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Rock & roll was still a novelty and singles ruled the record market when 17-year-old Ricky Nelson released his debut album in 1957; it immediately jumped to No. 1 on the
Billboard charts. That's why Capitol fleshes out some of its twofer releases of Nelson's Imperial albums with non-album hit singles. It's stunning to hear how well Nelson's debut and sophomore LPs hold up long after their original appearances. Aside from "Be Bop Baby" (and its "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" B-side), most of the cuts on
Ricky are covers, including a wonderfully sedate take on Jimmie Rodgers's "Honeycomb," proving Nelson was indeed the Perry Como of early rockers. It also includes two Carl Perkins covers, including the definitive "Your True Love." The second LP displays growth and rocks harder, concluding with the sublime "Poor Little Fool."
--Bill Holdship