Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Some people like concept albums. Some people (I suppose) like honky-tonk music. Is there really anybody out there craving a concept honky-tonk record?
It might get a little repetitive a little to fast - but boy can Ray Price sing.
Kinda like it in the time machine.
really enjoyed!!
Ihan hirvee. Edes tekstit ei pelasta. 1/5
Biiseinä ihan jees mut tekstit on kyllä välillä aika huoh.
There aren’t any big surprises here. It’s classic honky tonk with songs that are still played the same way today. His voice is super smooth and pleasant and I especially loved the Willie song for him. 4.0
Another occasion where subscribing to this list has expanded my musical knowledge as I’ve never heard of Ray Price before. In this case I didn’t need it expanding as it’s a record I do not like. Cannot say I’m familiar too much with the songs on the album. Although listening to them it took me back to my early years when my Dad was prone to wake up the whole house singing songs whilst shaving (a thing I’ve inherited) A lot of these songs sounded just like the ones on this album. He left us nearly 40 years ago so I cannot check but an album like this would have been right up his street. The introduction on track 1 is not to my liking. Once you’ve heard it once what’s the point of listening to it again? A waste of track space. I bet the majority of the original vinyl albums still in existence have a major click at the beginning of track 2 as evidence of the owners trying to drop the needle past track 1 to avoid spoken repetition. Unless of course, as I am led to believe in those days music lovers had listening parties and played the full album to their friends as if at a concert. Oh what fun they must have had! 1/5 10/7/24
Country, not for me
Night life Title song was my favorite. Vocals are great. Really smooth country crooning. There’s a low note in the pedal steel solo on nightlife that’s super cool. Johnny paycheck is the best name for a lead guitar player. The songs are all a bit sad and on the night life theme.
Total classic, sittin and thinkin is such a great song, I like the Charlie rich version better. Such an iconic record tho and the playing is top tier.
My favorite was sittin and thinking. But sir, leave these women alone. They are not throwing their life away. They are just being them. JUST LET THEM BE. maybe her friends are actually fine. And the “girls” who you aren’t with...there’s probably a reason.
Ihan miellyttävä ääni tällä kaverilla, blues-henkinen nimibiisi oli ihan jees. Levyllinen kantria ftitm on silti hitokseen liikaa kantria ftitm.
Rehtiä albumia..
very good, great vibes
Definitely not as terrible as I was anticipating. I dig it.
This is fantastic. Thank you. What a country classic.
Not the most popular but had some enjoyable tunes
I actually really enjoyed it. However, it was not special in any way.
When the record ended I was relieved. Not that this was painful but it all just kind of blends in and becomes a bit monotonous. Fave: The Twenty-Fourth Hour
Lounge country! Yeah, I can get behind this - nice relaxing listen. The spoken word intro could be a lot shorter, though, I imagine that'd get old fast. Fave track - "The Twenty Fourth Hour" maybe? They all kinda blended together, but not in a bad way. Like spending time in a casino with no windows and no clocks, heh.
Not a fan of the genre and though I'm far from qualified to be critical, it sounds just like I expected. Old time ,classic Country & Western with good vocals and music that is well played that are easy to listen to. Not something I'll listen to often or at all again, but I understand it's importance and influence to whole scope of Country music history. Enjoyable enough, I'm glad I had a listen, but that's about it.
Night life Lonely street A girl in the night
This is long lost musical tradition.
I can almost smell the stale beer and cigarettes with a Sunday morning hangover, from a few decades ago, when I listen to this, so that must be worth 4 stars or B- at least.
Easy listening but dated
This is exactly what I would expect from something of this era.
Ah, golden oldies, the sort of thing you expect to be playing in the background of the love scene in an 80s action film, say while Mel Gibson rolls back over to be friendly with Patsy Kensit some more. Absolutely no doubt this is really well crafted, beautifully played and sang. Also absolutely no doubt that it gets pretty samey after about three tracks and doesn't change thereafter. Individually, I'd probably really enjoy all of these tracks a lot more than hearing them all in row like this. Night Life is the best song for me by a distance, the fact that's the closest to a classic crooner, country tinged, rather than the full on pedal steel warbling we get for the rest of the record, is probably no coincidence.
June 20, 2024 HL: title track, "Lonely Street", "The Twenty-Fourth Hour", "Are You Sure", "Let Me Talk to You" On the day I got k.d. lang's Shadowland, I lamented I wasn't getting much sad, croony country from the actual "golden age" here, instead getting modern acts very much inspired by those sad crooners. Tonight I'm eating crow, since Ray Price, an artist I've never listened to before (increasingly rare on this website*), scratches that itch for me. It's got: - great singing - great lap steel - Floyd Cramer piano (that's almost always mixed too quietly tbh) - Willie Nelson - melancholy mood music that fits the title (although much of Night Life's middle could also pass as AM radio in the A.M.) - plenty of reverb *Only other artists this month that I can say I've never put on before are The Coral, since curiosity about the most-hated albums on this list led me to both the Residents and Einstürzende Neubauten earlier
I hadn't heard of Ray Price before. From what I can gather, he was notable for being one of the best baritone singers in country music and helped popularize the shift of the beat in country songs from 2/4 to 4/4 time. There's a bit more to the story though, as one of the members of his touring band that played on this album was a young Willie Nelson, playing bass and backing vocals. As for the music itself, this is the chill yet upbeat country music that would be expected from such a pairing. Every instrument has its moment in the limelight, and Ray's delivery is silky smooth. There were a fair amount of standouts from the opening title track to the end with "Are You Are". It was a pleasant listen and as such gets a solid recommendation.
