Mr Lonely – BOBBY VINTON****

Mr Lonely/Always Always(Yesterday’s Love Songs)/Tina/Forever Yours I Remain/Life Goes On/Laughing On The Outside/A Thing Called Sadness/The Grass Is Always Greener/I’ll Never Smile Again/Someone I Used To Know/Satin/Its Better To Have Loved

US vocalist Bobby Vinton successfully straddled both the teen and more adult market in the early 1960s. The heart rending Mr Lonely was a US chart topping single. (US:18)

"A wee piece of nostalgia for our times, crooners who make sense and woo you to tears of love remembered or lost. It is so nice to hear the young Mr. Vinton again."

"While it's best known for its chart-topping title ballad, Mr. Lonely remains one of Bobby Vinton's most consistent and engaging albums, a product of the Brill Building pop formula at its most irresistible. Given the songwriting and arranging talent on display here it's easy to joke that Vinton's presence is almost superfluous."

"Though Bobby Vinton usually sang songs written by others, in 1964 Vinton co-wrote Mr. Lonely with Gene Allan, taking the song to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Vinton is at his best when singing about poignant issues. In this case, Mr. Lonely is a soldier far from home. The heartfelt emotions behind Vinton's words are unavoidable and make this a great song for anyone who is isolated or feels isolated. Vinton's falsetto is awesome and gives Frankie Valli a run for his money."

"Bobby Vinton's music is timeless. It is just as poignant and beautiful today as it was when he first recorded it. Vinton was incredibly successful, holding his own against The Beatles, Rolling Stones and dozens of other pop artists. There are still people that make such music, but you will likely not hear them on pop radio. If you ever get nostalgic for mellow, romantic music, pick this album up and give yourself a treat." "A wave of attractive, talented male singers sprouted in the lull between Elvis' induction into the army and The Beatles arrival on US shores. Among them, Bobby Vinton had one of the prettiest voices, an instrument with which he carved out a niche of pop songs that didn't even feint towards rock `n' roll."

"Vinton looked further back to earlier, pre-rock pop. His lushly orchestrated recordings were more apiece with the pre-rock 'n' roll hit parade than with the amalgam of blues, R & B, country and gospel."