Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Very calming music.

Chilllinnng😎

For some reason just wasn't feeling this album, although do appreciate it.

The brilliant Ray!

A classic and deservedly so.

Very good, obviously a little generic in terms of sound but still good

Absolute Perfect Way

Favourite songs: "Oh, Lonesome Me", "Hey, Good Lookin'", Bye Bye Love, You Are My Sunshine, Don't Tell Me Your Troubles, I Can't Stop Loving You, Worried Mind, Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way), Take These Chains From My Heart, Your Cheatin' Heart, Born to Lose, It Makes No Difference Now, You Don't Know Me, You Win Again, Careless Love, Half as Much, I'll Never Stand In Your Way, Hang Your Head in Shame Least favourite songs: Midnight 5/5

very warm and full sounding. good stuff.

I don't really think a cover album should be on this list. Also, I'd rather just listen to the original songs.

The Ray Charles I want to remember is the one full of energy and passion, what most of this double album delivers is mournful and melancholy renditions.

Too old, not my kind of thing

One of Cooper's favs

Great album.

Just wasn’t able to get into this at all.

Simply lovely

I'm going to make a note of this album for when my mother-in-law visits. She's always asking us to play something else, like the oldies. This fits the bill. 😂 Fun listen through. Not something I'd gravitate towards usually, but I've always loved a good piano player. 😏

3.5

Pleasant, but sounds relatively the same throughout.

Not my thing at all.

The well known musician the world over died in his house in California of complication resulting of liver cancer(failure) on 2004. One months' time from then, his final regend album, Genuis Loves Company was released.

Liked it. Sinatra christmasy 60s vibes. Nice old retro jazzy music. Ray is also amongst people that i probably should've known before. Bye bye love I've already heard in the Simon & Garfunkel album. For sure adding this album to my retro playlist. 7/10

I like it. Jazz.

4/12, 33%

ok

I really like how those helpful ladies sing the song title to start each song so i know what song they're about to do. As a super busy person, this saves me a lot of time in my day to day life. Otherwise a pleasant collection of reworked country classics, Ray has a great voice and it was overall a nice listen.

Chill, men ikkje så moderne som han påstår

Blind album, know the artist. Little slow at parts and understand the appeal, but this one is not something I'd generally go out of my way to listen to.

Listened to it in a lovely cottage in a village in the Peak District, which probably helps elevate this to a good mark. Quite a bit of it washes over me, as so much of this trad blues work does. I Can't Stop Loving You is a corker though. It took me quite an irritatingly long time to work out why I knew it so well, until I remembered that Elvis did it in his Vegas shows. I then went down a deep hole of watching Elvis' late-era Vegas performances on YouTube and marvelling at how good he was. I don't know how much I can really credit Ray with all that, but he sent me in a nice direction.

uhm... Ray that doesnt sound very modern...

Just really beautiful. Might be outdated on todays tempo of songs but its still a beautiful one.

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Beautiful album and music

OK as background music.

RETRO!

Oooohh hmmm. Really wanted to like this but the big symphonic swells and background (FOREGROUND) vocals left me feeling … betrayed. Ray Charles is amazing though.

Very good but just not my thing

Great songs, great voice. Quietly slipped by in the background whilst I was working which is not a bad thing at all.

Wonderful

More like “TRADITIONAL Sounds in Country and Western Music” amirite

Not my sort of music. I wouldn't put this on myself, but if it was on in the background I wouldn't mind. It's a bit too 'simple sounds' big band / soft jazz / waltzes. A 2 for being inoffensive to the ear

Ray Charles has a wonderful voice, and there are some great tracks here. Overall album is a bit long, a few snoozers for sure.

Pas vraiment la musique que j'écoute d'habitude, mais c'était très agréable (surtout pour faire de la traduction). Comme une impression d'être dans un vieux film, et, étrangement, ça m'a donné envie de réécouter Michael Kiwanuka !

Bra album, men det er nok neppe et album jeg kommer til å vende tilbake til. Joda, jeg hører det har kvaliteter, men det er så absolutt ikke noe jeg kommer til å lytte til aktivt.

Interesting take on some country oldies

Zo weeïg allemaal

- A great classic sound, but how can every jazz album ever in existence be one of the 1001 greatest albums of all time - Good fusion of soul and jazz - 2.5

- great voice

Unlike aftermath, I loved that this album had a consistent theme. I had to listen to it a few times to get a better idea of it. On Spotify volumes one and two are combined. I think this is a bad decision. After listening to them separately I understand why “vol 1” is on the list. I love hearing Rays interpretation of these old country songs. No one else could give these songs the big band treatment and make it work. I think my favourite songs are the sad ones (this makes sense, those are my favourite country songs too). Worried mind was a big highlight. Big band songs like “just a little loving, will go a long way” sound great too. Great sax solo. The reason I give it four stars is why I would give “vol 2” 2 stars. I think the term is overproduction, sometimes the band, the chorus, AND the strings, can overwhelm the song itself. (Caveat, live, I bet it’s amazing, but at home you only have two speakers).

