Garden Party 1972 Album

Rick Nelson The Stone Canyon Band

Any last vestiges of Nelson's rockabilly past were fully swept away for this release, which sees him and the Stone Canyon Band dive head-first into country rock, 70's pop, and even a bit of glam which wasn't as much of a stretch for an old retro horse like Nelson as previously thought. The smooth, self-deprecating title track brought him back into Top 10 one final time, but the rest of the album is just as strong, and quite well-rounded. "Palace Guard" closes it on a terrific, uplifting note which subsequent albums never quite followed up on. A nice little oasis before Rick's career went into a desert of oblivion.