Roy Orbison

For reasons difficult to fathom, when Monument Records released their fine two-LP Roy Orbison anthology, The All-Time Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison, on compact disc, they opted to issue the entire 20-song set on one disc, but also made available two ten-song discs that split the track listing in half. With the full-length disc listing at $16.98 and the two ten-song discs priced at $9.98 each, the full-length set obviously offers better value for money, but either disc offers up a handful of Orbison's timeless hits, and it's hard to argue with the quality of an album that includes "Only the Lonely," "Crying," "In Dreams," and "It's Over." Someone looking for a definitive Roy Orbison package should look elsewhere, but if you're looking for a budget-priced Orbison disc to throw in the car or the boombox, this serves up ten of his spine-tingling hits in fine fidelity; melodramatic heartbreak never sounded this beautiful, either before or since. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide