View source for The Memphis Sessions (Rick Nelson album)

{{Infobox album
| name         = The Memphis Sessions
| type         = Studio
| artist       = [[Rick Nelson]]
| cover        = The Memphis Sessions (Rick Nelson album).JPG
| released     = May 1986
| recorded     =
| genre        = [[Rock and roll]], [[rockabilly]]
| length       = 29:29
| label        = [[Epic Records|Epic]]
| producer     = [[Steve Buckingham (record producer)|Steve Buckingham]]
| prev_title   = [[All My Best (Ricky Nelson album)|All My Best]]
| prev_year    = 1985
| year         = 1986
| chronology   = [[Ricky Nelson|Rick Nelson]]
| misc         = {{Singles
| name        = The Memphis Sessions
| type        = Studio
| single1     = [[Dream Lover]]"
| single1date = May 1986
}}
}}
'''''The Memphis Sessions''''' is American musician [[Rick Nelson]]'s final studio album.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Jonathan |title=Albums May Renew Rick Nelson's Star Status |work=Los Angeles Times |date=8 June 1986 |page=L11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Albert |first1=George |title=A True Superstar |work=Houston Chronicle |date=22 June 1986 |department=Zest |page=12}}</ref> It was released posthumously in May 1986. Nelson recorded it in 1978–79 in Memphis, Tennessee. A few months after Nelson's death, CBS hired Nashville producer Steve Buckingham to replace the original drum and lead guitar tracks and remix the material.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hurst |first1=Jack |title=A Rick Nelson Album |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=18 May 1986 |page=J5}}</ref> Guitar player [[John Beland]] thought that the record label ruined Nelson's material.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lewis |first1=Jim |title=Friend Defends Nelson One Year After Death |work=Sun Sentinel |date=9 Jan 1987 |department=Features Showtime |page=37}}</ref>
The Real Gone Music label included the album in the 2012 ''The Complete Epic Recordings'' box set.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rick Nelson - The Complete Epic Recordings |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-complete-epic-recordings-mw0002294167 |access-date=22 October 2024 |website=AllMusic}}</ref> [[Bear Family Records|Bear Family]] included the album in the 2010 ''The Last Time Around'' box set.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Last Time Around 1970-1982 |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-last-time-around-1970-1982-mw0002033236 |access-date=29 November 2024 |website=AllMusic}}</ref>
The album charted for four weeks on the Billboard [[Top Country Albums]], peaking at No. 62.<ref name=":0" />
== Critical reception ==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web |title=The Memphis Sessions Rick Nelson |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-memphis-sessions-mw0000840177 |website=AllMusic |access-date=12 November 2023}}</ref>
|rev2 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
|rev2score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2011 |publisher=Omnibus Press}}</ref>
|rev3 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
|rev3score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=1992 |publisher=Random House |pages=498, 499}}</ref>
}}
''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' gave the album a positive review, saying that "these recordings from 1978-79 show off Neslon's rockabilly and '60s-rock leanings."<ref>{{cite magazine |date=June 14, 1986 |title=Billboard Country's Recommed LPs: Rick Nelson – The Memphis Sessions |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PCQEAAAAMBAJ&q=rick+nelson&pg=PT69 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |page=69 |volume=98 |issue=24 |editor=}}</ref> ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' gave the album a positive review, saying that it features "a compilation of favorites, including 'True Love Ways', 'Send Me Somebody to Love', [and] 'Sleep Tight, Good Night Man'".<ref name=":132">{{Cite magazine |date=June 21, 1986 |title=Country Album Reviews: Rick Nelson The Memphis Sessions |url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox50unse/page/32/mode/2up |magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]] |pages=32 |volume=50 }}</ref>
The ''[[Chicago Times]]'' wrote: "The result transforms inspired work that no doubt would have excited Nelson fans into a package that should delight anybody who enjoys classic rock and roll, heartfelt vocal work and good music-making. Buckingham's technique brings Nelson's voice out front as never before."<ref>{{Cite web |date=1986-06-08 |title=RICK NELSON'S 'MEMPHIS SESSIONS' DUSTED OFF AND POLISHED WITH |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-06-08-8602100925-story.html |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> The ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'' opined that "Nelson's vocals have never sounded better on such rockabilly songs as 'Rave On' and 'That's All Right Mama'."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Abrams |first1=Mike |title=Rock |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=11 July 1986 |page=D5}}</ref> ''[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]'' concluded that "the backing, some of which was added after Nelson's death, is uninspired."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kloer |first1=Phil |title=Record Reviews |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=July 5, 1986 |page=L26}}</ref>
== Track listing ==
=== Side one ===
{{Track listing
| title1 = [[That's All Right]]
| length1 = 2:36
| writer1 = [[Arthur Crudup]]
| title2 = [[It's All Over Now]]
| length2 = 3:28
| writer2 = [[Bobby Womack]], Shirley Womack
| title3 = [[Dream Lover]]
| length3 = 3:12
| writer3 = [[Bobby Darin]]
| title4 = [[Rave On]]
| length4 = 2:44
| writer4 = [[West]]-Tilghman-[[Norman Petty|Petty]]
| title5 = Sleep Tight, Good Night Man
| length5 = 3:24
| writer5 = John Lorber, Jeff Silbar
}}
=== Side two ===
{{Track listing
| title1 = [[Almost Saturday Night]]
| length1 = 2:42
| writer1 = [[John Fogerty]]
| title2 = [[Lay Back in the Arms of Someone]]
| length2 = 3:04
| writer2 = [[Nicky Chinn]], [[Mike Chapman]]
| title3 = [[Stuck in the Middle with You]]
| length3 = 3:29
| writer3 = [[Gerry Rafferty]], [[Joe Egan (musician)|Joe Egan]]
| title4 = Send Me Somebody to Love
| length4 = 2:55
| writer4 = [[Tim Krekel]]
| title5 = [[True Love Ways]]
| length5 = 1:55
| writer5 = [[Buddy Holly]], [[Norman Petty]]
}}
== Charts ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Chart (1986)
!Peak{{break}}position
|-
|US [[Top Country Albums]] ([[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']])<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine |title=Ricky Nelson {{!}} Biography, Music & News |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/ricky-nelson/ |access-date=2023-10-14 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref>
|align="center"|62
|}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Ricky Nelson}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Memphis Sessions}}
[[Category:Ricky Nelson albums]]
[[Category:1986 albums]]
[[Category:Epic Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums published posthumously]]
[[Category:Music of Memphis, Tennessee]]