ORION THE HUNTER: Orion The Hunter LP 1984 includes “So You Ran”. Boston guitarist, Heart drummer. Check videos & audio description / audio commentary.

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An audio description / audio commentary of what the ORION THE HUNTER  album is all about. Listen:  https://voca.ro/1gSLWxSCVgom

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ORION THE HUNTER self-titled album: considered one of the greatest first half of the Eighties AOR albums.

Boston debut album album is not only regarded as one of the greatest rock albums of all time but it is also one of the biggest sellers. Its influence was all pervasive and set the standards for years to come. Behind the scenes, however, things were not going as smoothly as they seemed.
Indeed, by the turn of the Seventies the band had all but imploded, with guitarist Barry Goudreau being the first to head off for pastures new.

Initially, Goudreau recorded a well-received solo album, but a part of him still longed to be a member of a fully functioning band.With this goal in mind, he set about forming a new outfit, named, rather enigmatically, Orion The Hunter.
Featuring lead vocalist Fran Cosmo – a man who would, somewhat ironically, later go on to actually join Boston – bassist Bruce Smith and former Heart drummer Michael DeRosier, the quartet spent nearly a year crafting a selection of songs that would form the basis of a remarkable album.

Recorded at the renowned Power Station Studios in New York, the album was universally praised for its wealth of great songs, melodic arrangements and a sound built on the very foundations of Boston itself – Barry’s guitar work in particular ringing with that unmistakable tone.

“Orion The Hunter” features a breathtaking demonstration of musical ability and superior songwriting. It is an AOR milestone with an ideally balanced sound no less massive and devastating than that of Tom Scholz’s Boston.
Fran Cosmo’s performance on this album is phenomenal; his mighty, emotionally charged voice would give an air-raid siren a run for its money although it’s anybody’s guess how much of this was achieved through studio magic. Brad Delp pitched in on backing vocals, while the keyboard end of affairs (organ, mellotron, memory moog, piano, synth programming) was handled by additional musicians.

From the opening chords it is clear that the listener may prepare for greatness. ‘All those Years’ amply displays all of the elements that make this such a magnificent album. Amazingly beautiful melodies are delivered with pinpoint precision on the crest of a hard rocking wave, Fran Cosmo’s stunning vocals rising above them like a beacon.

Then it comes ‘So you Ran’, simply of of the finest AOR tunes from the first half of the ’80s. A killer song with a killer chorus and vocal harmonies. ‘Dreamin’ is a fast paced, steamroller of a track with a guitar solo that unfolds like an unstoppable force, “Dark and Stormy” a piano oriented power ballad with appropriate special effects.
While “Stand Up” and “Fast Talk” are your energetic, melodic rock oriented uptempo tracks, “Too Much in Love” stands out because of its poppy touch. ”
Joanne” should have been a HUGE hit. Far from being the cliché “sentimental song named after a girl” it is a potentially classic rock-ballad in the finest Journey / Boston tradition.
“I Call it Love” wraps things up in a higher gear, it’s got the Loverboy seal of approval stamped all over it and a crafty piano interlude thrown in for good measure.

“Orion The Hunter” were as impressive as they were short-lived. Their one and only album blend the magic of classic Boston with the catchy US AOR style circa 1983, and in many ways the sound & style of this record influenced many acts of the genre in years to come.
A Must Have

01 – All Those Years
02 – So You Ran
03 – Dreamin’
04 – Dark And Stormy
05 – Stand Up
06 – Fast Talk
07 – Too Much In Love
08 – Joanne
09 – I Call It Love

Fran Cosmo: lead vocals
Barry Goudreau: guitars, backing vocals
Bruce Smith: bass, backing vocals
Michael De Rosier: drums, percussion
additional musicians:
Lennie Petze: additional guitars
Steve Baker: piano
Jimmy Bralower, John Schuller, Peter Wood: keyboards, synths
Brad Delp: additional vocals

ORION THE HUNTER: S/T
Orion The Hunter was a spin-off of the band Boston. The band was formed by Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau in the early 1980s and consisted of Goudreau on lead guitar, Fran Cosmo on lead vocals, Bruce Smith on bass, and Mike DeRosier, formerly of Heart, on drums. The Orion The Hunter album featured the hit “”So You Run,”” which pushed the album to #57 on the Billboard chart. The band short existence was probably caused by Goudreau ongoing problems with the band Boston, in which he sued guitarist Tom Scholz, only to settle out of court.

Guitar: Barry Goudreau
Backing Vocals: Brad Delp
Vocals: Fran Cosmo
Bass Guitar: Bruce Smith
Drums Micheal DeRosier

Release Date 1984
Duration 42:12

04 Dark and Stormy:

The music on Orion The Hunter is more keyboard/synthesizer based. It rocks, but is different than Boston. Still Barry shreds on this one too. The album even had a hit single with a music video in “”So You Ran.”” Was released on
LP in 1984, out of print for years.

Track Listings:
1. All Those Years
2. So You Ran
3. Dreamin’
4. Dark and Stormy
5. Stand Up
6. Fast Talk
7. Too Much in Love
8. Joanne
9. I Call It Love

In 1984, the world still waited for ringmaster Tom Scholz to finish Boston third record. During “”All Those Years,”” Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau recorded a solo LP with other limbo members and hooked up with vocalist Fran Cosmo. Choosing not to wait any longer for Scholz, Goudreau brought bassist Bruce Smith and Heart beat-man Michael DeRosier on board for the one-off Orion the Hunter. “”So You Ran”” made the radio, a testament to the enduring popularity and influence of AOR kings Boston, as this song would never cross the airwaves in this day and age. Cosmo brings a fresh voice to standard proceedings and Boston virtuoso vox-man Brad Delp is not listed as a member, but holds a strong presence over Orion the Hunter. “”Too Much in Love”” is excellent, actually based around keys rather than falling victim.

During the lengthy gestation period between Boston 1978 release Don’t Look Back and what would become that act follow-up, 1986 Third Stage, guitarist Barry Goudreau formed Orion the Hunter. Joining Goudreau was singer Fran Cosmo (who had sung on a Goudreau solo album in 1980), bass player Bruce Smith, and ex-Heart drummer Michael DeRosier. Originally called simply Orion, the name was tweaked under legal pressure from Orion Pictures. Signed to Sony, the quartet released its eponymous début in the summer of 1984. Orion the Hunter also included contributions from Boston lead singer Brad Delp, who lent background vocals to the project as well as co-writing half the songs. With Boston still a staple artist at rock radio (and in the absence of new material from them), Orion the Hunter generated enough interest for the lead track, “”So You Ran,”” to get airplay. “”So You Ran”” managed to make the Top Ten at rock radio and was a mid-chart hit on mainstream pop radio. The band broke up following a stint on the road with Aerosmith and Goudreau, who had been in a protracted legal battle with Boston Tom Scholz, who wouldn’t appear on Boston Third Stage when it finally arrived in 1986.

Orion the Hunter – Stand up:

5.0 out of 5 stars A magnum opus August
Two years prior to Boston 1986 “”Third stage”” album ex-Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau new group Orion (The Hunter) beat them to the punch with this awesome, one off release, which marked an astonishing improvement compared to his 1980 solo debut. On this occasion he was rejoined by vocalist Fran Cosmo, with a rhythm section consisting of bass player Bruce Smith (ex-Alice Cooper) and drummer Michael de Rosier (ex-Heart). To simply dismiss this wonderful act as a second-rate Boston spinoff would be both incorrect and unjustified. Firstly because they were an AOR band, whose music should not be likened to Boston familiar brand of (non-computer/synthesizer generated) melodic/symphonic rock, and secondly because they were anything but second-rate.
Orion “”The hunter”” features a breathtaking demonstration of musical ability and superior songwriting. It is an AOR milestone with an ideally balanced sound no less massive and devastating than that of Tom Scholz Boston. Fran Cosmo performance on this album is phenomenal; his mighty, emotionally charged voice would give an airraid siren a run for its money (well, almost), although it anybody guess how much of this was achieved through studio magic. Brad Delp pitched in on backing vocals, while the keyboard end of affairs (organ, mellotron, memory moog, piano, synth programming) was handled by additional musicians. The album was produced by Barry Goudreau himself and recorded at The Power Station in New York.
As for the songs: from the opening chords it is clear that the listener may prepare for greatness. “”All those years”” amply displays all of the elements that make this such a magnificent album.

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5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT ALBUM
Excellent sound, excellent voice(Vocal Fran Cosmo), excellent songs and excellent rock music.Just buy it.You never will be regret.This album is extremely solid, bold, and represents what the 80 still means to me: music that is humble but still has enough power, soul, and dedication to move the listener to a different height of reality and hope.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding
This is on of the truly memorable albums that nobody ever heard of. I first remember the video for “”so you ran”” and found it very much to my liking. Several years later the library at the Air Force base that I was stationed at in Turkey gave me a copy of the album and it immediately became one my personal top tens. In fact, I used it extensively in my base radio show, I was one of the base DJ`s and got a lot of requests for it. So in conclusion, don`t condemn this album until you spend some quality time with it.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Orion The Hunter….A Stellar LP!!
I first heard “”So You Ran”” in the early 80 and immediately went and bought it. I was amazed. It the best of what any Boston fan could hope for and then some. Fran voice is awesome, Brad doing backup, Barry playing guitar. Today, you can see both Fran and Brad singing for Boston!!! Anyways, this is a must have!
Orion the Hunter – Fast talk: