyone else! But it did prove that Ricky’s pure singing voice could translate well to ballads as well as more up-tempo songs. 

You’re My One and Only Love-1957: This was the third and final song that Ricky recorded for Verve Records, before his dad Ozzie got him a contract with Imperial, the same label that Fats Domino was on. This is a slight song that doesn’t have much to recommend it. The most annoying part of the song is that female backing vocalist singing “my one and only” every time Ricky sings that phrase. This was one of the songs that seriously made me question my decision to put all of Ricky’s Top 20 singles on one disc, as I think it’s one of his weakest singles. 

Be-Bop Baby-1957: Ricky’s first single for Imperial, this was actually the B-side of “Have I Told You Lately That I Love you?” but “Be-Bop Baby” became a much bigger hit, peaking at #3. It’s a slight song, with a rather inane and repetitive lyric. That being said, it’s a step in the right direction compared to “A Teenager’s Romance” and “My One and Only Love,” as it actually sounds like rock and roll.

Stood Up-1958: This is where Ricky starts to really get good, as he gets to sink his teeth into a real rockabilly song, with a guitar solo. You can hear Ricky’s voice gaining confidence with each song.  Ricky is backed by the Jordanaires vocal group, who also performed on Elvis’s records. Ricky had an agreement with Elvis that the Jordanaires could sing on his records as well, as long as they weren’t credited.

Waitin’ in School-1958: The B-side to “Stood Up,” “Waitin’ in School” was a rockabilly gem on its own, and one of Ricky’s best B-sides. One way the really great rock and rollers stood out from the pack was the quality of their B-sides. For most singers or groups in the 1950’s and 1960’s, the B-side was nowhere near as good as the A-side of the single. But first-tier talent like Elvis, Ricky Nelson, and the Everly Brothers put out singles with amazing B-sides. And of course The Beatles were masters at the “double A-side” single.

Believe What You Say-1958: One of my favorite Ricky Nelson songs. There is an alternate version, with backing vocals overdubbed by the Jordanaires, but I prefer the version without the backing vocals. “Believe What You Say” features a great guitar solo by James Burton, and Burton’s versatile guitar work would be a hallmark of nearly every Ricky Nelson single. Ricky did an excellent re-recording of “Believe What You Say” for his 1981 album “Playing to Win.”

My Bucket’s Got a Hole In It-1958: An excellent rocked-up version of an old song.

Poor Little Fool-1958: Ricky’s first Number One single. Curiously enough, Ricky didn’t really care for the song, and he never performed it on “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” It’s a catchy earworm of a tune about Ricky getting his heart broken.

Lonesome Town-1958: A gorgeous, haunting ballad. “There’s a place where lovers go/to cry their troubles away/and they call it lonesome town/where the broken hearts stay.” Releasing “Lonesome Town” as an A-side was something of a gamble, because it was so sparse, as it was performed with just a guitar and the Jordanaires’ backing vocals. But Ricky’s pure, yearning voice matched perfectly with the song.

I Got a Feeling-1958: Yes, this was Ricky’s seventh Top 20 single from 1958! With Elvis off in the Army, it was clear that Ricky was becoming the biggest teen idol in America. It’s not hard to understand why, as Ricky combined strikingly handsome features with an all-American “boy next door” personality. Parents saw Ricky Nelson singing rock and roll on “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” that paragon of 1950’s family stability, and figured maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. “I Got a Feeling” was an up-tempo tune with a lively vocal from Ricky and a scorching guitar solo from James Burton. 

It’s Late-1959: This is one of my favorite Ricky Nelson songs, about accidentally staying out too late with his girlfriend. “If we coulda left home at a quarter to nine/woulda had fun and plenty of time/we got started just a little bit late/hope this won’t be our last date.” 

Never Be Anyone Else But You-1959: A lovely slow song, which no doubt had the girls swooning over Ricky. The B-side of “It’s Late,” both songs made the Top Ten.

Just a Little Too Much-1959: An up-tempo A-side, both this song and its B-side “Sweeter Than You” peaked at number 9. 

Sweeter Than You-1959: One of Ricky’s best ballads. It has some similarities to “Lonesome Town,” as once again it’s performed with a just a guitar and the Jordanaires. Ricky’s voice brought a moving intimacy to this song. There’s an alternative version that starts with guitar strumming before Ricky starts singing, and it’s taken at a slightly quicker tempo. I prefer the version that begins with Ricky’s vocal.

I Wanna Be Loved-1959: This song was an odd change of pace for Ricky. It starts with just cymbals and finger snapping before Ricky’s vocal comes in. It’s more of a blues song than rock and roll, and it features female backing vocalists. 

Young Emotions-1960: A big ballad, with strings! “Young Emotions” is a fine song, but it shows how the times were changing. As rock and roll entered the 1960’s, most people in the music industry thought that rock would eventually become passé, and entertainers like Ricky Nelson and Elvis were urged to become more well-rounded entertainers, so they could survive the inevitable demise of rock and roll. Of course, in retrospect that seems ridiculous, but it’s part of the reason why Ricky was recording a song like “Young Emotions,” which wasn’t rock and roll at all. It’s still a fine song, but it’s definitely a pop song. But rock was slowly turning into pop, as when Elvis got out of the Army in 1960, Frank Sinatra welcomed him home on a TV special, and Elvis even donned a tuxedo for the occasion. Elvis was becoming safe and non-threatening. Gone was the smoldering singer of “King Creole,” to be replaced by the ever-smiling family entertainer of “G.I. Blues.” From 1960 on, Ricky Nelson’s hit singles tended to be more pop than rock and roll, but they were still fine songs, and thankfully there were some exceptions, as we’ll see.

