Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Pretty great!
There's some charm to classic, classic country
Sounds like the stuff from fallout lol
Not good....
Just a misogynistic tool having a sook about women being happy, the big whores!
Fabulous voice, but still country and western, so it’s a three from me.
Cool country album with some pretty slick lyrics. I don't know country that well but for the traditional stuff, this is a pretty great showcase.
It's an old timey honkey tonk album. Nothing special about it, but Price has a nice voice and the music is tight.
4/10
nice enough
Este es un álbum bien intencionado que propone una atmósfera romántica, nostágica / melancólica y relajada. Si uno disfruta del estilo country y honky tonk, este podría ser un álbum muy disfrutable. En mi caso no es un estilo que me guste mucho, pero el verdadero problema que encuentro en este álbum es que es extremadamente monótono. Al punto tal que haber escuchado un solo tema es como escuchar el álbum completo, porque el mismo no ofrece virtualmente nada nuevo en toda su duración. Todos los temas tienen la misma rítmica, sonoridad y temática de amor / desamor. Considero que una cosa es que el álbum sea cohesivo con la temática que propone, lo cual en general lo considero positivo, pero esto tiene que venir de la mano de ofrecer algo distintivo, especial o innovador (sea en ritmo, armonía, melodía, letra, timbre, instrumentación, etc.). Este no es el caso. Como dije anteriormente, puede ser un buen álbum si te gusta el estilo, o por el hecho de ser tan monótono, uno ya sabe de antemano que todo el álbum va a generar una misma atmósfera, y por ende puede servir como música de fondo. A nivel personal no lo considero un álbum relevante como para estar en esta lista, a pesar de estar bien interpretado y de que me pareció interesante la introducción.
The album happened definitely! The bass and pedal-steel was all I can remember :)
Generic country music?
I liked a lot of this album. Real classic country swing. It’s nice that this came at a time when the days are getting shorter - a good album for the dark. I will say, Ray Price seems to have a problem with hanging around in bars, my primary source of a good time. Bring on the honky tonk angels I say.
the introduction absolutely tickled me
This is exactly the type of classic country that scratches an itch in me I can't quite explain. This album feels very foundational to the genre, I hear elements of it in country music I enjoy now. Something about the way he sings is so longing and beautiful
3,5
Fine country, if a little one note.
Very traditional country crooning. A lot of twang here.
Absolutely classic Nashville sound. His voice sounds a lot like Elvis’ I think. Some of the songs start to sound the same as this progresses though.
6.5/10 If nothing else, this album has a fantastic introduction. The mix of Price's silky smooth vocals with honky tonk instrumentals and some fairly dark lyrics makes combine to make this a mostly interesting and enjoyable listen. On the other hand, the honky tonk backing does become pretty repetitive by the time you reach the back half of the record, and all in all 37 minutes is more than enough - I can't imagine coming back to this. Standout Songs: 'The Wild Side of Life', 'Sittin' and Thinkin'' Listens: 1
Every some seems to be about a man and a woman 😂
He has a nice crooner country twang voice but nothing really moved me. It was just nice and pleasant
This is some pretty good honky tonk. Night Life is a Willie Nelson classic.
While Country is not my favorite genre, this classic is an old school breezy vibe that I dig. It’s definitely not an everyday mood, but when it hits, it hits hard.
This was pleasant enough. He has a really nice voice that reminds me of Elvis a bit. I didn't feel much of a connection to it, but it was a nice listen.
Ray Price's Night Life follows a unique premise in that almost every song is devoted to the tales that occur amongst the dusk and how it impacts the characters in it. One of country's first concept records, albeit overlooked, Night Life does well to lean in on the heaviness and levity of what awaits the listener. Favorites: Night Life, Lonely Street, The Wild Side of Life, The Twenty-Fourth Hour, A Girl in the Night, If She Could See Me Now, Bright Lights and Blonde Haired Women.
The cover of Ray Price's 1963 album, "Night Life", is pure, iconic early '60s country, setting an expectation the first two tracks immediately subvert. Instead of a steel-guitar twang, we're greeted with a quaint "Introduction and Theme" followed by the surprisingly bluesy shuffle of the title track, "Night Life," and then a similarly moody "Lonely Street." The album truly settles into its rhythm with "Wild Side of Life." While I know the song best through Status Quo's 1970's excellent cover, Price's version establishes the country foundation on the album. The instrumentation, the slide guitar and fiddles, are used with subtlety, and Ray Price's voice avoids the exaggerated vocal affectations often found in the country genre. The true highlight of "Night Life" is undoubtedly "Pride." It's a cracking song and a performance that stands head and shoulders above the rest. From this point on, the song writing and performances generally solidify, raising the album's standard significantly before a slight dip in quality toward the final two tracks. Price himself possesses a strong, appealing voice. The entire album is well-arranged and played, benefiting from Don Law's early '60s production, which sounds classy and clear today. It's a testament to the high-quality musicianship of the era. Despite its overall quality and enjoyment, the album's place on an "essential" list is debatable. While it's a good listen and good fun, its significance isn't immediately clear enough to warrant an automatic spot among the 1001 Albums. Regardless of its legacy status, it remains a surprisingly engaging listen. Four stars. 1. "Introduction and Theme / Night Life" - (3/5) 3. "Night Life" - (3/5) 2. "Lonely Street" (Carl Belew, Kenny Sowder, W.S. Stevenson) - (3/5) 3. "The Wild Side of Life" (Arlie Carter, William Warren) - (4/5) 4. "Sittin' and Thinkin'" (Charlie Rich) - (3/5) 5. "The Twenty-Fourth Hour" (Ray Price) - (3/5) 6. "A Girl in the Night" (Hank Thompson) - (4/5) 7. "Pride" (Wayne P. Walker, Irene Stanton) - (5/5) 8. "There's No Fool Like a Young Fool" (Bette Thomasson) - (4/5) 9. "If She Could See Me Now" (Hank Cochran) - (4/5) 10. "Bright Lights and Blonde Haired Women" (Eddie Kirkland) - (4/5) 11. "Are You Sure" (Buddy Emmons, Willie Nelson) - (3/5) 12. "Let Me Talk to You" (Don Stewart Davis, Danny Dill)- (3/5) Total - 46 Average - 3.54 125/1001 66/125 albums reviewed were new to me.