This had a nice sound. Like sad cowboy blues but a polished 60s vibe. I enjoyed it but do not know it it will be added to my rotation
This is giving me serious David Lynch vibes — I love it!
Old timey drinking ballads. Pretty cool and a mellow listen but not really my thing in the long run. A decent curio
#25 - Cool music, liked the intro and the violin. Just not my jam.
Good old fashion country music album.
It was too old stars 2
Not really a country person. So this wasn’t bad, just not for me. 2/5 Won’t listen again
Wikipedia says this is country / hony-tonk, but the title track "Night Life", (written by Willie Nelson), is more blues than country. The rest of the album is most definitely country (which I can't stand unfortunately).
Fun album. Over the top and and a bit of an oddity but that is the way we love it, don't we?
ja nee mooi gezongen hoor maar dit hoeft niet van mij, met je gitaartje
krijg hier enorme strand vibes van heel erg nice
Never worked out why my parents liked Jim Reeves and Jim Reeves alone. This is not Jim Reeves, but the country-western crooning took me back to a place in my childhood, and to some very mixed emotions
I'm not a fan of country music so I don't know if I'm missing something, but to me there doesn't seem to be anything remarkable about this album. Maybe it was ground breaking in some way, or genre defining, but I can't hear it. To me it's just a pleasant run of the mill country album, although it is well done.
easy listening and smooth country influences make this nice background music.
Well, this was a strange little curiosity. Hony-tonk, old school, misery-ridden, alcohol-fuelled country that I didn't think I'd particularly warm to, yet I feel that I ought to listen to again. This time, I'll follow the advice and take off my shoes. This is what this list is about
Not what I usually listen to but not bad.
I'm not the youngest myself, but this is for people older than me. It was alright at first, but after a while I got bored. Favorite song: they all sound very similar to me, so it doesn't matter.
As someone who has a great appreciation but not much experience in listening to classic country, this was a very enjoyable listen to me. You have slower ballads that have more of the 50s pop crooner influence throughout, but particularly later in the album like "Are You Sure" and "Let Me Talk To You" that shows Price's sensitivity. Then there are some tracks that lean more heavily on the country western genre like "Night Life" and "Sittin' and Thinkin'" that are very reminiscent of the greats Johnny Cash and Conway Twiddy. Also some definite blues influence (as is the case for alot of the classic country artists) on "Lonely Street" that was a great element to solidify the range on this record. Very fun listen that made you feel like you're sitting on a porch swing with the radio turned on on a humid summer night. 7/10
It wasn't a bad album but completely forgettable for me. Pretty much like everything else out there. Not entirely sure how this one ended up on the list tbh.
Surprised how much I enjoyed this one. Never heard of this guy before.
Fuck it
Naja, Schmalz lass nach!
Apparently this is Honky Tonk as we are told by the singer repeatedly through the album. This guy sings that partying is life and then gets upset that he keeps meeting party girls. A bit of an uncomfortable listen, to be honest. (Subject-wise, musically he is fine apart from the genre) Listens: 1 Rating: 2
I wasn't really into this, it's a bit of a snooze fest. A few songs had some nice pedal steel playing, but it wasn't enough to hold my interest.
Fun album that I enjoyed more than expected. I still don't see myself revisiting this, but if it was on, I'd be happy enough. 3/5
Oh wow, I really loved this. Incredible mood music, how have I never heard of this before? A-
Proficient but dull.
An ok album
Found this so relaxing, deep down in the soul. Like the sun shining through the living room window on a Sunday afternoon.
Every song on here is good. That’s because it’s the same song 13 times. In fact, the title track is used for the introduction so you get to hear the exact same song TWICE! Easy listening shouldn’t make me this upset.
Incredibly easy to listen to. This is a classic country album from before country was just pop with a southern accent.
country western singer. Soso.
Ok
Love his voice, and the old-country sound. Made me want to listen to more of his music.
Perhaps the most soulful country I've heard for a while.
A group of songs—one written by Ray—the rest forgotten covers. Is this album on here just to check a “old country western” box? There are countless better country western albums by much better artists. This album confuses more than serves as a placeholder. As for the actual quality of the album, it’s good. Ray gives a fine performance with instrumentation that’s on par. He doesn’t really do anything new, so I still wonder; what’s the point? 2/5
Only part I did not love is how short the album is! It is obvious how many people were influenced by this sound.
zzzzz
This was my grandmothers favorite artist. I can smell the cigarettes wafting out of the shag carpet.
The age-old flaw of this list strikes again with Ray Price as the victim. In what is a criminal lack of country on this list (I'm not even a country music fan), Ray Price's Night Life is pounded by negative reviews that don't comment much on the quality of the music or the songwriting, but when you boil down to it this is a great classic country album. I know that if the person that plays guitar on this album and wrote two of the songs had his name on the cover, this album would have much higher ratings. I'll let the reader find that one out and then question their thoughts on this album that is a clear 4/5.
Surprisingly enjoyed this album.
