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 --
Burt Bacharach, Garry Sherman, Charlie Calello, Robert Mersey, Bill Walker, and Stan Applebaum all make significant contributions -- it's easy to joke that
Vinton's presence is almost superfluous. But for all the Polish Prince excess and schmaltz of his later years, in his prime
Vinton was a superior pop singer, investing material like "A Thing Called Sadness," "Satin," and "Someone I Used to Know" with poignancy and sensitivity. ~ Jason Ankeny