Review: Andrew Gold’s Tuneful Tribute to Times Passed

Andrew Gold A.K.A. The Fraternal Order of the All
Greetings From Planet Love
Esoteric Records
3.5 out of five stars

The late Andrew Gold carved a successful career that reaped several hits, among them “Thank You for Being a Friend,” “Never Let Her Slip Away” and “Lonely Boy,” each of which propelled him to the top of the charts. A collaboration with 10cc’s Graham Gouldman in a band dubbed Wax, and his contributions to a band called Bryndle offered additional credibility in a creative sense, making it clear Gold was a restless warrior, an artist always in search of new sources of imagination and ingenuity.

That desire to pursue more adventurous avenues led him to create a fictitious outfit dubbed The Fraternal Order of the All. It began with an album dubbed Greetings From Planet Love, a nom-de-plume that allowed him to excise his admiration for any number of ’60s stalwarts—The Beatles, The Byrds, and The Beach Boys in particular. Like XTC’s alter ego, the Dukes of Stratosphear, it took on a decidedly psychedelic sensibility. Recorded in 1997, it took a fond look back at an era that had seemingly faded within the distant echoes of a time long past. Gold himself played the majority of the instruments single-handedly, with occasional assists from keyboardist Jimmy Herter, bassist, and background vocalist Jimmy Caprio, and 10cc/Wax alumni Gouldman.

The album became a much sort-after rarity, but thanks to archivist label Esoteric Records, it’s now back in print and just as intriguing and evocative as it was on its original release. To be sure, Gold wears his influences on his proverbial sleeve, interspersing songs with selected spoken snippets to create a decidedly curious choral cacophony.

Nevertheless, Gold and company wear their collective influences on the proverbial sleeves, as evidenced by the echoes of The Beatles circa Sgt. Pepper on “Rainbow People” and “Tomorrow Drop Dead,” the devotion to The Doors tribute shown on “Ride the Snake,” the Dylanesque slur of “Mr Plastick Business Man,” The Beach Boys-like celestial harmonies drifting through “Tuba Rye and Will’s Son/Baloon in the Sky,” and the Byrds-ish chime of “Space and Time.” The prerequisite sound of sitars, backward guitars, and an array of atmospheric additives helps create makes for a great game of names that influence, although in truth, Gold makes all the allusions obvious in the adroit execution and song titles alike. 

While Greetings From Planet Love may seem like some sort of curiosity at first, it’s also an insight into Gold’s outstretched ambitions. Considering his premature passing a dozen years ago, it also serves as a timeless tribute as well.

(Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)