Roy Orbison Soul of Rock and Roll Album Review, Songs, Rating

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Roy Orbison
Soul of Rock and Roll
Release Date: 2008 09 30
Label: Monument/Orbison/Legacy
Rating:

In 1988, Columbia Records released a four-disc Roy Orbison retrospective called The Legendary Roy Orbison. It contained 74 tracks. It was a great package except for one thing: it sounded terrible, as the mastering techniques in the first days of the CD were not what they are now. The Soul of Rock and Roll, issued by Sony Legacy in 2008, is an enormous improvement in the sonic arena, just for starters. This four-disc collection contains 107 tracks (33 more than the previous box) with selections from all the labels Orbison recorded for. There are 12 previously unreleased performances, including the last tune Orbison ever committed to tape (strangely, a live version of "It's Over," recorded a scant two days before his death in Akron, OH). It contains a very solid book with essays by his widow Barbara, producer Fred Foster, and Roy Jr., and numerous testimonials from fans and friends including Tom Waits, Glenn Danzig Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Joe Melson, Barry and Robin Gibb, and John Mellencamp, among others.

Because of his unique place in rock history, Orbison has long been worthy of this type of definitive career retrospective, one taking into account the creative and popular renaissance he enjoyed at the end of his life as a solo artist and as a member of the Traveling Wilburys. Orbison never quit working, even during the obscure 1970s when he briefly went back to Monument; cut an album for Elektra; and recorded the spotty Class of '55 with Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis for Mercury. A great collection of the earliest years with the Teen Kings is here, as are the important Sun and Monument singles, carefully chosen album tracks, selections from the films Zabriskie Point and The Fastest Guitar Alive, and even "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again," a duet with Emmylou Harris from the film Roadie. There are some stellar live performances from Barbara Orbison's enormous archive, including an unreleased monster rave-up of Chris Kenner's "Land of 1000 Dances."

Disc four contains material from the posthumously released discs Mystery Girl and the better tracks from King of Hearts. The Wilburys are represented by "Not Alone Anymore" and the hit "You Got It," written by Orbison, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty. Soundtracks also figure: "In Dreams" from the Blue Velvet soundtrack; the hauntingly strange "You May Feel Me Crying" from Wim Wenders' film The End of Violence, which was overdubbed by Brian Eno in 1997; the Will Jennings and David Briggs-produced single "Wild Hearts (Run Out of Time)" from the soundtrack of the film Insignificance; and the Rick Rubin-produced "Life Fades Away" from the Less Than Zero soundtrack. "Crying," Orbison's now legendary duet with k.d. lang from Black & White Night, is also included. The most memorable thing here, however, is the unreleased demo of "Precious," recorded in either 1968 or 1969. It's just The Voice with his guitar. It's chilling. The only track really missing is "Southbound Jericho Parkway," from 1969, Orbison's singular moment of psychobilly and his seven-minute, darker-than-midnight answer to "MacArthur Park." This box is the first true compendium of popular and obscure Orbison resources. Bear Family's expensive seven-disc Orbison is an exhaustive collection documenting 1955-1965, but that's only part of the story. The major bits of the early years are here, and are lent weight and depth by the '70s and '80s recordings, making this one the compilation to beat. Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Tracks:

	Title	Composer	Time
1	Ooby Dooby	Moore, Penner	2:03
2	Hey! Miss Fannie	Ertegun	2:36
3	True Love Goodbye	Orbison, Petty	2:22
4	Empty Cup and a Broken Date	Orbison, Petty	2:21
5	Tryin' to Get to You	Singleton, McCoy	2:46
6	Tutti Frutti [#]	LaBostrie, Lubin, Penniman	2:34
7	Advertisement: Overton Park Shell Concert		1:01
8	Ooby Dooby	Moore, Penner	2:12
9	Cat Called Domino	Orbison, Petty	2:08
10	Go! Go! Go!	Orbison	2:09
11	Rockhouse	Jenkins, Phillips	2:05
12	1956 Guitar Pull Medley: I Want You, I Need You, I Love You/I Was the O	Blair, Crudup, Demetrius, Kosloff, Mysels, Peppers, Schroeder, Young Jessie, Cash	9:30
13	You're My Baby	Cash	2:06
14	Mean Little Mama	Phillips	1:57
15	Problem Child	Phillips	2:21
16	One More Time [Demo Recording]	Orbison	1:17
17	You're Gonna Cry	Phillips	2:06
18	It's Too Late	Willis	1:59
19	Sweet and Easy to Love	Phillips	2:12
20	This Kind of Love	Phillips	2:09
21	Claudette [Demo Recording]	Orbison	2:12
22	You Tell Me [Demo Recording]	Phillips	1:33
23	Night Owl [Demo Recording][#]	Orbison	1:27
24	Bad Cat [Demo Recording][#]	Melson, Orbison	2:38
25	I Give Up [Demo Recording][#]	Orbison	2:14
26	Love Struck [Demo Recording][#]	Orbison, Wilson	1:21
27	Baby Don't Stop [Demo Recording][#]	Melson, Orbison	2:08
28	Defeated [Demo Recording][#]	Orbison	1:40
29	Love Storm [Demo Recording][#]	Melson, Orbison	2:40
30	Almost Eighteen	Orbison	2:05
31	With the Bug	Orbison	2:25
32	Pretty One	Orbison	2:17
33	Uptown	Melson, Orbison	2:08
34	Only the Lonely	Melson, Orbison	2:26
35	Blue Angel	Melson, Orbison	2:52
36	In Dreams	Orbison	2:50
37	Running Scared	Melson, Orbison	2:13
38	I'm Hurtin'	Melson, Orbison	2:44
39	(I'd Be) A Legend in My Time	Gibson	3:09
40	Love Hurts	Bryant	2:28
41	Lana	Melson, Orbison	2:18
42	Crying	Melson, Orbison	2:47
43	Candy Man	Neil, Ross	2:45
44	Night Life	Melson, Orbison	2:31
45	(They Call You) Gigolette	Melson, Orbison	2:37
46	Let the Good Times Roll	Goodman, Lee	2:35
47	Blue Bayou	Melson, Orbison	2:30
48	Wedding Day	Melson, Orbison	2:07
49	Dream Baby	Walker	2:34
50	Evergreen	Tanner	2:46
51	Working for the Man	Orbison	2:26
52	Crowd	Melson, Orbison	2:23
53	Leah	Orbison	2:41
54	Actress	Melson, Orbison	2:38
55	Borne on the Wind	Dees, Orbison	2:53
56	Falling	Orbison	2:23
57	Indian Wedding	Orbison	3:05
58	Shahdaroba	Walker	2:40
59	All I Have to Do Is Dream	Bryant	2:25
60	Mama	Melson, Orbison, Rush	3:01
61	Pretty Paper	Nelson	2:43
62	Mean Woman Blues	Demetrius	2:26
63	What'd I Say [Live]	Charles	3:18
64	It's Over	Dees, Orbison	2:48
65	Oh, Pretty Woman	Dees, Orbison	2:58
66	Yo Te Amo Maria	Dees, Orbison	3:18
67	Goodnight	Dees, Orbison	2:30
68	(Say) You're My Girl	Dees, Orbison	2:48
69	Ride Away	Dees, Orbison	3:29
70	Crawling Back	Dees, Orbison	3:14
71	Breakin' Up Is Breakin' My Heart	Dees, Orbison	2:08
72	Too Soon to Know	Gibson	2:47
73	Communication Breakdown	Dees, Orbison	3:00
74	Walk On	Dees, Orbison	2:53
75	So Young [From the Motion Picture Zabriskie Point]	Christian, Curb, Orbison	3:30
76	Blue Rain (Coming Down)	Melson, Orbison	3:19
77	Big as I Can Dream	Montgomery	2:09
78	Pistolero [From the Motion Picture the Fastest Guitar Alive]	Dees, Orbison	2:57
79	Fastest Guitar Alive [From the Motion Picture the Fastest Guitar Alive]	Dees, Orbison	3:10
80	Precious [Demo Recording][#]	Orbison	2:35
81	Unchained Melody	North, Zaret	3:38
82	Land of 1000 Dances [Live][#]	Kenner	3:53
83	Blues in My Mind	Rose	2:35
84	Born to Love Me	Morrison	3:49
85	That Lovin' You Feelin' Again [From the Motion Picture Roadie]	Orbison, Price	4:01
86	Hound Dog Man	Stuart	2:42
87	Coming Home	Jennings, Orbison, Souther	4:02
88	Waymore's Blues	Buck, Jennings	2:26
89	Oh, Pretty Woman	Dees, Orbison	3:03
90	In Dreams [From the Motion Picture Blue Velvet]	Orbison	2:51
91	Not Alone Any More	Wilbury L., Wilbury, Wilbury, Wilbury, Wilbury	3:24
92	You Got It	Lynne, Orbison, Petty	3:31
93	She's a Mystery to Me	Evans, Hewson	4:16
94	California Blue	Lynne, Orbison, Petty	3:57
95	Love So Beautiful	Lynne, Orbison	3:33
96	(All I Can Do Is) Dream You [Live]	Burnette, Malloy	3:38
97	Oh, Pretty Woman [Live]	Dees, Orbison	6:11
98	Heartbreak Radio	Miller, Seals	2:59
99	You're the One	Dees, Orbison	3:00
100	Crying	Melson, Orbison	3:48
101	After the Love Has Gone	Orbison, Williams	4:40
102	I Drove All Night	Kelly, Steinberg	3:47
103	Wild Hearts Run Out of Time [From the Motion Picture Insignificance]	Jennings, Orbison	3:33
104	You May Feel Me Crying [From the Motion Picture the End of Violence]	Jennings, Kerr	4:17
105	Life Fades Away [From the Motion Picture Less Than Zero]	Danzing, Orbison	3:43
106	It's Over [Live][#]	Dees, Orbison	3:15
107	We'll Take the Night	Jennings, Orbison, Souther	4:55

Member Comments On This Album.


1 - 2 of 2		2 Comments

	RASHARPE 747	Fri Oct 31 2008 07:30:01
	GREAT, CHECK OUT HOUND DOG MAN ( VERY RARE CUT )
	[Report]

	RASHARPE 747	Tue Oct 7 2008 07:59:20
	FOR HARD CORE ORBISON FANS ONLY.
	[Report]

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