I love that "modern sounds" is such a moving target. Ray Charles is being modern for the time, but that same sound is so vintage now after over 60 years since its release. The voice of Ray Charles has been so incorporated into pop ("what you say" is almost exclusively associated with him as a catch-phrase), he has remained as timeless as Sinatra.

good background music while playin fortnite

I really do like Ray Charles, but I can't stand those choral-like background singers that are on most of these songs. I don't know what that style is referred to, but the sound of it is like nails on a chalk board for me. I love his piano driven songs, and his female trio of background singers best.

Mmm, trompetes... xD Atsit 50. / 60. gadu balles dejas.

I never listen to this type of music by myself but I quite enjoyed it!

sample ass mūzika :D

amazing music.

Don’t get the rave reviews. Very dated today

Talented dude. Lots of slow jams. Beautiful album but not my bag.

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.

Usually an album like this would not come across my radar but this was pretty good. Although most of the songs are quite slow, some of the soul songs were really good. Favorite Song(s): "Bye Bye Love", "Careless Love", "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles"

Now that’s music. The voice complements the instruments and the songs are real music. Jazz has soul. Not like today’s garbage where the voice is the whole song supported by a boring braindead note or chord. And going back to Billy Joel who we heard a week ago, one of my favorite songs from The Bridge album, is a duet with Ray called My Baby Grand.

Overall good vibes, seemed like it might be good for dancing or background music, but just listening was okay.

Geggjuð plata

So good, really nice vibe. Can see the jazz backing and pop melodies over that that set the stage for artists like stevie wonder.

classic! between 3-4, lots of the same sound but beautiful and obviously done well

Boring old country western songs with a little Ray magic. Some pretty good, some he couldn’t save. Some actually better as country western

This was fun! I think country and western music has evolved since it was recorded. :)

tråkig tråkig tråkig. blä nästan

It’s killer, helped me go through one Christmas trip and I haven’t forgot it since

This isn’t an album we were meant to listen to at once. It should be playing in the background at a Macy’s

Feel like I don't have a lot to say about this one. It's more of Ray Charles just doing what he's really great at. He really makes all of these old standards his own with that voice. Similar to the Genius of Ray charles, the instrumentation kind of falls into the background for me, but maybe thats the point? I'd say none of the songs on here really reach the high moments of Genius of Ray Charles. I did enjoy the integration of more country style music with his gospel like vocals (particularly on I Can't Stop Loving You). Not really anything bad here, but no big standouts either for me. All in all it's another great album if you're looking for that 50s dim lit, smoke filled jazz club vibe.

I don’t have time to write a full review but I liked this a lot I felt like i was in a great old Hollywood movie! Beaut vibes

I'm behind on reviews, I listened to this and realized I didn't enjoy this as much as the previous one in our list. Just something about it lost it's charm? It kind of all blended together at some point. Still a good listen, just not as wow-ed as the Genius of Ray Charles

Good album

Honestly really really good, and a great listen

so good, what a voice! some absolute classics

Earnest and lush

Very jazzy, good to hear in background while studying

Good album but not exquisite

It just lacks punch for me. It was pleasant but not engaging experience for me. Also It doesn't help that most of songs seems to be about love.

Provavelmente o melhor disco, recheados de hits.

I've always loved this album and play it at home a decent amount! This era of Ray Charles reminds my of a PSE commercial growing up that, I think, had one of his songs. The commercial depicted warm images of the home and a street in what I am guessing was West Seattle that lights up when the sun goes down. It had a strong impact on me. I still look for that street.

Great voice and some good sings, but felt pretty dated.

I the vocals, and the music is fine. But the backing choir belongs squarely in 1930’s Disney movies and kind of ruins the album for me.

Can definitely appreciate it's importance, and the conceit of the album feels pretty audacious for '62, but the big band sound and choir ladies will keep me from revisiting. Still Ray's voice is great.

Didn't know any of Ray Charles' back catalog had this kind of music in it. A pleasant surprise.

it's all beautiful but it's just not my speed at all

nit my fave genre but I do love the classic songs

Kind of a mystery to me why this album was included on the list. I love Ray Charles, and there's certainly some country music I love, but this particular album felt like a bust, just taking what makes Ray Charles great and muting it somewhat, and replacing it with not very interesting harmonies and arrangements to represent country music. Still giving it 2 stars because it's Ray Charles, but kind of a disappointment.

Some of these songs are absolute classics. A lot of them are not.

Excellent. Ray Charles - legend!

Starts off strong with bye bye love but then it’s almost nothing but covers of ballads. Did nothing for me.

Not as exciting as I was hoping. A lot of slower ballads and covers. I bet there’s lots of Ray Charles albums I’d enjoy more.

Best song - It Makes No Difference Now

First time listening to a Ray Charles album cover to cover and it was a great experience. A truly classic voice, I think I could listen to him sing anything for any amount of time. Layered on top of swinging arrangements makes for a fun listen. Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: You Are My Sunshine Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: Bye Bye Love, You Don't Know Me, You Are My Sunshine, Here We Go Again

How did an album of covers make it onto this list? It's not terrible, but rating a 1 cause this album shouldn't be on this list.