This is without a doubt a most forgettable album.
The first track is much more like jazz than country. Or jazzy pop. Rich arrangement, nice vibe. His vocal seems fine but I will put it on the weaker side. He’s theatrical but his vibratos don’t seem to be very natural?..deep but quick.. Also he doesn’t have the tendency to emphasise on interesting parts of the music. Night life has a lot of places for singers to flex, but he didn’t use any of the chances. But he belts good. When he reaches his mix belting range, it sounds very satisfying. But with limited tools in his skill set, it gets boring very quickly. I know how exactly he will sound at each note. The rest is just ok, almost the same intro / theme for many tracks but with some nuances. Overall it’s still very pleasant. it’s a nice album, good music, and ok vocal. After all it’s still a country album, it was just the first track makes me see the album in a different way.
This is the kind of country I can get behind. Really solid tunes, simple and sweet lyrics, and a voice that just won’t quit. Big fan of this one.
I know this isn’t all that country, but I wish modern country music sounded like this. Or at least the newer country music that resembles this sound got more play. I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would, even if the intro was strange and seemed unnecessary.
Man, white people sure know how to party am I right?
10/10
Title track was okay, but the rest is garbage 60's country.
Nice voice, nice songs, already forgotten it
This did not catch my attention. The music is alright but the twangy old-country singing ruins the vibe for me. The songs blended together and it didn’t hit the spot
There is much better Country albums than this one. Have no idea why this made the list.
I felt like I was being serenaded. Good for a dinner party. Not a big fan of country.
This was okay. Definitely not my speed, but not unbearable, and I did enjoy how authentic and "classic folk/country" the sound was. My favorite was "Sittin' and Thinkin'." I probably will not return to this project or artist, but I enjoyed the listening experience a fair amount.
2/5. I am not sure I enjoyed this fully even if his voice is very warm and deep that brings a sense of homeliness to the songs. I think I just feel like it is the balance of country and Sinatra but I'm not feeling the emotion behind these songs like I should with those influences, so it kind of feels tried than true. It's nice for what it is but it feels like part of a Holiday playlist more than anything, doesn't stand the test of time for me. Best Song: The Wild Side Of Life, If She Could See Me Now, Night Life
Mostly the worst excesses of country. Bonus point because Elvis Costello saw something in Sittin' And Thinkin' and made it acceptable. But then again it was a Charlie Rich song anyway.
Sorry Ray, but it's not great. The kind of music we successfully moved past from. A 2*, but loses a star for some remarkably sexist tracks in the back end.
Smooth, but didn't stick with me.
Fint album, ikke noget bemærkelsesværdigt.
This was cute. I actually enjoyed listening to it, but it never really went beyond that.
Not for me
Ok, I’ve had a pretty good run lately, culminating in a 5 star masterpiece yesterday, but all good things must come to an end. I listened to this walking the streets of Manchester on my office day, and it occurred to me that no one could possibly imagine the album I was listening to. This is proper country music, it’s perfectly pleasant in so many ways but it’s just not for me. I appreciate the relatively short runtime at 38 mins because all the tracks are quite samey.
This shit like fallout
Feel good songs from an era distant enough that I can both relate to the experiences and the experiences remain foreign.
Il pleut dehors, le vent souffle, et je trouve que cet album correspond totalement à cette ambiance automnale.
The intro was pretty cool
Love how this starts out with a corny spoken word intro about how Ray hopes we have a good time listening to his new album, when we all know that this album is meant for being the most heartbroken loser in the bar. Coincidentally, my dad and I were talking about the title song (albeit Willie Nelson's version) earlier today! He prefers Willie's, but I think this one's pretty good too.
I don’t understand
Honey Tonkin. Pretty standard, good vocals. Not a lot of variety on the album.
Just another dull country album tbh. 3/10, but gets 1* as it's non-essential.
Прослушал этот альбом за ужином, на который у меня были 20 макнагетсов с соусом "блю чиз". Лучшая песня - Night Life.
I like the album artwork. The record is just absolutely fine but nothing to write home about. I would listen to it, nice to have on at home when pottering around. Reminds me of my grandparents and the Honky Tonk Man.
The bass lines were predictable, but fun. This guy has a bit of range in his voice. Wow! A spoken word introduction. This guy has 51 studio albums to his name?! A few things that came to mind while listening. It's plain country, before it got what that cruddy pop country we get out the USA now. It has a bit of sincerity to it. But it's more of the same... Kind of the thing you'd expect your Grandma to put on and tell you it's some pretty 'riske' stuff. My wife reckons it reminded here of John Rowles, cue the 'Cheryl Moaaaaaaaaana Marieeeeeeeee'.... I did like one song that started with, 'I got loaded on gin'. But probably only because of that line. Sits with the rest of my, it was fiiiiiine but nothing exciting albums. 3 stars.
This album is like the meal you have at a quiet restaurant the night before your friend’s wedding. They are getting married in an isolated town. You’ve flown in on the Friday, but you know they’ll be too busy to see you the night before their big day. You don’t know many of the other guests, so you don’t really have anyone to hang out with tonight. You’ve had a long day - flying to the nearby city, renting a car and driving to this town ended up taking most of your day. You drop your bags at your motel and ask where the best food options are. The old lady at the front desk suggests a quiet little steak house, so off you go. You find the quaint little restaurant. There’s only one other table seated, so you sit in a booth and order a beer. The steak is cooked pretty well, and there are plenty of potatoes. No kūmara though. There is a tv with the rugby on, and some music quietly playing behind the bar, but not too much else is going on. The staff are friendly, and bring your bill soon after your last mouthful. You head back to your motel room and look for a movie to watch. There Will Be Blood is about to start. Great movie, but you are pretty tired, so you just have a shower and go to bed.
Guess you had to be there. Not my cup of tea.
Wasn't able to sit through it.
< the Beatles No thank you.
not bad but not for me
What is a honky tonk? Why is it a noun, verb, and adjective?
No idea of the kind of night life this guy has but it’s not the same as mine. Some of the lyricism on here is dark and witty
Solid honky-tonk country pop. First track is pretty weird, really sets the stage for the album. I enjoyed this. A good album to listen to on a cold winter’s night.
Does what it says on the tin.
Fairly enjoyable listen. I have a bit of a soft spot for country. This reminded me of driving around the hillbilly town in San Andreas.
sounded like generic early 60’s country to me. doesn’t stand out, but didn’t hate it.
I liked a couple of the early songs and then it just got….less memorable with each song.
the definition of Easy Listening. Nice but forgettable
I feel like I've listened to at least 10 albums just like this at this point on the list. Just fine. 2.5/5 - 3/5
old country music is pretty good :o
Significant hell yeah album
Nice, laidback old country. Nothing outstanding, but very very pleasant and timeless.
Very enjoyable!
Not terrible country, but a bit dated and melancholy for my tastes.
Not terrible, not my cup of tea necessarily lol
I never thought I would like this. I do. Ray Price has a phenomenal voice. I feel like I'm sitting in a diner in Texas or Nashville as this album is playing. This album has a charm and I will be returning to it for morning coffee.
Pretty great.
Feel like something from Fallout New Vegas radio
3.0
This was an easy listen. I love this shit. Relatable
I liked it!
Completely fine. I struggle to really find anything to hold onto with this album, and I feel like I've heard much better in every regard from other singers from the same decade, like Marty Robbins. The storytelling kind of hits all of the 60s stereotypes and you can get the gist of the album off of any one song.
A nice but forgettable honky tonk album. Wouldn't mind listening again, but none of these songs stuck in my head even a little bit.
An era of country I'm not the biggest fan of. 2.5 rounding up
Perfect music for drowning your sorrows and broken heart in a bottle of whiskey. Favorite song is Pride, with the line about the heart saying to stay while pride saying to go. I think most folks can relate to that. Once eh got past the introduction, both unnecessary and tedious to listen to, it was pure perfection as far as true country music goes.
i actually really liked the first track, Night Life. unfortunately the rest of the album couldn't match its weird nocturnal country vibe. such a unique song its a shame rest isn't like it
After listening to the steaming pile of shit yesterday that is The Killers Hot Fuss, this is a much appreciated change of pace. Well-crafted country music, a great voice, slide/steel guitar...this is fantastic. It is kitchen music...it's the music to play in the kitchen when making dinner. Or background music to have when friends are over. But I'm also working with my headphones on and doing menial daily tasks and it's great for that, too. I feel like that comes across as a slam, but it really isn't. This is somewhere between a 4 and a 5 for me...I will say that there's not a lot of diversity here, the songs all seem to have the same tempo and a really similar rhythm. But the recording and the mix is tremendous, you can hear all the instruments independently of each other, especially the bass...and his voice just glides smoothly over everything. I feel like records these days don't sound this good for some reason...sonically, this is so simple and yet so awesome...so I'm gonna end up giving it a 5. And fuck The Killers. What a shit album.
Sorry. Not my jam.
So far this album is fantastic.
What a courteous and informative introduction. Overall a pleasant surprise. *insert joke re honky-tonk and/or*
Not bad, though a little slow for me. Pretty tunes but that’s about it.
Not bad. A lot of this type of 50s/early 60s country-ish music is stuff I like. I don’t think Ray Price is the best of the bunch, but it was a nice listen nonetheless.
- Definitiv nicht mein Musikgeschmack aber kann man mal machen - war ein leichter Kampf alles durchzuhören - ein Lied ist in Ordnung aber mehrer am Stück ist zu viel 😂 - Hört sich alles fast gleich an Topsong: Night Life
Pretty enjoyable
Sounds like the beginning of “Walk Hard” before Dewey Cox writes the title track and Kristen Wiig keeps telling him that he’s gonna fail. Gets a pass because at least this is from the early 60’s and not the mid 70’s.
This was definitely old country but pretty pleasant. Apparently Willie plays in this band which is pretty cool.
incroyable. fantastique.. bändi rullaa ja ray hoilaa hurmattaa. voiko kysyä parempaa? tämä on sellainen albumi jota kuunnellessa ei tarvitse mitään muuta tehdä. tarvi reenailla, scrollailla, kävellä tai kokkailla. tyhjyyteen katsomaan ja istuen kuuntelemaan kaikki muu on turhautta. kolmetoista pikku lurautusta ja albumi on ohi ennen kuin edes huomaat. texazilainen, texaz.. best american state FREEDOM!! FREEDOM STATE.. meikäle vois kuulua texas free state hehheh (leopold II referenssi(). niin ja tota niin ja totanoin noiskos oiskos notota jassoolikkahaa.. jatotanoin niin siinä siinä ois arvostelu varmaan ohi niih... night life
Pretty decent.
Nah man, just annoying
Reminded me of Elvis and Ricky Skaggs. Summer didn't like so I couldn't listen all the way through
Having recently lost a beloved family pet, this 'sad cowboy' music hits oh so right. Really has a "tears in your beers" feeling, as perfectly put by another reviewer. Is it the strongest or most revolutionary country album out there? No, not by a long shot. But that's okay, it's still a lovely listen that doesn't overstay its welcome. Plus the personalized intro voiceover by Ray was such a wonderful (and unexpected) start to the album... hearkens back to a simpler time when life was slower and easier (for white people, anyway)
Dowtempo tranqui
Not for me
A bit too country for me
A fine album, hard not to just zone out though, nothing really drew me in.
[downtroddenly] yeehaw
2, big zone out time
I was pretty excited by the first 15 seconds of this album because I’ve been listening to a lot of lap steel guitar country music lately (surf country, psychedelic country, etc). Sadly, as soon as Ray Price opened his mouth, the spell was broken. And to hear it was for a long winded album introduction… woof. Admittedly, that tainted my first listen of this album, but I enjoyed it more the second time around. If I’m going to listen to 50/60s crooning, I think I prefer this to the lounge lizard alternatives. As a kid, I think this is what I thought Elvis sounded like; at least late stage white jumpsuit Elvis. Anyway, at only 37min, the album wraps up just as my attention span starts to wane and that’s great. Lastly, Idk if we’d have Orville Peck without Ray Price, and thats reason enough to give this a thumbs up.
not technically bad, but all i could think about was how much i wanted it to be over so…
I would add any of these songs to my country playlist
This itched a portion of my brain that I did not know needed to be scratched 5/5
Ended up enjoying this more than I expected. I didn't really have high hopes after the intro speech. Oh god, am I an old man?
