TS: Ricky Nelson vs. Everly Brothers

everly brothers. but i love ricky too. and the everlys could rock just fine.

yeah i love ricky but everlys have to take this pretty easy

THE EVERLY BROTHERS WERE NOT IN RIO BRAVO

I really dig Nelson, but I love the Everlys. The complete Cadence collection really shows just how rockin' they were. Even a hit like "Bye Bye Love" has a powerful rhythmic drive and kick that I don't hear in, say, "Hello Mary Lou" or "I'm Walkin'". Those acoustic guitars are getting pretty battered. And the Everlys influence cannot be overstated. From the Beatles to the Beach Boys to the Byrds to the Dead (and all the groups they influenced), the Everlys really are one of the giants of '50s rock 'n' roll. I'm even tempted to say the Everlys, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry are the trinity, but that's awfully debatable. But I remember reading a good quote in Meltzer's Aesthetics of Rock, he wrote something to the effect that the Everlys were the main connection/bridge from primitive hillbilly to modern electric rock (or something).

And as for the '60s and early '70s, Nelson had more commercial success but again, I'll take the Everlys' Warner Brothers collection over a similar collection of Nelson's, although the Stone Canyon Band stuff is really solid. I just think an album like Roots is a notch or two above Rich Sings Nelson or even Rudy the Fifth. Then again, the Everlys had more help. They were working w/ Van Dyke Parks, the Beau Brummels, Lenny Waronker, Randy Newman, the Hollies, etc. Even at their lowest point, the Everlys' always had talented people just dying to work with them. I don't know too much about Nelson's country-rock phase, but he seems like he was a bit of a loner, maybe even an outsider, as "Garden Party" suggets.

Plus, the Everlys' forays into mild, roots-rock psychedelia are way better than Nelson's, which are kinda awful. But in the end, I think both are great.

i heard "cathy's clown" for the first time recently and i loved it! definitely be checking out more of their stuff.

"Cathy's Clown" is just wonderful, and to these ears, definitely sounds like the template for many of the early Beatles tunes.

Actually, I probably should've just done an It's Late vs. Wake Up Little Suzie being they're basically about the same topic (both including a line about fearing reprisal from the girlfriend's father)

love em both but i think the everlys are on a level above ricky. those harmonies, for one thing. and they actually rocked harder, the rhythm playing on "wake up little suzie" e.g., or their version of "you keep a knockin'," or "poor jenny."

(jenny, suzie, ebony eyes -- girlfriends didn't fare too well in everlys songs)

"Ebony Eyes," ay yi yi.

Gypsy, I read somewhere that the Everlys and Chet Atkins (who played on at least the first couple of Cadence singles) were inspired by Bo Diddley's attack for those intros.

To be truthful, I rank 'em about equal. The Everlys may as well be Rick Nelson x2, AFAIC. Both artists smoothed out rockabilly's rough edges without going totally pop, but occasionally went "wilding" (the Everlys with "Claudette," Ricky with "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It"). Ricky had OZZIE & HARRIET, the Everlys had that summer replacement variety series in 1970. Both artists got in on country-rock early. Rick didn't have all those influential L.A. hippie-era rock guys pitching in on his records, but Eric Andersen liked him enough to write the liner notes to IN CONCERT. Both artists openly protested against having to do oldies shows (Rick sang "Garden Party," the Everlys complained that "I Don't Want To Sing My Songs In Las Vegas").

So it's about a draw.

One thing, though:

The Nashville session guys on the Everly Brothers' records are okay, but those hongry rockabilly dudes like James Burton lifted my man Ricky right into the stratosphere!!! Other than that, they both cool with me.

I'd take Ricky, 'cause I'm not so fond of close harmonizing, but for pop-o-billy, the Collins Kids have 'em both beat.

x-postxsomething

I don't doubt Diddley inlfuenced those great intros. In fact, wasn't the intro to "Wake up Little Suzie" grafted on? I think it's from another recording, and the two were fused.

And Nelson's In Concert LP is just great.

I vote for the Everlys, although I think Ricky is way underrated by a lot of people. I am unable to compose my thoughts any further (any more), so I will just say that whatever edd s hurt says will be otm.

I lean towards the Everlys on this but need to listen to a lot more Ricky - and I do not understand the claim that Ricky does not rock as hard as the Everlys. His band was the best in the business, pure fire when it wanted to be. Please please please listen to his version of "Milk Cow Blues." Listen to the snap that James Burton puts into the riff. Dave Davies lifted it whole on the Kinks' version. Burton and Sumlin (w/ Howlin' Wolf) were the models for many hard and frantic guitar riffs since, from "The Last Time" through "Boyfriend."

Ricky's singing is very canny, walking with aplomb atop the music's hysteria. I hear some Ricky in Gary Allen (cf. the title track on See If I Care).