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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spans the Big O's career but be aware of the remakes (Running Scared and In Dreams), April 30, 2006
The only compilation among a gazillion to span Orbison's Sun, Monument, MGM, and Virgin successes is a welcome add to the Essential series that now, post-merger, features RCA & Arista artists as well as Sony's. Roy Orbison is one of my absolute favorites. He simply may be the best rock 'n' roll singer ever.
Amazon really should update the track listing to reflect the few re-recorded versions. While the originals should be here, the remakes are a legitimate part of Mr. Orbison's career. Roy's popularity was at a deeply undeserved lull circa 1987, when David Lynch used some Roy songs in his classic/eerie film "Blue Velvet." In the wake of renewed public interest*, Roy released an LP of remakes called "In Dreams" (Virgin, 1987). It was very well done, an exception proving the rule that rerecordings are rubbish. The Wilburys, the live "Black and White Night," and "Mystery Girl" followed and the pop world was much better off for it. Then, tragically, Roy died in December 1988, rendering perhaps Rock History's best comeback bittersweet. "You Got It"'s ensuing Top Ten ranking in early 1989 is one of my all-time favorite chart events.
If I could, I'd dock this a half a star for not including the original of the #1 single "Running Scared." (Note definition of "essential.") It's just over two minutes long. Somehow they could have made room. But since it's Roy Orbison, I rounded back up to five rather than four.
*It seems Bobby Vinton did not enjoy the same resurgence. The reader may draw his/her own conclusions as to why.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful career overview, April 5, 2006
Give Sam Phillips credit. His little Sun label in Memphis gave us Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Charlie Rich, among others. But there was another fellow, a shy Texan with the voice of an angel, who's humble beginnings with Sun were soon eclipsed in a Monumental way.
That fellow was Roy Orbison, a peerless vocalist in all of rock and roll, who's untimely death 18 years ago robbed our culture of one of its kindest, most gracious, and most talented artists. Now, Sony has given us a beautiful gift in the form of this ESSENTIAL 2-disc career overview.
His earliest hits were rockabilly gems, alternately rooted in twangy guitar and soaring high on Roy's celestial crooning. As he moved into the 1960s, his songs gained an added sophistication...a sweet confection of rock, pop, jazz, country, and symphonic lushness.
In my opinion, there are no moments of "filler" here on these fantastic sounding discs. Most of Roy's best-known and best-loved hits are here, but there are also a few songs that--while not as famous--are wonderful revelations in this sparkling new context. Of special note are the selections from Roy's amazing 1989 posthumous comeback album, MYSTERY GIRL, and it's fine follow-up, KING OF HEARTS. The Jeff Lynne-produced cuts magnificently captured the essence of Roy's sound, wrapping that God-given voice with timeless arrangements and instrumentation. The Bono-produced "She's a Mystery to Me" is an absolute tour de force. And, Roy's fans will be thrilled to find--for the first time on any Roy Orbison disc--his original, gorgeous collaboration with Emmylou Harris, "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again."
I have thoroughly enjoyed these discs and look forward to some major upgrading of Roy's catalog. I do wish that Roy's spine-tingling "Not Alone Anymore" from the out-of-print Traveling Wilburys VOLUME ONE could have been included here, but there is news that the Wilburys catalog is being overhauled for re-release soon.
Sony released this set in honor of Roy's 70th birthday this year. While his death continues to leave a canyonesque void in the music world, his music does live on, and will reach many new listeners, thanks to this stellar set.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
+1/2 -- Excellent, but missing a few essentials, November 11, 2006
By spanning Orbison's recordings for Sun, Monument, MGM, Virgin and some odds and ends from soundtracks and Oribson's own label, this 2-CD collection a broad look yet at his entire thirty-six year career. But even with this wealth of material, there are some Orbison essentials that are unaccounted for.
The choice to stick with solo-titled works leaves out Orbison's pre-Sun recordings with The Teen Kings (including the original Je-Wel version of "Ooby Dooby" - the remake for Sun is represented here) and later success with The Traveling Wilburys. More striking is the choice to include late-80s comeback remakes of "Running Scared" and "In Dreams" in lieu of the early-60s Monument originals. While there's academic interest in hearing Orbison recreate his early classics, it's no substitute for hearing the actual early classics. Also MIA are any tracks from Orbison's meager post-Sun output for MCA.
That said, the sides that are included here are generally terrific. Disc 1 focuses on Orbison's first rush of fame, from his somewhat uncomfortable sides for Sun, though his incredible run on Monument into the mid-60s. The Monument sides are breathtaking, with co-writer Joe Melson and producer Fred Foster helping to create the pop-operatic style that would propel Orbison up the charts. Disc 2 includes a few of Orbison's mid-to-late '60s singles for MGM, but focuses more deeply on his late '80s comeback on Virgin. The balance actually works, as Orbison's Monument albums were often stacked with hits and lesser material; providing a deeper look at his comeback drives home just how strongly he held up as an artist.
Were it not for the glaring omissions of "Running Scared" and "In Dreams" in their original format, this would be five stars. Their replacement with comeback covers was a mistake, and leaves this collection without all of the essentials. Fans of Oribson's Monument catalog should look up the reissues of his three original Monument albums, each remastered in superb stereo and augmented with bonus tracks. Those wanting to cherry-pick the hits will enjoy this set, but may feel short-changed by the pair of remakes. [©2006 hyperbolium dot com]
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