Roy Orbison album

Album   Released Publisher Rating
Essential Roy Orbison (Bonus Track) 2006 BMG
The Essential Roy Orbison (3.0) 2006 Monument/Orbison/Legacy
Mystery Girl (Bonus Track) 1989 Sony BMG Music (Canada)
In Dreams (US Bonus Tracks) 1987 Monument/Legacy
In Dreams (Classic) 1963 Classic Records
In Dreams (Japan Bonus Tracks) 1963 Sony Music Distribution
Crying (Bonus Tracks) 1962 Monument/Legacy
Sings Lonely and Blue (US Bonus Tracks) 1960 BMG
Sings Lonely and Blue (Japan Bonus Tracks) 1960 Sony Music Distribution
Sings Lonely and Blue (Mobile Fidelity) 1960 Classics
Back to the topEssential Roy Orbison (Bonus Track)
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
March 28, 2006
Label:
BMG
Rating:
Genre:
Pop/Rock
Styles:
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Early Pop/Rock
AM Pop
Rock & Roll
Rockabilly
Roy Orbison has been in such need of a comprehensive, career-spanning compilation like Legacy's 2006 double-disc The Essential Roy Orbison that it's especially frustrating that it falls short of the mark. Not counting Bear Family's exhaustive 2001 set, which gathered everything Roy recorded between 1955 and 1965, including alternate takes, it is the first multi-disc Orbison compilation since 1988's four-disc box The Legendary Roy Orbison, which was released in the midst of his remarkable comeback that peaked the following year with the posthumous comeback Mystery Girl, which arrived too late to be part of Legendary. So, Orbison's catalog truly was missing a set that spanned from "Ooby Dooby," his first hit for Sun in 1956, all the way to his last charting single, 1992's "I Drove All Night." Essential attempts to do that, touching on every phase of his career -- the early rockabilly for Sun in the '50s, his cinematic hits for Monument in the early '60s, the cult classics for MGM in the late '60s, his '80s comeback -- over the course of 40 tracks. It gets a lot right, particularly on the first disc, which has most of the big hits from "Ooby Dooby" to 1964's "Oh, Pretty Woman," all presented in chronological order. Where things start to go wrong is on the second disc, where the comp suddenly abandons all pretense at chronological order, opening up with four cuts from Mystery Girl (including the hits "You Got It" and "She's a Mystery to Me"), before doubling back to the '60s for five MGM singles -- "Ride Away," "Crawling Back," "Best Friend," "Communication Breakdown," and "Walk On" -- then proceeding to the '80s, first with the Emmylou Harris duet "That Lovin' You Feeling Again" from the Roadie soundtrack, and then with re-recordings of "Running Scared" and "In Dreams," two '60s masterworks that are only available here in these solid but inferior remakes. The jumbled chronology results in a bit of a disconcerting listen, since the production styles don't comfortably sit together, but that would be easier to forgive if "Running Scared" and "In Dreams" were present in their original versions; without them, Essential isn't quite the concise, comprehensive collection it aspires to be. It's a major flaw, but not necessarily a fatal one, since the remainder of the set does offer his biggest hits -- "Only the Lonely (Know How I Feel)," "Candy Man," "Crying," "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)," "Leah," "Blue Bayou," "It's Over," and "Pretty Paper" among them -- plus a good sampling of his lesser-known work, all in good fidelity. But it comes so close to being truly definitive that the few flaws in selection and sequence stand out all the more. [A Japanese version added a bonus track.]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Oh, Pretty Woman N/A N/A Ringtone