Cover is giving stalker, album was alright.
A bit too much pedal steel for me, but otherwise at the better end of 60s country albums. Hell of a backing band, too: Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, Floyd Cramer all had massive careers of their own.
I picture on a lonely street, in a dimly lit bar, with scattered cowboys, distanced from one another, sittin' and thinkin' about honky tonk angels, counting the hours until daylight begins, while Ray Price plays on the jukebox.
This is fine but there's a place and time for this music- and it's not my morning commute. I'm sure this would be pretty amazing to hear live, though. Favorite track: "Night Life"
"Night Life" is the sixth studio album by country western singer and guitarist Ray Price. The Wiki-listed genres are country and honky tonk. Price was backed in the studio by his regular touring band, the Cherokee Cowboys, which included Willie Nelson (guitar, vocals), Johnny Paycheck (guitars, bass, vocals), Buddy Emmons (pedal-steel guitar) and Floyd Cramer (piano). That's quite the band. Shorty Lavender and Tommy Jackson played the fiddle parts. The album reached #1 in the second week of the US Billboard chart's existence. A critic's review called this album "the last gasp of true honky tonk, the first stab at mainstreaming it into the Nashville sound of the 1960s and country music's first concept album." The album opens with "Introduction and Theme" where Price thanks the audience and the emotion of people that lived in the night life - happiness, sadness and heartbreak. There's subtle music in the background. The first proper song is "Night Life." A pedal-steel guitar at the start with ticking drums. The guitar with piano gives a bluesy vibe in the background. Price's strong baritone declaring "night life is no life but it's my life." The only Price self-penned song on the album is "The Twenty-Fourth Hour" and it's a good one. A fiddle, electric and pedal-steel guitars. A country beat. Vocal harmonies. A pedal-steel guitar solo which blends with the fiddle. He makes it through the first 23 but on the 24-hour he cries. The fiddle opens the upbeat "Pride." The best all worlds: harmonies, a pedal-steel guitar solo and a fiddle solo. "How can he leave her? His heart tells him to stay but his pride says go." Price can take his baritone many places but I didn't expect him going full Elvis Presley and he does that in the closer "Let Me Talk to You" and nails it. It's dreamy with the soft beat and fiddle. He just wants to fall in love again. Ray Price had a tremendous baritone voice. The harmonies on this record are excellent. The pedal-steel guitar, fiddle and guitar-fiddle interplay are some of the best you'll ever hear. Of course, there's melancholy with subjects such as the night life, wild side of life, drinking, cryin' in the 24th hour, lost love, loneliness and being lit up like a Christmas tree. Some have compared this to Frank Sinatra's "In the Wee Small Hours" and I couldn't agree more. Not only is this one the best country albums I've heard, it's one the best overall albums I've heard.
Lovely, some voice, although diminishing marginal returns hit in eventually. Will return to individual songs, however, but the album didn't have enough variety to encourage an active re-listen.
Started off strong with a song by Willie, unfortunately that was the peak. It was an okay country album.
It lacked something
Meh. Boring, very plain and traditional country. I don't really see why it's supposed to be so important but what do I know.
ok old school honky tonk. wish it had a bit more variety. kind of blended together
I was really expecting to hate this... but it was tolerable.
This came out over 60 years ago. With that in mind: Musically, it's fine. I find this style fun on occasion, but a full album if a bit much, and it doesn't branch out much, so it's very samey. I could often not tell that one song ended and a new one started. I think if three of these songs had some difference in feeling, I'd love it. Lyrically, again, more than sixty years later, this is fascinating. It's about the chaos and emptiness of the night life, which is pretty "urban coded" now. I don't know what the bar scene was anywhere 50 years before they would let me in one, but having lived in both a major city and the outskirts of a four digit town, the loneliness and isolation in this crosses over to both, but if you added a drum machine this would be interpreted as the degeneracy of those city youths. It's the kind of country I like. It's personal, it's emotional, it's relatable. I'd be curious how these lyrics would fare today, when country music rejects real emotion in place of empty posturing about a sanitized facsimile of small town life and how women are hot fragile mothers. Ultimately, I'm split. Consider this a 3.5, because I want more variety, but what it gives is compelling. I'll probably buy a song or two from this.
It's okay. If you've heard one song, you've basically heard them all, there's no variety whatsoever. Same tempo, same lyrical content. I liked the title track the most. I also liked his voice.
Inoffensive but inessential listen. Enjoyable enough
A master class in Country music.
I'm a sucker for this style, and this is about as will as it is done. Back when success required actual musical chops and lyrics were clever, Willie Nelson was in the band. Enough said.
Decent old school country, with a bit of blues. Amazing pedal steel playing, great musicianship all around. Lyrics that keep your attention.
Starting your album thanking people for listening probably means it's not worth listening to. Cheesy.
Не тронул и не заинтересовал.
Slander these hussies gramps 🔥🔥🔥
Songs are elegantly connected and feel as a one long track essentially. In this sense, the record feels seamless. The mysic style feels fit for some cozy dinner at the restaurant down the street. I would not relisten this often, so the album marks a decent work appropriate for some niche uses.
Very pleasant, utterly unremarkable, background musical irrigation. Surprisingly nice when concentrating on work, but not suited for active listening. Maybe things looked and sounded different some 60 years ago.
Really nice to get a welcome to the album. I kind of do want to reach out and tell them I enjoyed it. Unique vibe and slice of another time. Well executed and worth a listen.
Creepy album cover. Oh no, he's talking right to us. If I paid for this in the 1960s and needed to skip this first bit everytime on my record player I'd be a little annoyed. The performances are on point, great example of the genre, just not popping me at all.
