The Genius Of Ray Charles

Big band Ray Charles, not his best work tho

Good, but a little to slow fir the mood I was in. Some classics though.

A bit to much swing for my taste. But some great tracks

Pretty dated. I really liked the mellower b-side.

not the most upbeat and my style but incredibly influential and he has a great voice and music overall.

I like the big band side but it kind of loses me on the back half with all of the ballads.

not my cup of tea but he has a great voice

Ne znam, osjećam da je ovo u nekom ranku sa Frank Sinatrom. Takva glazba, kao za gospodu. Uživanje uz viski pokraj kamina dok vani krpa snijeg ili pada kiša dok puše hladan vjetar - govoreći za drugi dio albuma.

Gledao sam film o tebi care kao mali na DVD-u imao original tako da sam neke i prepoznao, no zaboravio sam sve te utvrdim gradivo ponovno zbog ovog super albuma.

While Ray Charles was undoubtedly a very gifted musician, calling one of your own albums "the genius of myself" really seems like too much. That said, despite the undeniable musicianship, the songs were just not interesting enough to me. Add to that the production which sounds even older than the album itself.

An easy listen, enjoyed from start to finish and would definitely put it on again for another listen

Great talent but the album feels a little too similar at times, which brought this down a score from 4 to 3. Still very enjoyable and calming Saved: Let the Good Times Roll

I like it - but it is a bit too big-band for my tastes

Enjoyable. No stand out songs for me. But I like the style.

Nice to get a proper old album. Absolutely no doubting the man's influence and legacy, such a recognisable voice. I bet this album gets absolutely rinsed in films and hotel bars. I wasn't so much into the "big band" first half of this album. The chilled second half was more my vibe. 7/10

great voice but some of the songs are a little big band-y for my liking.

Boring, but listenable.

Whats not to like. Standard.

Decent album

5.5

Todo un artista al piano. Buena voz y buenas canciones

1959, Swingin' pop, traditional pop, rhythm and blues

Not really my style

Not bad, just not memorable.

Thanks Ray, very cool. 👌

Wasn't THAT genius

Good nice music, nice to listen to.

Pretty good, very jazzy. Probably won't listen again though.

Flew by and I loved the slower ones. Here I was saying the other day that we need a new blind guy. I hate people just saying 'Stevie Wonder could have done a better job' or something like that. I found out that Ray Charles was the blind guy before Stevie Wonder so we're due for a new one.

Nikad nisam slusao Ray Charls-a ozbiljno, niti jedan album ceo, vec samo po neki hit kao Hit the Road Jack. 7/10

Yeahhhh this was decent

Storbands-jazz, inte riktigt min smak föredrar kvintetter/kvartetter, men Ray Charles är Ray Charles

Nice easy listening

Legendary

My kind of background music. 3

false

3.5 stars

Klassisk Ray Charles, kærligheds soul, charmerende, 50’er

more like a 3.5... very easy listening but nothing stood out

12/14 Real classy, lovely instrumentation. Standout Tracks: It Had to Be You, Just for a Thrill, Tell Me You'll Wait for Me, Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin', Am I Blue,

First half is cool upbeat big band stuff, a good few foot-tappers. Second half is all ballads, lost my attention. Didn't totally lose steam but it started to drag towards the end, which isn't great at 37min. And tbh, "standards" are just covers at the end of the day, no matter how well played. This is a covers album, and reading all the other, overwhelmingly gushing reviews for it... wtf guys, get your hands off it. That being said, would listen to the first half again. 3/5.

This is ok... I can see the appeal.

How on earth to review this? I'm trying to listen to it on its own terms, but it feels dated in a way that so many other things from 1959 (Kind of Blue, The Shape of Jazz to Come, Moanin' in the Moonlight, Mingus Ah Um, Time Out) don't. Obviously these lists have to be subjective, but it feels a tier below top-1000 quality to me. Listening to it as a studio album it sounds rather as if the dance is missing. It wasn't an unpleasant experience, but nor is it one I particularly wish to repeat. I guess that sets the standard for me: 2* is neutral, 1* actively bad, and 3-5 represent something increasingly special.

i know nothing about jazz so idk what to say or qualifiy, so I just rated the songs based on how much I liked them, speaking from a place of ignorance. "let the good times roll" 3.5 "it had to be you" 2.5 "alexander ragtime band" 3 "two years of torture" 2 "when your lover has gone" 2.5 "deed i do" 3 "just for a thrill" 2.5 "you wont let me go" 2.5 "tell me you'll wait for me" 2.5 "dont let the sun catch you" 2.5 "am i blue" 2.5 "come rain or come shine" 2.5 basically, even knowing nothing bout jazz, i cant tell this album has nothing interesting, its sounds like jazz from a disney movie or a low budget one. its just like npc jazz.

Me gustó muy soul

it was kind of boring and every song sounded the same so not that good..

I was not a fan of this album; I don't really enjoy the Soul/R&B/Jazz genre.

Like so many of these late 50s album, it's a bit tough to know what to say other than 'Ray Charles has a fantastic voice doesn't he, but these songs are quite boring'.

me admiro da autoconfiança de se chamar de gênio

I prefer Ray Charles when he's more bluesy

Not my thing.

45

#418/1001. Glam rock? More like blah rock. I used to own it when I was a teen (makes sense), but don't regret selling it. Most interesting comment about this was that probably Prince was inspired by this. Can see the possibility.

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UDSACD 255 (US 2012 reissue) mono SACD rip: What a unique voice! "Let The Good Times Roll" is my favorite track. Rhino Atlantic (worldwide 2014 reissue) stereo digital files: I think this album is better in mono, but it's still not my thing.

ok

I think I enjoyed this more than I should have. It was miles better than the average 1950's crooners such as Frank Sinatra and the like. Ray Charles actually put a lot of passion and emotion into his vocals, plus the orchestra played a big part in making this sound expansive. It was excellent for what it is, but I won't be rushing back for a second spin.

Not a fan of the big brass here. I prefer the R&B, rock and roll Ray.

Гарно але трохи нудно

at the beginning it felt jolting with the louder instrumentals , but as it progressed and included piano i found myself enjoying each track more than the last.

Some big band songs followed by ballads. Ray Charles has a really great voice but I didn't like the strings it was a bit too much for my taste. Favorite Songs: Let the Good Time Roll

Mooi, maar niet zo onderscheidend. Laat vooral zien dat zn stem mooi genoeg is om zich staande te houden in een big band, zonder de rest van zn muzikaliteit

Didn’t like it very much but good job Ray

Idk, I kind of would have liked this album more if it had been all ballads, which is never something I'd have expected to say about anything

Insanely skilled and so full of energy but it's just not the right energy for me. Jazz isn't my forte so this was uninteresting to me, apologies. 2/5

Not really my thing

Ray's voice does not go with big band sounds. Album probably made to attempt commercial success.

1959. The album showcased Charles' breakout from rhythm and blues and onto a broader musical stage (more of a swing-pop style).

1.) Very jazzy opening. ooh, nice vibe - giving Alastor music? - very nice accent on him. Very loud trumpets/background music. It reminds me of the Michael Jackson movie. 2.) More calm opening than #1. Oh, nice scratch on the voice. I don't really know how to feel about this. 3.) Smooth transition, very upbeat! I think this might be my favorite. 4.) Trumpet bursts like fireworks at the start. Mostly instrumental ngl. 5.) Soft opening, love it! 6.) Short but emotional, pretty good. 7.) Soft as well, calm smooth voice too! 8.) It's giving Chinese restaurant background music, but in a good way that makes me hungry. 9.) It started suspenseful but it's very sweet when the vocals come in. A very Disney feel to it. 10.) Beautiful start, almost angelic. Oh wow, the violins are so beautiful in this song. 11.) Same-ish start as #10, vocals are a bit more soft. This one is way more emotional, which definitely gave it bonus points. 12.) Jazzy sad entrance, almost nostalgic. His voice never fails to have that scratchy, aged feel, and combined with the angelic voices in the background makes for an amazing vocal synchronization.

Man it’s just too boring

I honestly had higher expectations! Somehow even with all its big horn sections, the album fell a bit flat for me. Standout: Alexander's Ragtime Band

Come Rain or Come Shine

langweilig

A bit too slow for me.

Not a huge fan of this one. Still jazz

Hvordan er det her nogensinde en OK titel til en plade, jeg KAN ikke forstå det..... Jeg er ikke god til at lytte til sådan noget her, man kan jo nok sige alt muligt om for tiden og sådan noget men hvad ved jeg om det, 2.5, det er fint nok. Skud ud til "Was I gay, 'till today"

Oh great, more swing Foden vipper og alt det der, men det er som om det faktisk også fungerer bedst, når jeg ikke tænker over, hvad det er, jeg lytter til. Altså, når det forbliver i baggrunden. 2.0

- Great voice and piano playing, some nice strings on the second half, too. - Starts and ends strong with a few good songs, but the rest is generic jazzy heavy handed big band filler that's just a lot of brass doing the typical punctuation thing (which doesn't keep my attention). - Honestly, most of these songs feel like someone else (Sinatra?) could have sung them because they're so by-the-books. - Lyrically, it's all super boring surface-level love songs (from a serial cheater, lol).

I felt incredibly bored.

like ya it was good, but after watching his movie i don't like the guy and that over took my opinion on this album

nie lubie jazzu, z wlasnej woli bym tego nie wlaczyla nie chcialo mi sie brnac troche

Andre skiva med Ray Charles. E bare ikke for mæ rett og slett.

Svingende storbandmusikk som virker helt standard etter mine ører. Blir litt mer inderlig på de siste låtene, men det fenger ikke helt. Kommer ikke til å vende tilbake til denne.

Too nice I’m broken

Ok

So good

Album #72, Ray Charles, The Genius of Ray Charles, ⭐⭐ I kind of feel bad for this review because I know he’s a bit of a legend, but I just can’t lie, this album did nothing for me. It came and went through my speakers and it didn’t touch me or make me feel anything at all. I’m just not that big into big band stuff. The big smacking horns on some of these tracks were actually giving me a headache. I appreciate that the arrangements are varied and complex and some of the chord progressions are quite nice, but I just find the sound to be a little bit obnoxious at times. As for Ray Charles, his voice is phenomenal, but every song is kind of the same. Not necessarily musically, but they’re all about the same thing, being in love with someone who either loves you or doesn’t love you back. That’s 90% of the album. Now! That is also 90% of popular music as well, but I just got bored with this. I don’t really have much more to say than that. I liked the quieter tunes, songs like “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying”, “When Your Lover Is Gone”. “Two Years of Torture” would probably be my favourite, it leans more into blues. Any Ray Charles fans out there, help me with this. I’d love an album that’s more stripped back. Just his voice and a simpler arrangement. These big band backings just don’t do it for me. It just is what it is, and I’m sorry if that offends anyone, but it’s two stars all day for me and I don’t really have any desire to give it another go.

The term 'genius' is one of the most overused and misplaced in musical discourse. What is certain, is that Ray Charles was no genius. I would go as far as saying there may not be a single artist on this entire list who deserves that title. But if we're using it lightly, in a colloquial sense, then sure, I'll allow it. If he's a 'genius' then what is also true is that his songs simply aren't very good. Limited appeal, filled with soul and skillful playing, but largely free of melodic quality and emotion. The 1950s was such a wasteland of music. While literature was in an interesting place and there was banger after banger in the Cinema, music was in a dreadful state. Rock music had made it's landing, but it was highly repetitive and derivative in the US, waiting on a much needed injection of creativity from the UK. Like most albums of the time, this is a circle jerk of megastars sharing the same hits and giving their own spin. It makes for very dull listening. Charles at least splits the album into two styles - shite and other shite. The first half is intolerable, filled with unlistenabke brass, and the second is at least at bit more tuneful. It's a shame that by the time you get there your already numb from what came before.