2 Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel) N/A N/A
3 Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) N/A N/A Ringtone
4 Ooby Dooby N/A N/A
5 Blue Angel N/A N/A
6 Love Hurts N/A N/A Ringtone
7 Crying N/A N/A Ringtone
8 Running Scared N/A N/A Ringtone
9 Lana N/A N/A Ringtone
10 Uptown N/A N/A Ringtone
11 Go! Go! Go! N/A N/A
12 Rock House N/A N/A
13 Candy Man N/A N/A Ringtone
14 The Crowd N/A N/A
15 Working for the Man N/A N/A
16 Leah N/A N/A Ringtone
17 Mean Woman Blues N/A N/A Ringtone
18 Falling N/A N/A Ringtone
19 Pretty Paper N/A N/A Ringtone
20 Blue Bayou N/A N/A Ringtone
21 It's Over N/A N/A Ringtone
22 Come Back to Me (*) N/A N/A
23 Oh Pretty Woman-Tribute to Roy Feat. Kamamatsu & Minami (*) N/A N/A
24 You Got It N/A N/A Ringtone
25 I Drove All Night N/A N/A Ringtone
26 In Dreams (1987 Version) N/A N/A
27 Claudette (1985 Version) N/A N/A
28 Too Soon to Know N/A N/A
29 A Love So Beautiful N/A N/A Ringtone
30 Unchained Melody N/A N/A
31 Ride Away N/A N/A
32 Crawling Back N/A N/A
33 Best Friend N/A N/A
34 Breakin' Up Is Breakin' My Heart N/A N/A
35 Heartache N/A N/A
36 That Lovin' You Feelin' Again N/A N/A
37 She's a Mystery to Me N/A N/A Ringtone
38 California Blue N/A N/A Ringtone
39 The Only One N/A N/A Ringtone
40 Walk On N/A N/A
41 The Comedians N/A N/A
42 Wild Hearts Run out of Time N/A N/A
43 Life Fades Away N/A N/A
44 Crying N/A N/A Ringtone
Back to the topThe Essential Roy Orbison (3.0)
Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released:
March 28, 2006
Label:
Monument/Orbison/Legacy
Rating:
Genre:
Pop/Rock
Styles:
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Rock & Roll
Early Pop/Rock
AM Pop
Rockabilly
Roy Orbison has been in such need of a comprehensive, career-spanning compilation like Legacy's 2006 double-disc The Essential Roy Orbison that it's especially frustrating that it falls short of the mark. Not counting Bear Family's exhaustive 2001 set, which gathered everything Roy recorded between 1955 and 1965, including alternate takes, it is the first multi-disc Orbison compilation since 1988's four-disc box The Legendary Roy Orbison, which was released in the midst of his remarkable comeback that peaked the following year with the posthumous comeback Mystery Girl, which arrived too late to be part of Legendary. So, Orbison's catalog truly was missing a set that spanned from "Ooby Dooby," his first hit for Sun in 1956, all the way to his last charting single, 1992's "I Drove All Night." Essential attempts to do that, touching on every phase of his career -- the early rockabilly for Sun in the '50s, his cinematic hits for Monument in the early '60s, the cult classics for MGM in the late '60s, his '80s comeback -- over the course of 40 tracks. It gets a lot right, particularly on the first disc, which has most of the big hits from "Ooby Dooby" to 1964's "Oh, Pretty Woman," all presented in chronological order. Where things start to go wrong is on the second disc, where the comp suddenly abandons all pretense at chronological order, opening up with four cuts from Mystery Girl (including the hits "You Got It" and "She's a Mystery to Me"), before doubling back to the '60s for five MGM singles -- "Ride Away," "Crawling Back," "Best Friend," "Communication Breakdown," and "Walk On" -- then proceeding to the '80s, first with the Emmylou Harris duet "That Lovin' You Feeling Again" from the Roadie soundtrack, and then with re-recordings of "Running Scared" and "In Dreams," two '60s masterworks that are only available here in these solid but inferior remakes. The jumbled chronology results in a bit of a disconcerting listen, since the production styles don't comfortably sit together, but that would be easier to forgive if "Running Scared" and "In Dreams" were present in their original versions; without them, Essential isn't quite the concise, comprehensive collection it aspires to be. It's a major flaw, but not necessarily a fatal one, since the remainder of the set does offer his biggest hits -- "Only the Lonely (Know How I Feel)," "Candy Man," "Crying," "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)," "Leah," "Blue Bayou," "It's Over," and "Pretty Paper" among them -- plus a good sampling of his lesser-known work, all in good fidelity. But it comes so close to being truly definitive that the few flaws in selection and sequence stand out all the more. [This compilation was also released as a three-disc set.]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Ooby Dooby 2:12 Moore, Penner
2 Go! Go! Go! 2:08 Orbison
3 Rock House 2:05 Phillips, Jenkins
4 Uptown 2:08 Orbison, Melson Ringtone
5 Only the Lonely 2:26 Orbison, Melson Ringtone
6 Blue Angel 2:52 Orbison, Melson
7 I'm Hurtin' 2:44 Orbison, Melson Ringtone
8 Lana 2:18 Orbison, Melson Ringtone
9 Love Hurts 2:28 Bryant Ringtone
10 Crying 2:47 Orbison, Melson Ringtone
11 Candy Man 2:45 Neil, Ross Ringtone
12 Dream Baby 2:33 Walker, Walker
13 The Crowd 2:23 Orbison, Melson
14 Leah 2:40 Orbison Ringtone
15 Falling 2:23 Orbison Ringtone
16 Working for the Man 2:26 Orbison
17 Mean Woman Blues 2:25 Demetrius Ringtone
18 Blue Bayou 2:31 Orbison, Melson Ringtone
19 Pretty Paper 2:45 Nelson, Nelson Ringtone
20 It's Over 2:48 Dees, Orbison Ringtone
21 Oh, Pretty Woman 2:56 Dees, Orbison Ringtone
22 You Got It 3:31 Orbison, Lynne, Petty Ringtone
23 She's a Mystery to Me 4:16 Evans, Hewson Ringtone
24 California Blue 3:57 Orbison, Lynne, Petty Ringtone
25 The Only One 3:54 Orbison, Wiseman Ringtone
26 Ride Away 3:28 Dees, Orbison
27 Crawling Back 3:14 Dees, Orbison
28 Best Friend 2:37 Dees, Orbison
29 Communication Breakdown 2:59 Dees, Orbison
30 Walk On 2:53 Dees, Orbison
31 That Lovin' You Feelin' Again 4:01 Orbison, Price
32 Running Scared (1985 Version) 2:14 Orbison, Melson
33 In Dreams (1987 Version) 2:50 Orbison
34 A Love So Beautiful 3:33 Orbison, Lynne Ringtone
35 The Comedians (Live) 3:32 MacManus
36 Claudette (Live) 3:02 Orbison
37 I Drove All Night 3:46 Steinberg, Steinberg, Kelly Ringtone
38 Wild Hearts Run Out of Time 3:33 Orbison, Jennings
39 Coming Home 4:02 Orbison, Souther, Jennings Ringtone
40 Life Fades Away 3:41 Danzig, Orbison
41 (All I Can Do Is) Dream You (*) 3:40 Malloy, Burnette
42 In Dreams (*) 2:50 Orbison Ringtone
43 Let the Good Times Roll (*) 2:35 Lee, Goodman
44 (They Call You) Gigolette (*) 2:37 Orbison, Melson
45 What'd I Say (*) 2:54 Charles
46 Heartbreak Radio (*) 2:59 Seals, Miller Ringtone
47 Running Scared (*) 2:13 Orbison, Melson Ringtone
48 Borne on the Wind (*) 2:51 Dees, Orbison
Back to the topMystery Girl (Bonus Track)
Review by Vik Iyengar, All Music Guide
Released:
1989
Label:
Sony BMG Music (Canada)
Rating:
Genre:
Pop/Rock
Styles:
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Rock & Roll