Ray Price - really not my style - but, not a bad album for the era and genre
Nice Blues album, but not my music... Still good
This is an early '60s country album and apparently is the "last grasp of true honky tonk". I still don't quite know what honky tonk means exactly. Wikipedia says it might be an onomatopoeic reference to the sound of the music, and I like that answer so I'm going with it. This thing starts off with Ray Price thanking me for listening to all his music and talking about how hard he worked on this one. Strange, but nice enough I guess. Then he sings "Night Life" the song which honestly is awesome. It's actually a very light country sound, I almost got some Sinatra-esque sound on this. I legitimately liked this song a lot, which made the rest of the album a bit of a letdown. A fairly positive spin on this album is that this is an early concept album about love (or more accurately, getting rejected by women in bars). A more negative spin is that it's a bit too thematically consistent, and some of the lyrics haven't held up particularly well. They're not awful (it's 1963, it could have been a lot worse), but the vibe I kept getting was "these women should want to be with me, they don't, why are they so dumb, they really should be with me". It's a bit exhausting, like maybe it's your personality dude. All of the songs also sound pretty much identical too. I started scrolling through songs on my phone and like every one starts with a nearly identical guitar riff. I know it's early but still, come on now. Anyway, this album is ok but not really for me. He has a nice enough voice, but one song really blends into another here and by the end I feel like I heard the intro, "Night Life" (banger), and a mish-mash of him being mad that women aren't into him. While I'm tempted to round up for "Night Life", the mish-mash has to win out here. Not much for me. Favorite song: Night Life Other: Sittin' and Thinkin', Pride 4/22/24
Solid three. Liked it well enough. Interesting for the stacked band! Much easier on the ears than Buck Owens. Sounded a bit more city than country.
“The glamour of the gay night life has lured you” 😏
Imagine popping molly in the club to this album tho
I love that older albums are on this list, but, I don't know if this does anything specific for music that isn't accomplished elsewhere.
I may be shorter than I normally would be to a country western artist, but this is the 3rd country western album I've listened to in 3 days. I do not like the genre, so I did not enjoy any of the 37 minutes and 8 seconds I spent listening to this album. I do think this was the least enjoyable of the 3, but I think that very well could be because each country western album has chipped away at my soul to make the subsequent albums feel worse and worse.
Ok. Starts slowly, but gets to classic country. 2-3 stars.
I'm astounded at the fact that the writers of this book can dig up something as obscure and unimportant as this, and then forget that My Chemical Romance exists. Boo, Ray Price, boo. Get off the stage.
That's a very disappointing one for me. Just getting more into country classics I was excited for this. But, just wasn't doing anything. Bland, monotonic, and not even nighly enough to justify the name. Sad.
Alveg ágætt í grunninn.
3.5
I felt obliged to score this more than 1 star due to the creepy introduction, alright Ray calm down I'll listen to the album. Other reviews I appreciated "The Price is Wrong" "Shite Life"
Välillä tuli vähän Frank Sinatra mieleen. Tuollaista vähän big band tyylistä, ilmeisesti honky tonkya. Rentoa kesä musaa. Parhaat: The Wild Side of Life,
One of my first country albums, definitely one of *the* albums to ever exist.
Nice deep voice with a lot of power to it.
Fallen out of time.
Good background to be introduced to. That Ken Burns country music documentary should have included Ray Price.
Loved this. The honesty was unexpected. The overall concept and tone were different enough to keep me engaged the whole way. Really swept me away. Tears in beers 4 life
Kaunis, aurinkoinen ja lämmin päivä Munchenin puistossa jokea seuraten jalan niittymaisemissa. Puitteet päräyttävälle musikaaliselle kokemukselle viimeisen päälle olemassa, mutta tämä levy ei vastannut huutoon. Tuskin toisessakaan ajassa ja paikassa toimisi.
Ei sopinut yhtään ajankohtaan, niin oli vaikea saada irti mitään yhtään erikoisempaa. Kuuskytluvun muniinpuhalteluu
Guy can sing but old country isn’t my thing. Not terrible though.
Got so bored of it, its good but from what i could tell mostly all the same. Walking bass line is cool .
not my thing. Great voice though. Favorite Track: Pride
Патрулируя пустоши Мохаве порой задумываешься о ядерной зиме.
Made it half way through. Couldn't do the honky tonk. Not going to lie, I thought at first the album cover was him having a wank over a couple. It was downhill from there. Unnecessary intro track, a not terrible actual first track, and then loads of naff tracks before I pulled the plug. 1.5*
Wow, nightlife in the early 60s sounds pretty wild. This is a cohesive collection of (mostly) other people’s melancholic-yet-jaunty country songs, but it’s arguably too cohesive - it’s very samey, such that even 37 minutes is too long to maintain the sense of old-timey charm it starts out with.
1.5 stars for the vocals, but not a lot here for me.
every song sounds the same. 4/10
He has a classic sounding great voice, I will have to look into Ray Price more.
I’m not much of a country fan but this was pretty good and his voice is amazing.
Love the old country
Banger classic country.
I liked how the album felt themed, like you could imagine Price playing a late-night set while the audience drinks and mingles. Songs weren’t too memorable, but were pleasant. Would have been a 3 if he didn’t say “honky tonk” so much.
Great voice and I enjoyed it more than I thought but still not something I would ever listen to again.
Not too bad but a pretty forgettable crooning country album
This isn’t the kind of night life I want. Too twingy twangy for my tastes. I much prefer to air guitar some Zeppelin covers from the dance floor that are being played by a bunch of awkward misfit goons. Rock the fuck out til I can rock no more then stumble down the road for some 2am pizza. But hey, that’s just me. Some other people might prefer to get their rocks off in front of a voyeuristic cowboy creep. And more power to them! Also, this album cover is equal parts alluring and creepy, and it’s really throwing me off how simultaneously compelled and repulsed I am by it. That’s a rare feat in this game.
Old music just does something to my soul! I don’t know if it’s the classic crooning voice, or the music itself, but I love listening to this stuff at home. So comforting. Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: if I found it cheap Favourite Song: Night Life
Första albumet jag hört med ett intro där han snackar och tackar för att fansen gillade albumet innan. Det var wholesome och de andra låtarna var väldigt basic men jag gillar den genren (easy listening) så det gör inte så mycket.
