It seemed like a poignant number to pay tribute to the fallen idol. Nelson had been famous for his entire life, first as a child star with his parents and brother on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and then with his first love, music. He had been around the world as one of the biggest pop stars around and continued to tour as his popularity waned. His boyish image proved hard to shake. Yet, he never ceased playing shows to crowds grateful, indifferent or hostile. The road had taken its toll and it ended up bringing about his premature end.
Trouble is, there's more to it than the opening line of "I'm a travelin' man, made a lot of stops all over the world". In what should have been a weary anthem of grit and sacrifice, Nelson instead brags about all the women he has shacked up with in various parts of the globe. These aren't the words of a weary faded star in his mid-forties but those of a young man in all his glory. He just chose not to sing it that way.
"Travelin' Man" may seem like an odd song to pair up with the much more sweet-natured and chaste "Hello Mary Lou" but the contrast works counterintuitively well. Listen to him lay it on thick on the latter — which, perhaps due to conservative America not wanting to have anything to do with the sex-obsessed Ricky Nelson, became the track that got the bulk of the airplay — only to have him confess to having a broad in every port of call on the former and he becomes an even bigger creep. He may have pledged his fidelity and heart to this Mary Lou chick but that wasn't about to stop him from hooking up with his little "China doll" in Hong Kong or his "pretty Polynesian" in Waikiki. (The stereotypes are both very hard to swallow and kind of amusing; not because their funny, mind you, but because it's amazing to think that North Americans used to talk this way) And what if Mary Lou finds out? He can always try dishing out more of the charm.
This is a great example of how a double A-side can wind up being more than the sum of its parts. As individual tracks, both "Hello Mary Lou" and "Travelin' Man" are nothing special. Together, they're kind of, sort of special. Not great as a tandem but much better together than apart. It's the kind of single that's not only worth flipping over to hear the other side but it even pays to then go right back to the A-side. Had enough of his yearning for Mary Lou? Check out his notches-on-the-bedpost set to music over on the flip. Feel a bit sickened by all the globe-trotting shagging he was doing? Go back to the other side and give the boy-next-door a pat on the back for being so good to his sweetheart.
I'm sure the networks putting packages of Rick Nelson's life meant well back on New Year's Day, 1986. As I say, the chorus of "Travelin' Man" fits in perfectly with his image as a workhorse on the road who tragically lost his life between shows. Yet, the more accurate tribute would have been to have pictures of Nelson's life as an actor and singer set to later hit "Garden Party". Not only is it probably the finest single of his career but it's about far more than his love for one woman and his lust for many. Ricky Nelson was a nepo baby who often failed, a dedicated performer who had all the breaks in life but who still couldn't quite maintain his stardom even though he worked tirelessly at it. But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. Suffice it to say, Nelson lived quite the life even if his recorded output sometimes missed the mark — and even then, he was often able to make it work all the same.
Score: 7
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