Varese Sarabande
2001
The Greatest Hits Revisited
About This Album
At a quick glance, The Greatest Hits: Revisited looks like just another repackaging of Ricky Nelson's hits. However, once the record begins it becomes clear that they are remakes of Nelson's hits. A couple of lines buried in the liner notes confirm this and state that the tracks were recorded shortly before his death in 1985. In almost 100 percent of the cases of remade hits, artists tries to update the sound and make it more "modern," or else they have lost all of the magic they may have had in the first place. Amazingly that is not the case here. The tough- and authentic-sounding (and uncredited in the liner notes or anywhere else) band takes pains to sound like a real rockabilly combo, the vocal backgrounds of the Jordanaires provide a perfect touch of old-time rockabilly sweetening, and best of all, Nelson sounds pretty good. Darn good in fact. His voice is not as nimble as it once was, but he sounds sturdy and committed. Tracks like "Travelin' Man" and "Believe What You Say" are fun; "Teenage Idol" has an ironic bite as does "Garden Party"; "Sweeter Than You" is heartbreakingly sweet. None of the recordings top the originals, but fans of Nelson should not be afraid to get this disc. It's a nostalgic exercise both for Nelson and for the listener, an exercise that is fun and rewarding. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10)

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