A Night to Remember — Rick Nelson

By Bo Rhodes

Do you remember the glam-rock band Nelson? No? Well then you sure as hell won’t remember their father, Rick Nelson.

This Rock and Roll Hall of Famer passed away in 1985, only to release an album 15 years after his death. Performed at Los Angeles’ Universal Theatre, A Night To Remember is a night to forget. The sound of Nelson’s voice as he tries to reclaim some of his former glory is cracked with age and reeks of nostalgia for an era long passed.

The audience’s arthritic clapping and strained cheers do little to aid Nelson as he performs songs that first debuted in the early ’60s. Classics such as "Hello Mary Lou," and "Stood Up/Waitin’ In School" come out sounding forced. In truth it’s hard to criticise a man who has been dead for such a long time. Hard, but not impossible.

Buy it for your folks if you’ve got extra cash lying around but make sure you avoid the, "Remember when…" conversations they’ll have after listening.