Essential

I was listening to this one (a tape back then) as I was driving to and from the spa after recovering from a knee operation in 1989. Those classics are beautiful and there are even two unusual rockers thrown in. I recommend the entire "trilogy" of the 1989 compilations - this album, Our Love Song and Rare Orbison. Along with All-Time Greatest Hits and Mystery Girl, this is practically The Essential Roy. All you in fact do need.

Excellent Cd Of Orbison

Boy, somebody knew what they were doing here. The sound is pristine, obviously from first-generation tapes and balanced superbly, with every glorious Nashville moment as if recorded in your own living room. But the great selection is also the thing; these are generally lesser-known, even obscure Orbison numbers, though several rank with his very best. "Distant Drums", "Beautiful Dreamer" and "No One Will Ever Know" are prime Orbison-Fred Foster work, and "(I'd Be A) Legend In My Time" - fabulous Nashville production with strings, cascading piano, rising chorus, Boots Randolph's mournful, bluesey sax solo, the classic Don Gibson melody, Roy's magnificent vocal soaring over all of it, and a solitary bell note in the middle, to boot - is not only Orbison-Foster's finest moment, but a model testament for the Nashville Sound genre. Not an all-comprehensive selection of Roy Orbison by any stretch, but a great introduction to his best stuff, the Monument years, at a great price. But why not a better, more accurate photo of Roy from, say, the early sixties - when most of these were recorded - than the aging geezer in disco duds that somebody thoughtlessly slapped on the cover of this otherwise admirable collection?

You Wouldn't Have Expected It

There were a lot of Roy Orbison collections heaved onto the market after his death, and they were not necessarily well-conceived or compiled. This CD is a true exception.

These twelve tracks from Roy's early '60s prime on the original Monument label are genuine Orbison, and yet--he didn't write any of them! Rather, these are all Roy's interpretations of pop standards, country ballads, and early rock 'n' roll, originally released on various Monument singles and albums. The same man who crooned cheerfully on "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Dream" also rocked out on "What'd I Say" while still managing his trademarked heartbroken delivery on "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "Bye Bye Love." The arrangements are creative and far-removed from the original versions, and the musicianship is top-notch. Moreover, the only thing that comes close to a hit on here is Roy's rockin' country-blues take on Shirley and Lee's "Let The Good Times Roll," which hit #81 in November '65.

A few minor gripes: the cover photo is anachronistic, picturing an overweight Roy with long hair and kitschy '70s threads. The tracks are listed in the wrong order on the back cover. The liner notes could go into more detail about the origins of these recordings. But as far as budget collections go, this is still a good buy. If you like his hits, you should like this, too, especially after a few listens.