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Rating:  -
In 1964 The Champs brought out a single featuring Glen Campbell on lead guitar with background vocals that were truly haunting; the following year The Ventures recorded this great single instrumental on their "Fabulous Ventures" LP, and like The Champs recording, it too was remarkable. I prefered The Champs recording because of the strings and errie girl vocals, but at least The Ventures had the very good sense to also have girl vocals behind their guitar lead. There were no words, only this errie singing behind the lead.
When I discovered that Rick Nelson had recorded a vocal version of this song that featured lyrics, I couldn't wait to listen. When I heard this song I just flipped. Rick sings this song just as it should have been sung, paying great tribute to the original instrumental version by The Champs. He completely captured the essense of that mysterious and spooky recording and the lyrics are great. Like Beetsy Brye's great recording of Santo & Johnny's classic self-penned 1959 masterpiece, "Sleep Walk," the only recording of the song that featured the lyrics, Rick Nelson offers the same distinguished delivery and interpretation that makes the price of this double CD worth every cent.
If you want my advice buy this recording and if you find you don't like it, except for "Only The Young," feel lucky that you got to hear this great recording in your lifetime; then go out and order "Only The Young" by The Champs and by The Ventures.
If only I had known Nelson recorded this song when I saw him at The Palimino Club in North Hollywood in 1986, I think it was...I certainly would have asked him to sing it when he asked for requests. A truly inspired recording of this great instrumental recording that offers a very good lyric without compromising the purity of the original recording by The Champs; in fact, what Nelson achieves is to actually enhance the former but it still feels as it did without the lyrics: you hear the music and the words never get in the way of that experience. Go with it, listen, and count yourself blessed. Thanks, Rick!
Rating:  -
I had these alblums on vinyl when they were released and while the sum of the parts was not a success, there are songs on both alblums that are as enjoyable now as when I was a teenager. "Best Always" a catchy Jerry Fuller number: "Ladies Choice". Jerry had written "Travelin Man" and "A Wonder Like You" for Rick in the early 60"s. "Only The Young", "How Does It Go" and Since I Don't Have You" are excellent songs and Rick seems engaged with these individual tunes. "You Don't Know Me" is way too laid-back. The balance of the songs have never captured my interest. "Love and Kisses" is memorable as an alblum built around the same titled movie (I only enjoyed the "Say You Love Me" song from the flick, perhaps because Rick sings it to his wife Kris). "I Catch Myself Crying" and "I Should Have Loved You More" are both excellent. The balance slope downward from there. If you a fan I say buy it for your interest and enjoy.
Rating: -
Rick's 2 1965 albums on one CD. BEST ALWAYS was actually an improvement on the earlier SPOTLIGHT ON RICK. Stand-outs: the cover of Eddy Arnold's "You Don't Know Me", "Mean Old World", "I Know A Place" (Petula Clark-a slight nod to the "British Invasion"?), "Since I Don't Have You" (the BEST version I've ever heard of this classic!) AND "My Blue Heaven". (Given his classy treatment of "standards", maybe he'd have done himself and his fans a favor doing an entire album of them, as many artists seem to have done in recent years?) On the other hand, LOVE AND KISSES may be, creatively, his all-time low point. "I Catch Myself Crying" is a slow ballad in his best tradition, and "Try To Remember" is yet another song that's considered a "standard" these days. But the rest of the album is boring, forgettable, or worse. "More" is murdered by a really bad arrangement, and "Come Out Dancin'", one of 3 songs from the movie "Love and Kisses", is just awful. Thank goodness you can program CDs! Rick finally changed styles on his next album-and for the better!
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