I like Ray Charles but... over an hour of ray Charles is way too much ray Charles.

None of his notorious songs are on here and a lot of it is sappy. He is a brilliant artist but as others have said, this album is pretty long!

Ray Charles is great - that being said this album is too long. I got stuff to do like listen to 1000 more albums here.

There are approximately 800 songs on this album. It's not bad stuff but kinda boring overall.

Next 5 songs played by my Spotify Algorithm: Bill Withers - Ain't no Sunshine Otis Redding - (Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay Sam & Dave - Hold on, I'm Coming James Brown & The Famous Flames - I'll Go Crazy The Temptations - My Girl

Gorgeous

Ray Charles is a master

It’s ok. Mainly too slow for me. If I had to date my grandmother, I’d play this to get her in the mood

This one didn't enrapture me as much as I expected - maybe because I couldn't devote myself fully to it today. There are some great original tracks and new versions but I'm not a huge fan of big band (I can see why it would have been pretty pioneering in its time).

So slow and boring nearly the entire time. Ray has great lyrics, but this just doesn't do it for me. I tried to give it a go, but I can't make it all the way through. I like the 60s, however, not these 60s.

Not my style although I’ve enjoyed Ray Charles in the past. You have to give it high marks for the musical precision and quality

Some classics that I have heard and some other more hidden gems on this

I like what it’s doing but overall it drags on, not a must listen in my eyes

I feel like the importance of this album is kind of lost on me 70 odd years removed from it coming out. I can appreciate the arranging and performances, but I don't know, It just sounds like a great soul album to me, not one of the greatest of all time.

Couldn’t get into it at all.

Not my cup of tea at all!

Bit too long. Not quite for me but real talent

Superb. Music that's played self-assuredly and maturely, taking inspiration from several genres and turning it into a timeless, uniquely Ray Charles sound. The backing vocals are generally strong, as is the simple, quiet drumming. And, of course, Ray's vocal is heavenly and full of heart and soul. The strings are a little overdone at times, giving the album a Christmas feel that's a little exhausting on top of all the holiday music I'm forced to listen to this December. However, every track on here is great as a standalone. Seventy-four minutes is a lot to handle, and while Ray's style is freaking awesome, the style doesn't vary much. But it's darn good music.

Beautiful.

Decent but to my ear nothing extraordinary

Cheesy old gospel

Not really what I hoped for when generating a Ray Charles album. A bit boring

Too much Nashville for my liking.

Started great, after a while started feeling like it was a bit too long

Bit too boring, but just okay enough

Covers many great songs. Sometimes awesome in execution, sometimes a bit draggy

4-

Great night for the bonfire

This album made me wanna bake. So, I poured myself a glass of greco di tufo and baked cantucci. They came out very ugly, but super tasty.

First time really listening to any soul music. It was beautiful and calming, but not quite my taste. Possibly would enjoy more without a house of young screaming kids.

Listened while making dinner and it was the perfect soundtrack.

#14. This one was pretty good, but not the kind of thing that I'd listen to regularly. 3/5: acceptable Song added to playlist: Bye Bye Love I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

I gave this album a 4 only because 3.5 isn't an option and I'd rather round up than down if the album warrants it. I want to start this review by saying that Ray Charles is amazing and I understand that this album is changing country songs into 50's swing - but in the modern era it just feels like changing one dated sound into another dated sound, neither of which do it for me. The musicality in this album is beautiful, however, and Ray Charles is an absolute master performer at the piano and through his vocals. I just wish I liked this sound more. It took me a long time to get through this album because it was just so slow

Viel me wat tegen, ik had meer funk verwacht. Dit was heel erg Bing Crosby, opzich wel mooi maar op veel plekken toch ook wel redelijk saai. Dit is zo'n album dat wellicht beter een enkel album had kunnen zijn ipv dubbel. Maar misschien dat het in die tijd super was, maar ik ben bang dat het de tijd niet echt overleefd heeft.

All bops. Ray puts so much soul and emotion into every song. This is a two album collection of 24 tracks and you can feel it on all 24.

Meh

A collection of very smooth slow songs. Ray Charles' voice is just fantastic. Some of the songs are a bit too sweet to my taste, but overall it is excellent music.

Only listened to volume one but is a great 60s country album, not the kind of album I'd actively listen too but I'd never complain if it was played.

Excellent album however I am not a fan of this music. I don't know if I should rate this off quality of music or my taste but I am going to give this a 3/5.

Music of a simpler time by a master! The songs start to sound alike after a while, but this is great music to have on in the background while you work or clean house. Feel good music.

Een bak country covers met kitcherige huisband en dito achtergrondkoortje. Het is niet slecht, maar wel echt enorm gedateerd. Ik krijg altijd een beetje kriebels van dit soort muziek. Ik kan er gewoon niet zoveel mee. Qua persoonlijk genot is het een 2. Ik zou uit respect voor het talent een 3 kunnen geven, maar ga ik niet doen.

ray charles voice is one of the most beatiful sounds on nature and i love the way the songs on this album show that. You don't know me and i love you so much it hurts are the stand out tracks for me. honestly the only part thats kinda aged a bit are the backing vocals, but sometimes they still manage to get me somehow. i tend to no like that much the double albums, anyway this is a 4/5 for me.

