Search - Roy Orbison :: Oh Pretty Woman: Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits

Skimmin' the surface

Candace Scott | Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA | 04/25/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Covering Roy's amazing career in nine paltry songs does a disservice to one of the great singer/songwriters of the past half century. It's good for a newbie, but this will never satisfy a serious Orbison fan. Roy is still curiously underrarted and under-appreciated. I was ecstatic when he went through a revival in the late 80's, but it was tragically cut short when Roy died, then his reputation again fell by the wayside. His voice remains the purest instrument in popular music in the last fifty years. Listening to these remastered recordings is an absolute joy because I'm accustomed to listening to these treasures on vinyl, with the typical pops, buzzes and surface scratches. All of that has been eliminated on this disc. The sound quality is exceptional throughout. The only problem is, nine songs "just ain't enough!"Included are some of Orbison's signature hits, from the classic "Pretty Woman" to the haunting "Crying" with the poignant tenor cry at the conclusion. My personal favorite Orbison song has always been "Running Scared," a sort of mini-opera, replete with the soaring, rather syrupy arrangements his songs are noted for. I admit many of these arrangements sound dated, but the voice is the primary instrument anyway, and the only one you'll care about. If Elvis was blessed with a gorgeous set of pipes, Roy was in another league entirely and his gift never diminished. If you are an old Orbison die-hard fan, skip this and move on to a noxed set. But if you're a newbie to this incredible man, this collection will do you nicely. Just be forwarned that there's plenty more great music in addition to these nine songs."

Roy's classics in one EXTREAMLY SHORT album

thebookreader | 06/17/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"These songs are real getter-uppers that make you feel good. Roy Orbison has done many songs, but this album contains the true best."Pretty Woman"--Roy's signature song has a beat that you'll never forget! The story of Roy meeting a pretty woman and asking her over has the power to make you (or at least ME) invison a simmilar scene in my head with the music buzzing in the background."Only the Lonely"--One of those oldies that really makes you feel the sadness of breaking up. Oh, sure, every hundred oldies you hear 85% of them have that theme, but some of them really don't make you get INTO THE FEELING. This one does.To conclude, "Oh, Pretty Woman: Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits" has GREAT music, especially the two songs addressed spifictly above. The only downgrade is that this album is SHORT! Add some more music, people! Make it a while before you come to the end! TIP: Replay your favorites a coupple of times to make it last longer. If you like Roy, this (or these songs on other albums) should be on your shelf of CDs!"

To Buy or Not to Buy

Jake Stitch | USA | 10/28/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Roy Orbison's nine best are here, and it's a nice start for will-be fans who are just discovering Roy. But this will never be enough for the hardcore fans. The songs are nice, but this is so short that I can take a bath between the time I start the CD and the time it finishes play. It's up to you if you get this. I personally don't have any other Roy album, and this suits me. But you may already have all 9 tracks on one disc plus more. The question is is this new to you? If it is, go ahead and buy it. If these are just repeats of what you've already got, don't bother."