Gilbert O'Sullivan

Gilbert O'Sullivan

Caricature: The Box (Rhino Handmade) If Gilbert O'Sullivan's limp, 1971 hum-along "Alone Again (Naturally)" makes you wonder how he came to qualify for a 3-CD box set, you're not alone. Rhino, as reckless as they are ambitious on these limited edition sets, apparently finds him worthy. It's helpful to examine Britain's musical history in the case of O'Sullivan, lest he be tossed off as McCartneyesque wimp rock. Across the pond, the plundering of American R&B that was the foundation for the British wave of Sixties rock was accompanied by a revival of dance hall songs, England's answer to Tin Pan Alley and vaudeville. "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" and "Those Were the Days" were notable, and even Ray Davies mined the genre. Problem is, it's a genre of little significance and no interest to us Yanks. But along came O'Sullivan and lo came the hits, at least in England. In America, the lilt of Sullivan's fey voice and his Chaplinesque appearance caught hold with the annoyingly catchy "Alone Again (Naturally)," but not much else. O'Sullivan plied his craft on his native soil with singles such as 1980's "What's in a Kiss" and 1990's "So What," and it's to his credit that he composed all 73 songs here. The three discs contained include most of his singles and B-sides from 16 (!) albums, plus five unreleased tracks. None of the more than six dozen songs venture beyond toe-tapping, and rockers like "Thunder & Lightning" are the kind of music your grandparents can snap their fingers to and say, "See, we rock."