Like it’s fine in the background but sooooo boring.
Not for me 1/5
Horrible
this was a pleasant enough country album, though none of the songs were particularly gripping IMO. it reminded me of Fallout music, and i must've been onto something because apparently ol' Ray here did the first recording of Heartaches by the Number. not on this album, of course... favorites: night life, sittin' and thinkin'
Blast from the country past
cool
I pressed play and thought it was a blues album. I've never been so disappointed so quickly. Love the stereo effects; there's some decent mastering for 1963, but can't help feeling like the out-of-time, super quiet kick panned far left ruins things a little bit in Night Life. I liked the super chill, laid back blues of Night Life, but the country is bollocks. Started strong and rapidly dropped off musically, but Ray's voice is lovely at least. And how many songs need to start with violin chord stabs? Come on, lad, you've got a full band. Use them.
Country music gets on my nerves
I have learned I am not that much of a country music enjoyer.
This was interesting. At first I liked the dichotomy of a wholesome sounding dad guy singing about drinking, jail, and loose women. It did get repetitive though. It reminded me of Epcot or Disney for some reason. Like the guy is trying to be tough but he’s not.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It’s like one sleepy, sleepy 37 minute long country western song. Did make us feel like we were plodding through a dusty desert on horseback. But who wants to do that? (0.8*s)
This album is pretty sleepy and ho-hum for something called "Night Life." It also didn't age very well, the sounds are a bit geezer for me. It also had a hint of Beach Boys meets Sinatra that I didn't really dig. That being said, Price does have a quintessential country baritone voice and I liked the spoken intro, that was a nice touch. No doubt he makes the list for his tempo change to 4/4 and his pal Willie Nelson doing backing vocals and bass here. But if I'm doing country, I want all the tropes (rusty tractors, old dogs, and tears in beers) not seedy nightclubs, cigarettes, and depression. This was like an alcoholic blues album for a very lonely old person who sits in a rocking chair and smokes pipes. Tarantino should remash this as a movie soundtrack. I didn't hate it, there's a time and place perhaps.
Sounds like Prestley went country and stopped shaking his hips. Little luau feel on some songs with slide guitar. I did not expect Ray to have that crooner voice based on the intro. Overall a little to dull.
Another snoozy 60s country album. It's not inherently bad, its just not something I'm interested in. It's fine as background music in the right setting I guess but overall pretty meh. This album seems to do very little to differentiate it from the myriad of other folk/country artists of the day. Simple beat, light acoustic, and a crooner with gospel vibes on vocals. I've never heard of Ray Price before this and expect that all his albums sound just like this. Not sure if there is a reason Night Life stands out or was selected to be on this list but overall this is skippable. 1.55 stars
Oof. Mellow voices and soft music, but this is that old timey shit I dont like at all lol
after listening to cash for so long, finally paid the price
Very old fashioned country and western, but with plenty of charm and a sense of humour. I liked it, but don't think I'll come back to it any time soon. A solid three, ni more, no less
LP
Classy country.
I really thought the biggest struggle of this challenge would be RnB, Soul and maybe Jazz. But no, who would’ve thought? It’s the dull, depressing 60s Country albums that turn up from time to time. I will be forgetting this one immediately.
I wanted to like this and this style was copied from this guy so much it sounds generic. It's even called the Ray Price Beat. Unfortunately this album just felt so long. Small doses would have been fine but even at only 37 minutes it felt a lot longer.
Turns out if you take the twangy voice out of it, I don’t really mind older country music. It’ll never be a go to, but it was fine as Monday morning coffee background music.
Best Song: Let Me Talk to You. Something about the audacity of its unironic commitment to the pathetic/stalker/incel is almost endearing. Worst Song: Lonely Street. It is bordering on absurd to me that anyone ever thought this kind of "street called loneliness" metaphor constituted good writing. Overall: Thank god this shit was short, because I couldn't stomach another honk nor tonk. Lyrically blegh, musically woof.
kinda chill ngl, maar niet voor herhaling
probably the best countr record i had yet. not trying to hard. like it
Greit, litt kjedelig
There are like 5 albums I can name off the top of my head that are infinitely more inventive than this dullard of an LP, yet didn't make the list. I get the inclusion of Elvis and Ray Charles, but I've never heard someone talk about Ray Price like that, and it really makes this list feel so much weaker.
Pretty modest and calm old school country vibes. Didn't push the needle for me but enjoyable nonetheless. 3.5
Seriously????? First twang of that steel guitar and I knew I'd hate this album. Thousands of awesome albums have been made by many artistes for decades, but just ignore them all, as this album generator keeps churning out this wonky tonk country crap. Only good thing I'll say is that the vocals were OK... bit still can't stand country... even if they put a wonky tonk spin on it.
oh god no
Regardless of Willie Nelson's involvement this is twangy old fashioned country and western and not my taste. The first blues track is ok, then it's back to country again.
Country Music from the 60's.
Country, wie Elvis aber ohne R'n'R. Cheesy.
Déjà il est bien poli cet homme puisqu’il commence par dire bonjour, nous remercier et se présenter. Beaucoup de charme dans cette country dans son jus, une très belle voix. On y retrouve Elvis, Johnny Cash (son “Flushed From The Bathroom of Your Heart” est une copie à l’identique de “The Wild Side of Life”). “Lonely Street” et “Pride” sont charmantes, “The Twenty-Fourth Hour”, “If she could see me now” tout le reste de l’album l’est en fait. Très agréable sans être complètement bouleversant.
