Ron Nagle — Bad Rice (USED)

Used Vinyl Media is Very Good with very minor spots / Artwork is a heavy gatefold that has some marks and discoloration on the front / "The results were stunning: indelible melodies, hard-charging rock 'n' roll and heartbreaking ballads, a level of insight and lyrical sophistication that, at its best, invests the songs with the depth and plot points of the most compelling short story." High praise indeed, but I agree with Sculatti's assessment. This was incredibly well-crafted music, songs full of hooks and lyrical brilliance, plus the production by Jack Nitzsche was sharp and perfectly balanced. As good as the original "Bad Rice" album was --- and still is. This was Nagle's lone solo album, and it rates as a tragedy that not only did the album gather little notice or sales upon its original release, but that Nagle never recorded another album. Clearly, this guy had first-class songwriting chops. I hear elements of everyone from Burt Bacharach and Randy Newman to Todd Rundgren and even Andrew Gold in these songs. There are some beautifully tender ballads and delicious pop songs mixed with spirited rockers that exude the energy of an early Rolling Stones record.