Roy Orbison: The Soul Of Rock And Roll

As the first major career retrospective of The Big O in over two decades, the very existence of The Soul Of Rock And Roll is cause for celebration. But when you consider that the four discs in question are the first to cover the output from all five of Roy Orbison's career labels -- and the amazing artistic journey that entails, one unlike any other in popular music -- then the release of this box set becomes a truly historic event.

As a singer blessed with a wonder-of-nature voice who was raised in the ranks of one of rock's most iconic labels, one who suffered unspeakable tragedy, hobnobbed with the greats, then died suddenly after finally getting his place in the pantheon, Roy Orbison's life and career are tailor-made for a box set.

So why wasn't one available in the US before now? Blame the fact that he had to zig-zag from one label to another to stay viable. This four-disc set benefits from the recent monopolization of the record industry by including material from all of Roy's five tenures; in fact, it includes the very first recordings he ever made, with the Teen Kings and the Wink Westerners, and his last, a 1988 live version of "It's Over" done mere days before his death. (Several reasons to buy this CD now, O fans: his widow Barbara threw their personal tape collection into the mix.)

But the journey, as they say, is more important than the destination, and here, for the first time, you can really hear Roy develop. Elements of his signature vocal style can be heard in an early recording like "An Empty Cup And A Broken Date," but the canvas, musically and emotionally, is still just too small for him. Throughout the first disc, Roy assembles his influences -- Tex-Mex, the heartbreak of doo-wop, Buddy Holly rock, Elvis' sense of drama -- without committing fully to any of them, but on the second disc it all comes together, resulting in the most bizarrely beautiful series of pop operas in history, gems like "In Dreams," "Crying," and "Running Scared." The set's other big surprise is how the market, not his talent, failed him later: even when the public's not listening, even when he's involved in projects as silly as his doomed Western The Fastest Guitar Alive, he maintains quality control. Which makes the final "comeback" act (disc four) so unexpectedly rewarding.