Big band bwooops is niet mijn ding, wordt wel beter halverwege tho

I suspect if you are a fan of this type of music then this is a really good album. Unfortunately I’m not really a fan so just find it a bit dull.

The big band songs were ok, the rest wasn’t!

2.1/5 Look this isn't a bad album by any stretch. It's just not my cup of tea. If I heard any of these songs playing on the radio or while I was out somewhere I wouldn't mind, but there's not much on this album that would warrant me to come back to it.

Feeling like in an old Disney cartoon

I know Ray Charles is great and all, but this is not at all for me. Has a big band flavor I just don’t like.

Fun music.

It’s good but won’t ever revisit.

whatever

This is my first album-length experience of Ray Charles, and I was disappointed. I suspect these songs are not really making the best use of his talents, though. I came in expecting a soul album, and it was instead a bunch of competent, but not particularly distinctive, versions of jazz standards done better numerous times by others. It honestly starts out with a good punch, on the swaggering version of "Let The Good Times Roll", but from there it just winds down to a whimper by the end. I suspect this program will give me more Ray Charles in the future, and I expect it will be better.

Don’t really like swing, or big band, or ballads, so this was a miss. Like the occasional tune but having Sinatra and Ray Charles back to back has been rough 4.5 / 10 Alright track: Alexander’s Ragtime blues

Lite självgod titel kan tyckas? Stabilt men mer sömnigt än genialiskt enligt mig.

Mhh Zuviel r&b bigband elevator? Rührt mich nicht so sehr wie die anderen aus der Zeit…c

Always struggle not to think of either Christmas or the Fallout games when I hear old music like this. It’s okay, nothing is particularly interesting to me once you get over the novelty of it being old.

Eh j'aime pas ça

I think rather sadly I didn't get on with this. It wasn't unpleasant and I didn't want to turn it off but I didn't feel like I wanted to listen to it again.

Lo más llamativo es la marcada versatilidad entre sus dos caras. Mientras que la primera parte se inclina hacia un jazz demasiado denso para mi gusto, es en la segunda mitad donde aparece el Ray Charles que realmente me atrapa. Vocalmente, me parece el mejor de los tres discos que llevo escuchados hasta ahora en este proyecto

I've no interest in this. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ❌️ Revisit ❌️ Default ★★☆☆☆ (4/10) Total reviewed : 237 Already owned : 54 Purchased : 12 To buy list : 3 Nope : 168

I have never been a fan of this recording. I like a few of the songs okay, but it just always seemed muddy to me. Compare this to Careless Love from Modern Sounds and the true genius of Ray Charles is apparent.

Got a lil bored , but decent

What is this, a Nora Ephron movie? Ray was 29 when he made this—DORK.

Would have liked it more if I was in a better mood at the time.

The great American Borebook... Charles macht auf Sinatra und klingt... banal. 2 Punkte für das reduzierte Arrangement auf Side B, obwohl das immer noch teilweise schlimm ist.

I liked this one slightly better than the other Ray Charles one I got earlier in my journey - but then again, I like rap and hip hop slightly more than yodelling, it doesn’t mean I want to listen to either ever again.

The album gets repetitive kinda quickly, specially the first half which just kinda sounds the same. The second half is also repetitive but the songs are more calm, which I enjoyed a little bit more. Overall it's just not my cup of tea. Ray Charles has an amazing voice, but the album just feels like generic 50s music and gets boring very quickly. 2/5

😐

4 - BAD

First time listening to a Ray Charles album and I guess it didn't help me understand "the genius". This big band music just doesn't work for me, each time I get randomly attacked with horns in the middle of a song I flinch 2/5

big band jazz. mira vos, no se en donde entra esto en mis gusto pero me gusta. divertido sacar la escala mientras suena. Que buenos vientooos. Y los solitos pianitos. Siento que las mejores canciones son las tranquis. Likes: It had to be you - When your lover has gone - Just for a Thrill - You wont let me go - Am i blue?

(3/7) The slow jazz ballads really lost me

I like Ray Charles but this really didn't do anything for me.

This was tight, I just don’t really listen to Big band ever really. I’m gonna give it 2 stars but I do respect it for sure

My first album from the 50s. Very much in two halves. Let the Good Times Roll is a fun big band track the first in the livelier first half, with others a bit more forgettable. I found the second half quite dull and plodding, although I appreciate how influential this artist is. I hadn't previously realised Ray Charles was blind! He also fathered 12 children with 9 different women. Yikes. 2.5

Can I now get something a bit more recent please?

I love Ray's voice but I feel like a lot of the big band numbers don't really do it justice. The slower softer songs are where he shines. Favorite track: Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying

Fun little album but nothing too memorable for me personally. 3.8/10

Big band sound attracting the post war nostalgic followers of the earlier dance era

not mine (personally)

Ca me fatigue c'est du jazz des années 50 quoi. J'ai soit l'impression d'être martin lefebvre soit d'être dans un film de disney pendant les trentes glorieuses. Finalement pouet pouet la trompette.

2/5 I understand why people like this album but this isnt my cup of tea.

idk, for me it’s a plain jazz album, i like something more experimental fav: just for a thrill

A lot of the songs were very similar

Jazzy

Best Track - "Come Rain Or Come Shine"

Historically monumental and undeniably skilled, yet somehow plays like a very classy museum exhibit where you’re not allowed to touch anything or feel too much. Impressive, not thrilling.

Unspektakuläres Album eines Musik Genres, dass ich nicht mag. Ich war froh, dass ich durch war, Pflicht erfüllt und freiwillig werde ich’s mir nie wieder anhören.

It was ok. Some songs felt like I had heard them before, probably because they are classics but it didn't feel insightful to me.

I mean… sure. Ray was apparently the greatest live performer. His albums are okay.

I sorry mr. Charles, but this is one of the most boring records I’ve ever listened. Your good singing is the only reason for 2 stars.

Dit genre doet me gewoon echt niks. Soms vind ik het zelfs irritant. Dat getoeter en gejazz. Alles klinkt ook hetzelfde. Niks voor mij. Ik kan heus wel horen dat het goede muziek is, maar gewoon niet voor mij. DNF

Helt okej, blev inte så sugen på mer

High As A Mountain, Deep As A River 1001 Albums Generator 174 (12/2/2025) I wish that I cared more about Ray Charles. I understand that he is super influential, but this old style of big band/vocal jazz is just so boring to me. Vocally, it reminds me of the Frank Sinatra album I had recently, which is to say, the vocals themselves are mint quality. The humbly titled The Genius Of Ray Charles is a collection of standards, with the first half being largely bombastic big band arrangements and the second half being ballads. Both sides have a couple of great songs, but most of the songs here are really nothing to write home about. Let The Good Times Roll and Alexander's Ragtime Band are my favorites off the first half. The latter is especially fun. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin' and the hit Come Rain Or Come Shine are my favorites off the second half. Pretty much every other song I could leave. Even choosing a least favorite is hard because, like on In The Wee Small Hours, most songs are approximately interchangeable. I guess Am I Blue is pretty boring. I don't know man, neither Ray Charles album on the list spoke to me at all. 2/5. Favs: Let The Good Times Roll Alexander's Ragtime Band Come Rain Or Come Shine Least Fav: Am I Blue

glad to know music hasnt changed so much in so many years. didnt finish. was ok i guess

Great performer, not my favourite songs.

Pretty good. Sounds cool. But not for me

Back in 1959, “genius” obviously meant something very different: you took an old tune, sang it like you owned it, and people called you a visionary. Done. Interpretation was the job. You didn’t need to write anything. Arrange anything. You didn’t even need to let Alexander’s Ragtime Band scan properly. By the following decade, of course, genius had changed postcode entirely. It no longer lives in interpretation but in authorship, in the self-inventing demiurge who writes his own myths. Dylan mumbles some poetry, the Beatles discover the Lydian mode and suddenly genius is Sui generis, not a man in a dinner jacket crooning someone else’s cleverness. Which leaves Ray Charles here, stuck with a title that promises more than the record delivers. These dense arrangements smother most of the charm of the songs and Ray doesn’t add anything that wasn’t in the writing: no particular subtext, no fresh feeling, no special phrasing. He hasn’t even select anything particularly great from The Great American Songbook. It is like Hollywood before The Method, a fantasia of what the mid-century thought sophistication sounded like. But genius isn’t sophisticated. Nor is it professional. Nor is it dependent on Quincy Jones. I’m going to look like an idiot when the notion of genius changes again, aren’t I? Ray Charles will have the last laugh. 1.5 So here’s Ray Charles’ ‘Genius’ in a nutshell apparently. But what kind is he? A genius of songwriting? He didn’t write any of the songs here. Arrangement? These arrangements aren’t his. Piano playing? His piano is barely discernible beneath the maximalist orchestra and choir arrangements for almost the entire album. That leaves singing. Yes, Ray Charles is a very nice singer. I have no affection for the Great American Songbook. It is overrated. Whether I am right or wrong it is impossible to believe that anything found on this record represents a superlative account of any of these songs. The arrangements - obnoxious, overwrought, witless - are a chore. Antiseptic glitz. 1.5/5

I'm not a huge fan of this genre of music, and I get that at the time you had to put out several albums a year at this time point to stay relevant, but unfortunately it means that the album has a ton of filler.

I appreciate Ray Charles. I am unsure if I appreciated this record. It was okay but maybe my expectations were a bit higher when it’s called “The Genius of Ray Charles”

I don’t like vocal jazz. It’s has nothing I like about jazz, and the vocals used in this genre are as annoying as in pop. This album is not as mind-numbingly boring as some of its counterparts and has some energetic and even somewhat epic parts like in the opening track, but it’s still not good. 5/10

Either I was distracted or it just didn’t hit right. Interesting album title. Pretty similar to the subject line of my emails

Love Ray but there is something a bit too packaged and sterilised about this. There is plenty of emotional expression in the playing and singing but the big band hollywood movie style of the recording is not my cup of tea and i’m not sure of all the Ray Charles recordings this is the one i absolutwly have to hear before they lay me horizontal and ignite the burners.

I guess you had to have some RC on the list. Not bad. Just nothing I’d ever choose to listen to. 2.5

Good for what it is

I like Ray Charles but I don't care for cover albums.

This from 1959, I know very little about Ray Charles, so it’s good to give this a spin. I did not know he was blind. Lovely instrumentation, full big band on here, lots of wind instruments in particular. Must have been amazing at the time but the sound has dated as you would expect 66 years later. I’m not mad on his voice. Ultimately this is too ott showbizzy for me, it’s like it’s been lifted straight out of a film. My favourite parts are the calmer instrumental sections. Towards the end of the LP the songs mellow out which I prefer. I appreciate the legacy of Ray Charles but have to vote on what this sounds like to me at this point in time. Also all of these songs are about love which is a bit much given he had 12 children by 10 mothers or maybe not.

Don't like his genre.