Certainly from a different era. Now a days I would only hear something like that in an SNL skit. I can appreciate classics but I think there is a reason this music has kinda been lost.
Great voice, chill country vibes, feels a bit repetitive. Dig Night Life and Lonely Street.
Pretty awful...I almost dislike this type of country more than modern popcountry. 1/5
Classic smooth country, not a bad song in the bunch.
old school at its best
Tracks from a bygone era. Quite enjoyed that.
3/5 Best Track: Night Life
Great songs, great voice, but everything starts to blend together by the end (and really well before that).
Honky tonk country politan weepers.
2.5
Beautiful album.
I find the spoken intro to the album thanking people for liking the last album quite charming. It is very pleasant and catchy and I would definitely put it on while relaxing. There isn’t anything terribly groundbreaking or interesting, just very competent and peaceful.
Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Mix: unerwartet beeindruckende Soundstage. Vocals und Hula/Country-Gitarre mit absurd-irritierendem Hall. Vernehmbares Rauschen in stillen Parts. Musik: 🤮 Wertung: 🤠/5
Classic and wonderful
hmm not sure what to expect here..but the picture looks like homie's getting a blow job lol Never heard this guy before. But kinda diggin it. Reminds me of a better time, a simpler time. A time when people had modesty and manners. Even though it's twangy like country, it's old enough to where I wouldn't really call it country. Reminds me of Elvis. Honky Tonk is the right word. 3 stars.
Kinda boring and makes me sleepy, I have enjoyed some country from this period though so I don't have anything against the genre or time period.
Album Nr. 33 Langweilig.
"Night Life" by Ray Price, released in 1963, is a classic country album that epitomizes the genre's traditional sound. With Price's smooth, drawling vocals and twangy instrumentation, the album delivers a nostalgic journey through honky-tonk and country balladry. Tracks like the title track "Night Life" and "Lonely Street" showcase Price's emotive singing and the album's rich musical arrangements. However, while the album is a solid representation of its era and genre, it may lack the innovation and variety to truly stand out among other country releases of the time. Overall, "Night Life" is a respectable entry in Ray Price's discography, offering a glimpse into the classic country sound of the early 1960s. It earns a solid 3/5 rating for its authenticity and musical craftsmanship, making it a worthwhile listen for fans of traditional country music.
I enjoyed this! Great voice, great recording, but the songs got repetitive.
It was good but it was so repetitive
Relaxing, beautiful and simple country music. Doesn’t quite rattle these bones like other music does, but I appreciate it.
Quite liked this - smoky and sleazy country
Woah - Really? A Country Album from 1963...Okay, I'll listen but this is so far out of what I would listen to... Great quality sound on this. However not my style in any way. For those that this fits, I give it 4 stars; however for me it is whiney stuff...So 2 Stars with that in mind
The first song could have been sung by any crooner of the time, really enjoyed the jazz/blues feel. After that I was done
What a surprise! Loving this album
As I'm writing this review, I'm only about midway through this album. Normally, for albums I haven't heard before I'd wait 'til after my second listen, or even halfway through my second at least, to get a jump on this, but... See, before I started listening to this album I did what I've done for a whilw now and checked out the already published reviews to find the most negative ones I could. Y'know, I guess I'm just interested in seeing the problems people have with these albums and then finding out if I disagree or not. Most of the ones I come across end up big negative "BAGHLE I DON'T LIKE THIS" dealies, but the one under this album that struck me so much is probably the most fair and balanced I've seen so far. In essence, it puts forth the following, which I hafta cop to: sure, it's good music, but is it important to music history or even notable enough on its own to be on this list of 1,001 albums? And at where I am in the album... Yeah, it sure is traditional country. Which is fine by me; I like traditional country. I know it's not the most much example, but I've listened to Johnny Cash's debut album a number of times. But—and maybe I'm just missing the larger context, I acknowledge that, but I can't hear what exactly's so special about this. Cub Koda on AllMusic claims this album is a number of things: "the last gasp of true honky tonk, the first stab at mainstreaming it into the Nashville sound of the 1960s, or country music's first country album," and, like, whichever one of those it is... I'm not getting it. Really, I'm having the same reaction to this that I did to X's WILD GIFT, where I'm not fully understanding why it's in this book. Although, I can at least acknowledge that WILD GIFT was notable to X as an in-between transitional point in their sound. Not to diss country, but what is NIGHT LIFE, this album, that a lot of other successful country albums from around the same time didn't also do? Now, my rating system is based purely on how much I personally enjoy the album and nothing else. That's why I'm giving it a 3; putting aside all of the gripes regarding its inclusion on this list, again, I like traditional country. As an album to, as Ray suggests, kick off your shoes and relax to, it does the job. Probably even better if I had a beer and a front porch to sit on. But if I was evaluating this album on whether or not it should be in this book; if I agreed or not that it SHOULD be something you listen to before you do... I'd hafta agree with that other review and smack it with a 2. Just how it is.
Songs can be a bit samey at times, but it has heart, so i'll give it a pass. Shame about the shit 60's stereo mix, though.
It’s… realistically, just a 3. It’s a pretty atypical country album for this time period I think, with a little extra flair here and there, and nothing really stands out except for a few tracks… but personally, it’s an album I think I’ll keep in shuffle. I have an incredible nostalgia for this type of soundscape – the country twang, the strong vocals, the fiddles and violins and strings mixed with crisp drums. The feeling this album gave me really, really did send me back to days of sitting in a car that still took old cassette tapes, with my dad popping them in during any car trips, and they always sounded like this. I haven’t forgotten that sound, but I haven’t actively been seeking it out. This album has made me want to revisit that sound; to find those old cassettes, to see what they were and to see if they hold up. It’s just a really nice album for me, and I'm glad I listened to it.