Consistently great

Great fusion of genres and who has a silkier voice than Ray?

I don’t like big band, up beat, up tempo Ray Charles. These two albums while good in and of themselves isn’t my cup of tea.

Cool, but not world-changing cause I already know him. A bit too short of songs and mainstream.

Feels like something I’d play to relax. It’s Ray Charles, baby! Beautiful arrangements and somber tunes. A tiny bit of variety on here I didn’t expect. What else is there to say?

Ray Charles does country at the height of his popularity and it’s about as good as you’d expect. I don’t have much to say about this album except that it didn’t sound as country as I was expecting and was still mostly soul and blues to me. Regardless, I listened to both volumes and everything started to blend together after a while but teardrops in my heart and the first few songs were standouts for me.

Once again I find myself impressed by the influence I hear in later music but mainly wanting to listen to the later music. B sides started to branch out a bit more.

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

I cant find the country anywhere in this, but its still pretty good. it does conjure a romantic movie set during the gold rush on the praires though. Born To Lose is a good example, hits the earmarks of a country ballad without the country, its odd.

Enjoyable album from Ray Charles. None of it is country music though

decent album and some killer tracks. 2/5 on first listen as I will likely not listen down the road. Volume 1 only. Listened through volume 2 as well. Listened through both volumes 2x, but still overall a 2 for me.

Interesting to hear Ray Charles take on some of these country covers. Notable Songs for me: Oh, Lonesome Me Your Cheatin' Heart I'll Never Stand In Your Way (Big Sad)

i wish i appreciated this album more, but maybe i just don't have a refined enough palate (ear?). but i did find i enjoyed it far more when i listened closely and with headphones on - the lyrics are clever and often funny.

Classic.

I felt like I should like it more than I do. Just not my style, but there were things I liked about it, probably not one I'd choose to listen to again.

Good enough for something cool. 3.5

Willie Nelson said this did more for country music than anything. Overly produced in a way, but appropriate in context. 3.9

Some classic songs. Fun listen. Background singers can be a bit much over the course of the whole album.

No doubt of his contribution to blues, jazz and rock and roll. But there are toooooo many slow draggy boring songs. Maybe of it's time but it's dull as dishwater in parts today

Very nice record with a comforting vibe. No particular tracks stood out; the whole thing is just super nice.

Liked it. Unclear if I finished or not.

rilassante, natalizio

Ray Charles- enough said. Classic.

Too good

Finally I get a good album generated its been a week

Ray Charles is great and this album showcases that perfectly. Some of the songs drag a bit, but overall a solid album. But it's hard to dislike anything from Ray Charles.

Something to note about American popular music back in the day is that there were effectively two kinds of music: "white" music and "black" music. The latter was primarily blues, jazz, r&b, and soul, while the former was country, western, traditional pop, and various folk subgenres. Racial segregation was still a pretty powerful force of American life which is why there had become a distinction between the "white" and "black" music. This isn't a completely futile exercise though, as racial segregation had effectively made it so that distinct cultural movements would grow separately. As such, there's a variable depth of interplay worth analysis in the grand scheme of American culture as it developed in the early 20th century. Enter Ray Charles. His body of work throughout the 50's and early 60's (with Atlantic records) was best known as jazz, soul, r&b, and the like. When he signed with ABC-Paramount, we wanted to do something different: Ray Charles would cover country songs. Everyone told him he was crazy, and by all rights he probably was. However, Charles handles these songs with such grace and humility, it was hard not to appreciate. Audiences also appreciated his efforts, and it was a crossover hit with both black and white demographics. Considering how Charles was able to bridge the gap, even a little bit, easily makes this an important album for the list.

HL: "Worried Mind", "I Can't Stop Loving You", "Bye Bye Love", "You Don't Know Me" I will have to meditate on why the lush, almost cloying arrangements tickle my eardrums in all the right ways. Of course Ray Charles could sing the label on a shampoo bottle and make it sound heavenly September 9, 2023 Will compliment this today with Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Volume 2

Quality but a bit samey TBH.

I didn’t hate it

Love ray love Swing. Very pleasant.

Good

So look. I get the conceit here, take a bunch of country songs and give them the R&B treatment. And yeah, the result is it sounds like an R&B song, lo and behold. The problem is Ray Charles said I’m going to do all ballads (except the last song which, surprise is the most fun) and so they all melt together into this slow soup. I get it as an interesting piece of music history but in practice it’s a slog to listen to.

I own each of these volumes on vinyl. I think it’s technically two albums and this is just them “packaged” together. I enjoy these records and liked this relisten. Ray Charles is one of the all time greats, obviously, and his fantastic singing is especially on display here. I do prefer his more rock and roll piano driven recordings.