Bombastic and schmaltzy The Genius of Ray Charles is short on genius and long on undistinguished often way too loud big band/swing arrangements that say little but says it loud AF seemingly as a sort of disguise for how second rate the messy production is. So, what's good? Not much. When Charles just plays his piano and sings things are good sometimes very good, but the bloody production always rears its big loud ugly head and every time the production is confused on how best to handle a powerhouse like Charles it simply gets LOUD convinced that LOUD equals powerful & impactful when in this case it never does and nothing on The Genius of Ray Charles rarely goes above serviceable even the string of ballads that end the album are victims of too many cooks in the kitchen each one more inept than the other. Ray Charles has a great voice & is a skilled soulful piano player but if this is your introduction to Mr. Charles- well good luck hearing either among the schlock production. I would like to take a moment to thank the assholes at Atlantic Records for the booming headache I now have. To Robert Dimery. You could have thrown us a crumb and included the vastly superior Ray Charles album 'Live at Newport' a record that easily rates 5/5.

This was perfectly fine. It’s fantastic for what it is, just didn’t resonate with me too much. It certainly wasn’t shit, just isn’t for me.

Standard easy listening fare. Not what I would really come to think of when listening to Ray Charles. 2.5/5

A pleasant enough listen. It makes me think of my father in law, who liked his jazz and big bands. It's not my go to type of music, but you have to appreciate the drama and musicality of it all. Let The Good Times Roll had me tapping my feet and Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying was another great production. I doubt I'll listen to the album again though.

Det var fint nok til at bryde stilhed med, men ikke noget som er et aktivt lyt værdigt.

Hvis Ray Charles er et geni, er det godt nok ikke det her album der overbeviser mig om det. Herregud manden har da en flot karismatisk stemme. Men den spildes på en omgang jævnt kedelige Big Band numre og klaverballader.

What kind of name is that? The "Genius"??? And then they drown him out with brass bands and string orchestras?

One of the best voices in recorded music history. But these songs just didn't do it for me. Where's Georgia On My Mind, Drown In My Own Tears, What I'd Say, Night and Day, Hit The Road Jack, I've Got A Woman, Here We Go Again. Love Ray Charles, but he's only got one other album on this list and none of his best songs are represented.

I enjoyed it till the last third when it seemed a bit too consistently a bit depressed. Great voice.

2 1/2. Didn’t totally hate it but I’ll never be excited to hear anything from it

I really didn't care for the first half but the second half had some great ballads

Pretty good from Ray, not as great as his other work. I enjoyed this.

Big band supper club album

I feel as thought I 'appreciate' Ray Charles more thank I 'like' him. He's an important musical figure, but this is not really my kind of music. And since my ratings as based on 'do I like this,' it gets a low rating.

I can tell what this album is going to be like from the first note. I don't normally like blues or whatever this is, but I'll try it. I didn't end up listening to this whole album because I got the point. I didn't hate it, but I don't think I'd want to listen to this again. The instruments were pretty cool, but it was very slow, and because I don't listen to this genre(jazz/blues I think, I don't really know the difference), most of the songs sounded the same. It has a nice sound, I just don't want to hear forty minutes of it. I do like the lettering on the cover though. 3.5/10

Ray Charles position in the pantheon is without question. However this is a real grind to listen to. Low in the mix sometimes with timing issues. Other collections of ray are better.

2/2 with albums absolutely filtering me today

Smooth, but probably not something I would go back and listen to regularly.

Nagyon basic liftzene, egy dal sem maradt meg.

Why does a blind man have 12 children by 10 women? How does he get so many women?

I do not question the the genius of Ray Charles but I do question the choice of listening to The Genius Of Ray Charles by Ray Charles before I die. Ray Charles + Big Band.... no thank you. He is force on his own. this album is crowded and seems to be the wrong format for such an amazing artist. Not for me.

A couple good songs, but too much big band accompaniment for my taste. Not exactly what I think of when I think of Ray Charles. 2.5/5, perfectly average album.

Incredible high note in 'It Had to Be You' that he then goes on to TOP. Mostly pretty samey and dull though, like 'Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music' was.

Meh

Can’t overstate the influence but in today’s context just not very exciting to listen to. If I’m going to listen to Ray it’s his later music.

I only know of Ray Charles from The Blues Brothers so I was expecting an album like Shake Your Tail Feather from the movie. It maybe a tad unfair but since there was nothing like that on here I ended up feeling really disappointed with this one.

Not as good as I was expecting

Jazz, Blues, 1959 -> 2

A few good tunes, definitely talented but not what I'm seeking in music (2.5*)

3/10 Nope. The blasting if the trumpets is like the painful pangs of a migraine. The sickly strings are waves of nausea. I need to listen to it with my head between my knees to try and make it go away. I could probably tolerate it as background music, but then what's the point?

I was excited to hear a Ray Charles album, as my only frame of reference was his appearance in The Blues Brothers. Imagine my surprise when I prefer the more quiet back half of the album over the more lively front half. Charles voice is powerful, and all the moreso when he's playing a heartfelt ballad or a bluesy number. After decades of hearing how important Ray Charles is to R&B, blues, and popular music in general, this album is kind of a letdown. It feels very lukewarm and not a great example of why Charles is so highly regarded. Highlight: "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'"; "Come Rain or Come Shine"

Not horrible, but boring, basically the same song over and over again. Then again this was recorded in 1959, so you can't fault the sound/arrangements. 2/5

Is this the Charles I want to listen to? Not really. Big band arrangements in the first part, which sound corny no matter how good the vocals might be. And even then, what does Charles really bring to 'It Had to Be You' that a jazz singer doesn't? It's so straight and flat. The second side of ballads is much better for showing off his vocal chops and some nice soloing. 'Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying' is a highlight, with some fantastic string harmonies.

Too much trumpet

Eh, I expected more uptempo tracks like I got a woman or What I'd Say. Not that it wasnt pleasant, but I wanted something else and it wasn't this. https://youtube.com/shorts/GoqRYgAzjyE

This was a nice album with a swing feel to it. I really enjoyed the first few songs but the album was a little fatiguing after that. Ray Charles has a really great voice and I enjoyed the arrangements and songs so I think giving it another listen would be worth while. I think I would rate it a 2.5 or 3.

