Bobby Vinton made quite a career out of a very limited vocabulary of song titles, a worked within a fairly narrow prism of subjects and styles. Yet in so doing he was immensely successful, and this Polish Adonis ripped up the charts with a number of hits including his first smash "Blue Velvet", "Tell Me Why", and "There! I've Said It Again". He was on the top ten charts almost continually throughout the early 1960s, and I remember hearing "Mr. Lonely" (about a soldier far away from home) when I myself was in fact a soldier a long, long way from home in 1965. It was eons and eons ago.

I also remember hearing "Coming Home Soldier" about the same time frame, and being impressed with his awareness of how many of us were in fact coming and going. And he had quite a run of hits, also including "Please Love Me Forever", "Blue On Blue", and "I Love How You Love Me". He also hit the charts with "Roses Are Red (My Love", one of his biggest hits, and with a cover of Johnny Tillotson's smash hit "Take Good Care Of my Baby". I understand he still tours, although he must be a little long in the tooth for such stuff nowadays. This is all good music, and it is always a pleasure to listen to. Enjoy

Curb's entry in Vinton's "Greatest Hits" catalog, (two other CD's Epic's original 1964 release and a Sony 1993 release share the title) this collection offers an engaging mix of old hits and new material. Highlights are many and include Vinton's latest major hit "The Last Rose" which climbed the country charts in 1991. This album also features the first digital version of "My Melody of Love" to be released. Vinton's 1974 smash re-ignited his career and led to his own televison show. This album contains some material from his now discontinued first Curb album including strong performances on "I Go To Pieces" and a must-hear "I've Always Loved You" which proves Vinton still has the pipes that sold 50 million records in his heyday.

Bobby Vinton is among my favorite male vocalists from the years before "The British Invasion." Bobby sang with such passion that you were instinctively drawn in to listen to him sing; and he always gave his adoring audiences nothing short of his very best. That's admirable! This CD focuses on the years 1962-1964 before "The British Invasion."

"Blue Velvet," a song written partly by Bobby Vinton himself, sounds as fresh and new today as it did the first time I ever heard it! The percussion and the chorus are great; but it's Bobby who carries this song and he makes it into a great short story about the woman he loves in her blue velvet dress. I predict that you will enjoy "Blue Velvet" very much.

"Roses Are Red (My Love)" is a tender and somewhat melancholy love ballad that couldn't sound better than when Bobby sings it; and his excellent diction bolsters his performance. The chorus enhances the natural beauty of this number. "Mr. Lonely" may have referred to men fighting for their country overseas when this song was released; but I think that just about any man lonesome for his sweetheart can relate to this fine tune.

"There! I've Said It Again" is another highlight of this album; the melody is beautiful and Bobby sings this like a pro! Bobby sings with all his heart and soul; and the musical arrangement lacks nothing--it's THAT good.

"Rain Rain Go Away" has a singular beauty to it; and the guitar arrangement works wonders for this ballad. The album ends with "Tell Me Why;" and this passionate ballad makes a strong ending for this album. I love how Bobby's vocals describe his girlfriend and when Bobby sings "Tell Me Why" it pulls at your heartstrings and becomes a most memorable number.

The cover artwork is nicely done.

Bobby Vinton still tours today and that's terrific. His work on this disc proves this he is full of energy and the high quality control of Bobby's artistry makes him an iconic singer of the twentieth century. I highly recommend this album.

Bobby Vinton charted 44 songs on the Hot 100 from 1962-1980. Of the TEN songs here, only six are among those 44. And another reviewer may well be right about "Blue on Blue" being a re-recording. I suspect the same for "Sealed With a Kiss". Why "What Did You Do With Your Old 45s" (a then-new single which didn't chart) instead of the Number One "There! I've Said It Again" or Top Ten "I Love How You Love Me"? There are many more hits to explore, and I would recommend Varese Vintage's "All-Time Greatest Hits" and its 25 actual chart hits. The folks at Curb must be aware that a CD can manage to hold more than thirtysomething minutes of music. And perhaps, that a booklet with actual liner notes can be fit into the CD case instead of a mere two-page pfft with almost no useful information about the artist or songs.

As is often the case with a Curb hits set (Lobo, Paul Anka), this includes one key hit not available on other compilations. Here, it's 1974's "My Melody of Love", a #3 pop hit that the other discs couldn't or wouldn't, for some reason, license.

This CD has that hit, plus his three most famous hits ("Roses Are Red", "Blue Velvet", and "Mr. Lonely", licensed from Sony), but otherwise does not do justice to a singer with so much material to choose from.

A specific request from a friend as a Christmas Gift! I was really surprised by the presentations on this Cd as they are very modern for a Cd of this age!