We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago…..
Like child actors who fail to transition to adult roles…the list of teen idols who couldn’t make the switch to serious, adult music is many. Rick Nelson is not one of them.
In 1971 Nelson was invited to play the annual Rock & Roll Revival show at Madison Square Garden. He showed up with his current group, The Stone Canyon Band. He played a few of his old hits and then segued into some cuts from his current LP, “Rudy The Fifth”, including his cover of Honky Tonk Woman by the Stones. The crowd was not amused. Nelson left the concert and proceeded to write Garden Party which would become a huge hit in 1972.
And while the crowd at the Garden wanted Hello Mary Lou and Travelin Man, they like many, were missing the fact that Nelson and his band were producing some quality California country-rock and “Rudy The Fifth” was a perfect example. It helped to have a pre-Eagles Randy Meisner on bass and high harmony. It also helped to have a post Buck Owens & The Buckaroos Tom Brumley on steel guitar. Allen Kemp on lead guitar, Andy Belling on piano and Patrick Shanahan on drums rounded out the group and they sounded sweet.
The LP was loaded with Nelson originals that stand out. “This Train” and “Sing Me A Song” are solid. And the covers are great. The aforementioned “Honky Tonk Woman” balances polish and grit and it may be the first time you have clearly heard the lyrics sung. The steel guitar work cooks on this as well.
He also does a good job with Shirley & Lee’s “Feel So Good”. But it’s the Dylan covers that really shine. He had done some Dylan on earlier records and his versions here of “Just Like A Woman” and Love Minus Zero/No Limit are top notch.
But the song that shows his country-rock chops closes the record. “Gypsy Pilot” could have easily appeared on the Eagles “Desperado” Lp and would not have been out of place. Here it is along with a live look at the band as well.
This LP was mostly ignored at the time…but looking back now, it really was a bridge from the Burritos and the Byrds to the Eagles, JD Souther and all the Southern California sound that came after. Give it a spin…
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