Ricky is the solo debut album by actor and singer Ricky Nelson

Ricky Nelson

Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...

, released in November 1957. Much of the album is in the pop-rock genre, focusing mostly on standards. It has since been re-issued on iTunes

ITunes Store

The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...

.

Musical content

One of the earliest "Teen Idol

Teen idol

A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...

" albums with a focus on rock music, much of the album is unusually restrained, which several of the songs being popular standards dating as far as the 1920's, but updated for the rock'n'roll sound that was popular at the time. The album sold well, perhaps due to Ricky Nelson's popularity as an actor. Although later albums would see his singing skills improve and eventually see him writing some of his own songs, Ricky still has its fans.

Track listing

1. "Honeycomb
   Honeycomb (song)
   "Honeycomb" is a popular song written by Bob Merrill in 1954. The best-selling version was recorded by Jimmie Rodgers and charted at number one on the Billboard Top 100 in 1957. "Honeycomb" also reached number one on the R&B Best Sellers chart and number seven on the Country & Western Best Sellers...
   
   " (Bob Merrill
   Bob Merrill
   Bob Merrill was an American songwriter, theatrical composer, lyricist, and screenwriter.Merrill was born Henry Merrill Levan in Atlantic City, New Jersey and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following a stint with the Army during World War II, he moved to Hollywood, where he worked as a...
   
   ) 2:54
2. "Boppin' the Blues" (Carl Perkins
   Carl Perkins
   Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
   
   ) 1:56
3. "Be-Bop Baby" (Pearl Lendhurst) 2:01
4. "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?" (Scotty Wiseman
   Lulu Belle and Scotty
   Myrtle Eleanor Cooper and Scott Greene Wiseman , known professionally as Lulu Belle and Scotty, were one of the major country music acts of the 1930s and 1940s, dubbed The Sweethearts of Country Music.-Career:Cooper was born in Boone, North Carolina; Wiseman was from Spruce Pine, North...
   
   ) 1:58
5. "Teenage Doll" (George Lendhurst, Pearl Lendhurst) 1:40
6. "If You Can't Rock Me" (Willie Jacobs) 1:53
7. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On" (Sunny David, Dave Williams) 2:11
8. "Baby I'm Sorry" (Freddie Scott
   Freddie Scott
   Freddie Scott was an American soul singer and songwriter. His biggest hits were "Hey, Girl", a top ten US pop hit in 1963, and "Are You Lonely For Me", a no.1 hit on the R&B chart in early 1967.-Life and career:...
   
   ) 2:21
9. "Am I Blue?
   Am I Blue?
   "Am I Blue?" is a song written by Harry Akst and Grant Clarke in 1929, and was a big hit that year for Ethel Waters. It has become a standard and has been covered by numerous artists.-Other versions:...
   
   " (Harry Akst
   Harry Akst
   Harry Akst was an American songwriter, who started out his career as a pianist in vaudeville accompanying singers such as Nora Bayes, Frank Fay and Al Jolson.-Life and career:Akst was born in New York, United States....
   
   , Grant Clarke
   Grant Clarke
   Grant Clarke was an American songwriter.Clarke moved to New York City early in his career, where he worked as an actor and a staff writer for comedians...
   
   ) 1:39
10. "I'm Confessin'" (Doc Daugherty, Al Neiburg, Ellis Reynolds) 2:16
11. "Your True Love" (Carl Perkins) 1:58
12. "True Love
    True Love (song)
    "True Love" is a popular song written by Cole Porter and was published in 1956.The song was introduced by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in the musical film High Society. The Crosby–Kelly version, accompanied by Johnny Green's MGM studio orchestra using a romantic arrangement by Conrad Salinger, was...
    
    " (Cole Porter
    Cole Porter
    Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
    
    ) 2:17

Reception

Reception at the time of release is unknown. A recent review by Allmusic said that it is "derivative" but that "he also sang rhythmically in his smooth voice, negotiating the rock & roll beat with far greater ease than Pat Boone

Pat Boone

Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts...

" and that "the 17-year-old continued to display the combination of natural pop instincts and genuine rock & roll feel that set him apart from the burgeoning pack of Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....

imitators"