Although it had been years since his last recording, Roy Orbison was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Perhaps as a result of the newfound interest in his music, he was invited to record with the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. Orbison had a renewed sense of purpose, and also began recording material for a new solo album. Collaborating with Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty, Orbison re-creates the feel of his old recordings while sounding modern. His voice sounds as strong as ever, and he is still able to hit the high notes that convey a sad, lonely ache. The highlight of the album is "She's a Mystery to Me," a haunting ballad penned by U2's Bono and the Edge that perfectly plays to all of Orbison's strengths as a singer. Released in the months after his death, Mystery Girl was the highest-charting album of his career and spawned the hit "You Got It" -- it is a shame that Orbison was not around to experience his success. This comeback album represents Roy Orbison at his best. [This version contains the bonus track "You May Feel Me Crying."]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 You Got It 3:30 Orbson, Lynne, Petty Ringtone
2 In the Real World 3:44 Kerr, Jennings Ringtone
3 (All I Can Do Is) Dream You 3:39 Malloy, Burnette
4 A Love So Beautiful 3:33 Orbson, Lynne Ringtone
5 California Blue 3:57 Orbson, Lynne, Petty Ringtone
6 She's a Mystery to Me 4:16 David Evans "The Edge", Paul Harrison "Bono" Ringtone
7 The Comediennes 3:26 Costello
8 The Only One 3:55 Orbison, Wiseman Ringtone
9 Windsurfer 4:01 Dees, Orbson Ringtone
10 Careless Heart 4:09 Hammond, Orbison, Warren Ringtone
11 You May Feel Me Crying (*) 4:17 Kerr, Jennings
Back to the topIn Dreams (US Bonus Tracks)
Review by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Released:
1987
Label:
Monument/Legacy
Rating:
Genre:
Pop/Rock
Styles:
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Rockabilly
Early Pop/Rock
AM Pop
Rock & Roll
How does one recover enough to hear an album in its entirety when the first cut is "In Dreams"? Whoa! Roy Orbison's 1963 album of the same name, recorded for the Monument label, is devastating for a number of reasons, namely that his "Blue Bayou" and his readings of Johnny Mercer's "Dreams" and Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer" are here, as is his gorgeous reading of Cindy Walker's "Shahdaroba." Half of these cuts were recorded during the sessions for Sings Lonely and Blue, the other half in Nash Vegas in 1963 with Fred Foster producing both. The big difference on this set is the less intrusive presence of the Anita Kerr Singers. There are even more strings here, but they are relegated to a lesser place as well. Orbison's voice was never better than on this recording. The heights he reaches on the title cut, "Lonely Wine," the swaggering country and R&B of "Blue Avenue," and "My Prayer" are simply mind-blowing. The emotion and deep atmospherics of the tunes here reflect Foster's sophistication, but also Orbison's willingness to develop himself as a singer and as a persona. Orbison wrote or co-wrote four tracks this time out, but the song choices are impeccable. In addition to the original album being wonderfully remastered, the Legacy reissue contains four bonus cuts. These include a woolly read of "Mean Woman Blues," simpatico versions of Cindy Walker's "Distant Drum" and Willie Nelson's "Pretty Paper," and his own beautiful "Falling." [The U.S. version of the album contains bonus tracks.]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 In Dreams 2:51 Orbison Ringtone
2 Lonely Wine 2:57 Wells
3 Shahdaroba 2:41 Walker
4 Blue Avenue 2:30 Orbison, Melson
5 No One Will Ever Know 2:31 Foree, Rose
6 Sunset 2:23 Orbison, Melson
7 House Without Windows 2:15 Pockriss, Tobias
8 Dream 2:32 Mercer
9 Blue Bayou 2:38 Melson, Orbison Ringtone
10 (They Call You) Gigolette 2:27 Orbison, Melson
