It's true that Fabian couldn't sing, but that's really beside the point. He worked with talented instrumentalists and songwriters (Mort Shuman and Doc Pomus to name a couple), rocked harder than the average teen idol, and stuck with material that didn't challenge his already challenged vocal talents. This Is Fabian collects 26 original recordings for the Chancellor label, including all ten of his Billboard hits. "Tiger," "Turn Me Loose," and "Hound Dog Man" are the ones people remember, but some of the non-hits are fine as well (check out the amazing guitar solo on "Mighty Cold" for one example). Collectables has issued an equally generous Fabian anthology domestically, but This is Fabian! remains a fine and comprehensive collection of his hit recordings. ~ Greg Adams