Say Something Interesting about: Roy Orbison

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Come on, Traveling Wilburys is one of the greatest late-eighties acts. If those guys didn't get together, people would be sitting on this board going "I bet coupling RoyO, Dylan, Harrison (okay, maybe you would've said Lennon) would've been awsome! But I guess we'll never know, sniff"

Funny how they never managed to make a decent song after Big Roy's passing though.

Brede Trollsås (FunkDirt), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 12:17 (seventeen years ago) link

No way! Volume 3 has some great tunes.

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 14:36 (seventeen years ago) link

Totally nice guy, according to people who met him. Which is impressive considering what shitty luck the guy had.

Dan Heilman (The Deacon), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 15:23 (seventeen years ago) link

one year passes...

YOU GOT IT

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Thursday, 17 January 2008 02:43 (sixteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

Is there any better sounding echo than on Roy Orbison's early 60s hits? I'm not familiar with music terms so I don't know if you would exactly call it "echo", but what I'm talkin about is the sound of his voice specifically on "In Dreams" when he starts singing "I close my eyes and drift away...". God I love that song.

Belldog, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 02:34 (sixteen years ago) link

reverb, I imagine

Hurting 2, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 03:50 (sixteen years ago) link

and yeah, it's pretty much the best reverb

Hurting 2, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 03:51 (sixteen years ago) link

He wore those big sunnies 'cause he was shy.

S-, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 04:11 (sixteen years ago) link

seven months pass...

album recommendations?

Local Garda, Sunday, 14 September 2008 17:26 (fifteen years ago) link

The original In Dreams if you mean non-compilations.

Scowly D (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 14 September 2008 17:31 (fifteen years ago) link

The two-disc comp released a few years ago collects a lot of worthwhile one-off tracks from various eighties soundtracks ("Wild Hearts Run Out of Time," "Life Fades Away"), but the track list is frustratingly out of sequence.

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 14 September 2008 17:36 (fifteen years ago) link

There's a new 4xCD set called The Soul of Rock and Roll. It's out next month and it's very good.

deusner, Sunday, 14 September 2008 19:24 (fifteen years ago) link

does Roy Orbison join Al Green as the artist with universal ILE acclaim?

I like him a lot more than I do like Al Green. Al Green is, well, OK, but not at all up there with peers such as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Roy Orbison was one of the very few great pre-Beatles acts.

Geir Hongro, Sunday, 14 September 2008 23:25 (fifteen years ago) link

As for original albums, I guess "Crying" may be the most essential. The title track in particular, but also contains "Running Scared" among others.

Generally, original albums by pre-Beatles acts are not really recommended though. They were typical singles acts and should be treated as such. Also the case with Orbison.

Geir Hongro, Sunday, 14 September 2008 23:27 (fifteen years ago) link

Thanks for the education.

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 14 September 2008 23:28 (fifteen years ago) link

Had a look at the tracklisting for the box set - no "Southbound Jericho Parkway," no "definitive" I'm afraid.

Marcello Carlin, Monday, 15 September 2008 09:10 (fifteen years ago) link

He was a guest on Night Network one night in the late 80s, along with the Voice of the Beehive. They were reviewing new videos and a late Smiths or early solo Morrissey song came on and Roy Orbison said how sad the singer seemed and how he felt bad for him.
― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 9 November 2003

the pinefox, Monday, 15 September 2008 09:20 (fifteen years ago) link

two months pass...

I picked up a really shabby looking Roy Orbison best of today for a dollar and I'm mighty glad that I did. I've always been envious of people who grew up with families who listened to radio all of the time, and have long been familiar with all the old staples. But then again, sometimes it's really cool to approach this stuff as an adult for the first time. Currently I'm going fucking wild about "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)", the way the drums get louder and louder during the final minute.

Z S, Tuesday, 9 December 2008 04:42 (fifteen years ago) link

He's really somethin' else. Runnin' Scared is my jam.

ian, Tuesday, 9 December 2008 05:25 (fifteen years ago) link

I was flipping through channels on Thanksgiving during post-eating and some kind of all-star concert was shown on PBS.. It was filmed in B&W, and I remember hearing "It's Over" and "Pretty Woman.."

billstevejim, Tuesday, 9 December 2008 05:36 (fifteen years ago) link

wow ZS, I'm not sure if I envy you or pity you.

