Orpheus - Orpheus 4 (Reissue) (1971/2006)

Sometime before the breakup of the original band, Orpheus guitarist Bruce Arnold started playing in a pickup band called Two Foot Lamb Door, which included Elliot Sherman and Steve Martin. Martin had contributed several songs to Orpheus’ debut, and “Just Got Back” to Ascending. Producer Alan Lorber gave Arnold the nod to carry on the band, and Two Foot Lamb Door became the new Orpheus.
Arnold and Martin formed the core of the band. Arnold had invited original bassist John Erik Gulliksen to join the new lineup, but he declined, having moved on to corporate success. Thus reconstituted, the group signed to Bell Records.
The album that resulted sounds very little like the Orpheus of old. It’s an unorchestrated rock band often employing darker themes. The change is due to the fact that Martin writes the majority of the material, and takes about half the lead vocals. Alan Lorber was back in the producer’s chair, but keeps an amazingly low profile.
The new Orpheus doesn’t shy away from a pretty ballad (the Arnold-sung “I Wanna Be Your Lover” sounds most like the original line-up), but isn’t afraid to venture into headier territory (“Sweet Life”, “It Gets Worse Every Time”, “Nunnery”). No one’s gonna mistake ‘em for Black Sabbath, but you can bet the original band would have never considered the schizophenia ode “Monkey Demon”, or the biblical imagery of “I’ll Be There”.
In fact, this may be the Orpheus album to start with for the uninitiated, even if it is the hardest of the four to find. It’s still understated, but it’s more likely than the others to appeal to mainstream classic rock fans.