A charming new 21-track collection of the singer's Grand Ole Opry performances lets listeners experience this metamorphosis. Recorded between 1951 and 1959, Live Classics includes Robbins rocking through "That's All Right"; swinging dreamily through his 1953 chart-topper "I'll Go On Alone" (think of Elvis' later work on, say, "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You"); getting the girls in the Ryman Auditorium to squeal with delight over "White Sport Coat"; fusing country and rockabilly perfectly on "Singing the Blues"; and crooning through his cowboy classic "El Paso." It's all masterfully performed, but the highlight is probably the 1958 recording of Bacharach and David's "The Story of My Life." Delivering the lyric's marriage proposal virtually a cappella, Robbins (backed by the Jordanaires, who whistle and buh-buh-buh throughout) floats through the melody with an underplayed grace and unerring sense of rhythm that sounds so easy and natural you'd swear anyone could do it. Robbins was a master of this particular illusion: His every story of heart-swelling love and heart-wrenching loss soared with the beauty and dignity we all deserve.
