Playing to Win | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | January 1981 | |||
Genre | Rock and roll, country rock | |||
Length | 54:16 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Producer | Jack Nitzsche | |||
Rick Nelson chronology | ||||
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Singles from Playing to Win | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Playing to Win is the twenty-fourth studio album by American singer Rick Nelson, released in January, 1981, on Capitol Records. It was the last album of new material Nelson would release in his lifetime. His next studio effort, All My Best, featured re-recordings of old Nelson hits while The Memphis Sessions his final collection of all-new material, was released posthumously.
it featured several rockabilly songs, including "Back to School Days", a contemporary version of "Believe What You Say", and Jogn Fogerty's "Almost Saturday Night", [2] The Tentalive title came from one of his two originals on the album, "Call It What You Want," a jaunty, Rolling Stones-style romp, His other original however, provided the LP's most pro-phetic song, "The Loser Babe is You." [3] according to Nelson, "The album was going to be called 'It's Rock and Roll to Me, "but the idea was shelved because Billy Joel brought out a thing with the same theme, I just want to make records that sound like me. I've been through so many people telling me 'Go this direction' and then changing their minds the next day." [3]
The album peaked at No. 153 on the Billboard albums chart.
William Ruhlmann of AllMusic said that "Nelson updated his rock & roll sound to take into consideration the heartland rock of artists like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, and Tom Petty, as well as punk/new wave. As always, he had great taste, which allowed him to pick great material" [4]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Almost Saturday Night" | John Fogerty | 2:35 |
2. | "Believe What You Say" | Dorsey Burnette, Johnny Burnette | 2:57 |
3. | "Little Miss American Dream" | Peter McCannbeli | 4:04 |
4. | "The Loser Babe Is You" | 3:46 | |
5. | "Back to Schooldays" | Graham Parker | 2:44 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "It Hasn't Happened Yet" | John Hiatt | 3:32 |
2. | "Call It What You Want" | 3:06 | |
3. | "I Can't Take It No More" | John Davis, Mickey McGee | 3:45 |
4. | "Don't Look at Me" | Hans Wilhelm Steinberg | 2:57 |
5. | "Do the Best You Can" | Ry Cooder, Titleman | 4:13 |
Chart (1981) | Peak position |
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US Top LPs & Tape (Billboard) [5] | 153 |
Eric Hilliard Nelson was an American musician and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1957, he began a long and successful career as a popular recording artist.
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