Liner Note Author: Bill Holdship.

Author: Bill Holdship.

Photographers: Ted Allan; John Springer.

Although the differences between this 2005 Capitol GREATEST HITS collection and its 2002 counterpart may seem slight (the two sets do share many of the same tracks), the former is credited to the singer's teen-idol name, Ricky Nelson, while the latter uses the more adult moniker of Rick Nelson. Consequently, the 2005 compilation features more of charming actor/vocalist's early work, focusing on material from the late 1950s and early '60s. During this time, Nelson moved from light rockabilly ("Stood Up" and "Believe What You Say") to winsome ballads ("Poor Little Fool" and "Lonesome Town"), revealing a talent that went deeper than his manicured TV persona. Though both Capitol GREATEST HITS discs are excellent, this is the one for fans seeking more of Nelson's initial recordings.

Released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Ricky Nelson's tragic death, Capitol/EMI's 2005 compilation Greatest Hits is not the first collection to bear that title, nor is it the first to span from his first big hit (1957's "Be Bop Baby") to his last (1972's "Garden Party"). However, it is the best of these Greatest Hits albums, and the best single-disc Ricky Nelson comp yet assembled. Weighing in at 25 tracks, it has all the big hits. In fact, it has all but two of the 20 songs from the 2002 Greatest Hits ("For You" and "She Belongs to Me" were axed), and it corrects the more serious omissions from that collection as well. In particular, the great "Waitin' in School," inexplicably absent from the 2002 comp, is here, along with "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It," which is enough to make this the very best Ricky Nelson collection yet. Not only is it the place to go to get all of his biggest and best songs, but it's proof positive that he was one of the best and most underrated of the early rock & rollers. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine