Genre: rock
Rating: 2 stars **
Title: The Orange Album
Company: Axe
Catalog: AXS 520
Year: 1977
Country/State: Canada
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: small punch out hole top left corner
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5082
Price: $120.00
Not to be overly cynical, but having played this album a couple of dozen times I have to wonder if this one would have attracted any attention had it not been for the fact noted collector Hans Pokora included it in one of his collector books (I think it's listed in "4000 Record Collector Dreams"). I also have wonder about the progressive label so many critics and high priced dealers have slapped on the album ... to my ears this is pretty conventional hard rock. 'Course what do I know ...
Produced by Jon Bojicic (Rush producer Terry Brown listed as executive producer), 1977's cleverly titled "Wanka" wasn't bad in a conventional, hard rock fashion (okay, I'll admit 'Same Way' had a touch of Pink Floyd weirdness). Original material like 'Make Up Your Mind (You Can't Have Both)', 'Sue Ann' and 'I Want You (By My Side)' was fairly catchy, though it all had that 'I've heard this somewhere before' feeling. Add in the absence of a truly distinguished lead singer and it was okay, though nothing great. Imagine bits of BTO, Guess Who, Max Webster, etc. thrown into a musical stew and you won't be that far off. Elsewhere, 'Get Ahead' actually sounded like the English band Charlie. One saving grace was the fact judging by the self-depreciating 'Wrong Door' these guys at least had a sense of humor. (Consider this a preliminary review since I'll set the album aside for a couple of months and come back for another couple of spins.)
"The
Orange Album" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Make Up Your Mind (You Can't Have Both) (Chris Gibb - Mark Pickett) - 5:27
2.) Wrong Door (Mark Pickett - Chris Gibb - Howard Samuel) - 3:50
3.) Sue Anne (Mark Pickett - Howard Samuel) - 3:13
4.) Get Ahead (Mark Pickett - Chris Gibb - Howard Samuel) - 6:25
(side
2)
1.) I Want You (By My Side) (Mark Pickett - Doug Paul Smith) -
4:25
2.) Say No More (Mark Pickett - Chris Gibb - Howard Samuel) - 7:20
3.) Same Way (Chris Gibb) - 7:15