In Dreams: The Greatest Hits

Personnel: Roy Orbison (vocals, acoustic guitar); Sid Page (strings); Tommy Morgan (harmonica); David Woodford (saxophone); Michael Utley (keyboards); Paul Leim (drums); Jon Joyce , Jim Haas, Linda Dillard, Gene Morford, Carol Parks, Rita Coolidge, Joe Chemay (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Richard Bosworth.
Recording information: Record One, Sherman Oaks, CA.
Photographers: James Schnepf; Glen Erler; Bob Sebree.
Arranger: Michael Utley.
The sound on this 2004 remastered version of the 1963 Monument release is superb, and the newfound clarity heightens the sweeping drama inherent to the material on IN DREAMS. Roy Orbison's tremulous, vulnerable voice is in top form here on these narratives of loneliness and lost love. The rich, symphonic arrangements are heavy on mood and atmosphere, and--as in all of his work--the combination of strings, angelic backing vocals, and Orbison's own impassioned performances is strangely powerful and affecting.
The spectacular title track (sure to strike a chord with fans of David Lynch's surreal film BLUE VELVET, which features the song in a bizarre sequence) leads off, and is followed by other excellent cuts, including "Lonely Wine" and "House without Windows." Orbison's skill with crafting exquisitely gorgeous melodies is in clear evidence, particularly on "Beautiful Dreamer" and the pop masterpiece "Blue Bayou." Melancholic and aurally enveloping, IN DREAMS offers the full-album experience missing from Orbison's hits collections, making it a unique, indispensable slice of pop heaven.