Dream Baby, Crying, Dream Baby, Pretty Woman: these songs are the sdtk to my life.

hard to imagine what could've replaced them, but the thought of approaching with fresh ears is appetizing

xp

billstevejim, that special is the greatest dream like music thing i've ever seen. kinda lynchian

STILL GEETIKA IN 2009 (PappaWheelie V), Tuesday, 9 December 2008 05:37 (fifteen years ago) link

Yeah I loved it.. I'm pretty sure most, if not all, of my family was into it, but there were people running in and out of the room a lot, so it's hard to tell.

billstevejim, Tuesday, 9 December 2008 05:39 (fifteen years ago) link

Okay, I'm reading on wikipedia that he recorded a disco album called Laminar Flow in 1979. This sounds intriguing.

billstevejim, Tuesday, 9 December 2008 05:52 (fifteen years ago) link

LIFE FADES AWAY

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 14 December 2008 19:48 (fifteen years ago) link

a friend of mine recently picked up a tape at a carboot sale with "boy or bison" written on the inlay card. he thought it was a great bandname and bought it for that reason. he got home and it was, of course, a roy orbison compliation.

NI, Sunday, 14 December 2008 20:56 (fifteen years ago) link

five months pass...

His late Sixties/Early Seventies Jimmy Webb-style Überpop-opera recordings for MGM-Monument are totally slept on.
― musicmope (musicmope), Saturday, November 8, 2003 11:40 AM (5 years ago)

On the basis of the copy of 'Memphis' (1972) I just picked up, this would appear to be true - amazing song called 'Run the Engine High' by jerry McBee, that sounds like it could be the Box Tops, a bonkers, phased I fought the Law, and an even more Bonkers 'Danny Boy'

sonofstan, Saturday, 16 May 2009 11:45 (fourteen years ago) link

four weeks pass...

"She's a Mystery to Me" is an obvious standout on Mystery Girl but this is a really strong album. The second half is particularly strong: "The Comedians" is excellent as is said above, as is "Windsurfer" and "Careless Heart" (the latter a Diane Warren co-write but let's not hold that against it).

Why do we always go for something we can't reach? Nobody ever really understands.

Euler, Saturday, 13 June 2009 16:12 (fourteen years ago) link

roy orbison sing it for the lonely

Lamp, Saturday, 13 June 2009 19:15 (fourteen years ago) link

Yeah, I really enjoyed the fact that half the music business seemed to be behind him, determined to give him a hit.

So true.

Bud Huxtable (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 20 June 2009 02:02 (fourteen years ago) link

You know someone who said something interesting about Roy Orbison is Alan Sparhawk in that NPR Fresh Aire interview linked from the Low thread.

bamcquern, Saturday, 20 June 2009 02:28 (fourteen years ago) link

nine months pass...

christ, but Mystery Girl is a TREMENDOUS album. obviously I always loved "You Got It", but never heard the entire lp until I picked up a sealed copy for three bucks last weekend. so wonderful in every way. how sad that he wasn't around to bask in its glow.

Stormy Davis, Friday, 16 April 2010 03:13 (fourteen years ago) link

one month passes...

i love roy orbison more than life

I see what this is (Local Garda), Thursday, 20 May 2010 20:14 (thirteen years ago) link

Something interesting. Hmmm...

I think I read somewhere that Elvis Presley got a phone call from somebody praising his new song, but it turned out to be one of Roy's singles.

Someone's face was red.

ImprovSpirit, Thursday, 20 May 2010 21:46 (thirteen years ago) link

Roy Orbison was the first American rock musician to start using Marshall amps and bring them back to the USA after a UK tour.

earlnash, Friday, 21 May 2010 02:44 (thirteen years ago) link

seven months pass...

always listen to roy orbison at christmas

jabba hands, Tuesday, 21 December 2010 23:19 (thirteen years ago) link

eight months pass...

No proper C/D thread, so...

I picked up the Bear Family "Roy Rocks" comp of his rockabilly and up-tempo material and it's just strength to strength. While I enjoy Roy's ballads more than most of his contemporaries I really appreciate this Rocks series approach, it concentrates on the stuff I like best.

