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Cry Softly Lonely One

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Cry Softly Lonely One
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 1967
RecordedMarch 3, 1966 – July 7, 1967
GenreRock
Length24:18
LabelMGM
ProducerWesley Rose, Jim Vienneau
Roy Orbison chronology
The Fastest Guitar Alive
(1967)
Cry Softly Lonely One
(1967)
Roy Orbison's Many Moods
(1969)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
New Record Mirror[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]

Cry Softly Lonely One is the twelfth music album recorded by Roy Orbison, and his sixth for MGM Records. The album was released in October 1967 and included two singles: "Communication Breakdown" and the title tune, both of which were minor hits in the States early that year. "Communication Breakdown" did much better in Australia, where it reached #9 in February. According to the official Roy Orbison biography,[4] the London Records release (non U.S.) of this album featured the extra track "Just One Time".

The album was released on compact disc for the first time by Diablo Records on October 5 2004 as tracks 12 through 24 on a pairing of two albums on one CD with tracks 1 through 12 consisting of the other album being Orbison's Other Album from July 1966, The Classic Roy Orbison.[5] The Roy's Boys was included in a box set entitled The MGM Years 1965-1973 - Roy Orbison, which contains 12 of his MGM studio albums, 1 compilation, and was released on Deember 4, 2015.[6]

Reception

[edit]

William Ruhlmann of AllMusic wrote that this album "was an anachronism (the other irony is that, had it come out 18 months later, it might have ridden the same roots rock wave as Elvis Presley's Memphis albums, or Joe South, to success). Some of it, such as "That's a No No," was a true throwback to an earlier pop/rock era, but most of what was here was a great showcase for Orbison's classic sound as it had evolved, oblivious to the musical trends around him"[1]

Record Mirror felt that "His voice tackles this collection of mostly gentle songs well, but it is a pity that several "teen" songs are included, seemingly from the chewing -gum blue, jeans era."[2]

Track listing

[edit]
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."She"Roy Orbison, Bill Dees2:38
2."Communication Breakdown"Roy Orbison, Bill Dees2:57
3."Cry Softly, Lonely One"Don Gant, Joe Melson2:52
4."Girl Like Mine"Mark Mathis2:20
5."It Takes One (To Know One)"Roy Orbison, Bill Dees2:56
6."Just Let Me Make Believe"Ronald Blackwell2:23
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Here Comes The Rain, Baby"Mickey Newbury2:50
2."That's A No-No"Roy Orbison, Bill Dees2:42
3."Memories"Roy Orbison, Bill Dees2:48
4."Time To Cry"Roy Orbison, Bill Dees2:38
5."Only Alive"Ronald Blackwell, Dewayne Blackwell2:04
6."Just One Time" (included on the London Records release only)Don Gibson2:14

Personnel

[edit]
  • Tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 Arranged by Jim Hall
  • Tracks 6, 11, 12 Arranged by Bill McElhiney
  • Jack Anesh - cover design
  • Murray Laden - cover photography

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Roy Orbison – Cry Softly, Lonely One: Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  2. ^ a b Jones, Peter; Jopling, Norman (6 April 1968). "Roy Orbison: Cry Softly, Lonely One" (PDF). New Record Mirror. No. 18. p. 8. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  3. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 1062. ISBN 9781846098567. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  4. ^ Orbison, Roy Jr. (2017). The authorized Roy Orbison. Orbison, Wesley,, Orbison, Alex,, Slate, Jeff (Second ed.). New York: Center Street. p. 251. ISBN 9781478976547. OCLC 1017566749.
  5. ^ "Roy Orbison 1965-1973, Vol. 2 (The Classic Roy Orbison/Cry Softly, Lonely One)". allmusic.com. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  6. ^ "The MGM Years 1965-1973 - Roy Orbison". allmusic.com. Retrieved 16 September 2024.