Roy's difficult LPs

Finally a collection which brings together Orbison's last three MGM albums, containing material that was hardly available for decades.



These were Roy's last 3 MGM records; overlooked, forgotten and virtually unknown. "Sings" is from 1971, "Memphis" from 1972 and "Milestones" from 1973.



1. Roy Orbison Sings:



People who like country, and like Orbison, will have a fieldday with this album. Orbison seemed to be retreating into known territory, as his psychedelic ("Born to be loved by you", "Southbound Jericho Park") efforts went nowhere. There isn't a bad cut on the album, it's neatly crafted and professional, yet not sterile and plastic. The best cuts here are "Remember the Good" (single), "Harlem Woman" (a song on a prostituting woman in the ghetto!), "Help Me", the fast "Cheyenne" and "Beaujolais". "It Takes All kinds of People" is abit too dramatic for my taste, and way too overproduced. Overall a country-sound, acoustic guitars and stories of love gone wrong. It vanished without a trace when it was released, as did the singles culled from it.



2. Memphis



More rock&roll, nostalgia and somethang labeled country rock shaped Orbison's 1972 album Memphis. The electric instrumentation which was absent on "Sings" makes a bombastic return here, and not always pleasantly so. The guitars on Ï Fought The Law" are totally out of sync. Same can be said for Chuck Berry's "Memphis", which sounds dated now. Much is redeemed by Bee's slightly funky "Why a woman cries" and the rocking "Run The engines up high". But the winner here is a breathtakingly beautiful take on "Dannyboy". Can't describe it further, one has to hear it for him/herself. Great cover too, with Roy looking down the Mississippi.



3. Milestones



Contractually-obliged last album, and it shows. Even Roy's voice sounds subpar here, especially on the fastpaced "Drift Away". There is still a lot of great stuff here however: "Morning After" is beautiful, as is "Blue Rain". But a lot of it is almost run-of-the-mil country-rock, with a lack of Orbison originals. Roy left the tapes for Milestones at the desk of MGM and dissapeared, which says a lot.



Not his best albums, but still way better than his ventures with Mercury and Asylum.