++: Introduction and Theme / Night Life, The Wild Side of Life, A Girl in the Night, Pride, There's No Fool Like a Young Fool, Bright Lights and Blonde Haired Women, Are You Sure, Let Me Talk to You +: Lonely Street, The Twenty-Fourth Hour, If She Could See Me Now +-: Sittin' and Thinkin' 8,5/10
This is the first album on this list so far that hasn't had a Wikipedia entry, how peculiar. Night Life was a pretty fresh mix of blues and honky tonk. Then after that it's off to your regularly scheduled programming of Honky Tonk. Anyways, this album is pretty much every honky tonk record you've ever listened to, the voice sounds exactly the same as every other artist from this genre, lyricism about heartbreak, exact same instrumentals, etc. You could say this was a Buck Owen record and I'd believe you. That being said, I don't really care. Honky Tonk rocks. In the same way you could play me 5 different Drum n' Bass singles that sound similar and I could believe that they're the same artist - it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. I love Honky Tonk, it takes me back to a part of my childhood that I long for. I'd give this a 3.5 if I could. Highlights: Night Life, obviously.
Whoops forgot to post my review (and seemingly lost what I had written, not that it was war and peace or anything). A charming little honky tonk album that maintains a very similar pace throughout its runtime. Wasn't offended by anything I heard in fact the vocalist was really great. I just don't think anything stood out to me as particularly memorable.
Hrm...... I don't remember listening to this and I simply cannot be fucked to listen again to remember if it was good or not. I don't remember hating it
hb pull up to a girls crib like, "I didnt know God made honky tonk angels." My brother in christ, she gave up the only one who ever loved her. And went back to the wild side of life. 7/10
I haven't heard many albums that have a personal thank you (at least not at the very start) so I was immediately impressed by its charm. I haven't heard of Ray Price before and I'm worse-off for it, this man has such a beautiful voice. I can see myself giving this album a spin anytime, it has a few standouts for me (especially the title track and Are You Sure). There are a few tracks here which are rather forgettable, even on repeat listens I found I just couldn't place them, but overall this is a great. This is one of those albums I don't think I would have encountered in my life without this project and I'm happy to be reviewing it now. Highlights: Night Life, Lonely Street, Sittin' and Thinkin', Are You Sure
Rating: 5/10 Meh.
Some of this 50s & 60s country is just too much. It doesn’t hold up in today’s world.
3.5
An interesting record. Kind of a performance - like they are making a record and tell you that they are. Songs are well performed and produced but mostly all the same. A good listen.
I liked this one. It was very warm and smelled like pipe smoke. Lots of slide guitar. Favorites were The Wild Side Of Life and Bright Lights And Blonde Haired Women.
This is a nice classic album. Ray fits well in my culture, I love the idea of listening to this at a party with an older audience, all sipping on some beers and talking about the old days... this album would be the ideal background music to capture the moment. Loved it.
You know when you watch movies where the story takes you into one of those old time western bars? This is the type of music that is playing in the background.
Let’s just say, if you’ve hit rock bottom, torched every meaningful relationship you’ve ever had, and managed to completely derail your life, only to turn around and feel sorry for yourself while drinking yourself blind on a Tuesday morning, then congratulations, this is the perfect album for you. It’s like a warm hug from your own self destruction.
I have never heard an album begin with a message from the artist to their audience, directly thanking them for the last album's performance and explaining the upcoming album - unexpected but charming and earnest! It's some damn fine country, wistful and soulful. Surprisingly bluesy. Favourite tracks: Night Life, Sittin and Thinkin, If She Could See Me Now
Listened Reminds me of goodfellas, quite like it
country, 1963 -> 2
- relativ moody und kurzweilig, dazu sehr entspannt als Hintergrundmusik, mehr gibt es mir dann aber auch nicht so richtig 2-3/5
Good! Casual listening background music for me
The title track is incredible. I was so stoked to discover a whole album full of songs like that, but sadly no other songs came near. Maybe because the song was written by Willie Nelson who is a certified legend. The rest of the album is a good piece of classic country like the songs my grandmother used to play, but Night Life is something else. Let me put it like this: it's no surprised Price later recorded music for David Lynch. A strong 3 despite me not being a country fan.
Makes me want to honky-tonk.
This was OK, the title track which was written by Willie Nelson is the best thing here. Overall enjoyable but not one that I feel like I'll come back to for more.
Very pleasant classic country album
Loved it. Willie Nelson on bass and backing vocals if you didn't know, who also wrote the title song.
This squeaky clean sounding cat had Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, and Roger Miller in his band. He worked with Merle Haggard. This guy was an OG, even had a marijuana bust! He was a cooler guy than this album, but it’s a solid listen.
Nope, thank you.
Beautiful album by a real band. It's so refreshing to hear actual musicians playing. I keep wishing country music will swing back to this down-to-earth sound, and it keeps not happening.
More albums need an Introduction and Theme song. That was lovely. Some good old school country. Favorites: - Night Life - Sittin' and Thinkin'
When he started talking in my headphones on the opening track, I had a legit jumpscare. Overall, I enjoyed the album. It feels like the perfect soundtrack for the next time I play Fallout. These sad, crooning songs with slide guitar make me nostalgic for an era I never lived in. Favorite tracks: - Night Life - Are You Sure
Rv/g
Country is not a genre I usually go for but I enjoyed this. I think the opening track is probably the highlight for me. The song itself is incredibly evocative, playing as a somewhat mournful ode to the small hours. The rest of the album flows rather nicely from there, drawing a bit of a bluesy tone, whilst Price's vocals just soar above everything.
fuck yeah, gi meg mer steel guitar og soft vocals gøy med egen introduksjon av albumet, og hva den handler om </3 hyggelig nostalgisk kjærlighetssanger og -sorg. drømmen om å finne noen, lengte etter noen, men ikke få det til :(
Music made to be played while Robert De Niro love-bombs a woman in a Scorsese film. Faves: Night Life Country. April 1963. American/English. 12 tracks. 37:36 runtime.
quite liked this country vibe slow down yeehaw whiskey shoot them at high noon cowboy jitty
It was okay.
That boy down Texas way mentioned in the intro was none other than Willie Nelson. I don’t give a shit about Nashville sound but this album is monumental for at least giving attention to the great outlaws like Willie and Johnny Paycheck.
I really do not enjoy music like this
a collection of good and fine songs, different of every shit the beatles and queen released
Not my music style but good for what it is
Boring
Not my style,will never listen again, but was enjoyable despite that. "Honky tonk angel" haha
Sleepytime music.
Not the one for me I’m afraid, a little too swoony.
The album introduction track gave big YouTuber energy. Other than that it was just okay.
I dig this old style country, I was pleasantly surprised to find out Willie Nelson wrote a couple songs on this album.
So far from what country music is today. Interesting time piece but not much in the way of amazing music or lyrics to get me to listen again.
3.5
This was nice, like Frank Sinatra singing a country album.
Not a big fan of the honky tonk (-3), or this weird cuck situation on the album cover (-2). Willie Nelson is pretty cool (+1), Hank Hill likes Willie (so +0.5), and the album is short (+0.5, because why not). So let's go with 2.
Night life… I see. Time for bed, right?
I enjoyed this! Pretty good.
ok, bit boring
1. intro - 1.5 2. night - 2.5 3. lonely - 1.5 4. uuild - 2 5. thinking - 1.5 6. hour - 2 7. girl - 1.5 8. pride - 1.5 9. fool - 1.5 10. nouu - 1.5 11. bright - 1.5 12. zure - 1 13. talk - 2
Loved it
Slow and smooth classic with warm, velvety vocals. Didn’t expect to like this, but not bad!
Music like this is now so Fallout, Lynch or Tarantino coded that I wonder whether this really was ever meant as a genuine, straight-forward expression. "Here are some good, meaningful tunes that are totally not weird or ominous!"? Because, without those pop-cultural references, at face value, I should be able to compare "Night Life" to e.g. John Prine's country from his debut (album #20) from 8 years later. In both musical and lyrical content. And then I would: conclude that this here is irksome, awkward, boring, and insignificant junk - which is precisely what I'm going to do.
konsept-plata um nátthrafna suðurríkjabæja. skemmtilegt, er svona frekar fágað köntrí svipar til djassplatna willie nelsons. ég vil meira 3,5.
Classic Country and Western music, he has an excellent voice, really chill listen, a little repetitive but enjoyable
7/10
Very old timey country. If Sinatra had a cowboy hat and a twangy guitar, this could be it. Nice vocals, but just couldn’t get into it. Still not a country music fan!
I really hated it. Too old-fashioned for me. Didn’t help that I’m not a country music fan.
its pleasant. A live crooner album. Not sure for its reason being on this list though. Like how is this something I have to listen to before I die, when Roy Orbison is not even on this list, and this is. Not something I am going to seek out, but nice background music. 3 stars
A solid western album. I enjoyed it
Classic country. I wasn't a huge fan
Decent country Western. A little mopey but not terrible.
Enjoyed what I heard.
This is literally the music that plays at Cedar Point (amusement park) in the frontier cowboy place. Corny, repetitive, & boring.
Great voice. But it is still just basic country music, and maybe a little boring.
What a time to be alive. Made depressed drinking sound ok and almost warranted. Country blues super polished and just felt very white. White blues for sure.
Despite all the praise I gave yesterday's Buck Owens effort, my second classic country album in a row did not result in the same appreciation. This one reminded me more of the music that blew up the aliens' heads in Mars Attacks, just without the yodeling. Maybe that's why my head remained intact. I didn't love the presentation. I didn't love the music. I didn't love the "theme" either, and the whole intro part pretty much turned me off to that immediately. It kind of reminded me of an attempt to make 50s swing music into country music instead, and I didn't think it worked very well. There wasn't much that stood out or impressed me about it. Even with all that, I still didn't hate it or think it was terrible, necessarily. I just didn't think it was good. It seemed like something I'll easily forget after listening to a few more albums from the list, and I don't see myself coming back to it. Overall: 1.8/5
Ok country album
This is one of those record covers I see in charity shops along with countless other Bach, Shadows, Leo Sayer and Top of the pops (Cover is a girl in a bikini on roller skates) this could just be a UK thing I have no idea! If it is please could someone like this to let me know.
Boring
• 2/5 • Good as a lounge act, but not worth an album • Nearly every song sounds the same
Ray Price has a great voice. Backup band lineup is amazing. Normally I would be all in for a concept album. Sadly a few songs in, the song topics became repetitive and there was not enough variation from song to song to hold my interest. In the end, it was a good album but not anything I would listen to again.
Very relaxing, tells a good story. Could be put into a country Fallout playlist. Listening to this in the wasteland would go well
I see how people like it but it's not for me
Was a nice chill listen to with story whilst on a long bus trip
Definetly not my typical listen but it was really nice with headphones in travelling on the bus. His voice is calm and relaxing, but the separation of drums from singing hurt my head. All in all I won't listen to it again but im glad I heard it
I found it so funny on the first track when he was like “tell me if you like it, cause I’ll make more of this if you like”, if I’m not 60 years too late to this haha. It’s one of those albums ur grandpa has in his collection which is spinning weirdly cause it’s been played that many times. Would love to hear this with a bunch of crackling on it, kinda was made in mind of that lmao.
Quality album produced by such an innovator of this soul sound in Price. Must listen to the interview as it is quality and explains the significance of the album.
Good golly, so schmaltzy. Everything that Sinatra made classy just falls so flat. Its not big band, its not blues, its just <sigh>.
Okaish Country as background music in a bar.
you can drink to this and maybe should otherwise you'll notice how it's the same 3 songs 4 times each
didn't expect this to be so country! perfectly fine for a rainy morning listen
Can't wait to ask my dad if he knows of this guy and probably find out he bought his albums 40 years ago and played them at home and I was just oblivious. Enjoyed his voice and some of the Prine-like humorousness?
It belongs in a Mojave Desert
Frank Sinatra but just as boring
Certainly better than more modern pop country, but if I’m being honest, there’s no way I would willingly put this on.
Way too much steel guitar and honky tink piano for me. Just another old country album, they all sound the same to my uneducated ears
Zoned out a bit in that one, not a fan of the old timey country.
cowboy music
Nice voice
Good voice and decent album.
