The Last Concert [CD/DVD]

Audio Remasterer: Richard Dodd.
Recording information: Front Row Theater, Highland Heights, OH (12/04/1988); Reseda Country Club, Reseda, CA (12/04/1988); Rockefeller Hall, Houston, TX (12/04/1988); Front Row Theater, Highland Heights, OH (1981); Reseda Country Club, Reseda, CA (1981); Rockefeller Hall, Houston, TX (1981); Front Row Theater, Highland Heights, OH (1986); Reseda Country Club, Reseda, CA (1986); Rockefeller Hall, Houston, TX (1986).
Photographer: Janet Macoska.
When Roy Orbison died on December 6, 1988, his voice was every bit as strong as it had been since he first emerged more than three decades earlier. This concert, his last, took place only two days before he passed, and while there are no surprises on it -- his set list had always been comprised of his hit singles and little else -- it serves as a fitting farewell. Anyone who'd seen Orbison in concert during the previous decade or so can consider this Akron, OH show a souvenir, as it undoubtedly echoes what they heard. Opening with "Only the Lonely," backed by his regular band and female backing vocalists, Orbison wastes not a second proving that he's still got it. The quasi-operatic voice is intact, never loses any of its power or grace, and stays that way throughout, as he goes through his most familiar numbers: "In Dreams," "It's Over," "Blue Bayou," "Candyman," "Ooby Dooby" -- the rockabilly classic that started it all -- and, of course, "Oh, Pretty Woman," which closes the show. While the sound quality of the recording isn't as crisp and present as some live albums, as a representation of Orbison's live charisma this set works just fine. And as a historical document it's a must-have for any serious Orb-ophile. ~ Jeff Tamarkin