Roy Orbison is a legend in pop music. He helped pave the way for rock n’ roll to reach the zenith of it’s popularity as well as showing pop music’s merit by writing music with complex arrangements. This album, The Last Concert, was recorded on December 4, 1988 just two days before Orbison died of a heart attack. It shows his music to be full of majesty and complicated beauty. It’s a testament to his greatness and all that he was musically.
There are some live albums released that sound awful, as if they were bootlegs recorded on vinyl and left in the desert. The Last Concert, however, sounds remarkably clear and spacious. It’s an album that takes you in, envelopes you, and allows you to hear every nuance of every song easily. And those nuances are breath taking.
Songs like, “Dream Baby,” are made all the more magical from the clarity of the recording and the live delivery. The soulful harmonies and duo vocal delivery is just as engaging as what the musicians are doing.
Musicians come and go, but Roy Orbison will always be worth hearing. His legacy is strong enough to never lose importance or relevance musically. This live album is truly great, and there’s not much else that matters beside that. This is live music as it’s meant to be heard.
In a word: Majestic