Very much of its time. I suppose this qualifies as then 'popular music' but I can't really relate to it.

Everybody knows Ray Charles, or at least they should do. This album shows why.

Pa ono, kul je on, ali mi je ovaj album dosta dosadnjikav zapravo. 2/5, 4/10

I can see why this album would be on here. It's got great music and Ray Charles is a good singer and lyricist. What I couldn't get behind was that for the first half of the album every song started the same (loud, impactful fanfare) and the second half of the album every song started the same (softer, songs are clearly more solemn). It made the album seem less "Genius" and more repetitive. Same songs, different lyrics.

Did not like. Very dull. Just not my style at all.

American dream, opa’s en oma’s dans muziek

Ray Charles and his band are at their best when they reign it in and let their natural talent speak for itself. Too often Ray alters the material to add a little extra flourish, and it changes for the worse. We all know the standards so it’s a bit annoying to hear someone consistently making new inflections and timing decisions here and there that make the songs worse. His talent is in singing not composing. Similarly the band sounds best when they’re playing it straight, but the more they push the bombast or the flourishes, the more strain gets put on the original material. But there is enjoyable musicianship under all of the extra layers.

Not my thing

Kinda boring cover album. Not terrible, but I want his hits!

Liked the band, really great. Ray Charles playing and voice were very mid.

OK it's not anything against him, this music is just really boring to me and the lyrics are soo basic. Also hate gospel music

Very much not my jam, but that goes for everything before 1960. Probably fine for what it is.

i'll just start by saying i know absolutely nothing about this guy. i know he's famous and he's blind but that's about it. i also don't have very much interest which is why i put this album off until the end of the day but here we are. let's see if my views are changed TRACK BY TRACK 1 LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL. honestly ahead of its time for 1959 but to me it's still generic big band/soul, albeit like 5 years before its time. i probably wouldn't return to it but it's feelgood big band, nothing bad. 7/10 2 IT HAD TO BE YOU. pretty much the exact same as the first song. this kind of album is my total weakness to writing because it sparks absolutely nothing interesting for me to say. not the music's fault, it's just that kind of music. 7/10, it's fine 3 ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND. it's alright. old-timey composition with slightly newer big band elements. the bad mix is making it slightly noisy in a olatunji kind of way, which makes it unintentionally a bit more enjoyable. still 6/10. 4 TWO YEARS OF TORTURE. personally pretty boring. it's that 50s jazz pop sound. easy listening to my ears, which to my ears isn't easy listening. what? 5/10 5 WHEN YOUR LOVER HAS GONE. i like this one more than the last because instrumentally it sounds like a more restrained mingus, just with charles (different charles) over it. it's literally the same as every track. 5/10 6 DEED I DO. it's incredible how much more generic each song is getting. i understand this guy's impact, i really do, but not only is this incredible inoffensive, it's also the exact same song. 5/10 7 JUST FOR A THRILL. the backing vocals are pretty ethereal so there's that. bumps it up a bit i guess. this definitely helped develop soul but it's still in its primitive state. 5/10 8 YOU WON'T LET ME GO. so inoffensive. so bland. ethereal backing vocals should be at the forefront. 4/10 9 TELL ME YOU'LL WAIT FOR ME. i do see the appeal but this music just really isn't for me. it's loungy, it's soft, it's accessible. i don't know what else to say. 5/10 10 DON'T LET THE SUN CATCH YOU CRYIN'. try developing industrial hip hop instead. 5/10 11 AM I BLUE. i genuinely cannot give these songs a lower score since there's nothing particularly wrong with them, but nothing pushes them in my favour either. i'm sure he's a genius he's just not my kind of genius. 5/10 12 COME RAIN OR COME SHINE. i like this one more because it gave me a picture of it playing during some scene of a movie where everyone dies with this playful soul ballad on top. i don't know 6/10. is he a genius? i don't know but judging by how much i wrote he didn't make me feel like one. it's inoffensive and it's light, i can see the appeal but it really isn't for me. i understand why it's in the list, i'm glad i listened to it. that's the point of the list after all isn't it? i've widened my horizons. 5/10

Sorry...too dated for me

Ray Charles' voice is amazing. Truly one of the all time R&B singers. I just don't really care for the big band sound. That said I can appreciate this as a bridge between the post war big band jazz sound and what Motown would do in the following decade.

It is fine for what it is, but I just don't really care much for the 'big band' sound

I so wanted to like this. Just couldn't get into it at all.

No soy fan de Ray, no puedo dar una reseña objetiva.

To long

To oldie worldy for me

Quite nice, but not something that will make it to may regular listens.

Starts out fast. Ends slow. Ray Charles with a big band. Sounds like an old movie soundtrack that Ray Charles wrote some tunes to go over. It's fine.

I don’t like jazz.

i dont think i like jazz so that much

Not my bag really

Ok 2.5

2 - I like the production of these old albums but after the first two songs it just gets annoying to listen to

Sei lá, não achei muito "genius". Obviamente é o Ray, pica pra caralho, mas meh

More big band ray Charles. Not really my thing.

big band jazz. classic stuff, high quality, not my jam.

Wanted to hear some more blues but this sounded a bit too big band for me.

too jazzy, I prefer the soul or blues Ray

Ray Charles is undeniably the man. I’m not usually a jazz fan, but if I have to listen to jazz, I want it to be him! This album stands out with its rich variety and dynamic sound, making it an easy exception to my usual tastes. There are some fantastic tracks here—Deed I Do and It Had to Be You were definite highlights for me. You can really hear the foundation being laid for the rock and roll explosion of the ‘60s, which makes this album feel even more influential. Even if jazz isn’t usually your thing, this album is worth a listen—Charles brings so much soul and style that it’s hard to resist. Favorite song: Deed I Do Least favorite song: Just for a Thrill—way too Disney for my taste. Album artwork: Cool and timeless.

