My appetite for reading is sort of like a child at the dinner table. Sometimes they eat all the food on their plate and go back for seconds and other times they just push the food around, stubbornly refusing to eat food and all they do is eat cookies for 4 days straight. In the past few weeks I’ve been reading a lot and going back to the library for more. A healthy appetite, I think. In the carousel at this present time is “As Good As Dead,” the third book in the “Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series by Holly Jackson. Another book in rotation is “In Five Years” by Rebecca Serle. And lastly, “Only the Lonely: The Life and Legacy of Roy Orbison,” and it’s this book that I can’t put down.
I’ve liked Roy Orbison for as long as I can remember, going back to the first time I heard “Oh, Pretty Woman.” Actually, there was an unforgettable experience connected to this song at my sister’s Miss Teen Virginia beauty pageant way back in the late 80s and I won’t get into it but let’s just say it involves that song, a feather boa, and an awkward pageant contestant. đź«Ł
Obviously, Mr. Orbison has a catalog of iconic songs that rose to the top or at least charted really high during his long career as a performer and songwriter. I won’t even try to pretend to say that I know a lot about him but this book has been so interesting, getting into the details of music trends, song backgrounds, and what was going on in the musical entertainment industry in the 1950s and 1960s (and on up to the 80s and 90s, I assume, I’m only halfway through the book at the moment).
Roy’s voice is… how do we even describe it? Rich, velvety, distinctive, even Elvis Presley said it was perfect. Roy was listed at #71 on the Rolling Stone list of 200 Greatest Singers of All Time… which how accurate can that be with Kelly Clarkson at #194 and Carrie Underwood at #158? Give me a break. Those women have two of the best voices in music of any genre! So Roy being at #71 is something to take with a grain of salt. I say he’s top 10, if not top 5. They also list the true Queen of Christmas Music, Darlene Love, at #144 and now I think everyone at Rolling Stone Magazine must immediately be slapped right in the face for their buffoonery. And I’m talking about current employees. You must pay for your coworkers dumb mistakes, even if they’ve already been fired.
The list is bonkers to not have Roy, Darlene, Carrie, and Kelly all in the top 50. I’m scrolling down the list on the way to #1…. oh, Elton John is #100. I hope this offering from Rolling Stone was rejected by everyone. What a sham! Elvis at #17 and Prince at #16. OK, the pages of every Rolling Stone issue ought to just be used as toiler paper now.
Just yesterday I was riding in the car with one of my nieces and relayed the info about Roy Orbison’s B-side song, “Running Scared,” so we listened to that and then I just had to show her my favorite song, “She’s A Mystery To Me.” His falsetto, his vibrato, the lyrics and his delivery of these two songs are simply incredible. I particularly liked the tidbit of backstory about “Running Scared” from the book I’m reading. In the ending lyrics, the book says on page 82…
Two minutes after the tape rolled again, even the most grizzled season player was stunned when, from his hiding place, the singer reached that apocalyptic G sharp with his natural voice.
So then of course I had to go listen to it AGAIN… and wow. What a note to end on. If I could hit that note, I’d be living in a bigger camper, that’s for sure.
What’s your favorite Roy Orbison song? Comment below and let’s talk about it all. I’ll probably write again once I finish the book. I still haven’t gotten to the point where he releases “Oh, Pretty Woman” and I’m sure this is where is already admirable career is boosted to the upper stratospheres.
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 