Another album that I listened to without particularly feeling engaged. Pleasant enough but not my sort of thing.
Don't let the charity shop cover put you off. I'm new to Price, but took straight away to his voice. It has a purity that reminds me of Patsy Cline and a hangdog guilt that puts me in mind of some of Johnny Cash's catalogue (e.g. Sunday Morning Coming Down). The album is strongly themed, with vignettes featuring a long line of honky tonk women living the "Night Life" hanging out in bars. For the 1960s, the songs aren't actually that judgemental of these women - well, hardly more than Price is of himself for choosing this lifestyle. He asks them "Are You Sure?", but I think he's asking himself the same thing.
Had a little trouble getting through this album. There were a lot of songs that all sounded the same to me...especially with the sound and style of playing the bass. However, Price's vocals are very good and I enjoyed the pedal steel and sleet guitar work which saved the listening experience for me. If I had to pick favorite tracks they would be: The Twenty Fourth Hour and Bright Lights and Blonde Haired Women.
Memories
I don't normally like Country but this is quite enjoyable. It seems to be a mishmash of styles and reading the Wiki it was quite groundbreaking at the time.
A loose country-concept album of the people who live in the "night life". Country crooning with occasional flashes of blues and jazz throughout which threaten to make it interesting but it soon falls back into standard honky tonkin'. Best Tracks: Night Life; Sittin' and Thinkin'; Bright Lights and Blonde Haired Women
This album is the best example of "The Nashville Sound" I've ever heard. The recordings are SO lush and the reverb is so beautiful. There isn't anything out of place in the mix. The musicianship is perfect. But the flip side of it is here too - The heavy-handed production in pursuit of that soft, warm, perfection, tended to elicit flat performances. Ray Price's early honky tonk is exciting and super-interesting. Ray Price here sounds beautiful, but bored. But damn, it sounds good.
Calm echoes echo Sad cowboy’s teary eyed tales Twang drowned in lost love
Lovely and short, doesn't bore at any moment nor becomes repetitive or tedious as every song is very discernible and unique
I did enjoy this very much.
Not really my style
Solid country record. I think the song “Night Life” is great. But I also think that’s the only standout. Not a terrible listening experience. But I’m not so sure it’s an essential one. 3/5
I think I just like old country. Reminds me of a dusty old town, and it feels nostalgic. Pretty good, not as good as the Willie Nelson album I had.
The song Are You Sure was in a season 1 episode of Lost. Enjoyable listening, but not really my style.
Not really my style but definitely a fun listen.
This was country. Ok.
Old fashioned C&W, honky tonk style.
ok bud
Interesting old school country.
Très typique country des années 60 qui tire un peu sur le blues par moment. Les moments plus blues sont justement là où ça venait un peu plus me chercher, mais le reste c'était assez sécure comme musique, un peu monotone et unidimensionel. 5/10
Perfect soundtrack to a sad dance in a Western bar with Sam Shepard and Jessica Lange
This all sounded pretty much the same after the first song. Good for what it is (and definitely better than modern pop-country), but not really my thing.
Honest and likable, nothing much to say
Is this an album that I should hear before I die because the list needed some country stuff from the 60s? Cause it doesnt seem like anything special, really. Its OK, but its not a great album or a pure representative of country or anything. 3/5
OK.
old but gold
Very well done, I usually don't care for this style of music but it drew me in
What a voice, just a hint of old Americana and a southern lick. These would pair nicely with a Fallout soundtrack . 3.5
Decent cowboy crooning album. This is the country I like lol
just some good old twangy heartbroken country music. A lot of the songs have a similar rhythm and feel but they all tell stories, some a little more bluesy, some a little more bluegrassy. the only knock is that the lyrics can be pretty simplistic (A Girl in the Night), but thats country baby, this is definitely easy listening! This album makes me think of passing through a little stopover town to have a drink at a local dive bar and falling in love with a townie.
Love this album. Ray Price has a lovely voice
Too old and the same swing beat through the album, not for me. Will I listen to again: 0%.
Nice to hear live musicians. The shuffle beat gives most of the songs a 6/8 feel and reminds me of Irish jigs. Not my thing, but the fella is awfully polite in his intro.
I feel like every album ought to have an introduction like this "Hello, we're Rage Against The Machine. We sure hope you liked our last album. We filled it full of a lot of polemic and riffage for you and we're hoping to keep you folks entertained with some more of the same on this one. Here are some Bulls... on Parade..." Anyway, I loved the pedal steel guitar and the very country lyrics. I was worried it would be too old-fashioned for me at first. But I kind of got into it!
I quite liked this. Some interesting ideas, given the context. 'Pride' was familiar.
Enjoyed.
Not a fan of 50's/60's country so I enjoyed this more than I thought I would
Helt ait, ganske gammel,ligner elivs
This is the type of country music that would have been playing on TV/radio as I grew up so it's kind of a part of my musical DNA and feels kind of like a comfortable and cozy blanket. The 60s may have been the last great decade for country music. There's still a lot to love from the 70s but country music was changing and mostly not for the better. Ray Price was one of the good ones and I could easily listen to this again and again.
If I was in a bar, a live band appeared, and they started playing this music, well I would probably endure it, but not really enjoy it. Ray has a very clear voice, great diction, and now I know all about his alcoholism and bad attitude to women. Every song was like the last one, fiddles, guitar, country-music-stuff, songs of regret. Has this made me a better person? Probably not, neither has the music really opened my eyes to anything new.
