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." ~ Thom Jurek
![1967-1970 [LP]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602547048448_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "1967-1970 [LP]")
![Abbey Road [50th Anniversary Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602577915123_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Abbey Road [50th Anniversary Edition]")
![1 [LP]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602547567901_p0_v5_s90x140.jpg "1 [LP]")
