Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

When I was much younger, I remember encountering an album entitled "The Shape of Punk to Come" by Refused and thinking, "Boy, they sure think a lot of themselves. That might be the ballsiest album title I've ever heard." Well, it turns out Ray Charles beat them to it. A black man in '62 claiming he's got the key to modern Country & Western was all balls. He backs it up with this album, though. It's real damn good. It's clearly country but also clearly not. The combination of styles coupled with his clear appreciation for the source material make it really hard to deny how damn good the album is. I mean, I don't even like country and I'm digging this record. I can see why it has been hailed as not just a great album but for breaking down racial walls in the music industry.

Damn awesome execution of this idea. Ray Charles voice is timeless, and though some of the strings and background vocals are a bit overdone, the blues approach to country/western is very cool.

The incredible thing about this album is the fact that you cannot tell that these songs were originally country songs. I'm not sure if it's intended, but this album is a testament to the fact that genre is something to be transcended. People often define their musical tastes by genre, and this album subverts that assumption completely. As someone who enjoys country music, jazz, and R&B, this album is a celebration of music period. This album is very deserving of the praise it gets.

I love stuff like this. Always been a big fan of the singers of the 50s and 60s. Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. This might just be another 5 for me. It gets a little samey, especially in terms of lyrics, after the 1 hour-mark, but the thing is that it's good music so it doesen't really matter.

We get these songs produced so slickly, with such stereotypically grand string and horn arrangements, that the connection to the titular country and western music is subtle. I enjoyed the sharing of vocal duties at points. If it weren't for the title and historical context, I wouldn't have picked up on the source of the material until You Are My Sunshine. Charles's voice is the standout stylistic feature as he blends perfectly with the production and delivers the lyrics comfortably.

I get the premise of the album and appreciate its importance to the genre. It's also always a pleasure to listen to Ray Charles. That said, this album is very much of another time and some listeners will find it drags, especially in the middle. The best part about the album is Charles himself. His vocals are perfect as is his piano playing. Unfortunately, the big band horn and string arrangements and old backup vocals feel more than a little dated. I enjoyed the back end of the album best, like from "It Makes No Difference Now" to the end. "Careless Love" and "You Win Again" are flawless and "I Can't Stop Loving You" is a classic. Fave songs: You Win Again, Careless Love, You Don't Know Me

Landmark album. It's country, but it's not. It's Soul/Big Band, but it's not. He took White music and made it Black, it's like reverse Elvis. Love it.

10/10 Ray Charles is the GOAT it had such a fun, warm sound hearing those songs bring such a calming but happy atmosphere

The upbeat songs make me want to dance, and the slower ones have such an old school Disney vibe between the strings and the choir. Really into this. And the cultural importance of the album truly solidified the 5 for me

So much orchestra. More of this in the world please

Don't enjoy the string and choral arrangements, but his voice and piano and stunning.

Good album, a little slow. Love Rays voice always

All very lovely, but I feel quite sick - I'm only 52, not 95 - this is not my bag baby

Wow this one starts off with a kick. Woke me up and got me going! Ray Charles’ take on these Country & Western classics is vibrant, luxuriant and warm. This is life affirming stuff.

This is a Christmas time album for sure. No shame playing this that time of year. Well that was lovely. Really enjoyed how the simplistic themes without coming across as campy or insincere

Ray!!!

Very solid cover album, was surprised by how many country songs sounded great with soul / r&b styling. Only complaint was that it was long, could have used some trimming. 8/10 Favorite songs were: 10. Careless Love 14. No Letter Today 19. Take These Chains From My Heart

Cool to hear another version of "Bye Bye Love" after listening to Bridge Over Troubled Water. "I Love You So Much It Hurts" has beautiful backing vocals and instrumentation. I can picture people boogieing in black and white to "Hey Good Lookin'". Ray's vocals are silky-smooth throughout the whole album. The jazz instrumentation is on point and the strings are a nice touch, this album definitely has a very grand presentation. This isn't really the type of music that I'd seek out but I can't knock it, good stuff.

