''Cry Softly Lonely One'' is the twelfth

music album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th centur ...

recorded by

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...

, and his sixth for

MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...

. 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 No. 9 in February. According to the official Roy Orbison biography, the London Records release (non U.S.) of this album featured the extra track "Just One Time". The album was released on compact disc 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 Orbison's 1966 album, '' The Classic Roy Orbison''. ''Cry Softly Lonely One'' 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 December 4, 2015.

Reception

William Ruhlmann of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

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" '' Variety'' states "Orbison's supple tenor pipers get an excellent workout in this set of new ballads." ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...

'' 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."

Track listing

Charts

Singles

Production

*Tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 arranged by Jim Hall *Tracks 6, 11, 12 arranged by

Bill McElhiney William Krohmer McElhiney (May 20, 1915 – February 9, 2002) was an American musical arranger, trumpeter, band leader, and musical director who was based in Nashville, Tennessee. As a performer, his most notable contribution was the signatu ...

*Jack Anesh – cover design *Murray Laden – cover photography

References

{{Authority control Roy Orbison albums 1967 albums Albums produced by Wesley Rose MGM Records albums