Some songs are nice and his voice is really good but after around 1/4 of the album it gets really repetitive and after a while it is just boring. I'd give it a 3 if it was just an EP with half of the songs but since it's too samey it's a 2 from me.
This reminds me of the music my dad likes to listen to that I find incessantly boring. I think my tendency to tune it out worked against ol’ Ray, because I listened twice and can’t remember a damn thing other than his strange plea during the first song to let him know if you enjoy it.
I thought it was ok. The first song I actually really enjoyed. Interesting to find out Willie Nelson wrote it and sung on the album. Lyrically it’s actually pretty dark. Glad I listened.
Good album. How many times can you say honky tonk in an album? A lot apparently…
Sincerely shocked at how much I enjoyed this. Really didn’t excpect to.
It feels like I'm in a diner or shop in a podunk town. Not my style at all.
A lot of the songs sounded very similar, but it's not an era of country music I enjoy.
can't stand C&W
Love this vibe
Fine as background music on this Monday morning before Thanksgiving, but let’s be honest, this sounds like just about every other country record from the late 50’s or early 60’s that you’ve ever heard.
loved this, great vibes
My first impressions, when the first song played... I felt like I was in a dingey, yet classy, low lit lounge. Smoke from everyone's cigarettes and cigars filling the air. A spot light shon on the stage, where Ray Price was playing... His backing band in the dim light. The heart beating sound of the stand up bass thumping in my chest... I had a rocks glass filled with cheap bourbon. Betty Boop was serving drinks... I was Eddie Valient from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Life was great. Then the second song hit, and I was taken to a honey tonk. Not a shitty 90s honky tonk where the stage was wrapped in chain link to protect the artists from bottle throws... But an olden day honey tonk, where everyone slow danced, or line danced. But this particular set of songs catored to the slow swaying patron. Love songs, and songs about alcohol. You know? Country stuff. What's different about this is that the music is story telling. And it's done well. There isn't necessarily many hooks that are needed to keep you, well hooked! There is just good story telling with great music.
Pretty chill.
Started listening coming out of the office at night. Night Life. Thought about the bright lights, drinking, being at the bar. How it was lonely and sad. But also how you feel lonely and sad, what friends truly love you? Never heard of Ray Price, will listen to more.
Not that interesting to me.
Very decent, though i don't dig the genre at all
acorde a su epoca, sonido interesante y algunos temas son entretenidos, pero hasta ahi. llega a ser repetitivo y cansino.
Good
This was fine, but not my thing.
Its fine country,got a good vibe.Wouldn't listen to it again but I admire its confidence.It knows what it is and does it well.
The first concept-album of Country and Western music, Wikipedia says. The soft, subtle slow-rock overtones of the title track and "The Wild Side Of Life" are a nice touch. Great work on the pedal steel guitar as well, with a pristine sound to it. And a nice and smooooooooth vocal performance by Ray Price. Apart from that, well, the picturesque lyrics laden with clichés about life in the sticks--heard a million times elsewhere--are tiring to say the least. And so are the honky tonk aesthetics, here polished to a fault. You need to infuse way more different influences to this mix to make it sound interesting today. Willie Nelson did it. Johnny Cash did it. Comparatively, Ray Price just followed a template that was well-established by 1963. So this record is decent, but there's no real thrill in it. Maybe as a soundtrack for a scene in a movie taking place in the Deep South or in the Rockies, some of those tunes could become endearing. Yet for now, my screen is as black as those nights Ray Price celebrates within this album, unfortunately. 2/5 for the purposes of this list, which translates to a 7/10 grade for more general purposes (5 + 2). Next, please. Number of albums left to review: 381 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 280 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 146 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 199 (including this one)
Could all just be the same song but its not unpleasant.
A true dark country album, soaked in booze, blues and sadness. Great backing band supporting the somber Ray Price on Night Life as he sings about how things aren’t always so great under the bright city lights. 3 stars
Good older style of country music, reminds me of inspiration for elvis.
That intro was fire
Unexpectedly really enjoyed it - would never pick or put this on so glad to have heard it. Felt as though it was a soundtrack and turned your life into a movie
Really good and had never heard of him.
Unexpected but not unpleasant.
Is it possible to give a -1 star rating?
Amazing soft bluesy rock kind of album
Boring
Niet voor mij.
Crooning country and western. Lots of references to honky tonk. I wish I knew what honky tonk sounded like so I could tell whether or not this is honky tonk. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: The Wild Side of Life Date listened: 17/10/23
I'll confess that I'm not really sure what the musical significance of this album is. I don't know the history of country music very well, especially from this earlier period. It's a very pleasant album, though. The songs are nice and simple without being plain. His voice is beautiful 3/5
I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Yes it is old-time country, but there is the slightly cabaret touch that makes it interesting slightly dark.
Even if I would live in 1963, it wouldn't be my kind of album. There are just many different, better, more powerful voices from that time. And I can't here anything innovative to the music history overall. Did I mention my dislike for country? I could go on... 2/5 is a very far-fetched score.
A time capsule of an album. Great old country sounds and hurting’ music.
Pleasant as hell. Could put this on in the background while cooking or hosting a dinner party anytime.
p58. 1962. 2 stars. Old time country and western, marinated in cigarette smoke and the bottom of a glass. OK for a couple of tracks and then gets depressing.
finely crafted old person country music. The sound of loitering at the reception of your Hawaiian grandmother's funeral
this would go so hard in a jpegmafia mashup
Listened Before? N Pretty good. I like the old-fashioned country. It's almost like a crooner/country western crossover. The themes are dated and current at the same time. I could listen to this one again. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Night Life
Another oldie with some problematic tracks. I didn't expect country this old to still feel like 'red pop'.
