CMT Blog: Ricky Nelson

I've been a Creedence Clearwater Revival fan since I found a Greatest Hits album in my mother's record collection long ago. I always hated the idea of them disbanding in turmoil in 1972. Singer, guitarist and primary songwriter John Fogerty wouldn't even sing those amazing swampy tunes for about 25 years. Instead, he started working under the name the Blue Ridge Rangers and released an album of covers in 1973, playing all the instruments himself. He decided that if he was ever going to do another Rangers album, he would be "getting some real guys to play on it." For The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again, saying that he has done that is an understatement.

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Who says there aren’t many albums coming out in January? Thanks to the abundance of independent labels out there, my relentless hours in rental cars this month have been put to good use. Here’s a playlist of songs that are worth sharing. Some of these artists are new faces in the field, but I just had to include Ricky Nelson’s "Poor Little Fool" (oh yeah), since it showed up on a compilation of his love songs a few weeks ago. Let me cut to the chase -- Willie Nelson’s new song is really cool too. I’ve been told that there’s a duet album with Shelby Lynne and Willie Nelson in a vault somewhere, and if it ever surfaces, I will be a very happy fellow. But in the meantime, I have Shelby’s fantastic new CD, Just a Little Lovin’, which I have been listening to pretty much every day since I received it. Ironic, then, that I chose the song I did.

Here’s the playlist:

Ray Bonneville – "So Long Blues"
Drive By Truckers – "Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife"
Andy Hall – "The Chase"
Malcolm Holcomb – "Baby Likes a Love Song"
Patty Larkin – "Waterside"
Shelby Lynne – "I Don’t Want to Hear It Anymore"
Anne Murray and Jann Arden – "Somebody’s Always Saying Goodbye"
Ricky Nelson -- "Poor Little Fool"
Willie Nelson – "Always Now"
Jason Ringenberg – "One Less Heartache"
The SteelDrivers – "Heaven Sent"
Owen Temple – "Rivers Run From Many Waters"
IIIrd Tyme Out – "New Faces in the Field"
Rhonda Vincent – "Who’s Cryin’ Baby"
The Wrights – "Rewind"