Knasen 2015

Roy Orbison left Monument for MGM Records in 1965, not long after "Oh, Pretty Woman" gave him his second number one single in 1964. He did not see those heights again during his stint at MGM, but it wasn't for lack of trying. During those eight years, he released 12 full-length albums – another, One of the Lonely Ones, was rejected in 1969 and wasn't unearthed until 2015 – and a clutch of non-LP singles, all rounded up and released in this 13-disc box set, The MGM Years 1965-1973 (One of the Lonely Ones is not part of the box). Demon put this material out as a series of two-fers in the mid-2000s, but The MGM Years trumps those CDs by offering each album as a mini-LP in a cardboard sleeve, while adding a disc of B-Sides & Singles, plus a nice thick booklet filled with memorabilia and justifications for a rocky patch in Orbison's career. After a few modest hits – "Ride Away" and "Breakin' Up Is Breakin' My Heart" made the Top 40 in 1965, "Twinkle Toes" just barely cracked that bar in 1966 – Orbison dropped off the charts completely but continued to cut records designed with a crossover in mind.

There have been plenty of Alan Jackson compilations – some, like 2010's double-disc 34 Number Ones, have been quite extensive – but there's never been an Alan Jackson box until 2015's Genuine: The Alan Jackson Story, a triple-disc set covering his long run at Arista Records. Genuine opens 1989's "Blue Blooded Woman" and closes with his duet with the Zac Brown Band, "As She's Walking Away," a 2010 hit that arrived two years after his last Top 10 country hit – either for Arista or, as of this 2015 writing, in general – "Sissy's Song." He's made good records for EMI in the 2010s – as a rule, Alan Jackson doesn't make bad records – but this set unquestionably covers his popular heyday, featuring every one of his enduring hits and a good selection of deep cuts to boot. The eight unreleased tracks, none of which come with specific recording details, touch upon many of Jackson's signatures, ranging from straight-ahead traditionalist country ("Born Too Late," "If Tears Could Talk"), soft-focused '70s singer/songwriter (a live cover of Steve Young's "Seven Bridges Road"), balladry ("Wings"), south-of-the border fiestas ("Seguro Que Hell Yes"), love of country ("The Star-Spangled Banner"), a chipper twanging neo-novelty ("Love Is Hard"), and rocking country ("Ain't Just a Southern Thing"). Every one of these are solid, worthwhile fan bait for the hardcore, and they do nothing to diminish a box set that accurately exemplifies one of the great careers in country music.