Only the Lonely: The Roy Orbison Story

Rating:
Summary: unbelievable rubbish
Review: After reading all users reviews, i find everything about this apalling book has been already said, and i just would like to give my humble advice to other people who, like me, is fanatic of the divine Big O's voice and music, and might want to buy it. This 'book' is confusing, pretentious, full of mistakes, and just plain ugly. I also would rather give it no star at all, so just ignore the one i was forced to use for this review.
Eternal glory for Roy Orbison, simple oblivion for this very mediocre book.

Rating:
Summary: Only The Lonely
Review: Am I the only one? I just started reading "Only the Lonely" and find it terribly confusing. The author jumps topics often then goes on long, lengthy narratives not related to what he had started to discuss. I love Roy Orbison's music and wanted to know about his life and career but this book has been a disappointment from the start. I especially do not like the frequent and negative references made about Roy's physical appearence. This was a kind, sweet, gentle man with a wonderful voice, so what if he did not look like Elvis!

Rating:
Summary: Bill Frady - Brother of Claudette Orbison (Roy's 1st wife)
Review: How this book was ever publshed is a wonder in itself. It is filled from cover to cover with mistakes. It appears no research was attempted at all for the book. Too bad there is not a rate to show how bad it is. I was forced to give it a star just be able to give this review. therefore do not count it please.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and inspirational subject--insipid biographer
Review: I completely agree with the other five reviewers. Moreover, it's shocking how dull this book is when you consider how much drama there was in Roy Orbison's life. The author certainly doesn't offer much perspective into how Roy persevered after the horrible deaths of his wife and sons. Indeed, you don't really feel as though you've gotten to know Roy any better after finishing the book. Clayson seems to have spent almost as much text insulting other recording artists and offering long-winded, irrelevant asides as he spent discussing Roy's life and music. Let his snitty preface (in which he complained of "ham fisted" editing in a previous edition of the book) and the adulatory "About the Author" blurb stand as omens of the author's self-indulgence.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and inspirational subject--insipid biographer
Review: I completely agree with the other five reviewers. Moreover, it's shocking how dull this book is when you consider how much drama there was in Roy Orbison's life. The author certainly doesn't offer much perspective into how Roy persevered after the horrible deaths of his wife and sons. Indeed, you don't really feel as though you've gotten to know Roy any better after finishing the book. Clayson seems to have spent almost as much text insulting other recording artists and offering long-winded, irrelevant asides as he spent discussing Roy's life and music. Let his snitty preface (in which he complained of "ham fisted" editing in a previous edition of the book) and the adulatory "About the Author" blurb stand as omens of the author's self-indulgence.

Rating:
Summary: Over-stylized inaccuracies
Review: I would give zero stars if I could. The book is riddled with inaccuracies (ex: incorrectly states that Tommy Dee [of "Three Stars"] is actually John D. Loudermilk), and superflous & unrelated info (ex: uses songs & artists from late 60's & early 70's to illustrate points when discussing late 50's & early 60's situations). The writer apparently felt a much greater need to show how many words he knows (extremely over stylized - and often confusing - writing) than he did to set forth clear and correct information.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time reading it.
Review: This book is poorly researched and contains innumerable errors of fact. Alan Clayson may be a wordsmith but a true researcher he is not. For almost all his research for this book he relies on secondary sources. No serious fact-finding for this book, I'm sad to say. Suggest he sticks to tabloid gossip columns and leave the biographies for those equipped to write them. If you want to read the real story of Roy Orbison do yourself a favour and purchase Ellis Amburn's "Dark Star - The Roy Orbison Story".

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time reading it.
Review: This book is poorly researched and contains innumerable errors of fact. Alan Clayson may be a wordsmith but a true researcher he is not. For almost all his research for this book he relies on secondary sources. No serious fact-finding for this book, I'm sad to say. Suggest he sticks to tabloid gossip columns and leave the biographies for those equipped to write them. If you want to read the real story of Roy Orbison do yourself a favour and purchase Ellis Amburn's "Dark Star - The Roy Orbison Story".