Old Dogs New Tricks: Roy Orbison ‘Mystery Girl’

As curious a claim as it may seem, I assert that the latter half of the 80s was the perfect time to be a Roy Orbison fan. After some years out of the limelight, Orbison's presence in American music had reached its highest point since his 60s peak. This was partly due to his music appearing in cinematic releases of the era, such as 1963's 'In Dreams' in Blue Velvet (1986). 1988 also saw the formation of British-American supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, of which Orbison was a member alongside George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne.

          All of this came to a saddening end, however, with Orbison's death on December 6th 1988 at age 52 from a heart attack. In the months beforehand however, he was able to record the material for what would become his final solo album. Thus 'Old Dogs, New Tricks' takes a step further into the past than usual as we visit the posthumously released 

     Mystery Girl (1989).

          From the opening track of 'You Got It', co-written with fellow

Wilburys Lynne and Petty, it becomes apparent that this album

was intended as a continuation of Orbison's classic sound. 

This crucially prevents the album from dating. Instead of becoming overly indicative of their period, tracks like the mellow 'California Blue' and lushly orchestrated 'A Love So Beautiful' could believably slot into any point in Orbison's decade-spanning career.

It would also be wrong to assume from this approach that Orbison did not embrace contemporary musical achievements. In addition to the aforementioned input from the other Wilburys, the writing credits for Mystery Girl include Elvis Costello on the beautifully melancholic
'The Comedians' and Diane Warren on the closing track of 'Careless Heart'. The most vital contribution to the album, however, has to be the lead single 'She's a Mystery to Me', written by Bono and The Edge of U2. With a production that steadily builds with the intensity of the vocals, Orbison brings the hauntingly yearning lyrics to their full potential, ending in a climactic falsetto.

          Where there is a cause for concern with Mystery Girl is in its stylistic variety. Across its ten tracks, none can be properly described as up-tempo, resulting in an album that is largely composed of ballads. Yet breakneck thrills are ultimately not why most would reach for a Roy Orbison album. What Orbison is renowned for is his ability to bring the most potent depths of human feeling to life through his voice and music.

          It is in this respect that Mystery Girl triumphs, reminding us exactly why Orbison is the unparalleled icon of popular music that he is. What hits hardest about the album, however, is how it evidences the talent that Orbison possessed even at the very end. Between this LP and his highly recommended work with the Wilburys, one can safely say that Orbison went out with anything but a whimper.