Not a massive jazz fan i think with this one.

Pretty enjoyable but not something I’ll probably come back to.

The relaxed tracks are good, but the trumpet blasts are irritating.

It's just not for me.

1st half I thought the arrangements were terrible..all those horns going to 11..ouch my ears. 2nd half was..slightly..better

Enjoyed bits of it - but some of it left me feeling blehhhhh

would rather listen to him singing the blues than big band

Bored 2/5

too much big band

I prefer a more stripped-down, bluesy Ray Charles instead of this overly produced, big band kerfuffle. Can’t hate on the man too much, though, he was a true icon.

..

There wasn't anything 'genius' in it. Some big band songs and some sweet ballads. Loved 'Am I Blue' and 'Come Rain or Come Shine' . That's it.

# 371 : its ok. You've got to love the big band antics going on here, true to the style of the day for sure. Found myself nodding off a bit throughout this one, with some slow boring numbers.

Okay.

I was hoping for more from this album.

A true master, but a lot of it sounds the same

Not my taste

Exactly what I expected, not my sound.

Well Ray certainly has a lovely voice, doesn't he? It's a bit too croony for my tastes for the most part, but perfectly serviceable light blues. I do think 'Let the Good Times Roll' promised upbeat-party-Ray, and the rest of the album feels a bit like an anticlimax after that, no shakin' of tail feathers here... Fave: Let the Good Times Roll

I was just kind of bored by it. The few songs i know, I know better versions of.

Too old. Even for me. His later stuff slapped harder

great and all, but not my cup of tea

4/10 Next album on my list is called It's A Shame About Ray. Seems appropriate somehow...

The voice is great, but I just find this type of music so very, very boring.

I love Ray Charles but I feel the list has screwed up again. This is not the album with the lasting major impact on soul and popular music. This, even in its day, was a back looking production. I love the big band and Ray's unique style and take on standards. I'm not so keen on the 2nd half of string backed ballads; they do not hold up nearly as well. But its all of the time and as such, its of the period before. There is none of the fresh sounds where he fused gospel with pop and rock and soul to change the direction of music for the next decade. Disappointing choice. 2.4

If you're going to call yourself a genius, your album better be half decent. But oh my, what a pain listening through all of this. The first half is mostly plain bluesy songs, given a Big Band make-over. I hate it with a passion (I'd actively switch this off if it was on the radio) but I appreciate it's a matter of taste, if this is your thing, fine, enjoy! Songwriting skills isn't Charles' saving grace - he didn't write any! He is basically an OK singer and piano player, like many others. The second half initially got on my nerves much less and there are some fine songs (again, not his'), if only that omnipresent background choir had gone for a drink during the recordings. Less can be more, if you have a decent song as a starting point. I can imagine they would actually be quite good if e.g. Elvis Costello would sing them. I'll round it up to a 2* for historical reasons. Phew, I hope it's not Frank Sinatra or so tomorrow!

No doubt that Ray Charles is another mega superstar who deserves all the accolades for his contribution to music. Personally I always thought of him as from a different generation and that the music he made was for the pleasure of the likes of my mum and dad. I am now in my 70’s so where that leaves Ray Charles goodness only knows. To younger listeners he may be as relevant as Bach or Beethoven. To others latching onto his magnitude he is an artist who is extremely cool by modern standards. I have no strong feelings either way and ambivalent to his music. It exists but somewhere outside my consciousness. 2/5 20/9/24

I usually love Ray Charles, but there must be a certain Ray that I like because this and “modern sounds in country music” did nothing for me. The croony Christmas feel leaves something to be desired. I was optimistic after the album kicked off strong with “let the good times roll”, but it quickly dove into banal soundtrack hymns. Here’s hoping I get one of his albums that moves me soon!

It's pretty basic, but damn if it ain't hit me right sometimes. Am I Blue is a beauty.

So Ray Charles' first album was released in 1957, and this was his 7th....released in 1959. That's some work rate. I'd had minimal exposure to Ray Charles, and I was expecting great things from this album. But I really didn't care for the big band arrangements and the old classic songs. I really didn't see this as a particularly great album.

If you’re into jazz, you’ll probably like this album. Personally, I’m not a fan, so it just sounds boring and uninspired to me. 2

man i dont like this genre im so sorry i dont think ill listen to the whole album its just not my thing his singing is very good though my favorite song: /

Good, but didn't do anything amazing for me. I enjoyed the second half more when it was slowed down and simplified, the first half had a lot of big band sounds which I don't really enjoy. Ray is a legend and has a lot of fantastic songs but this album did not wow me

Swingging Pop with Bigband arrangements.

Mid

Meh muzak. Sorry Ray.

Affectionate

Would I listen to it again: no Do I like it: no

Not my cup of tea.🤷

Less good than Modern Sounds. Pretty boring, overall?

This & Frank Sinatra etc are so hard because I just forget I'm listening to them. It's not that they're bad, it's just. It feels like I'm at Macy's at Christmas or something. Unobjectionable. 2.4 stars is my subjective rating (I just don't care for it). Not a bad album. idk.

Ray Charles sings and plays a range of classic standards. Side 1 is big band. Side 2 is orchestra backed ballads. All fine but not very interesting. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Come Rain or Come Shine Date listened: 03/06/24

Obviously a hugely important and talented musician but this style of music just does nothing for me personally.

I really want to like Ray Charles, and I really thought I did! But the albums on this list have been so boring. There’s nothing wrong with this, but that’s kind of the problem. It’s plain and inoffensive. I want there to be some grit, some excitement. These songs just kind of are. Uninteresting, underwhelming.

