701 The Essential Roy Orbison (2006)

Compilation Album - Pop Rock

About the Act:

Roy Orbison was an American Singer-Songwriter from Texas. His nickname was The Big O. His career spanned a staggering 1953-1989. Unusually, his style morphed with the times and he continued to release new material through his career. He was known for his vulnerable voice, and for wearing sunglasses and black suits on stage.

About the Album:

This is a retrospective album covering his career, with songs through from 1956 to 1989. It is a double album, and is part of Sony BMG's "Essential" series.

My History with this Album:

None, but of course various tracks are known to me.

Review:

The Voice. Roy Orbison's voice is immediately distinctive. It has a tremulous quality to it, with a fast, fairly shallow vibrato, that gives a sound of vulnerability. It also gives an impression that it's not quite controlled, but that is definitely an illusion. He actually has excellent control and quite an impressive high end to his range. He was apparently known for the vulnerable stance of his songs at a time when male singers were quite "strong" and "macho", but that vulnerability works well with his voice.

The Music. There's quite a few styles covered here really, from the slower end of Rock and Roll, through Do-Wop (think 60s vocal groups), through Country Pop, and into Pop Rock in the 80s. Somehow his releases were contemporary while having a strong continuity. He didn't so much reinvent himself as evolve musically. It's all very middle of the road, but that's OK.

The Songs. Well, one thing that sets Roy apart from many of his contempories (especially in the early years) is that many of the songs are written by him, or by him with others. On his last album (Mystery Girl) he had got involved with Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty (what a combination!) and from that album, and on this, there are also covers of a U2 song and (in a bizarre piece of continuity) an Elvis Costello song. 

The Album. Being a compilation, it works better as a collection than an album experience, but actually still better than most compilations. The ordering is intelligent and not just chronological. The split between the two discs is distinctive, and finishing with "Life Fades Away" is particularly poignant, given he died in 1988. Actually as a collection it is good, and extensive, and it works well as a background album, for example when doing something else. There is quality and variety in there.

The Opinion. I enjoyed the songs I know more than the others, because of familiarity. There were none that I disliked, but I can see why the big hits were the big hits, because they are more memorable than some of the rest. The fact that I didn't get bored with it, despite its length is worth noting, although I did listen in bits somewhat.

7.4/10

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/48CvRZSBT0FbOHKLFfHy0n

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_Jg8rvimiolryoAabq0VNDV8IQNIqkw

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Essential_Roy_Orbison