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 5 September 2011 01:16 (twelve years ago) link

My favourite is Running Scared, an extraordinarily tense song. One of the live albums I have, he ends it on that huge "...with MEEEEEE!!!" and the audience goes wild, and then he just sings the last couple of lines another half dozen times, putting more into it each time. It's fantastic.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, November 7, 2004 11:13 PM (6 years ago)

martin OTM. this has been one of my favorite performances (on the record, haven't heard the live version) for ever and ever.

(The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Monday, 5 September 2011 01:59 (twelve years ago) link

Despite boasting an "anodyne" production (as I heard someone call Jeff Lynne's job last month), "You Got It" is such a remarkable piece of craft.

Anakin Ska Walker (AKA Skarth Vader) (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 5 September 2011 03:21 (twelve years ago) link

Back in around 2006 or 2007 the RnR Hall of Fame had an Orbison exhibit. Among the artifacts was a hand-scrawled memo to himself essentially telling him to pull his shit together, from the mid-80s or so. It was in list form, kind of like "1) Fire manager; 2) Get new band" etc.

shake it, shake it, sugary pee (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 5 September 2011 18:53 (twelve years ago) link

that's interesting - i'd always chalked orbison's comeback to a confluence of factors: blue velvet, the showtime 'black and white night' special (this was a pretty big deal at the time), the 'crying' remake w/ kd lang and then the watershed w/ traveling wilburys and mystery girl. i'd never even considered that he might've been the active catalyst behind it.

balls, Monday, 5 September 2011 20:12 (twelve years ago) link

Was the subject of a bizarro early attempt to create stereo LPs from old mono recordings when stereo became big in the mid-60s, which budget label Design Records did by putting the original recording on the left channel, and overdubbing new instruments on the right channel. Unfortunately, someone thought that a tambourine and harmonica were the ticket to modernizing O's early recordings. Here's the sorry result. LOLling at description "Design Records vs. Roy Orbison", like it was an intended mash-up.....

Lee547 (Lee626), Monday, 5 September 2011 22:32 (twelve years ago) link

xp The memo definitely predated "A Black & White Night," the Wilburys, and the kd lang collaboration. It was pretty fascinating, like he was taking stock: where have I been, where am I now, and where do I want to be?

shake it, shake it, sugary pee (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 5 September 2011 22:39 (twelve years ago) link

How could Orbison be a passive agent in his own comeback?

Anakin Ska Walker (AKA Skarth Vader) (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 5 September 2011 22:43 (twelve years ago) link

had one of his songs featured in popular British sitcom "Only Fools And Horses". It was sung by a character in the show that was an ageing binman dressed up to look roughly like Tom Jones, who couldn't pronounce his R's properly. Thus, the song in question became 'Cwying'.

Turrican, Monday, 5 September 2011 22:47 (twelve years ago) link

He should be swtiched off immediately if in the vicinity of Dennis Hopper with an oxygen cylinder

Dr X O'Skeleton, Tuesday, 6 September 2011 18:23 (twelve years ago) link

seven months pass...

It's 1976 and the Big O has the number one album in the UK. How did that happen? I try to find out why.

his hair could do the work of ten men.
― scott seward, Saturday, 8 November 2003 04:07 (8 years ago) Bookmark

I'm not going leftfield on you... (hypehat), Sunday, 8 April 2012 00:58 (twelve years ago) link

My buddy in junior high got dressed up like roy orbison, and I photographed him eating from a bowl of banana pudding.

....

Maybe I should've posted that in the seran wrap thread.

pplains, Sunday, 8 April 2012 01:14 (twelve years ago) link

Well basically my prime dread re: hooping kind of happened and for the first twenty minutes the pill burned in my ass in that nagging, infuriating way like when your belly-button ring accidentally gets yanked too hard. Would you believe it though, one of my friends took it upon herself to put a condom over her finger and re-orient the thing -- I hadn't the money for a second attempt -- after which I had a pretty good time. Not all it's cracked up to be, however, though it may be different for girls. I guess it's on you to find out for yourselves.

― DarrensCoq, Sunday, November 9, 2003 9:06 AM (8 years ago)

tanuki, Sunday, 8 April 2012 01:22 (twelve years ago) link

two months pass...

During recent Louvin Brothers jag discovered this pretty good Live From Batley Variety Club album: http://open.spotify.com/album/4LFrznrFAkcoprQqaWrCAc

ratso piazzolla (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 30 June 2012 17:34 (eleven years ago) link


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