Bobby Vee - Very Best Of (2008)

Starting out as a sort of low-cal version of Buddy Holly with the release of the "Rubber Ball" single in 1960, Bobby Vee had the looks, the voice, the hair and, most of all, the good sense to work with the Brill Building's finest and not rock the boat as he wracked up hit after hit in the first couple of years of the '60s, each one impeccably arranged and conceived. Along came the Beatles, of course, and everything on the pop music landscape changed overnight, but Vee had his run and made the most of it. This generous single-disc collection has all of his essential high points, including "Rubber Ball," the classic "Take Good Care of My Baby" from 1961, a beautifully orchestrated and arranged "Raining in My Heart," also from 1961, the brilliant "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" from 1962 and Vee's late decade "comeback" single from 1967, "Come Back When You Grow Up," all of which make this a fine and generous introduction to an unsung but frequently interesting and always professional singer.