This is about what you would expect from the genre. It is solid. I think this is one of those albums you have to consider in the context of when it was released and what was going on at the time. The musicianship is strong. It is totally fine. 3/5
J'ai mis ça en background en pensant que ça allait me relaxer, mais son ton de voix country lancinant et irritablement similaire d'une toune à l'autre m'a rendu au contraire extrêmement aggressif
Of all the country music this project has tried to foist on me thus far, this is easily the most pleasant on the ear. The sound of a band and a voice entirely comfortable with what they are doing, which is - by Ray's own admission in the very quaint "introduction" track - songs about happiness, sadness and heartache... and getting wasted in bars, being an asshole to girlfriends - all the usual stuff. Traditional country fare, but with a pop edge, competent production, tight playing and a decent amount of personality. Not my bag at all, but it is getting a well-deserved two stars, if nothing else for that killer chord turnaround which provides the hook on the title track. Lovely stuff, shame the rest of the album is never quite as inventive, but it is solid enough within it's own limited boundaries nonetheless.
Before listening, I can already tell that this album doesn't really belong here. If it's from the early 60s, it'd sure as heck be popular enough to justify its inclusion on the "most important 1000 albums of all time" list. Fun atmosphere, sort of an old honky-tonk style (as Price points out in The Wild Side of Life) with elements of country and blues. Price's voice is full, soulful, and has a surprisingly wide range for a baritone. But there's only so much you can do with music that absolutely refuses to push any boundaries. Harmonically: essentially just the standard 3 chords. It makes the full-album experience a bit frustrating and monotone. I suspected this would be the case from the get-go, but still enjoyed the first few tracks since I hadn't yet succumbed to the lack of interesting chord progressions (and resulting lack of creative melody). The percussion is also brutally unstimulating to the listener, right from the beginning of the album. No fills, not really any pitch (frequency) variation... The guitar plays a reggae-esque line in most tracks, but somehow even simpler. The player could be a master guitarist for all I know, but he/she certainly doesn't demonstrate it here. The bass is probably the best non-vocal instrument, but even it sticks to bass convention of playing solely arpeggios with a few transition notes scattered in there. And yes, this record came out before the huge musical/cultural revolution in the 60s. I'm not saying the record is bad for its time, just that it's a bad inclusion on this list. In terms of specific tracks: I'm not a fan of the Introduction and Theme track. It seems a pointless inclusion when the album isn't a live one. Lonely Street has some of Price's best vocals, easily earning it a spot on any "key tracks" list. There's No Fool Like a Young Fool has similarly strong vocals. A Girl in the Night is unfortunately placed right after The Twenty-Fourth Hour in the track listing, and the two are functionally identical. Similar tempos, identical arrangements/riffs/basslines, same key, and similar melody. This is one of many examples of poor album design in the 50s/60s. Artists, remember: the best albums are both a collection of songs and an artistic statement. You need to keep the listener engaged for the full runtime by varying songs sufficiently - especially consecutive songs! 2/5 Key tracks: Night Life, Lonely Street, Are You Sure
meh
What a crooner! We’ve had a lot of country and honky-tonk on the list lately, and I think this is one of the better ones. His voice is great and the songwriting is strong. Fantastic album cover. I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like it. Very dramatic and sexy.
Some smooth tunes here. The more I listened the more I really enjoyed this. Sometimes I hear this type of country and it bores me or it doesn't really move me in any way but this one really jived with me. I really love the album cover- maybe one of my favorites I've seen recently. Usually the artists tend to be the focal points of these, but this one I really feel like couple in the foreground are the stars. Here's Ray Price, a famous singer and guitarist, and people are paying to come see him perform. And yet in this dark room this cute couple can't help but turn their bodies into eachother and whisper during the performance, with Ray even looking at them. Has he reached the pinnacle of his stardom and yet he's lonely? Is he longing for a life as an everyday man with a partner? It's a great little story.
This one was new to me so as far as this 1,001 Album Challenge goes, this is why I’m doing it. Although the first impression was - eek Country Music - I did enjoy this album. HonKy Tonk Angels was a nice surprise. Great production values - I can see some of these tunes being used in a Tarantino film.
Interesting one.
Solid album of old style C&W. I am not a fan of country in general, but objectively for the purposes of this project, this is some high quality tear in your beer stuff. Ray is singing his heart out and the backing band is tight. Don't sleep on this one.
Speaks to a time and place in America that’s almost unfathomable now: twangy country dance halls on a Saturday night with a band politely singing about honky tonk angels and repentant drunks. Nothing stands out particularly, however. Like Bob Dylan, I think the idea of the music has outlived its actual quality.
Actually pretty cool story art going on here and chill morning music not something I listen to often but didn’t hate it or love it
This was a fun listen. Love some lap steel and country guitar vibes while some sensual crooning is happening over it. Maybe felt a little repetitive toward the end but still enjoyed the sound of it. Will probably listen again if I'm in the mood for some 60's crooning about night life.
This was fine, nothing really stood out, but I didn't mind it. 3/5
Took a bit of stamina to get through this collection of country crooning. Not for me.
quaint and pleasant
Hell no.
A lot of variation in this collection with more than a few similarities to other singers around at the time. Doubt it an influential piece of work but enjoyably spirited. Suited to a mood.
The introduction track from this album is sort of a funny footnote in the history of the music industry. I can imagine it being commonplace to have a message for fans right there in the vinyl, but looking back at such a track with a 2025 mindset it is something more expected for a social media outlet. That said, it flows beautifully into the first track and the album was great all around. The more bluesy western country is almost nostalgic for a time I didn't experience, but the themes of desire, sins, heartbreak, and substance abuse are as current as anything today.
This is so slow, and I like country. It’s crooner but it’s also country, but boring due to single focus on monotone storytelling with guitar. All songs sound the same. How can this be a recommended must listen to album out of 1,001? No
1.5?
Well, knock me over with a feather. I don’t hate something labeled “country and western” and “honky tonk.” If this is what older country sounds like, I might be able to get behind it. Ray’s great voice hardly touches twang, and the stories of unrequited love, desire, and addictions that fuel Night Life weave the album into a cohesive whole. A couple of songs even sounded like they could have been Elvis songs in the delivery and sound. Far from the nasal twang and good ole boy content of the country I can’t stomach. Alas, while I didn’t hate it, it doesn’t light me up either. Three stars.