Can't say that i enjoyed it a lot, "modern sound" gives way more complex experience of jazz and Ray personally

Very good, very few interesting songs though, different genre to bat im used to

Rimelig arrogant titel.. ved godt at det er over 70 år gammelt og det er måske hjulpet lidt på vej af at jeg lige har set Fallout, men det er lidt for old-timey for mig. Svært at vurdere om det burde være på listen, men man kender jo navnet Ray Charles...

I think music like this is reallyyyy hard to rate and critique with modern ears. Does it sound good? Absolutely, and that puts it leagues above other contemporaneous records. But is the music listenable to modern ears? Not particularly. This sort of big band jazz has been regulated to a certain type of cocktail bar/coffee shop/mid-tier Italian restaurant, and unless you’re trying to throw a try-hard dinner party, there’s very little reason to listen to this type of music. It never feels timeless, or even exceptional. It’s just “good for what it is,” and that’s extremely boring and forgettable to my modern ears. And I like it, but I’m not going to go out of my way to ever actively listen to it, either. I wonder if there’s maybe a better Ray Charles album to include on this list, because this is not doing much for me, even if it’s good for what it is.

This is not really my thing. It's pleasant enough and fine as background music in a coffee shop but not something I would sit down and 'listen' to. Musically all the songs sound very similar which doesn't help to hold my attention. 2- stars.

Read the review I gave for his Modern Sounds album. More big band and Ray. He's good but is he really a genius? I'm not sold...

Try a little tenderness

1. let the good timez roll - 1.5 2. it had to be you - 1.5 3. ragtime band - 1 4. torture - 1 5. gone - 1.5 6. deed i do - 1 7. a thrill - 1 8. let me go - 1 9. uuait for me - 1 10. crying - 1 11. blue - 1 12. come zhine - 1.5

Really boring. Fits in a shopping mall in a christmas movie.

What better way to try to get Ray Charles to "cross over" than to orchestrate his voice like Frank Sinatra?

Rating: 5/10 Meh.

I started to get the feeling I was waiting too damn long for a table at an overrated, overpriced restaurant. His voice is soothing at least.

Not my kind of music

Ray Charles voice is great but just not a fan of big band music.

2 nothing really stuck with me. Was mostly ok crooning lounge-y songs

The whole album is fine, but not particularly interesting or engaging in the slightest. Definitely the kind of music I would put on to help me quickly fall asleep.

I expected to love this one but it just wasn’t for me. I’d like to give it another try in the future. I did like one song, and added it to a playlist.

It's okay, a bit boring

I feel conflicted because I do think that the songs are good and I can appreciate them, they just aren't something that I would find myself listening to. Both halves of the album have interesting things to offer with the first half's big band sound and the second half's more downbeat piano. However I am not the biggest fan of big band music. I am going to have to rate this based on my personal preferences so unfortunately it's going to be a 4/10. I think Come Rain or Come Shine was probably my favorite song off the album

Meikäläisen älymystöön kuuluu tasan kolome herara... Eput.... Ja jotkut muutkin suomalais artistit.... Ei tule hyvää arvosanaa jos jo otsikossa yritetään viisastella kuuulijoilta korvat pois.... Kuuntelen itse ja ymmärrän kyllä. Ymmärryksessä ei ole ikinä ollut mitään vaikeuksia tässä on heikohkoa mutta vedenpitävää musiikkia.. Yritin paskaveesä käyttää ... Sovi yksi tähti jo värikkäälle hra:lle..

Curro muito Ray Charles, mas sou mais das musicas agitadas. :/

Surprisingly boring and hokey.

Don't like, not my style

Not Ray's greatest, for sure.

Honestly every song sounds the same but maybe i’m just not used to this style and not a fan of it, yet at least.

Soulful! A little slow and emotional for the moment

What an energy and the great voice and music brings you back in a fifties bar. Great to listen to.

This is probably going to come across way meaner than I intend. But this was generic jazz tunes without any passion. They’re performed competently but without urgency. I’ve heard Judy Garland, and other artists, perform these songs and I become emotional due to her performance. This elicited nothing from me. Ray Charles could do that with other songs that I’ve heard. This was a dud. 2/5

This is kind of a joke right. This record has some fine music on it with one great artist and some other fine ones I'm sure. This is far from ray Charles best work and doesn't even suite him that well. Could've died without listening to this

Wéér Ray Charles en Stevie Wonder in één week. Alsof de duvel ermee speelt. Eigenlijk is het verband tussen die twee niet zo groot, maar ik heb het vorige keer gelegd en nu zit ik er aan vast. De bigband opent luid en duidelijk. Na 30 seconden bronzen getetter begint ome Ray lekker erbij te schreeuwen en is het feest compleet. Dit wordt ondanks de 38 minuten toch weer een hele zit. Dit album bestaat uit oorverdovend getoeter en rustige nummers. Die rustigere nummers kom ik prima doorheen, maar de drukke nummers vind ik amper te doen. Voor mij teveel schel getetter. Geen fan van.

More slow covers. Tho this one is better than the other album

Ray Charles was very accomplished musician, I really liked Ray Charles when he plays blues, but I wouldn't say this album is a representation of the genius of Ray Charles. But let's not be too harsh here, if we consider it was released way way back in 1959... he'll my mum was barely a teenager then... so it's in the hayday of jazz and the big band sound, and fornthat era it's a smooth compilation. Did I enjoy the album, yes, mostly. Would I listen to it again, well yes kinda, if it was already on in the background. What tracks did I like, well none of them really stood out, but I didn't completely hate any of them either.

I have a world of respect for Ray Charles but I just don’t care for his music so this album did nothing for me.

Jazz mäßig. „Swinging Pop“ steht bei Wikipedia. Ohne mich! Hoffe, ich bin schon halb durch. Ne, Lied drei Aber ich denke nicht, dass ich da noch viel von hören muss um zu wissen, was es ist.