First song was alright
Sounded nice, great voice, but every song sounded exactly the same
Well now, this was some real old timey honky tonk! Not especially remarkable, but definitely great stuff.
I wasn’t sure that this country album would hit the spot for me, and it was a little slow to warm. But as it ended, I wanted to start it again…and I did…and really appreciated what Ray Price delivered.
Wonderful old-timey country, reminded me of Patsy Cline and kd lang. A terrific listen for the day.
Honky-tonkin’ heartbreak, drinking’ and depression… Some real classic country from a real master, this album shines a stark light on the Night Life. Each song is a cautionary tale targeting a variety of potential victims of the night life. As Ray suggests in the introduction to this Columbia album, I enjoyed sittin’ back, kickin’ off my shoes and listenin’ to Night Life. Just the perfect accompaniment to an evening of cocktails. Maybe someday I’ll make it to one of those dances…
vraiment un bon crroner, super chanson et le thème est assez original pour mes gouts. mais je ne suis pas expert en ce type de musqiue mais j'Adore ca 4.25
Ok. Don’t why but even though this is very country which usually puts me off I enjoyed this.
Not bad for an old-timey country album. Still not my favorite, but good for what it was
I don't like country all that much and this was not really for me - I think the reason he's so notable and included on this list makes sense, but it's aged incredibly poorly (he was the first country musician to use 4/4 time, and going back to that decades later does not sound special *because of* how influential it was)
A good, classic country album, if that's your thing. Nothing really stands out.
Sweet country music.
I supremely dislike modern country. But I've grown to like dinners like Cash and Willie. But this is not that dirty of country. And it's not the modern crap either. This is like a Sinatra wannabe with a southern twang. I don't really like it. But it's not the worst thing I've heard.
Night Music. Cruising with the top down music. Music.
The music is neither interesting nor particularly bad; just a standard slow dance/country sound. But unfortunately, every other song is a PSA against partying specifically for women, with the singer playing the nice guy that the girl should be with. No wonder the women in all those other songs have left him, as he seems like a total buzzkill. Showing the less glamorous side of nightlife is a fine theme for an album - but a bit more variety in how stories are told would be good. As it is, the women get blanket advice, while the singer can make his own decisions, learn from mistakes, and deal with heartache by writing songs (the only option for a woman to be happy again is apparently by getting a boyfriend or better yet, husband).
Damn I wasn’t expecting that chord progression on that title track. If this was what honky-tonk was, then I’d like to bring it back. And god, what a voice!
2.5 "It's not my bag baby" - Austin Powers.
I really liked this now ! I’ll definitely give some of his other music a listen
Nice album. Likes some country and this is chill. Nothing to save but I may come back.
It wasn't a secret to myself, but I'm finding that I really like old school country music. This has a lot to like. The intro is a bit weird but was worth hearing once I guess but thankfully the rest of the album is pretty solid. Not 5 star good, but really good. Will return for more of this.
Fun country album. Pretty smooth.
I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this at all, so thinking it was okay is probably a win, all things considered. It reminded me of Fallout New Vegas music, so it was nostalgic for me.
I love listening to old country! 4/5
5/10. So much country has sounded kind of like this over the years that this just feels flat and flavorless.
If you want to listen to the same mopey country song for 40 minutes then you'll enjoy this one. 4/10
After track 2, I was ready to proclaim this to be the best thing since sliced bread before it settled into the honky think. There is something mysterious about the dude, even down to the vaguely sinister sort of neon slasher movie cover art before that was an actual aesthetic
I can only conclude a honky tonk women killed his parents
Good, old-school country.
2.75
Now that’s some good country!
This mother fucker so old, 4/4 time in country music is known as the “Ray Price beat.”
3.5
Pretty good mostly.
Country. Ni fu ni fa.
country western singer. Soso.
it’s a good country record. i don’t really understand why it’s on this list though…it cake out in ‘63 and by then classic country was long past its prime. it gets kinda boring after a few tracks. great singer though.
Album 123 of 1001 Ray Price - Night Life Rating : 3 / 5 Aside from the awkward, weird 'Introduction and Theme' track, this was a fine collection of well performed old school country music. From a time before the conceptual album was a thing. Just good old songs. I sometimes like a fix of old school country music and there are a number of artists I could go to. I can add Ray Price to the list.
This sounds almost like a live album. He talks through the first "song" and says tonight a few times. It's weird to say that I "grew up" with this stuff. It's soooo simple. Nothing crazy. Nothing flashy. Don't know why I like it. I shouldn't like it.
Croony honky tonk. It is all polished, with a warm string/fiddle sound. The music is approachable and pretty low key honky tonk. The main issue is not that the sound is a bit dated, but the subject matter is too focused on 50's-era gender roles, and i don't know what to say about "Sittin' and Thinkin'". He was drunk, abused his wife/girlfriend, which has happened before, but we're supposed to feel okay that he says even though he thinks it will happen again, it won't be for a while. Not sure how this was even okay back then.
"Night Life" is a perfect example of the country songwriting formula. You can anticipate the rhymes, the cadence never varies, and the songwriting stays in its assigned lanes of heartache, heartbreak, and light lawbreaking. It's actually such a perfect example of the formula that it's hard to fault it. Am I into the whole weepy steel guitar sound? No. Do I love the whole sad-sack crooner schtick? Not even a bit. But, for what this is, it's really not bad.
Country. Silkemyk stemme, bare litt kjedelig sjanger.
No
One song was pretty, the rest weren’t.