11 Beautiful Dreamer 2:21 Foster
12 My Prayer 2:47 Kennedy, Boulanger
13 Falling (*) 2:24 Orbison Ringtone
14 Distant Dreams (*) 3:13 Walker
15 Mean Woman Blues (*) 2:27 Demetrius Ringtone
16 Pretty Paper (*) 2:44 Nelson Ringtone
Back to the topIn Dreams (Classic)
Review by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Released:
1963
Label:
Classic Records
Genre:
Pop/Rock
How does one recover enough to hear an album in its entirety when the first cut is "In Dreams"? Whoa! Roy Orbison's 1963 album of the same name, recorded for the Monument label, is devastating for a number of reasons, namely that his "Blue Bayou" and his readings of Johnny Mercer's "Dreams" and Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer" are here, as is his gorgeous reading of Cindy Walker's "Shahdaroba." Half of these cuts were recorded during the sessions for Sings Lonely and Blue, the other half in Nash Vegas in 1963 with Fred Foster producing both. The big difference on this set is the less intrusive presence of the Anita Kerr Singers. There are even more strings here, but they are relegated to a lesser place as well. Orbison's voice was never better than on this recording. The heights he reaches on the title cut, "Lonely Wine," the swaggering country and R&B of "Blue Avenue," and "My Prayer" are simply mind-blowing. The emotion and deep atmospherics of the tunes here reflect Foster's sophistication, but also Orbison's willingness to develop himself as a singer and as a persona. Orbison wrote or co-wrote four tracks this time out, but the song choices are impeccable. In addition to the original album being wonderfully remastered, the Legacy reissue contains four bonus cuts. These include a woolly read of "Mean Woman Blues," simpatico versions of Cindy Walker's "Distant Drum" and Willie Nelson's "Pretty Paper," and his own beautiful "Falling." [In 2006, a Japanese CD of the album was released and includes bonus tracks.]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 In Dreams 2:48 Orbison Ringtone
2 Lonely Wine 2:54 Wells
3 Shahdaroba 2:39 Walker
4 No One Will Ever Know 2:27 Foree, Rose
5 Sunset 2:28 Orbison, Melson
6 House Without Windows 2:19 Tobias, Pockriss
7 Dream 2:12 Mercer
8 Blue Bayou 2:26 Orbison, Melson Ringtone
9 (They Call You) Gigolette 2:36 Orbison, Melson
10 All I Have to Do Is Dream 2:24 Bryant, Bryant
11 Beautiful Dreamer 2:19 Foster
12 My Prayer 2:43 Kennedy, Boulanger
Back to the topIn Dreams (Japan Bonus Tracks)
Review by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Released:
1963
Label:
Sony Music Distribution
Genre:
Pop/Rock
How does one recover enough to hear an album in its entirety when the first cut is "In Dreams"? Whoa! Roy Orbison's 1963 album of the same name, recorded for the Monument label, is devastating for a number of reasons, namely that his "Blue Bayou" and his readings of Johnny Mercer's "Dreams" and Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer" are here, as is his gorgeous reading of Cindy Walker's "Shahdaroba." Half of these cuts were recorded during the sessions for Sings Lonely and Blue, the other half in Nash Vegas in 1963 with Fred Foster producing both. The big difference on this set is the less intrusive presence of the Anita Kerr Singers. There are even more strings here, but they are relegated to a lesser place as well. Orbison's voice was never better than on this recording. The heights he reaches on the title cut, "Lonely Wine," the swaggering country and R&B of "Blue Avenue," and "My Prayer" are simply mind-blowing. The emotion and deep atmospherics of the tunes