Since the "Love Songs" type of compilation has become so common (especially in the run-up to Valentine's Day), it's worth noting that this one, dedicated to the Monument Records recordings of Roy Orbison from the first half of the 1960s, is a cut above the usual. True, it's a discount-priced release running only about the length of an old LP (36-plus minutes). But compilation producer Nick Shaffran has made a good choice of Orbison hits with romantic themes (eschewing rockers like "Oh, Pretty Woman"), including nine of the singer's 19 Top 40 hits for Monument, along with five good B-sides and LP tracks such as Orbison covers of "Love Hurts" and "All You Have to Do Is Dream." Annotator Jonny Whiteside provides a good if short critical appreciation of Orbison, and the CD booklet also contains a full set of musician credits and discographical information. Clearly, more care has gone into this album than is usual for the budget releases on Sony Music Special Products, which makes sense, since this one comes out of Sony's main reissue imprint, Legacy. ~ William Ruhlmann
