Best Always is the twelfth studio album by rock and roll and pop idol Rick Nelson,[1] and his fifth for Decca Records, released on April 19, 1965. Two singles, "Lonely Corner" bubbled under" Billboard's Hot 100, for its sole week that began in the issue dated August 29, 1964, and peaked at number 113.[2] number 105 on the Cashbox singles chart, "Mean Old World", debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in the issue of the magazine dated March 20, 1965, eventually reaching number 96 during its two-week stay.[3] and number 94 on the Cashbox singles chart.[4]
| Best Always | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 19, 1965 | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll | |||
| Length | 28:08 | |||
| Label | Decca | |||
| Producer | Charles "Bud" Dant | |||
| Rick Nelson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Best Always | ||||
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The LP had a mix of covers of old and recent hits that included four songs from that also had chart success in 1956 via Fats Domino: "My Blue Heaven", 1959 via The Skyliners: "Since I Don't Have You", 1962 via Ray Charles "You Don't Know Me" and recent Petula Clark "I Know a Place", Jimmie Haskell arranged the album and Charles "Bud" Dant produced it.
The album was released on compact disc by Ace Records on March 10, 1998 as tracks 1 through 12 on a pairing of two albums on one CD with tracks 13 through 24 consisting of Nelson's 1965 album, Love and Kisses[5]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| New Record Mirror | [6] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [7] |
Richie Unterberger of AllMusic said that "It boasts a quite good pop melody. Nelson stretches his vocal range on the cover of the Skyliners' "Since I Don't Have You," and gives a taste of his upcoming move into country with a version of "You Don't Know Me."[1] but said the album is "isn't as bad"[8]
Billboard described the album as "A Strong support" and stated that "a dozen pop hits, some old, some recent are given fine interpretations."[9]
Cashbox notes "it a compilation of mixed tunes, some soft and some driving. Along with his recent single, “Mean Old World,” Nelson bounces through “I Know A Place” and the while back “Since I Don’t Have You."[10]
Record Mirror described the album as "genuinely entertaining" and claimed "The contents are a good selection. and every track given single treatment. rather than a general album sound".[11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music called the album "Disappointing"[7]
Track listing
editSide one
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Not Ready for You Yet" | Buzz Cason, Paul Hampton | 2:05 |
| 2. | "You Don't Know Me" | Eddy Arnold, Cindy Walker | 2:24 |
| 3. | "Ladies Choice" | Jerry Fuller | 2:17 |
| 4. | "Lonely Corner" | Johnny Burnette, Betty Murdoch | 2:03 |
| 5. | "Only the Young" | Pat Boone, Jimmy Seals | 2:23 |
| 6. | "Mean Old World" | Billy Vera | 2:18 |
Side two
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Know a Place" | Tony Hatch | 2:48 |
| 2. | "Since I Don't Have You" | Jackie Taylor, James Beaumont, Janet Vogel, Joseph Rock, Joe Verscharen, Lennie Martin, Wally Lester | 2:33 |
| 3. | "It's Beginning to Hurt" | Dave Burgess | 1:58 |
| 4. | "My Blue Heaven" | Walter Donaldson, George A. Whiting | 2:17 |
| 5. | "How Does It Go" | Jay Goodis, Jerry Keller | 3:01 |
| 6. | "When The Chips Are Down" | Dash Crofts, Keith MacKendrick, Jimmy Seals | 2:01 |
Charts
editSingles
edit| Year | Title | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S Cashbox |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Lonely Corner | 113 | 105 |
| 1965 | Mean Old World | 96 | 94 |
References
edit- ^ a b c Unterberger, Richie. Rick Nelson – Best Always: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (1982). Joel Whitburn's Bubbling under the hot 100, 1959-1981. Menomonee Falls, Wis: Record Research. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-8982-0047-8.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2003). Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisc.: Record Research. p. 502. ISBN 0898201551.
- ^ a b Downey, Pat (1994). Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. pp. 244–245. ISBN 1-56308-316-7.
- ^ "Best Always/Love and Kisses". allmusic.com. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ Jones, Peter; Jopling, Norman (14 October 1965). "Rick Nelson: Best Always" (PDF). New Record Mirror. No. 14. p. 8. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 1020. ISBN 9781846098567. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "Best Always/Love and Kisses". allmusic.com. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ "Album Review: Best Always". Billboard. April 24, 1965. p. 60.
- ^ Cash Box. Cash Box Pub. Co. 1965-04-17. p. 32.
- ^ "16 Brash & Ballady Tracks from LULU :Norman Jopling and Peter Jones new albums reviewed by Norman Jopling and Peter Jones new albums" (PDF). Record Mirror. October 14, 1965. p. 8.