To be completely honest, I am still struggling to figure out where the country or western was on this album. Maybe I am stupid or maybe country music’s sound has strayed so far I have no idea what it sounded like in the 50s/60s. Regardless, this album was fantastic in my opinion. I loved both the uptempo big band cuts as well as the moodier, laid back ones. The strings and backing vocalists were a nice touch, but Ray Charles has such a powerful voice that he could carry a song even without it. Really felt the emotions in his delivery on some of the more melancholic and slow ballads. Strong 4 Fav Songs: Bye Bye Love Born To Lose I Can’t Stop Loving You Hey, Good Lookin

This is a very good album, great singing and great instrumentation. Ray Charles has a great voice. My two biggest complaints are that it seems like he somehow manages to say "love" in every other sentence, and the slow love ballads (the ones with the sappy string arrangements and choir that sound like Christmas music) all kind of sound the same. 3.5

This is one of those albums on this list where my rating gets influenced by reading more about the album and its history, but even that didn't really change how I felt. Incredibly groundbreaking with a huge variety of genres that shine through in songs. Love the background singers/choruses, especially when they introduce the song with its title, often at the start of the song. Got a little longwinded and repetitive, enough to make this not quite a 5, but the spotify version has more songs than the original album, so not too many points off. Even with the repetitiveness, I rarely got bored Saved: Bye Bye Love, You Don’t Know Me, I Can't Stop Loving You; Oh, Lonesome Me*

It’s ok. Just a compilay

It's very good for it's genre. I debated giving this 4 stars, but ultimately, too many of the songs have the same sound. This is very close to 4 stars though.

Not sure I'd really call this 'country and western' music but that's a bonus for me really. I mean it's Ray Charles, you know exactly what you're going to get. Fantastic voice on that man. I'm pretty sure he could sing the assembly instructions for an Ikea bookshelf and it would be great. That said, I don't think I can give this more than 3/5 and it's definitely not his best work. It's a good album but this kind of music just doesn't blow me away.

Nr. 156/1001 Bye Bye Love 4/5 You Don't Know Me 3/5 Half As Much 4/5 I Love You So Much It Hurts 3/5 Just A Little Lovin' 4/5 Born to Lose 3/5 Worried Mind 4/5 It Makes No Difference Now 3/5 You Win Again 3/5 Careless Love 4/5 I Can't Stop Lovin' You 3/5 Hey, Good Lookin' 3/5 You Are My Sunshine 3/5 No Letter Today 3/5 Someday 3/5 Don't Tell Me Your Troubles 4/5 Modnight 3/5 Oh, Lonesome Me 3/5 Take These Chains From My Heart 3/5 Your Cheatin' Heart 3/5 I'll Never Stand in Your Way 3/5 Making Believe 3/5 Teardrops in my Heart 3/5 Hang Your Head in Shame 3/5 Average: 3,25 This held up over time pretty well, aside from the female choire. That sounds super dated.

Ray can cook along, but this one is more my dad’s speed. There are others in his catalog that I will play before this one makes the rounds.

Pretty pleasant overall. Good thing to have in my catalog. Standouts: Bye Bye Love, Worried Mind, I Can't Stop Loving You, Oh, Lonesome Me

03/04/2022 He's an icon for a reason. A bit repetitive towards the end, but that's not a mark on his talent, just the songs in general.

Genre and groundbreaking. Personal enjoyment: 5/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

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Truly enjoy this.

This is perfect!

kinda like old church hymns. relaxing and nostalgic kinda like when captain america finally got his dance kinda like jazz scenes from tom and jerry

So much fun. A great album.

When you consider the hysteria and backlash this year Beyonce had releasing a country and western album and then think of Ray Charles jumping genres in the early 60's- now, that takes big balls of steel! Listen to this, and consider that culture and genre jump in that very un-diverse world ......it's incredible. It sounds so natural and bloody good too, what a guy! Those balls of steel turned to golden for pulling this one off, one of the greatest, successful genre shifts of all time. for that reason alone it gets a big fat FIVE from me. The man himself once summed it up nicely by saying "Country & Blues aren't cousins they're blood brothers." Bravo Ray Charles!

obviously great. hit after hit! love his rendition of your cheating heart

There are simply artists and songs that are on another level - even a 5 doesn't seem enough to distinguish such works!

Top!

Perfect album.

Listened Before? N Timeless. Mr. Charles was an icon when I was born, and his music stands and speaks for itself all these years later. This was made in a time that didn't even resemble modern life, yet, the themes and music transfer so well - if you let them. There isn't any filler or a single bad song on this record... and it's a double album. Take note, modern artists and record companies, THIS is what true talent sounds like. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: I Can't Stop Loving You

Masterful perfect classic

This is one of my all-time favorite albums—one of the greatest vocal performances by one of the greatest recording artists of all time. I've listened to it so much over the years that it doesn't really hit the way it used to, but still. I remember hearing Ray's version of "You Are My Sunshine" for the first time and feeling like a musical hole had been ripped open in my brain (in a good way). Every fucking note this guy sings here is just perfect. I don't love the choral stuff, but it works anyway—Ray is just that good. At this point, the ballads hold up the most for me, especially "You Don't Know Me" and "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)." The way his voice just overflows with emotion ... the guy was unbelievable!