here reflect Foster's sophistication, but also Orbison's willingness to develop himself as a singer and as a persona. Orbison wrote or co-wrote four tracks this time out, but the song choices are impeccable. In addition to the original album being wonderfully remastered, the Legacy reissue contains four bonus cuts. These include a woolly read of "Mean Woman Blues," simpatico versions of Cindy Walker's "Distant Drum" and Willie Nelson's "Pretty Paper," and his own beautiful "Falling." [In 2006, a Japanese CD of the album was released and includes bonus tracks.]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 In Dreams N/A N/A Ringtone
2 Lonely Wine N/A N/A
3 Shahdaroba N/A N/A
4 No One Will Ever Know N/A N/A
5 Sunset N/A N/A
6 House Without Windows N/A N/A
7 Dream N/A N/A
8 Blue Bayou N/A N/A Ringtone
9 (They Call You) Gigolette N/A N/A
10 All I Have to Do Is Dream N/A N/A
11 Beautiful Dreamer N/A N/A
12 My Prayer N/A N/A
13 Falling N/A N/A Ringtone
14 Distant Drums N/A N/A
15 Mean Woman Blues N/A N/A Ringtone
16 Pretty Paper N/A N/A Ringtone
Back to the topCrying (Bonus Tracks)
Review by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Released:
1962
Label:
Monument/Legacy
Rating:
Genre:
Pop/Rock
Styles:
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Rockabilly
Early Pop/Rock
AM Pop
Rock & Roll
Crying was released in 1962, after Roy Orbison hit the Top 40 with Sings Lonely and Blue. This one hit number 21. With Fred Foster once again producing, the strings that colored so much of Sings Lonely and Blue are present here as well, as are the Anita Kerr Singers. The horn section features a pair of saxophones -- yes, Boots Randolph is still in the house -- and a trumpet. Charlie McCoy makes an appearance on harmonica here, Floyd Cramer is still the session pianist, and songwriter Boudleaux Bryant is one of the session's guitarists, as are Scotty Moore, Harold Bradley, and Grady Martin. Musically, this is perhaps the most sophisticated of the sets recorded for Monument between 1961 and 1963 -- the set that follows this one is In Dreams. The material, beginning with the title track (a number two single) is exceptional -- even for a Roy Orbison record. Other tunes here include an exceptional read of "The Great Pretender"; Bryant's "Love Hurts" (which is the version to beat) and "She Wears My Ring"; and Orbison's own tunes (written with Joe Melson) "Running Scared," "Loneliness," "Summer Song," "Lana," "Wedding Day," "Let's Make a Memory," and "Nite Life." Whoa! From slow strollers like "Wedding Day" (doo wop tunes without the "doo wah") to pumped-up rockers like "Dance," the dramatic pop of "Let's Make a Memory" (with Cramer laying down that funky country backdrop on his upright piano), the sheer velvet darkness of tracks like "Night Life," and the number one smash "Running Scared," this is a stunner from top to bottom. The beautifully remastered Legacy Edition contains four bonus tracks, including the single "Dream Baby" (written by Cindy Walker), which hit number four on the pop chart; a fantastic read of "Let the Good Times Roll," which proved Orbison could lay down the hard R&B; "Candy Man," which scored at 25 in 1962; and an obscure Orbison-Melson dramatic broken love ballad called "The Actress," which was issued as a B-side. Taken as a whole, these 16 tracks are a monolith of inspiration and excellence. Orbison was on a roll in the early '60s, and the recorded evidence bears out why. These reissues by Legacy mark the very first time these titles have been on CD, and they are presented beautifully. Highly recommended.
