The Soul of Rock and Roll [Box] (CD - 2008)

Personnel: Roy Orbison (vocals, guitars, background vocals); Jeff Lynne (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, bass instrument, background vocals); Lefty Wilbury (vocals, guitar); Mark Goldenberg (vocals, electric guitar, mandolin, accordion); James Morrow (vocals, electric mandolin); Benmont Tench (vocals, strings, piano, Hammond b-3 organ); Don Was (vocals, Hammond b-3 organ); Joe Melson, k.d. lang (vocals, background vocals); Micahel J. Libow, Doug Fieger, Emmylou Harris, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, The Roses, Barbara Orbison, Carl Perkins (vocals); Larry Byrom, Steve Gibson (guitar, guitars); Dean Parks (guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin); Otis Wilbury (guitar, keyboards, background vocals); Bruce Pearson, Johnny Wilson, Roland Janes, Alan James, Bono , Brent Rowan (guitar); Lenny LeBlanc (guitars, bass instrument); Lucky Wilbury, C.T. Wilbury Jr., J.D. Souther, Nelson Wilbury, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen (guitars, background vocals); John Christopher, Joe Tanner, Rodney Justo, David Hidalgo, Fred Carter, Jr., Grady Martin, Hank Garland, Harold Bradley, J.R. Cobb, James Burton, Jerry Kennedy, Mac McAnally, Ray Edenton, Reggie Young , Robert Byrne, Scotty Moore, T Bone Burnett, Tippy Armstrong, Velma Smith, Wayne Moss, Billy Sanford, Bill Hinds, Bobby Goldsboro, John Rainey Adkins, Boudleaux Bryant (guitars); Mike Campbell (acoustic guitar, mandolin); Tom Petty (acoustic guitar, background vocals); George Harrison (acoustic guitar); Terry McMillan, Charlie McCoy (harmonica); Clarence Clemons, Jim Horn, Harvey Thompson, Ronnie Eades, Boots Randolph (saxophone); Alan Mayes, Colin First (trumpet); Gordon Balmouth, Larry Knechtal, Floyd Cramer, Glen D. Hardin, Jimmy Smith , Marvin Hughes, Barry Booth, Bill Pursell (piano); Tom Waits (organ); Booker T. Jones (Hammond b-3 organ); David Briggs (keyboards, synthesizer); Bill Dees (keyboards, background vocals); Clayton Ivey, Michael Utley, Mike Utley, Shane Keister, Bobby Emmons, Bobby Wood, Bobby Woods, Jim "Turbo" Kirby (keyboards); Roger Clark (synthesizer, drums, electronic drums); Charles Evans, Jack Kennelly, Terry Widlake, Sid Manker, Dennis Belfield, Howie Epstein, Jerry Scheff, Jim Johnson , Larry Paxton, Lonnie "Butch" Ledford, Mike Leech, Stan Kesler, T-Bone Wolk, Tommy Cogbill, Bob Wray, James "Hutch" Hutchinson, Bob Moore (bass instrument); Buell Neidlinger (upright bass); Phil Jones, Ian Wallace (drums, percussion); John W. Greubel, Bob Munday, Billy Pat Ellis, Jeff Porcard, Otis Jett, Dewey Martin, Gene Chrisman, J.M. Van Eaton, Jerry Arnold, Jim Keltner, Kenneth A. Buttrey, Michael Joyce, Ricky Fataar, Robert Nix, Ronnie Tutt, Ray Cooper , Paul Leim, Jerry Carrigan, Bob Mummert, Paul Garrison, Buddy Harman (drums); Terry Elam, Lenny Castro, Alex Acuña, Mickey Buckins, Tom Roady, Farrell Morris (percussion); Thomas Brannon, Laverna Moore, Gwen Kay, Willie Greene, Wayne Murray, Dennis Linde, Francine Reed, Ginger Holladay, Jackson Browne, Janie Fricke, Jennifer Warnes, Andrew Gold, Steven Soles, Tom Smith, Bergen White, The Cherry Sisters, Bonnie Raitt, Buzz Cason, Everett Drake (background vocals); The Bob Moore Orchestra, Barry Booth Orchestra.

This lavish, four-disc box set is undoubtedly the definitive summation of the career of Roy Orbison, rock & roll's great drama king. Behind those dark glasses and cool veneer lurked a man with an operatic voice and a rockabilly heart, and this set expertly guides you through every phase of his discography. The first disc features Orbison the Sun Records rock-&-roll cat, turning out rollicking rockabilly gems like "Ooby Dooby," and there are a number of mouth-watering demo recordings from this period featured as well. Disc Two really begins to get into the meat of the Orbison discography. Tracks like "Only the Lonely," "Running Scared," and "In Dreams" are lush, otherworldly pop operas where Orbison's unearthly tenor soars above clouds of strings to cry out, sometimes in longing, sometimes in terror. These immortal tracks pierce the listener to the soul, and by the final disc in the set, Orbison is surrounded by younger artists who grew up on those tunes, like k.d. lang, who joins him in a tear-jerking remake of "Crying." If you want the full Orbison experience, you'd be hard-pressed to do better than this box. minimize