Love it

Loved the vibe

Album excellent, le son est bien chaud et vintage, beaucoup de nuance et de dynamique dans le son, le mix est bon en entend tous les instruments et surtout les prises d'instruments respire on entend bien la room rien à dire c'est parfait.

Adding meaningful praise for a man whose nickname was The Genius is no easy task. On Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Ray Charles transforms country classics with such soulful conviction that the “country” label feels almost secondary. Charles’ piano playing is subtle yet masterful, grounding each track with blues-inflected left-hand bass and adding light syncopation and swing with his right hand. Instead of flashy solos, he offers precise riffs and brief flourishes that enhance the emotional weight of each song, complementing his soulful vocals. Charles redefines each genre by seamlessly blending country, blues, jazz, and R&B. His piano weaves bluesy bass lines, jazz-inspired swing, and gospel-rooted harmonies, while the lush orchestration borrows from big-band traditions, all while maintaining the simplicity of country melodies. The result is a sound uniquely his—soulful, expansive, and genre-defying. Compared to the originals, his versions are more immersive and emotionally charged, turning simple country storytelling into layered, soul-infused performances. Where the originals are crisp and direct, Charles’ interpretations are expansive and bold, blending genres and reimagining each song. This album exceeded my expectations, cementing Ray Charles as a master interpreter and boundary-breaker. Modern Sounds reaffirms his genius, proving he transcends genres making every song unmistakably his own. Did/Do I own this release? No Does this release belong on the list? Sure. Would this release make my personal list? Every respectable list has to have some Ray Charles. This album is as good a point to start as any. Will I be listening to it again? Definitely.

Ray Charles is just too amazing. Simply great music all around no flaws. I dislike christmas themed albums but this one is special its top of the food chain for xmas albums.

ok

Again just ray being ray

Fantastic! Not really my cup of tea but perfectly executed. Not sure why Ray Charles doing country/western songs feels like a Christmas movie but it sure does. Definitely an album everyone should hear at least once.

Damn, this is just so smooth. Easiest 5 star I’ve given out yet. I could see some listeners being turned off by the choir as it’s certainly a sound of a time gone by that’s fallen out of fashion, but as a fan of classic country and western music, I’m desensitized to it at this point. The horns are to die for, especially on Half As Much. And that’s the best version of Your Cheating’ Heart I’ve ever heard. 5/5 Highlights: You Don’t Know Me Half As Much I Love You So Much It Hurts Worried Mind I Can’t Stop Loving You Your Cheatin’ Heart

chill and relaxing 5/5

Great vocals and instrumentals. Hits the feels. A proper album about love.

What a fantastic album. 5/5

This album was amazing. It's our second Ray Charles album and I liked this one a lot more than "The Genius of Ray Charles". I'm not the biggest fan of the soulful crooning songs, but I love the big band swing tracks. This album had a much better mix of the two. "Bye Bye Love" is an amazing opener to the album. "Just A Little Lovin'" is a banger. My favorite song was "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles". It's impossible to not tap your foot. "Take These Chains From My Heart" was a slower song that I really liked. The album is a little long, and the crooning still gets a little too repetitive for me, but I'm still going to give this a 5. If it was 70% big swing and 30% slow tracks it would be a 10/10. 9/10

Really, really good. Jazzy and soulful. Loved the version of You are my Sunshine.

Absolute great album. Shitty that half the songs are not available on Spotify

Crazy, er isch soo guet. Ich ha vergesse gha wie geil er singt. Extrem spass fmacht zum lose

bye bye love i dere version isch so perfekt. ich ha scho lang e obsession mit dem album und spezifisch mit dem song. you dont love me au soo schöns arrangement und er cha siiiinge. ah stimmt half as much isch au do druff. de ha i au sooo viel glost mit so 17i (ich weirde teenie). i love you so much isch sooo schnulzig und s chörli tönt meega wie usde 40er johr in hollywood. just a little lovin isch wieder chli en uptempo swing dings und er slaaappt. D arrengements sind würklich nöd okay. Und wiener singt au nöd. Born to lose seeehr schön. ultra schmalzig aber zuu guet. worried mind genau gliich. huere schöni akkörd, text schmalzig ray bringt jedi emotion i jedem vibrato genaaau so übere wies mues sii aaaah it makes no difference now stimmt!! fuck jo stimmt holy shit. es fangt sooo langsam aah. aso es isch langsam. und minimalistischs arrangement und es baut aber scho uuf und überhaupt. uuusem nöd d blöser hits. so geil. de ray singe ghöre "i once was böind but now i see" bi careless love isch chli weird

Surprising title. Also surprising that I knew so many of the songs, but from cover versions!