I do like Ray Charles. I do like Country & Western. I do feel, however, like he’s hammered all the C&W out of these tunes though which I’m not sure about. Bye Bye Love is supposed to be sad and infused with feeling. Not upbeat big band bebop. That pretty much set the tone and I felt discomfited about it for the rest of the album. These are songs that everybody knows so well but I don’t feel particularly passionate about. I’m all for pushing the boundaries of genre and I admire the C & W getting a soul makeover but I really couldn’t get into this.

I loathed this. I like most of the original songs. I’m not a huge fan of Ray Charles. The music and arrangements made me feel like I was in some sort of 1960s suburban hellscape. This album would have fit in on the soundtrack of movies like ‘The Stepford Wives’, ‘Don’t Worry, Darling’ or ‘Get Out’.

This seems to be regarded as a pivotal album in Ray Charles' catalog, but I found it difficult. After four or five songs, the arrangements made me feel like I was in an endless loop of a Coen Brothers' scene, equal dose parody and sincere drama. Those background vocals — the entire sound of the album — were the equivalent of synchronized swimming. There's skill and craft, but I can't take more than a couple of minutes before I need a palate cleanser. No doubt another victim of this music being out-of-time and unrelatable (to me, at least), and this rating is all about my personal enjoyment, not about the skill of the performers or arrangers. They may be brilliant, but I didn't like listening to it.

This didn't work for me at all. I can see how it may have been historically important at the time, but the arrangements are really dated, and after a few tunes I was tired of the whole affair. I'd rather listen to the originals.

4.5

Chill AF. Can't stop listening.

I totally understand the relevance of this album. But this kind of jazz is just not for me.

I'm really glad the late 60s happened and music evolved. 1.5*

I never listened to this album previously. In fact, I thought the title was either a joke, or ironic. Come to find out it's not! Sounds like it was made in the '40s, but actually this was the early '60s. Ray is a treasure. This was fantastic. Unique covers and great blend of traditional and R&B.

A good spin on these songs. Getting big band and R&B vibes infused with the country skeleton. Almost feels like an African-American twist on Sinatra.

No surprise at all, Ray Charles has an incredible voice! Very pleasant and easy to listen to, but this album dragged on a bit too long, and no individual songs really stood out.

Romantic, sexy music for grownups. A great let's get back together album. So many people saying it's too long, you're listening to Vol 1 & 2! The original album is 40 minutes long and ends with Hey, Good Lookin'...

Great album to listen to, my wife recognized several songs that others had covered over the years.

Definitely sounds like a classic. It is important to read the history of the record to appreciate the era this records unifying impact.

Solid, enjoyable, large collection of songs. If I’m being honest, there weren’t many that stood out from the crowd, but the crowd as a whole was pretty great.

Still don’t like the big band arrangements here, but Ray’s singing and piano are more powerful than The Genius… album. I didn’t like that one but this is great.

I'm a Ray Charles fan. Lots of great songs on here, but I agree that he's often too low in the mix.

Years ago I had read about this album and it's history and was quite excited to listen to it. I'll admit I was quite disappointed. I've since gone back a few more times and while I'm familiar with more of the songs I still don't love this album. It's simply the production, the orchestral and chorus arrangements just doesn't work for me. Many times it really drowns out Rays voice, it's such shame.

You gotta love Ray Charles, but those back up singers and strings - holy cow are they annoying. If the track they are on could be removed it would improve this collection 1000%. Deducting stars for that reason… Did anyone else feel uncomfortable with the lyrics of Just a Little Lovin’?

A lot slower then i was expecting. I found myself getting bored and skipping to the next track.

There's a couple of good songs on here, but it's not great. It's not bad, either.

Ray Charles is strangely a gap for me, so I'm pleased to sit with this one. With RC's singing and piano at the center of a selection of mostly ballads, this oscilattes between genres depending on the accompaniment from upbeat Swing & Jazz with horns (bye bye love, half as much, just a little loving, don't tell me your troubles) to slow-burning Scmaltz with strings (you don't know me, born to lose, I love you so much it hurts). It's as if the album was constructed to demonstrate how much better one style is than the other. The schmaltzy stuff is really pretty dire - as good as RC's vocals are they only rarely (I Can't Stop Loving You, I'll Never Stand in Your Way) elevate this tedious plodding chintzy 50s crooner crap. The horns songs really rip though, punctuating the vocal performance with jazz riffs, the odd solo, and lots of energy to go with the walking bass and swinging drums - providing the classic counter-part to the lovelorn ballads. "Worried Mind" brings the two sides together into a cool blues with strings supporting a jazzy piano-forward arrangement. In a nod to the album's title, "You Win Again" brings a country-inflected gospel sound to support another unbelieveable vocal performance. Another Hank Williams Classic, "Hey Good Looking" is re-invented as a really lively big-band swing, while the childish "You Are My Sunshine" becomes a fully adult motown soul track. His "You're Cheating Heart" is less successful: it's slowed way down and uses swelling strings and thick harmony from the backing singers that takes too much of the honkytonk life and cheekiness out of the original. No surprise, but the singing really is the star here - reaching and tender but always in control - we hear hints at the latent virtuosity, but always delivered in service of the song.

Vintage fall vibes

Not for me. I went through it and got a feel for it. I didn’t change my mind.

