Rick Nelson 

was one of the very biggest of the

'50s teen idols, so it took a while for him to

attain the same level of critical respectability as

other early rock greats. Yet now the consensus

is that he made some of the finest pop/rock

recordings of his era. Sure, he had more

promotional push than any other rock musician

of the '50s; no, he wasn't the greatest singer;

and yes, Elvis, Gene Vincent, Carl Perkins, and

others rocked harder. But Nelson was

extraordinarily consistent during the first five

years of his recording career, crafting pleasant

pop-rockabilly hybrids with ace session players

and projecting an archetype of the sensitive,

reticent young adult with his accomplished

vocals. He also played a somewhat

underestimated role in rock & roll's absorption

into mainstream America - how bad could

rock be if it was featured on one of America's

favorite family situation comedies on a weekly

basis?

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