Maps of Music

The Orbison Way (1966)

Where the lyrics of The Orbison Way take you, and where it was really made.

Both singles charted in England, the US and Australia, yet the album itself peaked only at number 128 on the Billboard Top LPs chart.

Place unknown

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The Orbison Way: eighth album recorded by Roy Orbison, and his second for MGM Records
Released January 1966, available in both stereo and mono
Two singles: “Crawling Back” and “Breakin' Up Is Breakin' My Heart”
Both singles were chart hits in England, the US and Australia
Released on compact disc by Diablo Records on October 5, 2004, paired on one CD with the debut MGM album There Is Only One Roy Orbison
Included in the box set The MGM Years 1965-1973, released December 4, 2015, which contains 12 of Orbison's MGM studio albums and one compilation

1	Crawling Back	3:15
2	It Ain’t No Big Thing (Just Say So Long)	2:21
3	Time Changed Everything	2:09
4	This Is My Land	3:05
5	The Loner	2:23
6	Maybe	2:23
7	Breaking Up Is Breaking My Heart	2:07
8	Go Away	3:05
9	A New Star	2:58
10	Never	2:18
11	It Wasn’t Very Long Ago	2:34
12	Why Hurt the One Who Loves You	2:39

Roy Kelton Orbison (born April 23, 1936, Vernon, Texas; died December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist.
He began singing in a country-and-western band as a teenager in Wink, Texas, formed the Wink Westerners in 1949 and later the Teen Kings.
He was signed to Sun Records by Sam Phillips in 1956.

Known for a distinctive, powerful voice, complex song structures and dark, emotional ballads.
Signed to Monument Records; from 1960 to 1966, 22 of his singles reached the Billboard top 40.
Wrote or co-wrote almost all of his own top-10 hits, including "Only the Lonely", "Running Scared", "Crying" and "Oh, Pretty Woman".
Suffered personal tragedies after the mid-1960s, including the deaths of his first wife Claudette and two sons, and his career faltered.
Revived in the late 1980s after cover versions of his songs; co-founded the Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne in 1988.
Died of a heart attack in December 1988 at age 52.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987; received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Billboard magazine called the dramatic “Time Changed Everything” exceptional and the rhythm groove “It Wasn't Very Long Ago” a standout
Cashbox gave the album a positive review, saying Orbison sings the songs in a casual and relaxed manner
Cashbox described “Crawling Back” as a tender, slow-moving, laconic ode about a love-sick fella
Cashbox described “Breakin' Up Is Breakin' My Heart” as a medium-paced, full-orchestra, chorus-backed soulful tearjerker
Variety noted that many of the tunes have the melodic scope of the big pop ballads
Record Mirror gave the album a positive review, calling “This is My Land” great and “Why Hurt The One” near vocal perfection

Bruce Eder of AllMusic said the album lets Orbison open up vocally as never before, in an almost operatic setting
Eder judged the material pure pop/rock with some country-pop elements, and said some songwriting and stylistic choices are debatable
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music gave the album a two-star rating

Billboard Top LPs: debuted in the issue dated March 5, 1966, stayed three weeks, peaked at number 128
Cashbox Looking Ahead albums chart: debuted in the issue dated February 12, 1966, stayed seven weeks, peaked at number 107
UK Record Retailer albums chart: ten weeks, peaked at number 11

Both singles, “Crawling Back” and “Breakin' Up Is Breakin' My Heart”, were chart hits in England, the US and Australia.
The album was Orbison's last studio album to enter the chart in two decades, until the 1987 release of In Dreams: The Greatest Hits.
Five of the songs feature his band, The Candy Men.
The album appeared on the 2015 box set The MGM Years 1965-1973, alongside 12 of Orbison's MGM studio albums.