Gosh Ray, you recorded a misery album, a double misery album at that. Honestly, you have to wonder how many blokes slit their wrists listening to this. It's not bad it's just miserable. Women are just jilting, cheating bitches and Ray is full of unrequited love. What happened?

76/100

Nice versions of standards from the American songbook. Easy to listen to and enjoyable enough, but not particularly exciting or interesting. Ray Charles has a great voice but I would have expected more piano. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Bye Bye Love Date listened: 06/08/23

Very nice record. Suits my anemoia playlist very well. Great for working on the side or slow dancing in the kitchen.

I glossed over these tracks, and Ray sounds like a breath of fresh air, he is taking old hits and making them his own, giving a Ray Charles twist. I can see why he is listed as one of the greats. But I cannot possibly sit through an album of covers for 74 Minutes. I can never really appeal to these tracks as the artistic integrity is not present here, it is merely a variant of a copy, unoriginal and uninspired, you cannot cheat the way through notorious hits and get outstanding credit. Again, the songs sound fantastic, but they aren't his, and that does not really sit right with me and takes away from the experience. I think if this album was originated from his mind, it would undoubtedly be given a 5, but on the other hand the fact he takes country sounds and renovates them to something sonically different, is definitely deserving of respect, and a more respectable rating. On a purely technical song standpoint? This album is perfect. Favourites: Disc 1 (Entirety) / Disc 2 (Entirety)

Wanted to like this more than I did, strong moments but I found the whole thing a bit cloying

Incredible?? Thank goodness for the art of music, as it gives us amazing records like this. I'm very unfamiliar with country music so most of this was new to me, but each song sounded right at home with Ray Charles' voice and his backing band. So much soul and good vibes, whether it was a ballad or an upbeat track. It's also not as dated as some of its contemporaries, mainly because of how clean and well-produced it is. Crazy good stuff, made even better by its cultural impact. He transcended genres and broke racial barriers during a very rocky time in history. Talk about hitting two birds with one solid record. I can't even name a standout. Every song was a standout. Imagine that!

Very beautiful but very dull, like being dragged through a museum of exhibits I have no stake in.

amaaaazing!

everything he touched grooved so hard, and a lot of the production on his albums sounds so crisp for the time

the material seems beneath him and some of those background vocals are really cringe

Charles was one of the most monumental talents in music. I remember covering What’d I Say at live shows with an old band of mine. I grew up on his music, so of course I was excited to see this album pop up. It’s great, but of course it’s great. This album transformed the cultural definition of pop music. It’s a monstrous record loaded with some of the most recognizable (and covered) tracks ever written. Let’s get personal. I don’t care for this album that much. It’s overlong and pretty stale. I always dug on Ray’s early material more. But let’s be clear, just because I don’t care for an album too much doesn’t mean it’s not great.

The gravity of Ray’s genius helps exalt what often sounds like 24 versions of the same song.

I really enjoyed some parts of this however a lot of the songs towards the end sounded the same. I liked the orchestration and Ray’s voice is incredible. It’s between a 3 and 4.

Album: Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Artist: Ray Charles Year: 1962 Album #: 228 first impressions: yay ray charles should be fun and energizing for a monday morning after listening through: i'm so bored i could cry post-reading reviews/wiki: well, it sucks that an album that broke down so many barriers and was so influential has so many moments that just sound dull without context. i would have gone into this expecting an easy 5 stars had i read this first but i just.. can't motivate myself to relisten. i appreciate the idea of this album but the songs themselves were just like...proof that this era of country music is not for me! recommended for: soothing elderly people

Very good

p54. 1962. 3 stars. This really shouldn't work but... somehow it does. Points docked for the occasional saccharine over production and for being overly maudlin.

Massively influential, perfectly executed. You Don’t Know Me is one of my all time favorites.

Not my favorite of his albums, but still classic Ray.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this, but this type of thing is right up my alley. I'm not sure I'd listen again, but I really liked it. I usually reserve my 5s for stuff I know I'll listen to again, but I can't fathom giving this any less than a perfect score.

Very well executed covers of c&w songs, most of which are better than the originals. Unfortunately, the album is just way too long to stay interesting.

Fine, but super dry. Sounded like a Christmas album.

Que capo Ray por favor, te mete unos countrys con una banda de soul. Me gustaría escuchar algo así (Malosetti no estuvo a la altura) de folklore argentino hecho soul.

Very good calm album. I was expecting something more like "Hey, Good looking" but it was still enjoyable album

Really good album. I have never heard it before. I love the elements of jazz.

This isn't what I would usually gravitate towards and I don't think I will return. However, after several listens the album definitely exudes that soulful warmth and I can appreciate the appeal and progress Ray Charles made in the genre. At 24 tracks long and averaging 3 mins each, I felt there could have been more variety and lyrical depth. No particular highlight.

Excellent, classic entry.

Not really modern I love Ray Charles and his music, but he is a liar

I always love listening to the unique take different singers have on familiar songs. Ray Charles makes you forget there were other versions. This was marvelous.

I was familiar with many of these tracks from a best of Ray Charles collection that I have listened to many times. There were also many new tunes for me. I really liked them all!