Surely this can go to make way for something better... is what I was thinking before I listened to Ray Price. That voice, like someone's pouring chocolate milk in my ears. That guitar, like watching shooting stars on a warm prairie night. Have I gone too far? I probably have, but I liked this just fine. I'm giving it a four.
It’s not terrible, but it is incredibly boring and uninspired
I don't know much about country, but this had some really nice melodies going on. I find the weepy instrumentation annoying though, and this album was packed with it. It makes sense for this to appeal to country fans though, it's earnest and well-produced for its time. 3 stars
Good enjoyable album 3/5
I’m a sucker for old school country about drinking, loving and fucking too much. This here record ticks all those boxes.
Christ where do they keep finding these albums
Chill
Night Life is an album that i didn't enjoy very much. This album mainly suffers from issues that some other albums suffer from including ones like Richard Hawley's Coles Corner where the album does nothing all that horribly but its just super uninteresting. I get that this is a fairly early country album coming from the early 60s but there are country albums that released before this that are way more interesting and memorable than this one. This is just a massive nothing album to me that lacks anything to make it really good or really bad, I'm running out of things to say as it is just kinda there. Best Song: Let Me Talk To You Worst Song: Sittin' And Thinkin'
Kind of all the same song and boring at that. After listening I still don't know if overall Honky Tonks are a net positive or negative on the night life.
The Willie Nelson original that gives the album its title starts things off on a decidedly non-country set of notes. That thing could easily be confused with a jazz-inflected 12-bar blues. But, as the album (and night?) progress, in comes the fiddle and other telltale sounds of what was still country back in the early 1960s. Evidently the softer tones are a pitch for becoming part of the Nashville Sound, but there’s still too much Texas here. Thankfully.
It was OK. Not my cup of tea, but pleasant enough for background music.
Classic country
I dunno. It was definitely a product of it's time. The intro on the album. The music itself. I read that he brought a new tempo to country, and if that's so, then I can definitely see why this album was considered, and why it's revolutionary. It can stay in 1963 though. I won't play it again.
The album ended, and I didn't even realize. Which probably means that it was so backgrounded in my head. I didn't hate it, but clearly my brain also didn't like it.
Country singers were already familiar with making concept albums before the Beatles ever tried their hand at it, such as with Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs and Bitter Tears. Ray Price here has one too, and Country music works really well for this type of storytelling. The vocals are incredibly clear and the songs are easy to understand. This album feels a bit drenched in Country clichés though, partially because of the era its from and because it influenced what came after. It's an enjoyable listen, but there's much more interesting Country music from this era.
I want you to imagine what you think old 50's and 60's country sounds like. The music, the imagery, the vocals. Whatever it is you've got in your head is exactly what this album sounds like. It's very slow and moody. I can imagine old timers sitting around playing poker in an old saloon. Thirteen tracks over 37 minutes and 8 seconds and it all sounds the same. I know I've said that previously in other album reviews but this one really does. Randomly drop into any of the songs at any time stamp, and then do it again for another song and there's no difference, bar maybe the tempo. It's all very pleasant but it's not my kind of music at all. If you like this genre, then it's probably an easy five stars. If you're having a "Wild West" themed party, stick this on and you'll set the mood perfectly. I found this very boring and very samey. There's absolutely no way that I needed to hear this at any point in my life. Is it culturally significant? Did it inspire other artists? I've never heard of the guy and his Wikipedia page is very short. Night Life? More like Shite Life. One star.
Pretty unremarkable
Classic old school country sound was easy to listen to. Nothing really grabbed me but the backing band earn an extra star for being called the Cherokee Cowboys.
Don't know why but I just enjoyed this, it felt pretty sincere. You get 4 Ray, enjoy them.
Enjoyed this even though not really my jam.
Kolejna płyta jak z Fallouta. Jest w niej coś szczerego i naiwnego, prostolinijnego nawet. Ale to nie do końca mnie wzrusza, raczej bawi i/lub żenuje. Ale nie nudzi. Chociaż tyle. 6.5/10 równane w dół.
This is the type of country I'm here for. Super chill and laid back, very easy and soulful vibes. His voice is very enjoyable to listen to and his tunes are mellow and relaxing. I dig this one!
Virtuosic honky tonk.
Not for me but old country > new country for sure
I was kind of expecting hot garbage especially after the initial opening which is WEIRD. But, the songs have a nice feel and the album is a throwback to honky tonk before country got super twangy and then morphed into modern country which IS hot garbage. A young Willie Nelson on this makes it even cooler?
Didn't mind this at all. Seems a bit more "authentic" than much of the godawful unlistenable schlock that has come out of Nashville since. Wild that Willie was his guitarist.
на любителя.
It takes a special talent to make 13 songs sound identical.
After listening to this album I’m fixing’ to buy a Stetson hat, a big belt buckle for my leather belt, and some cowboy boots and drive on down to Fort Worth Texas to the stockyards.
Blue Velvet soundtrack contender, hehe... Respect for my parents listening to this stuff..
It is what it is innit?
dawg this is country? 😭
The intro made me exclaim 'why is this happening out loud'. Unfortunately, right afterwards the album immediately stops being funny and becomes a very standard affair of boomer country with autopilot instrumentation and lyrics either about moralising or jealousy towards a lost love. Coming off as a real likeable guy, Ray. Maybe it's just that I'm too much of a European youngster, but I genuinely have a hard time picturing people listening to this stuff unironically.
Classic
2/5
1/5 not for me
If Woody from Toy Story was a singer, and not a toy, he would sound like this!
This might be the first album I’ve seen have a “false start”, where the music is turned down and the artist speaks over to introduce the album. Really caught me off guard haha. This feels like music I would picture playing in Radiator Springs at the start of the Cars movie. Its really nothing special though, I like his voice but this is a drag for an album just a half hour long.
Nice relaxing honky tonk album and great vocals. Bit samey.
Such a campy sameness to these bygone country artists and albums of that era. While it’s not altogether horrible, it’s just not something that survived its period as listenable today.
Nice and romantic country music.
Trött o trist gammelcountry
Couldn't not stay on this. Not my taste. It's sounds nice, but I was not on the mood
Great voice, nice country tunes, but too much of the same. I can see my father-in- law enjoying this at the local Saturday night dance.