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Crying 2:49 Orbison, Melson Ringtone
2 The Great Pretender 3:03 Ram
3 Love Hurts 2:29 Bryant Ringtone
4 She Wears My Ring 2:32 Bryant, Bryant
5 Wedding Day 2:08 Melson, Orbison
6 Summer Song 2:47 Melson, Orbison
7 Dance 2:55 Melson, Orbison
8 Lana 2:19 Melson, Orbison Ringtone
9 Loneliness 2:30 Melson, Orbison
10 Let's Make a Memory 2:20 Melson, Orbison
11 Nite Life 2:33 Melson, Orbison
12 Running Scared 2:13 Melson, Orbison Ringtone
13 Candy Man (*) 2:47 Neil, Ross Ringtone
14 Let the Good Times Roll (*) 2:36 Goodman, Lee
15 Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) (*) 2:35 Walker Ringtone
16 The Actress (*) 2:36 Melson, Orbison
Back to the topSings Lonely and Blue (US Bonus Tracks)
Review by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Released:
1960
Label:
BMG
Rating:
Genre:
Pop/Rock
Styles:
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Early Pop/Rock
Rock & Roll
Finally, Roy Orbison gets the CD remastering treatment he deserves. For those who bought the big three-disc box a decade ago and were appalled by the shoddy sound, these reissue discs (Sings Lonely and Blue, In Dreams, and Crying) have a couple of reasons for picking them up. The first is the music itself. Sings Lonely and Blue was an album featuring a couple of singles rounded out with filler. Whether this was intentional or not makes no difference; in the end, the original 12 cuts here are stellar. Here is Orbison's fine-as-silk pop voice, filled with all that cloudy, foggy darkness swirling inside it, singing "Only the Lonely," "Bye Bye Love," "Cry," "Blue Avenue," "Blue Angel," and "I'm Hurtin'," just to name a few. The production elements are beautiful, too, with the Anita Kerr Singers backing him and whirling strings that stroll along with Roy's rock & roll croon. Featured are Floyd Cramer on piano, Boots Randolph on saxophone (check his solo in "Blue Avenue" that runs counterpoint to the strings), Bob Moore on bass, and Jerry Byrd on pedal steel (on cuts like "Cry"). Only Orbison could make a record drenched in syrup feel like a spooky film noir tearjerker. Sings Lonely and Blue is an early masterpiece, as Orbison was in full control of his gifts as a singer. Fred Foster's production may have been standard Nash Vegas for the time period, but Orbison's voice and songs (Orbison and Joe Melson wrote or co-wrote seven of the 12 tracks here, Don Gibson wrote a couple, and Gene Pitney wrote "Twenty-Two Days") carry the track selection into the shadowy dark of risky emotions. Check Orbison's read of Gibson's "I Can't Stop Loving You," and see if he doesn't take back what has always been recorded as a saccharine tune and claim it hard for rock & roll. These new editions also contain bonus cuts, and there are four here: the original 45 version of "Uptown" is included (proving Orbison could rock with the best of them), as are B-sides "Pretty One," "Here Comes That Song Again," and a great read of Pitney's "Today's Teardrops." Amazing.
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Only the Lonely 2:28 Melson, Orbison Ringtone
2 Bye Bye Love 2:16 Bryant, Bryant
3 Cry 2:44 Kohlman
4 Blue Avenue 2:22 Melson, Orbison
5 I Can't Stop Loving You 2:45 Gibson Ringtone
6 Come Back to Me (My Love) 2:30 Melson, Orbison
7 Blue Angel 2:54 Melson, Orbison
8 Raindrops 1:55 Melson
9 (I'd Be) A Legend in My Time 3:10 Gibson
10 I'm Hurtin' 2:45 Melson, Orbison Ringtone
11 Twenty-Two Days 3:09 Pitney
12 I'll Say It's My Fault 2:24 Foster, Orbison
13 Uptown (*) 2:10 Melson, Orbison Ringtone
14 Pretty One (*) 2:20 Orbison
15 Here Comes That Song Again (*) 2:46 Flood
16 Today's Teardrops (*) 2:12 Pitney, Schroeder
Back to the topSings Lonely and Blue (Japan Bonus Tracks)
Review by Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
Released:
1960
Label:
Sony Music Distribution
Rating:
Genre:
Pop/Rock
Styles:
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Early Pop/Rock
Rock & Roll