A wonderful way to spend an evening.

WOW! I’ve heard a few of these songs and they are truly classics… but did realize what an incredible experience listening to both volumes of this lovely release would be. Just a total pleasure from beginning to end. Made my day!

great voice, but showtunes

Duger väl till vardags.

This is a little too "old-timey" sounding for my taste. Might be nice for a certain scenario. A cocktail hour or some sort of dance function.

Hienoa laulua, mutta perus baarimusiikkia (ehkä uranuurtavaa kyllä) ja sanoituksissa vaan kahta teemaa, biisit toistavat toisiaan yli tunnin. Puuduttaa

Ei millään tasolla turha valikoimana, josta voi kuunnella otteita sieltä täältä. Olen kiitollinen Careless Love-versiosta ja ehkä parista muustakin. Kokonaisuutena tämä on kuitenkin tyylilajinsa puolesta hankala (jouset...), ja esim. jazzifioituja Hank Williams-covereita minun ei tarvitse kuulla uudelleen.

OK; not really something I’d listen to all the time… country and western music sure has come a long way, and not in a good way!

Awesome music. Great album.

Various C&W and folk music standards from the 50's and 60's reworked by Ray Charles in various styles including R&B, pop, and jazz. Not for me.

I mean it's Ray Charles, and he's great, but so much of the album is just boring!

Beautiful country-R&B blend of songs. Country songs revamped to fit more to the style of Charles. It’s done pretty good, beautifully arranged, although the more upbeat songs are less good. 7 out of 10

I actually enjoyed one of the bonus tracks (You Are My Sunshine) more than most of the album. I really like what's been done here but due to my own cultural background I'm not really familiar enough with the material covered for it to properly wow me. He is a genius though.

Absolutely not the right Ray Charles album to put on a list like this, but it still ain't bad.

Soulful

Sorry Ray, I'll be kind and just say... not for me.

Not for me but not the worst

Ray Charles is a legend, and these performances and recordings are excellent. This was an incredible album to pull on a lazy drizzly Friday morning. Excellent all around.

GOOD

Ritzy crooner Ray. Would prefer his more bluesy style. Love songs for old people weddings

Nice to have in the background. I'd have to be in the right mood to listen to it - having a drink in a dark bar or something rather than working in an office in the middle of summer!

Just some nice music to have on in the background but I wouldn't listen to it otherwise

Nice enough album. Good for casual dinner parties, slow evening dancing, and folding laundry.

Fun

Ray Charles is one of the all time greats. Why pick his album of, admittedly fantastic, covers of country songs?

Three or four well known great songs but for me the rest is a bloke singing and a choir in the background.

4.5/5

Not my cup of tea

Bye Bye Love is my favorite song from the album!

Yo is this some mfing jazz/big band shit? Some of these songs are songs I could see myself jamming out to in a Fallout game, others are kind of super boring. It's generally the much slower songs that really drag this down. The more upbeat jazz songs are really good though. Overall it's an ok album that gets dragged down by it's slower songs and bloat. A solid 3/5

I will definitely out this in next xmas. But for now: hard pass !

Doesn't sound much country to me but good.

UN discUn disco qeu se siente suave, al fin y al cabo es un compilado de canciones. Se suman sonidos esperables por parte de ray y es una escuhca bonita sobre todo 6/10.

Really not in the mood for this, listened to some but didn't enjoy it. I did have a hangover, but even so, just don't enjoy the big band sound.

Stellar record. The production, arrangements, and soulfully virtuosic musicianship that made Charles a legend shines through here.

Ray Charles har utvilsomt en god stemme, og soul er behagelig å høre på. Men det er ikke noe jeg kommer til å høre på selv, så da blir karakteren deretter. Albumet bytter litt mellom uptempo moro og "ballader", som gjør at det ikke klikker helt for meg.

Didn't really love it

itsesääliesque konsepti. kantria ja jatsia ja kuuukaa pelkää mustaa mieeestä? en minä... Miellelläni kuuntelen!! enkä vapise... voisi vähän energiaa olla kun niin saatanan pitkää albumia tekelee välillä vois sitä kuuntelijaa herätellä,´. hyvin se laulaa vaikka sokea.....xd born to lose

This is definitely not Ray Charles's best album but because he is one of the greatest singers of all time it is still like a 9/10. He really isn't doing anything outstandingly different on this album but it is him doing it so it is great. I wouldn't necessarily call this album safe, which is a problem I sometimes have with albums, because it doesn't feel like he is actively picking easy, safe songs like The Killers album I heard a bit ago. In general, though I probably would pick between 5-10 of his other albums before I got to this one. Despite that, there is still not a bad song on the album but my favorites are "Half As Much", "Hey, Good Lookin'", "I Love You So Much It Hurts" and "I Can't Stop Loving You". Overall a 9/10 which to me means if you like music you should probably listen to this album.

fucking love old big band music

Ray Charles albums are always a good listen.

Loved it overall, but it was a little too samey for 5 stars.

I’m really not sure how I feel about this one. I was looking forward to Ray Charles and this just didn’t hit with me.