Travelin’ Man-1961: Ricky’s career had hit something of a rough patch in 1960, as his biggest hit was “Young Emotions,” which peaked at number 12. Follow-up singles “I’m Not Afraid” and “You Are the Only One” didn’t crack the Top 20, but Ricky’s first single of 1961 was perhaps his best. “Travelin’ Man” was a catchy, perfect piece of pop that became Ricky’s second Number One single. “Travelin’ Man” was from the album “Rick is 21,” which served as a reminder that America’s favorite little brother was growing up.

Hello, Mary Lou-1961: The B-side to “Travelin’ Man,” this classic country-flavored song was written by Gene Pitney. Driven by a unique and catchy drum pattern, “Hello, Mary Lou” followed its A-side into the Top Ten. 

A Wonder Like You-1961: The follow-up single to “Travelin’ Man,” “A Wonder Like You” is also a sound-alike to “Travelin’ Man” and it’s an inferior song. It’s one of the few singles in Rick’s career that very obviously sounds like one of his other hits. “A Wonder Like You” doesn’t have the same energy that “Travelin’ Man” did, and it suffers from some cheesy lyrics: “I’ve seen the snow white mountains of Alaska/I’ve sailed along the rivers of Peru/I’ve seen the world and all its seven wonders/but I’ve never seen a wonder like you.” Jerry Fuller wrote both songs, and he gets bonus points for working the word “Polynesian” into both songs. 

Everlovin’-1961: The sprightly B-side to “A Wonder Like You,” and a much better song, in my opinion. 

Young World-1962: A nice, smooth slice of pop about young love, “Young World” peaked at Number 5.

Teenage Idol-1962: This is one of my favorite Rick Nelson songs, even though Nelson himself didn’t care for the song as he thought it would come off as self-pitying. The song begins with the lyrics: “Some people call me a teenage idol/some people say they envy me/I guess they got no way of knowing/how lonesome I can be.” 

It’s Up To You-1962: Something of a sound-alike to “Young World,” (again, both songs were written by Jerry Fuller) “It’s Up To You” peaked at Number 6 and features some nice call-and-response vocals, a prominent bass line and horns for a different sound. 

Fools Rush In-1963: 1963 would prove to be the year that Rick charted the most singles of his career, as 14 of Rick’s songs cracked the charts. However, that didn’t mean that he was riding a new crest of popularity. The reason so many Rick Nelson singles hit the charts that year was because Imperial flooded the market with old songs, in an attempt to make as much money as they could off of Rick after he left the label, as he signed an unprecedented 20-year contract with Decca Records. Rick’s first single for Decca missed the Top 40 entirely, so Imperial might have been successful in their mission. But “Fools Rush In,” Rick’s third single for Decca, proved that his fans knew a great song when they heard it. A rock update of the old standard, “Fools Rush In” rode a catchy drum pattern and a great James Burton solo to success. When Elvis recorded “Fools Rush In” with James Burton in 1971, he copied Rick’s arrangement, and Burton plays the same guitar solo on both records. 

For You-1964: Like “Fools Rush In,” “For You” was a rock update of an old song from the 1930’s. “For You” became Rick’s 18^th Top Ten single in just 6 years. “For You” peaked on the singles chart in February, 1964, just as The Beatles were coming to America for the first time. The ensuing British Invasion pushed Rick off the charts, which explains why there’s an 8-year gap between “For You” and “Garden Party.” In between, Rick made a couple of forgettable pop albums that didn’t spawn any hits, two very good country-themed albums that would help point him in a new direction, and two folk/singer-songwriter albums where he covered the likes of Tim Hardin and Randy Newman. Rick then turned to country rock in 1969, and made some great albums like “In Concert at the Troubadour” and “Rick Sings Nelson.”

Garden Party-1972: “Garden Party,” Rick Nelson’s last Top Ten hit single, tells the story of Rick getting booed at a Madison Square Garden rock and roll show. Accounts differ as to whether or not the crowd was actually booing Rick and his new long-haired look, or if they were actually booing a fight among rowdy concertgoers. But the point is that Rick thought he was getting booed, and he went off and wrote his masterpiece. “Garden Party” is all about not being held prisoner by other people’s views of you. Rick sings, “Well it’s all right now/I’ve learned my lesson well/You see you can’t please everyone/So you got to please yourself.” Towards the end of the song, Rick sings “If you’ve got to play at garden parties/I wish you a lot of luck/but if memories were all I sang/I’d rather drive a truck.” Rick Nelson kept on singing until his tragic death in a plane crash on December 31, 1985. But the music that Rick Nelson made continues to live on.

Coming up next: Volume 2 of “The Best of Ricky Nelson,” which collects some lesser hit singles and great album tracks.