Time and familiarity -- through multiple reissues -- may have muted the seeming significance of some of what's here, but in 1960 Sings Lonely and Blue was not only a breakthrough for Roy Orbison as his debut LP, but also for rock & roll. Up to that point, apart from Elvis Presley -- who was in a class by himself -- few white rock & rollers had even tried to make as bold a use of the LP as what we hear on this record. Orbison, his collaborator Joe Melson, and producer Fred Foster turned the singer's debut long-player into a huge canvas for a sound that combined rock & roll's beat, Nashville's countrypolitan sound, and the singer's unique multi-octave range and operatic intensity into something unique in music. The single "Only the Lonely" may have been the most accessible and commercial side of this new sound, but the whole album was packed with great moments and different permutations of that sound: the powerful lead vocal and the Boots Randolph sax break on "I'll Say It's My Fault"; the haunting Orbison-Melson "Come Back to Me (My Love)," which was like a mini-movie script, a vest-pocket romantic melodrama sung with operatic depth and played to a light rock & roll beat; Don Gibson's "I'd Be a Legend in My Time," and "I Can't Stop Loving You," both filled with larger-than-life musical attributes and emotions behind Orbison's extraordinary singing, Orbison treating the former almost like a Verdi aria while a sax solo, the Anita Kerr Singers, and a dense string section hold it in the realm of pop music; and "Bye Bye Love" given the new Orbison treatment and sounding like a country-pop symphony. The material was uniformly strong and consistent, probably due, in part, to the fact that Fred Foster was able to draw from nearly a year's worth of recording activity to assemble the contents of the album, and he also took advantage of the album's stereo release to devise a crisp, discreet, two-channel mix that brought out all of the details of this sound in notably sharp relief, creating one of the earliest stereo rock & roll albums that was actually superior to its mono equivalent. Indeed, Sings Lonely and Blue was among the first rock & roll LPs to attract the interest of serious audiophile enthusiasts. [A Japanese version included bonus tracks.]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Only the Lonely N/A N/A Ringtone
2 Bye Bye Bye N/A N/A
3 Cry N/A N/A
4 Blue Avenue N/A N/A
5 I Can't Stop Loving You N/A N/A Ringtone
6 Come Back to Me (My Love) N/A N/A
7 Blue Angel N/A N/A
8 Raindrops N/A N/A
9 (I'd Be) A Legend in My Time N/A N/A
10 I'm Hurtin' N/A N/A Ringtone
11 Twenty-Two Days N/A N/A
12 I'll Say It's My Fault N/A N/A
13 Uptown N/A N/A Ringtone
14 Pretty One N/A N/A
15 Here Comes tha Song Again N/A N/A
16 Today's Teardrops N/A N/A
Back to the topSings Lonely and Blue (Mobile Fidelity)
Review by Cub Koda, All Music Guide
Released:
1960
Label:
Classics
Rating:
Genre:
Pop/Rock
Styles:
Contemporary Pop/Rock
Rock & Roll
Early Pop/Rock
This gold-disc version of Roy's first official album (his Sun sides were released on LP after the success of "Only the Lonely," the kick-off track here) is an absolute feast for the ears, sounding like a collection of true stereo control room playbacks with remarkable clarity. It was with this album that Orbison finally defined the style that would bring him to the top of the charts. Tracks like "Blue Avenue," "Cry," and "Blue Angel" show him at top form, with Fred Foster's production adding just the right ripple and tinsel to the proceedings. Even if listeners already have a decent greatest-hits package on the man, this one's definitely worth adding to the collection.
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Only the Lonely N/A Orbison, Melson Ringtone
2 Bye Bye Love N/A Bryant, Bryant
3 Love/Cry N/A N/A
4 Blue Avenue N/A Orbison, Melson
5 I Can't Stop Loving You N/A Gibson Ringtone
6 Come Back to Me (My Love) N/A Orbison, Melson
7 Blue Angel/Raindrops N/A Orbison, Melson
8 (I'd Be) A Legend in My Time N/A Gibson
9 I'm Hurtin' N/A Orbison, Melson Ringtone
10 Twenty-Two Days N/A Pitney
11 I'll Say It's My Fault N/A Orbison, Foster
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