Rick Nelson's lengthy career spanned 30 years, with records on the American charts from the late 1950s to the early 80s, yet most remember him only as "Little Ricky". This comprehensive, 100-song retrospective rectifies that, giving full scope to his remarkable and surprisingly robust career. Additionally, the photo-heavy booklet gives insight into the era when rock & roll, television and culture first merged. Ricky Nelson was the first "teen idol" who grew up on television. His parents' Ozzie and Harriet Show afforded him the opportunity to sing, and he was groomed as early TV's middle ground between Elvis and Pat Boone.

Disc One captures this period, featuring his earliest hits such as "I'm Walkin'" and "Poor Little Fool", though others like Little Walter's "My Babe" and "There Goes My Baby", with sizzling guitar leads by James Burton, reveal a genuine rockabilly edginess, suggesting Ricky's truer leanings.

Disc Two has the majority of Ricky's largest hits, pop pieces from 1959 to 1965, where the addition of strings and the Jordanaires' backing vocals led to smash hits such as "Mary Lou", "Travelin' Man", and "Young World".

Disc Three documents Rick's (he had dropped the "y") mid-1960s evolution into a country sound, heavily influenced by Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline. Rick's version of Dylan's "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" was well-received, but the big hit on this disc is "Garden Party", a wry, autobiographical take on his rejection by a '192 oldies-oriented crowd a Madison Square Garden.

Disc Four features material with his Stone Canyon Band, covering the period 1972 to 85, the year of his unfortunate plane crash. By now, his rich, yearning voice blends perfectly with the pedal-steel led band, and the music sounds remarkably contemporary.

Rick Nelson's teen-aged celebrity typecast him for life, but Legacy reveals a solid musician who matured and grew over time. This anthology does him and his fans a great service. --Wally Shoup