Ray Charles and a big band. Just what you’d expect from that combo. Doesn’t do anything for me.

A record somewhat similar to an album the list generated a month ago, Elvis is Back. Here, some popular songs get a Ray Charles version. I do not listen to it often but can appreciate it. It sounds fine and exactly what you expect.

No matter how excellently performed and ground-breaking this music may be, the slick arrangements and over the top choirs get on my nerves pretty quickly.

Very enjoyable, but mostly as background music. I liked the more upbeat tracks better. Most of the album was a bit slower paced, so not my favorite. Had a lot of those really nice background vocals which reminded me of Disney music.

Although I get why this is culturally important, the sound - the orchestration and vocals in particular - just sounds so dated. Like it should be on a Saturday evening BBC Christmas special for old folks. And I like big band music and jazz. Give me these reworked by Pink Martini and I'll probably be happy. Put this in context: The Beatles first album came the following year and this is five years after Here's Little Richard and The Chirping Crickets. It's the *same year* as Booker T and the MG's Green Onions ffs. There are some saving graces - Hey, Good Looking' holds up entirely and I quite like the version of You Are My Sunshine. I don't actively dislike it, and might not skip some of the tunes if they came up on a playlist, but this isn't something I'll want to listen to again. It gets 3 stars for the cultural significance (and because it's clearly better than My Bloody Valentine).

Fave tracks: Bye bye love, you don’t know much, half as much, just a little lovin’, born to lose, hey, good lookin very well put together, but many tracks kinda blend together 3/5

Pessimo noioso

Love ray, no one like him. Dunno that we needed two disks

Just so boring. I can’t do 75 minutes of slow, repetitive love songs without something to break it up. Those strings are going to haunt me in my sleep. I’d be happy to listen to any of these songs on their own but I never want to hear this album again.

The ultimate crossover. An R&B star releasing a country album at a time of racial tensions in the south. The connection between the two genre - always there - became apparent to all. And, we are all better for it. A stone-cold classic.

I think there is a lot of filler on and would give it a 3 as is. I think if it were trimmed down to a single album it’s at a 4 and perhaps a 5.

Here’s why I was going to give it a 4: I’m hoping that there is a more soul/r&b Ray Charles album on here, because while that would likely get a 5 from me, this doesn’t quite get there. There are some excellent moments, but it’s a little too schmaltzy for me. The more raw and wild Ray Charles is probably in my top 5 singers of all time (the scream on Someday almost gets there) He’s certainly able to make many of these songs his own which should count for something, I just wish he made them better than they were before. Here’s why I decided it deserved a 5: I will end by saying that I totally understand why this is on here, and think it’s one of the most important albums we’ve heard so far. In something I’m calling a “reverse Elvis”, Ray Charles shows how similar country, jazz, rock, and r&b could be and thus serves as a powerful symbol of the melting pot of American music (the cover of Your Cheating Heart, with the jazzy and bluesy piano solo proves my point). This music could only be made in a country like this.

So fine. Ray's voice is so warm and comforting.

It's not legally allowed rate this album with less than 4 stars, even if it is not being so great as I expected and sounds a little bit old-fashioned for modern sensibilities. Ray Charles is not my favorite singer, but his importance cannot be forgotten.

not my bag, pretty cool

While I respect Ray Charles' impact on music and he is certainly talented, this music honestly bores the hell out of me.

That Charles on band and less soul that I like less

I enjoyed a few songs but didn’t finish listening to the entire album. “I can’t stop loving you” stood out to me as I showered to it. “You are my sunshine” is a fun take on the classic lullaby (?). I’d love to revisit this and give it the time it deserves.

Old school cool. Cool production too and a dreamy album that takes me back. (76%)

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

Wasn't really in the mood for it, but not bad.

Not my type of music but reminds me of my grandparents

Classic Ray Charles

I mean what more do you really want out of life

it was not my favorite Ray Charles. The orchestral background and the backup vocalists really didn't do it for me. Was excited to hear his take on country and western but then he was just cover songs from that genre and making them his own, not actually playing C&W. Not that making a song your own is a bad thing, it just didn't really click for me.

мягкий, приятный джаз прекрасная лирика уверенные 3+

Забавная вещь: узнал о нем после фильма Рэй и очень проникся артистом. Я представляю насколько круто вживую смотреть на его выступления и у меня мурашки идут сразу.

Голос у Рэя Чарльза крутой... наверное, такой же выдающийся, как и у Барри Уайта и Луи Армстронга. Подборка шлягеров о любви 50х-60х: да, я почувствовал себя немного дедом, пока слушал. Да и вообще альбом такой... размеренный. Никуда не торопится. Прекрасно зайдет как фоновое музыкальное сопровождение дружеской встречи компании мужчин 50+. В теории может зайти на свидании, но нужно быть наверное любителем вот всей этой эстетики 60х и киношных свиданий, чтобы это прям создало вау-эффект. Ни рыба, ни мясо. Тут как бы даже авторство не оценишь: это же сборник каверов.

Синатра на минималках

Great old school style jazzy vibe

Very good. He's such a legend.