Rock, Pop Rock, Power Pop: Richard Orange - Big Orange Sun (2005 Orange Stone Recordings, Wizzard In Vinyl)

 

Haaving been at least somewhere on the scene, for no less than thirty years or so, it’s strange for a Beatlemaniacal fan (which is a category I count myself in) not to have heard about Mr. Orange. Anyway, I guess it’s better whenever than never, so here I am, tasting the “Orange” for the first time. Though captured on the legendary Memphis’ Sun vintage studio equipment, the sound here has a rather moderndaze flavour, offering another example of an imaginary Beatles record, had they continued throughout the post-1970 future.

So, nothing too innovative here, but it’s always an inexhaustible source to draw from, also offering a possibility for artist to throw in some of his own creativity whenever he feels like, and it seems that Richard Orange feels so, quite often. In Richard’s vision, it seems that it’s Paul who’d taken over most of the song writing in the mentioned imaginary future,

 since there are much more Wings-alike rawk-outs, taking you into different directions like the Ska Macca-ronies of the opening Mental Dentist, or All The Way To China (Hole In My Heart) that could’ve been another one of those collaborations with Costello.

After some arranging adjustments Someday Darkness could be the next smash for Oasis and there’s also the one that will Absolutely Positively take you into the smokey Cavern atmosphere. Fall Off The World (Mimi’s Song) and the title tune sound as if John and Paul had actually sat down to write together in the late ‘60s, while Ballad Of Captain Morgan is a popsike number “for the benefit of Mr. Lennon”.

At the end of the CD there’s no less than 22 minutes of bonus material, made of three titles that seem like various studio sketches/outtakes of which the first one is called Beatlesque, though the title is MUCH more suitable for the second one, Yuppie Pie/No.5, while Girls Dance With Girls is another one with funky “wings”. (Garwood Pickjon, popdiggers.com)

Richard Orange war schon immer ein Bewunderer der ''Fab Four'' und das hört man seinem musikalischen Wirken auch sehr oft an. Bereits 1975 bewies er mit ''Zuider Zee'' sein Faible für Beatles beeinflusste Popmusik. Und das ist auf diesem Album auch zu hören. Ich wünsche Euch viel Spaß.(Frank)

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