Laminar Flow (album) explained

Laminar Flow is an album by the American musician Roy Orbison.^[1] It was recorded at Wishbone Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and released on May 16, 1979, by Asylum Records.^[2] It was the last album of new material Orbison would release in his lifetime. His next studio effort, In Dreams, featured re-recordings of old Orbison hits while Mystery Girl and King of Hearts, his final collections of all-new material, were released posthumously. "Hound Dog Man" is a tribute to Elvis Presley.^[3]

Critical reception

The Los Angeles Times called it "a collection of easy-listening pop that shows the Orbison pipes to be in glorious form."^[4] Suggesting that while "it was a bit of a departure of his sound, Billboard notes that "he still know his way around a ballad as in 'Love is a Cold Wind', 'I Care', 'Poor Baby'."^[5]

The Globe and Mail wrote that "Laminar Flow is a travesty: disco, fake disco and fake California rock form the backgrounds while poor Roy (who still sings well) flounders atop with absolutely no confidence."^[6]

William Ruhlmann of AllMusic notes that "'Easy Way Out' and 'Friday Night' "employ trendy disco beats, while 'Lay It Down' and 'Warm Spot Hot' settle for funk... Trying for different radio formats, 'Tears' is one of several contemporary-sounding ballads seemingly intended for adult contemporary radio."^[7]

Track listing

Side One

1. "Easy Way Out" – (Jim Valentini, Frank Saulino, Spady Brannan)
2. "Love Is a Cold Wind" – (Charlie Black, Rory Bourke)
3. "Lay It Down" – (Robert Byrne, Tommy Brasfield)
4. "I Care" – (Lenny LeBlanc, Eddie Struzick)
5. "We're Into Something Good" – (George Soulé, Terry Woodford)
6. "Movin'" – (Roy Orbison, Chris Price)

Side Two

1. "Poor Baby" – (Roy Orbison, Chris Price, Regi Price)
2. "Warm Spot Hot" – (Eddie Struzick)
3. "Tears" – (Roy Orbison, Chris Price, Dan Price, Regi Price)
4. "Friday Night" – (Regi Price, Chris Price)
5. "Hound Dog Man" – (Barbara Orbison, Terry Woodford, Tommy Stuart)

Personnel

• Roy Orbison – vocals
• Larry Byrom, Mac McAnally – acoustic guitar
• Bill Hinds, Robert Byrne, Tippy Armstrong – guitar
• Lenny LeBlanc – drums, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Bob Wray, Lonnie Ledford – bass guitar
• Clayton Ivey – keyboards
• Roger Clark – drums, synthesizer
• Mickey Buckins, Tom Roady – percussion
• Jim Horn – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
• Harvey Thompson – tenor saxophone
• Ronald Eades – baritone saxophone
• Harrison Calloway – trumpet
• Charles Rose – trombone
• Barbara Wyrick, Chris Price, Eddie Struzick, Marie Tomlinson, Robert Byrne, Suzy Storm, Terry Woodford – backing vocals

Notes and References

1. News: Morse . Steve . Orbison on Preciously Few Records . The Boston Globe . 11 Dec 1988 . B10.
2. Grein . Paul . May 16, 1979 . New Heart Open Up New Orbison Career . . 38 . 91 . 20 .
3. Robins . Wayne . Roy Orbison: The Soul of Rock and Roll . Billboard . Dec 6, 2008 . 120 . 49 . 35.
4. News: McKenna . Kristine . Caruso of Rock Ready to Rescale the Charts . Los Angeles Times . 26 May 1979 . Part II . 10.
5. May 26, 1979 . Billboard Recommed LPs: Roy Orbison - Laminar Flaw . . 82 . 91 . 20 .
6. News: McGrath . Paul . 28 July 1979 . Laminar Flow Roy Orbison . The Globe and Mail . F4.
7. Web site: Ruhlmann . William . Roy Orbison - Laminar Flow: Rating & Reviews . 2024-09-21 . AllMusic.