Roy Orbison The All-Time Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison on Numbered-Edition 180g 33RPM 2LP from Mobile Fidelity: Mastered from the Original Master Tapes and Out of Print

1/4" / 15 IPS analog master to analog console to lathe

Rare is the voice, personality, and image that defines cool for more than 50 years. But Roy Orbison simply had it all; the tender tone, the laidback charisma, the mellifluous baritone, the cover-magazine looks, the gazing eyes hidden behind black Ray-Ban shades. And of course, the songs. Sad ("Only the Lonely"). Soaring ("Crying"). Summery ("Dream Baby"). Sweet ("Blue Angel"). Sentimental ("Pretty Paper"). Sensuous ("Shahdaroba").

Few singers ever captured such a rainbow of romantic emotions, longing, heartache, hope, loss, melancholy with such effortlessness, smoothness, and suaveness. An early rock n' roll pioneer that defied songwriting tradition, Orbison is at home whether playing with orchestral strings, rockabilly bands, doo-wop singers, jumping horn sections, or swinging pop groups. Like fellow Sun Records alums Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley, his art is timeless, his command irreproachable.

No wonder, then, that a basic search literally turns up dozens upon dozens of compilations. Demand for Orbison's trademark vocal shiver and pussycat purr has never been greater. But with so many duplicative collections available, which one to get? Mobile Fidelity recognized that none of the available releases had the necessary mark of quality, namely, first-rate sound. So they changed that by providing a necessary sonic update to the best collection; a 1972 set that has never once gone out-of-print.

Remastered from the original analog master tapes, here are all of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member's finest singles for Monument Records in one place, all claiming a clarity, richness, tonality, and presence that has never been before experienced outside of the studio. Captured by legendary producer Fred Foster, Orbison's famous voice now reverberates with a realistic decay and astonishing purity that puts all previous compilations to shame.

And there's no arguing with the 20-song track list, which includes no fewer than 15 Top 100 singles, beginning with the career-launching "Only the Lonely" and climaxing with the international smash "Oh, Pretty Woman," the last cut the Grammy winner made for Monument before departing for MGM in 1965. There is not a weak tune on this album, and you will never hear them sound better.