#1 for weeks of May 29th, and June 12th, 1961.
Ricky Nelson was our very first artist on this blog with "Poor Little Fool" from 1958. Three years later, he hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 again with "Travelin' Man". The good news is he still has his fine singing voice intact and this song features more of his true talent on display.
Even though it came out in 1961, "Travelin' Man" is a fine example of a tune that still tries to capture the glory days of 1950's rock and pop aimed at the teenagers and young adults. Lyrically, he sings about all the loves he had while traveling across the world. It is almost the "California Girls" of 1961.
Though Ricky Nelson may not have as stellar of a voice as his contemporary Roy Orbison, he does a good job with his vocal performance. The song is more of a medium tempo tune which seems to keep a foot in the door of 1950's rock as opposed to the easy listening/country style that he had in "Poor Little Fool".
In terms of the music, there is a nice and much welcomed guitar solo which sets this song apart from similar softer rock songs from the time period. Both guitar and piano are the most prominent instruments in this tune. Even the backing vocals are done in a 1950's rock/pop style. This helps the song feel a bit fresher to a new listener as opposed to sounding hopelessly dated.
Final Verdict - A stellar early rock/pop tune that is Ricky's best #1 on the list so far. It's got enough guitar and piano in it to please the rock lovers, while being a more laid back performance to please the pop lovers. All in all, a good combination that earns the song my seal of approval.
Coming Up Next - "Running Scared" by Roy Orbison.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I wish I was a travelin' man.
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