Here is, bar none, the most all-inclusive anthology ever assembled to honor the greatest singer ever considered to be a "Rock and Roll artist." But Roy Kelton Orbison was so much more: behind his ever-present sunglasses and beneath his shock of raven-black hair, clad in black, he was rock's Mystery Man, the possessor of the most glorious voice ever to soar on such signature songs as "Only The Lonely," "In Dreams," "Running Scared," "Crying" and "Oh, Pretty Woman," to cite a mere handful of his Top Ten hits.

As Orbison's widow, Barbara, who is also this collection's Executive Producer, points out in her loving annotation contained in this four-CD package: "For the first time, you will have a chance to hear Roy's first recording to the last time he ever sang--Dec. 4, 1988, in Akron, Ohio. Roy recorded for several different labels [including 15 covered in this 107-song collection] and toured the world many, many times--we have numerous unreleased masters [specifically, 12 in this package] and live performances included in this box set to make it truly special."

2008-11-28 -- 5/5:: In A Word... WOW
I received this CD collection as a gift. Not knowing Roy all that well I was rather concerned about liking his music. Well let me tell you going forward he will be one of my favorite singers.

2008-11-25 -- 4/5:: Great box set, but horrible packaging
The music itself it great, and covers Orbison's career from beginning to end.

There is an insert to plead the case for putting Orbison on a stamp, and a fake Wink HS yearbook insert in a wax envelope.

The included box-sized book is extensive, and includes a lot of photos.

And then there is the packaging...HORRIBLE!!! I bought a completely new set, but the CDs themselves are stuffed into cardboard inserts, and it caused extensive CD scratches before I even opened the set up. The CDs should be in a jewel case - the amount of scratches on the CDs is completely unacceptable in a brand-new release.

2008-11-22 -- 3/5:: Okay collectioin....not great!
Why is it that most Roy Orbison compilations (including this one) do not include "Love Star" one of Roy's best songs? Save some money and buy "50 All-Time Greatest Hits" , the 2-disc collection that has all the essentials (INCLUDING LOVE STAR").

2008-11-21 -- 4/5:: Roy Orbison The Soul of Rock n Roll
I purchased the Item because I wanted it for my collection, or Roy Orbison. I have not even opened it yet, but do have other media from Roy all of which I love. But then again, I also love the Ventures and have a large collection of their media as well some of which I purchased through Amazon.com and the rest on E-Bay. All in all for all the songs that you get for the price you cant really beat it.

2008-11-18 -- 5/5:: All the Roy You Could Want!
A coworker of mine got a copy of this box set, and I wasn't overly familiar with Roy's music beforehand. Still, I'm always open to listening to new stuff, and checked it out and LOVED it! There's an almost overwhelming amount of material here, and every time I go back to listen to this, I hear something new.

The book that comes with the set does a great job of covering every part of Roy's career, which starts with a heart-felt intro from Barbara Orbison, Roy's widow. She was the driving force to get this box set made, and it shows that this was a labor of love for everyone involved. Tons of demos, live recordings, and little-known alternate mixes are present, as well as all the hits that everyone knows (even if they didn't know it was a Roy Orbison song!).

This box set would make a great gift for any music fan this year. I highly recommend it.