Orbison's life was dogged with tragedy. His first wife died in a motorcycle accident, and in 1968, two of his young sons were killed in a house fire. His career went into a deep tailspin through most of the 1970s and 1980s, only starting to spark up again just before he died of a heart attack at the relatively young age of 52 in December 1988. He couldn't even get a fair shake in death – his final album, Mystery Girl, was his biggest hit in years, but he wasn't around to enjoy it.
Disc 2 recaps the second half of Orbison's career, including five tunes from the nearly perfect Mystery Girl, which wedded his lonesome croon to a janglier, modern sound thanks to producer Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra. His friends came together to give him hits — "She's A Mystery To Me," written by Bono and the Edge from U2, is utterly gorgeous, and I'd put it as a firm contender for Orbison's finest song. "You Got It," a posthumous hit written by Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, still retains an unearthly, brittle glow. Orbison's cover of his classic "I Drove All Night" pulses with a gorgeous angst, while his cover of Elvis Costello's "The Comedians" is surprisingly effective. His spooky revision of "In Dreams" was a highlight of David Lynch's film Blue Velvet. (Such is the breadth of Roy's career that Essential manages to span contributions by Sam Phillips, U2, and David Lynch – something few other musicians can claim!) Disc 2 is almost solid gold, and it reminds us how much potential remained in Orbison's career. By the fond farewell of the final song, "Life Fades Away," you're left wishing there was more to come.
In its 40 tracks, Essential does a good job at summing up Orbison's career. Sure, there's a few I'd have added – a sample of Roy's fine Traveling Wilburys work, for instance, or the poignant 1987 duet with K.D. Lang on his old hit "Crying." But in the end, it's all about the voice, and The Essential Orbison delivers that in a big way.
Article comments
1 - Connie Phillips
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2 - JP
This is a great review. Roy's powerful talent is most evident when he effortlessly sings the notes in Black and White Night.
His "the Comedians" is far superior to Costello's version, and is a great follow-up to "Running Scared." The Wilbury and Lynne work is good as well, though "You Got it" pales slightly to the powerful demo vocal used in the Lynne-engineered "I Drove All Night."
3 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Great review and overview, and a good reminder to me: I had the honor of seeing one of his last performances a couple weeks before he died, at the Arizona State Fair. A remarkable show, of course.