The legend Ray Charles! No mistakes and nothing to talk about here. 5 stars!

Incredible smash hit that broke the conventions of the time. Ray Charles the crafter of Soul knocks it out with country music.

Genius

This is sublime. I don't love every song but it doesn't detract from the realiity that this is stellar on every level. I don't need to say more. Yet, I must shout out the the title. "Modern sounds in country and western music." Wow! to take a sublime jazz album and force it down the panicked throats of a bunch of rednecks, "threatening" to undermine their "genre"... the passive aggressiveness of this is almost as sublime as the music within it.

Loved this album! The jazzy remakes of classics of Hank Williams and Everly Brothers were quite impressive. The instruments and backup vocals were also spot on.

He never ceases to impress me. His style is very unique and executed very. His songwriting is also impressive he is a bard or poet writing ballads in the albums.

Bangers

She 1000 on my albums till I day

This confirms for me that with the exception of Johnny Cash and a small number of others, country music is best done by others. Though it is strange to call Ray Charles modern, his take on some old standards all sound brilliant, nostalgic, and modern all at the same time.

Great album, very smooth all the way around. I like old country songs so it was nice to hear Ray Charles sing a few in his voice.

A sublime walkthrough different emotions with the elegance of a slow ride at horseback, and the passion of a lover's kiss.

Gran disco. Principio de muchos estilos. Me encanto como lo canta.

Genius

The best durned versions of these songs that I ever heard, that’s for sure! A perfect balance of elegance and passion. I must say, I rarely go for that country twang, but this record just proves that a good song is a good song, especially when you have a master doing the interpretation.

9/10 At first I thought that this album is about an unrequited love and being rejected. And at some point it maybe a right thing to say. But in the middle of it I felt the other way around, that I couldn't manage to explain. Love is a hard thing to explain. And the love which is spoken there about is miserable, maybe unfair and difficult. I loved the story that goes through the lyrics. Simple language. Nevertheless it's strong and is right to place. The music reminded me of of some Disney movies soundtracks. Really nice and soulful album.

I loved this album, it reminds me of fallout new Vegas which is one of my favourite games

classic

Classic stuff, barely a miss here 5*

Pretty standard late-era swing crooning, but dang are the performances top-notch.

The GOAT

Großartige Sammlung von verbesserten Versionen der Originale. Seine Stimme ehrlicher als die zeitgenössischen weißen Dudes.

This is like a great 1940’s album but done in the 1960s. Really great so far.

shaking my ass one song sobbing uncontrollably the next

Hard to hate anything this man did.

Nice and smooth. Not sure I have anything to add as this is greatness

Vrolijk, emotioneel, mooie stem, mooie instrumenten, ga ik vaker luisteren

good

5/5. This is such a unique sound, it's hard to deny the influence and importance of this album. Ray's soulful tones through these country ballads and songs, adding big band saxophones and background vocals expands the power and simple vocals these songs contain. Just throwing these guitar and vocal songs into larger than life experiences is a masterclass in and of itself. Great song choices as well so just a bonus. Best Song: You Don't Know Me, Half As Much, Careless Love

Beautiful and big—expansive. Loved it, and felt as if, for some reason, I needed it today.

Normally this would be a 4 for me, but context matters. Appropriating these songs in 1962, re-arranging them (often for the better), and choosing songs with lines about chains and being a slave and having it harder than others suddenly becomes much more poignant. Don’t tell me he was blind to what he was doing.

This is how you can get me to enjoy Country and Western music.

Damn good album. Ray Charles is just phenomenal performer and the backing is just so classic. Very few misses on this, pretty much all great songs

Ray makes every song better.

One of the best albums of all time. This is one of the first CDs I ever remember listening to. My dad's favorite, and one of mine today. Really just amazing music, Ray Charles is great.

Great jazz, great themes, not so great artist if you’ve seen the biopic

The Genius. What else can be said?

What else is there to say? It's just legendary. Favorite track: Oh, Lonesome Me

Ive been wanting to listen to this album for a long time! Such amazing and beautiful soul and country! This album was one of gram parson’s biggest inspirations!

Ray Charles is royalty. I'd give anything from him five stars. But this album deserves them all (despite the occasional use of cheesy strings and mid-century white chorus). As an aside; Willie Nelson credits this album with making Country a commercially viable genre. With all of the ridiculous conversation over whether Beyonce's Cowboy Carter is Country, I never heard or read anyone cite to this album. To me it proved that that whole conversation was never about music.

This is the shizzle. Ray shows the hairs width difference between r and b and country. Jimmie Rogers, the Everly brothers and Hank Williams get their genius polished. Musical dna. 1500000