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"Authorized Bootleg Collection"
The recordings draw from four live dates--a
show in 1969, another in '75, two in '80--that appear here on
four CDs sound buffed up but still slightly raw. If they fall
short of making a case for Orbison as an overwhelming live performer
on the order of Elvis Presley or Jerry Lee Lewis, they reveal
him as a thrilling showman all the same.Roy Orbison's set lists
varied only slightly over the years and concentrated intensely
on his signature songs: the apex of each show was the monumental
"Running Scared," sung each of these four nights with
fearful intensity. He tinkered only slightly with arrangements,
letting his ethereal, inimitable voice waft above the judicious
accompaniment. Fans of Orbison will covet the rare cover songs
he peppered over the hits--good old country tunes like "Too
Soon to Know" and "Break My Mind," as well as
rock surprises like "Help Me Rhonda" and an especially
anthemic version of Mentor Williams's "Drift Away."
--Roy Kasten |
Customer review from Amazon
Reviewer: D.F.Reed from Cleveland,England
Orbison was one of those rare vocalists whose live performance
could equal and indeed surpass his recorded work.So it is with
this superb collection of recordings from various concert performances.There
is,of necessity,repetition of the tracks.Orbison fans came to
hear the great songs and Roy gave them what they came for.Few
artists could sustain a whole show with nothing but their own
self-composed million-sellers like the Big 'O'.Listening to these
recordings transports me back to the magic of a Orbison concert.Hear
the beautiful sweeping power of his voice,the death-defying leaps
on the highest notes,the poetry of his lyrics.From disc to disc
their are subtle nuances,little changes in emphasis,inflexion
and tone.Throughout there is sheer brilliance of the highest
order. |
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