Reviews (page 11 of 12)
Another stalemate from Ray Charles this time unfortunately. The legend of this record must be derived from its social importance, or how unusual it is…or really anything other than the actual music on it, because this is completely unremarkable. I don’t have any problem with this smooth early-60s easy-listening sound that Charles has chosen; in fact, I grew up listening to a lot of this sort of music, and it’s executed by-the-book here. The more upbeat numbers are done in a hearty big-band style that’s also pleasant enough. But whatever interest and freshness there might have been in reinventing the songs this way back in 1962 is basically lost, I think, and this is no more entertaining than contemporary Mancini or Sinatra. I’m not against the idea of enjoying or revering an album for meta-musical reasons, but I can’t find those here for myself and so I hoped for more pure, reactive enjoyment, and generally didn’t find that either. I find that “You Win Again” is the one song I look forward to here, and so I’ll probably add that to a playlist somewhere. Otherwise, I have to repeat something I said about Charles earlier: I suspect this program will give me more Ray Charles in the future, and I expect it will be better.
40/100
I was unaware of this album and unfamiliar with Ray Charles. The album had a big social impact during the civil rights era. Much of the album are dragging, big band ballads. The arrangements are perfect as is the band and vocals. The strings give it a very dated sound. Standouts to me feature more keys and I could use much more piano on the entire album. Standouts: "Bye, Bye, Love," "Hey Good Lookin'," "Oh Lonesome Me" I understand the social impact at the time. However, the big deal over black artists rearranging and recording country music songs now seems disrespectful to the history black artists have in country, folk, and blues. Also, without any connection to the original songs, the rearrangements aren't impactful.
The classic dual strings and harmony choral vocals that is so ubiquitous in early pop songs is probably my most hated musical trope, it's so sickenly sweet and shmaltzy. Unfortunately that this album is dripping in it because the bops are still there. Can't make it past the shmaltz though. Sorry Ray.
Not a fan of big band I think
A bit boring after a while.
Nothing but respect for an album where the leading Black music star of the day took on the whiter than white country songbook and tore down barriers. Unfortunately, the sickly choral backing vocals are tough to listen to nowadays and I never did like country music anyway so in my view he’s working with lesser material
Artiste connu de nom, c'est la première fois que j'écoute un album complet. Je n'ai écouté que le volume 1, c'était suffisant. Les morceaux lents sont très ennuyeux ('I Love You So Much It Hurts' par exemple), mais quelques morceaux plus dynamiques ('Hey, Good Lookin', 'Bye Bye Love') relèvent l'ensemble et lui évitent la note minimale. Par ailleurs je n'ai reconnu aucun morceau, et je ne suis pas trop fan de l'accompagnement orchestral ni des choeurs. Je n'écouterais donc pas le volume 2, et je ne risque pas d'écouter de nouveau le 1 ! =>2/5
i can listen to 1 or 2 songs but more is too much for me
Not much to say, I just found it really mediocre. Doesn't sound bad but not my kind of stuff.
not my cup of tea... very monotonous and repetitive, would listen again if i need to sleep lol. ray charles had a great voice tho
It's ok. It's an album of covers
They’re classics, of course, but I still find it all a bit too much of the same. Two stars...
Being an Australian Millenial, I think this album has a context that is completely lost on me. I am not of the time or place to remotely understand it It's pretty good technically though.
Ray Charles is a genre-bending genius. But this style of country he is experimenting with is very much not my preference. Too many sweet strings, not enough rhythm. 2/5
the type of music u listen to on a christmas eve to morning
I mean Ray Charles is great but this album doesn't really do it for me. A bit too slow for my taste.
Phew...I like Ray Charles but this is...dusty and old
I can see why its good music its just not me, i found it boring. I found the second part more entertaining. His voice is great but not my style. My fav song was born to loose, was beautiful.
I didn't enjoy this at all, but it gets two stars because it was a brave attempt to fuse country with jazz.
Absolute landmark album that suffers from being 65 years old and the book combining volumes 1 and 2 into a single album. I could easily justify a 3 if it were just volume 1 but by the end of volume 2 you have listened to 24 songs that sound (to me) nearly indistinguishable It just kind of turns into forgettable, repetitive background music, there was a stretch of 5 songs at the end of the album that genuinely sounded identical. The strings and choir(?)/backing vocals sound pretty dated and a lot of the ballads sound like christmas music and like i enjoy christmas music and all but 24 is a lot of songs
3/10 If this was the type of music I listened to, I'm sure it would slap
I wish I could hear these songs the way he might do them today without the chorus in the background and the orchestral backing.
This was way too long for me
Niet mijn muziek. Voelt als van die oude liedjes die in de fallout games zitten, maar dan zonder de fun. Bietje oude zeik muziek. Zal vast goed zijn, maar niet voor deze jongen. Plus de kwaliteit op deezer is ook echt bagger. Nee.
I'm disappointed with this album, despite being a fan of Ray Charles and the original songs. Arrangements are over the top and take away rather than adding to the songs.
Just a bit dull. This style is music was massively popular in the past, but it's just a bit old fashioned and very vanilla now. Well done Ray, nice singing, and the band was good. Just wake me up when you're packing up your instruments. The last few songs were painful. Just wanted it to end.
The instrumentals are repetitive, I did, however, enjoy the romantic and jazzy vibe.
I didn’t love it
sounded pretty good 2.8
2.5 stars It started off strong. But it ended up being mostly the same. The background singing sounded like cheesy old choruses in old movie musicals and I just couldn’t get down with it.
ni fu ni fa, estuvo chill
It wasnt my thing, would have been better if it hadnt been for the awful backing singers. Turned it into Radio 4 Sunday afternoon easy listening. I only listened to a side and a half
The music is ok, but it is not near as groundbreaking as I expected. On the contrary, I found the record rather boring. 2.5/5
I’m sure this is good but I just don’t enjoy this type of music
Very chill. Kind of made me want to go to the US. All songs felt like they blended into one though
i hate to say it but this was a bit of a snooze fest
I can't see myself listening to this again. Ray is a legend, just not my thing. Pretty good for what it is.
Lush and polished does nothing for me.
La verdad no me encantó. Tiene un buen inicio pero me perdió después. Es largo y no me parece aburrido, pero costó. Básicamente estuvo en segundo plano. Pude haberle dado una 2da escucha pero no me llamo lo suficiente la atención, solo por eso la nota (tengo que diferenciar).
Nøj, hvor jeg bare ikke forstår appellen i sådan noget her, jeg hopper så meget af på alle de trivielle kærlighedstekster. Det virker så overfladisk, jeg kan slet ikke være i det. I mit hoved er den ultimative jazz-tekst man kan fyre af: "See you in my dreams tonight", og alt jazz-tekst er bare en afgrening af det. MEN VI ER HER JO IKKE FOR TEKSTEN så: Man skal virkelig være blæse-nørd før man synes det her er fantastisk tænker jeg. Så ville jeg godt kunne høre det, de sidder tight og kompositionerne er sådan set fede nok, men det er bare meget ensformigt i mine utrænede ører. Altså, det er okay, jeg slukkede ikke albummet før tid, men jeg var klar, da det sluttede. 2.1-agtig
det bliver lidt for kedeligt for mig. det siger mig i hvert fald ikke rigtig noget. jeg er (stadig) ikke glad for det jazzede, og det bluesede bliver lidt vattet for mig, resten lyder som en disney-film - en af de gamle. sue me. 2.4
Smooth as silk and so well executed. This also means that there are no edges or any roughness that makes this almost boring.
#374 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ / ✅ (partly) Revisit? ❌ I can appreciate the history and cultural impact of this record and Ray Charles' artist persona, but the music is what I'm reviewing and that doesn't touch me. Album of mostly cover songs, reworked to suit the current music fashions, wouldn't get much of an reaction out of me today, let alone over 60 years ago. I can appreciate the orchestration and the big band vibe on some of the tracks, but again, the music is not to my taste. Strong 2/5, weak 3.
For me this was an album signalling the end of something not the start. Dated.
This isn't my favourite version of Ray Charles. Too much crooning and not enough soul or swing - you can run from the country source material but you can't hide it. I get the significance though and it's quality stuff. Just not for me. 2*
Lekker rustig
Easy listening on a sunday morning. Alright but not my thing.
2.5
I really wanted to like this one. Unfortunately, the urge to skip many songs was strong. I especially did not like the background singing. Ray is a great singer but I did not love this.
I have no qualms about big band music necessarily, but I don't claim it to be my cup of tea. Like the last Ray Charles album I had, musically this is quite interesting. However, it grows tiring for me pretty quick. Just not something I would picture myself listening to again.
2.5/5 Très cool à mettre en fond lors d'un apéro ou un repas
Not really my cup of tea overall, but I’ve got to admit: after enduring Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart back‑to‑back, it’s refreshing to hear actual tunes again. Melody! Structure! Vocals that aren’t rasping, bellowing, or actively trying to frighten livestock! Ray Charles brings such polish and ease to these songs that even if the style doesn’t totally grab me, it’s impossible not to appreciate how smoothly it all goes down. The arrangements are classy, the performances are warm, and Charles’ voice is so effortlessly controlled that it feels like a palate‑cleanser in the best possible way. Not something I’d rush back to, but it was nice to spend some time in a world where everything sounds pleasing, tidy, and beautifully sung.
Rays albums are always worth listening to. This is stretching it though. The cod sentimentality of country music doesn't marry well with rays soulful voice
I actually like this fine but it's undoubtedly one of the weaker albums I've gotten so far.
Ray's not my style
Not terrible but its not christmas and this feels weirdly christmassy......
Some good songs, a bit samey in parts
I don't want to hear Ray Charles singing these boring country songs. But he's still the coolest. Imagine releasing an album called "The Genius of Ray Charles" two years into your recording career.
Relaxing but repetitive romance jazz
Too slow and old for me. Second volume was the better of the two though.
not my vibe
sorry this all sounds like the same song...i got bored
listened twice and was disappointed
Wanted to like this more than I did as I quite liked the concept. However Ray’s incredible voice is not enough to save this overlong overindulgent collection of jazz songs so smooth they immediately slide out of one’s memory. The worst songs include horrifically saccharine sweeping strings and that awful sort of choir that has a completely indeterminate number of singers. The more up beat big band tracks aren’t too bad but again there’s just tooooo much.
This album was okay, but possibly not the best introduction to Ray Charles. A bit slow for my liking. I do love his voice though. I may have to seek out some other albums to see what they are like.
Ray Charles is a legend. No doubt there. Unfortunately, this is another album that falls prey to the awful 60s overproduction. The first songs was great, then came the wall of strings and chorus. It's like Lawrence Welk was in the studio with him.
Christmas vibes. Not for me.
I admire Ray Charles but this is just a bit mediocre to be honest
This feels like an album that could be a 3 on the right day but today I was just not engaged
Apparently Ray Charles took a bunch of Country songs and Un-Countryfied them. It could be an interesting idea but it's not. I don't even think this was "Modern" for 1962. Hey Ray, the 1940's called. They want their Country AND their Western back. So much violin swooning with bad backup singing that you could gag on it. Great music for your Grandma!
messing up country AND western since 1962...
IMHO, this doesn't work well for Charles's vocal talent. Some Big Band swing standards with debatable lyrics and no real vocal challenge. Mediocre music leads to mediocre singing. He could do way better.
I found this album to be a lot more conceptually interesting than I found it to be musically interesting. I acknowledge Ray Charles is a talented artist, but this was just not thing. The tempo was just too slow on most songs for my taste. I'll be interested to hear another Ray Charles album that is not just covers of a genre I already don't like. I don't ever see myself revisiting any of these songs, but listening was still an interesting experience. Also if you want to hear a blind black man sing both "I'll be your slave" and "I was once blind, but now I see" this is the album for you. Favorite Track - Bye Bye Love Least Favorite Track - You Don't Know Me ⭐️⭐️
Not sure the larger sound works with these country songs
With the album title I didn't expect it to start off so jazzy.
When RC came up, I thought excellent- I’ll enjoy this one, but I didn’t except a couple of tunes…..
I fully understand why this album is on this list, and how important it was. I also don't want to listen to it again.
Country and Western music? Hmm. Volume 2 got sort of close but not really.
After reading the description of him turning country standards into R&B, I was excited. I was underwhelmed. It was boring and slow. Sometimes his wonderful voice or the virtuous piano playing came through, but not often enough. I liked “careless love” Maybe it would have helped if I knew the original songs and hear the changes.
Ei aukea. Tai on siis musana vähän sellaista amerikkalaista vanhahtavaa taustamusaa, esim leffoissa tms mutta en ole tällaista aktiivisesti kuunnellut enkä ehkä tule kuuntelemaankaan. Toki tällaisen soittamiseen ja tallentamiseen 1960-luvulla on pitänyt olla huippumuusikko, jota toki arvostan kovasti. 2/5
vegetables, classical bluesy
Poor lonely Ray. I think I counted 12 girls who had binned him in that album. Music a bit dated fir me, but sympathy allows a 2.
Meh.
Delete every other song to leave the upbeat ones and I'd dig this.
I like the songs individually but I do not enjoy as an album.
Hyvin soittaa bändi, jossain vaiheessa kappaleet alkavat kuulostaa toisiltaan. Sanoitukset liian yksipuolisia.
Nice voice, nice concept, but the big band approach is slow and very saccharine. Sounds like a home furnishing store soundtrack.
Interesting that he has an album essentially made up of cover songs. Of course, he can work magic with pretty much any tune. And his work here is a prime example. But again, there's only a top limit I can give to an album that relies so heavily on the work of others. I think it's probably a 3 or 2 as is, so I'll jump down a peg due to them being covers.
Ray har mye annet i baggen som er betraktelig bedre enn dette. Hadde kanskje funka bedre rundt juletider.
Kom meg ikke lengre enn spor 3. Holy shit så sykt snork.
Et album som humper av gårde i et jevnt tempo. Forglemmelig, traust, gammeldags. Dette er musikk det stinker gamlehjem av.
Eurgh I feel like a cultureless attentionspanless void. This just didn’t set in at all for me, I could barely distinguish from track to track and I just really don’t like big band swingy stuff. That said there are some lovely moments and he has such a smooth voice. What I have really learnt in the last few days is that albums should be 11 tracks max. Sorry Ray.
At first this was relaxing background music you could put on and not have to think too much about it or what it means or anything. And then by disk 2 you’re tired of it. 24 tracks?? Come on. Too jazzy
Yeah it was nice to have on in the background for a little bit but then I did end up just turning it off out of both a bit of boredom and also repetitiveness. I'm sure it's wonderful to some and makes a lot of people smile, but sadly not me.
Would listen again. I liked the first half of the album the most. Chill vibes.
not my cup of tea
Reasonable. A little repetitive in places, but a great voice.
Bit slow and borders on boring, some good covers but not very ray Charles
nicht so richtig was für mich leider :I aber glaube liegt auch am genre
Sorry. I do Not want to hear the album a second time.
I love you, Ray, and these are the best versions of these songs I've heard but I'll never listen to this again.
Lot of music going on here, probably too much if we're being honest.
4 - BAD
3/10
Two jazz albums in a row? I'm still on the search for finding a single worthwhile Jazz album - one I can clearly understand to be better than the majority of jazz albums, but so far the music tossed up by this list has fallen short. I've actually hear this one before, and it took is parpy nonsense. Yes, I know this one is less jazz than Jazz, but still... The best thing about this album is the fact that it proves no amount of pleasant vocals or modernizing can ever turn shit Country music into good music.
I'm not a fan of albums composed of cover songs in the first place, particularly songs from the only genre of music I dislike. At least Ray Charles is a good singer. Favorite Track: "I Can't Stop Loving You".
Great singing but the lyrics are really same-y and I lost interest quickly. The kind of album to appreciate but not really listen through often
Not for me
Album #38 Ray Charles: Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Obviously, Ray Charles is a legend, and the songs he is covering and repurposing are also iconic; yet this album just fails to captivate me. Funnily enough, an album being marketed on the back of turning classics into modern-sounding songs becomes outdated very quickly. If this album concept were to come out now, instead of Ray Charles turning classic Western and Country songs into ‘modern’ soul and R&B songs, it would be something like Taylor Swift covering Fiona Apple songs and turning them into hyper-pop, or Imagine Dragons covering Smashing Pumpkins and turning it into stomp-clap. My point is that modernity is an empty concept and ever-fleeting; it is impossible for something to remain modern. One moment, a sound is innovative and fresh, then the next, it is played out and corny. That is why the classic albums which engage me the most are those that attempted to establish something new rather than relying on what the ‘modern’ sounds of the time were. The only artist I can think of who accomplished that would be David Bowie, as he essentially just adapted his style to whatever was cool at the time, though that's more to do with him having his finger on the pulse of the culture, rather than trying to emulate the popular music of the time. For what it is, this album is obviously important and impressive, yet I really just have no desire to listen to it again for whatever reason. Best Songs: I Can’t Stop Loving You, Bye Bye Love, You Don’t Know Me Worst Song: Hey Good Lookin’ Score Out of 10: 5
Fun, he sounds great, but it got repetitive for me by the end
Feels bloated and is hard to get through because of it but enjoyable. Thank you kayne for discovering this guy, very cool.
Not a fan of slow songs
I understand it is historically and culturally significant, but it's not for me. For all these songs, there are components I think are good. Ray and the backing chorus have great voices, of course. Instruments are also played well. The technique itself seems fine, but the substance being delivered by that technique does not hit the mark at times. Slower pacing and less variation in style/intonation can make for monotonous listening. There are some songs that introduce more instruments, are more fast-paced, or have more interesting/jazzy elements. These feel like breaths of fresh air, but having reprieves from monotony does not save the whole album. For subsequent listenings - assuming I'm targeting enjoyability - I would probably cut it down to a subset with the more interesting gems. Unless/until I get a better appreciation for the historical progression of music, I don't think I'd get much out of the remainder.
I respect his life and work, but this album was rather idle, that is, almost all the songs sound the same, melodically and thematically :)
Classic and always a go to
The first part of the album was fun. Got a little bored towards the end. Would give a 2.5 if I could.
This was disappointing. I'd heard a few Ray Charles songs before and liked the R&B and blues aspects of his music. This is 50s style country that is monotonous and basic. I don't think his voice goes well with the style either, I'd rather listen to Arthur Alexander.
Not for me, songs about love, blugh! Some songs have a jazz feel and are quite funky, but mostly love songs.
Sounds good but not my genre of music and also gets repetitive and kinda boring
It’s nice background music - I think a lot of it belongs in Disney films to be honest. For me it is very repetitive and samey but maybe I just don’t understand the genre. I don’t mind it I would turn it off but I wouldn’t choose to listen to it.
I like Ray Charles. However there wasn't that much memorable songs in this album for me.
Cool weil man sich sehr aus der zeit gefallen fühlt aber bisschen zu monoton
☆☆ The album reminded me of Christmas songs. And I didn't finish listening to it because I just didn't want to
This was such a slog. Pretty sure I heard the same song about 9 times. Would be higher rated if it was cut in half, but far too much of the same stuff for me to enjoy it.
Elevator music about a guy who is really struggling to get laid. The repetitive nature of the songs gets pretty grating, so didn't enjoy this album much. Most of the songs by themselves are alright and I wouldn't mind having to hear them while going up 20 floors, the one exception being Careless Love - made me feel like I was going crazy because there's like 6 lines and he repeats each for an entire verse. God awful. Not saving any of these songs to my playlists.
en vrai, c'est bien mais en tant qu'album je peux pas mettre plsu que 2
I just don't see it
I was actually quite looking forward to this as an album I’d been meaning to check out. In my head it was going to be Ray doing a sort of country-got-soul thing with the potential to be mint. In reality it’s him ruining a bunch of Hank Williams and other tunes with schmaltzy big band nonsense, and only a couple of decent take aways.
Way too dated for me to like. The orchestral and choir sounds are just soooo old sounding. His voice is great and so is his piano when you can hear it.
Indiferente. Esperava mais de um nome como Ray Charles, mas ao todo achei um disco entediante.
The “French sex comedies” of ubiquitous thrift store records. I like Ray Charles. I like country music, at least the era of it he is mining. I like modern sounds! A deficit of the sum of its parts.
Snooze fest.
My knowledge of Ray Charles is from a couple of hits, his appearance in the Blues Brothers, and the movie, Ray. This is not what I expected, and this was a disappointment. Sorry Ray, this one only gets 2 stars, and one of them is because I know you can do better.
I know I should love this, "Ray Charles" and all that, but honestly... I can't stand the over-the-top horn and violin arrangements - this hasn't aged well for me. Sure, Ray Charles is a great singer but this is covers album, I don't rate him as an artist. Covers albums never score very high for me, and I'm not very much of a Big Band guy in the first place. But yeah, he's a good singer and some of the songs are alright.
This was a struggle. It had its moments, but really didn’t do anything to surprise me or make me sit up and take notice. I respect Ray Charles as an artist, but this really isn’t for me. At over an hour also, this was a bloated, difficult listen.
Nah
2.5. Hørbart, men lite givende
Some great stuff on here, but way too much sheen. Stings, horns, swing arrangements, barbershop harmonies — just too much.
Not at all what I expected from a Ray Charles album - it's really a big band/crooner style album. Not my bag. Far too much schmalzy strings and 1940s big band stuff.
In the right setting I could see how this would be lovely. But on a Monday morning at work its kinda dull.
Vraiment pas fan de ray Charles
It's all the same.
I guess this is good but to me it was monotonous. I liked the movie 20 years ago though!
my introduction to ray charles was a pepsi commercial but this is a bigger artistic sell out
Said it in the last review but how did Ray Charles get soooooooo many women to fornicate with him? Like how does spitting game work when you can't see?
Meh.
Historisch wichtig, aber musikalisch zu gleichförmig. Trotz Ray Charles’ starker Stimme fehlt es dem Album an Abwechslung.
Not my cup of tea but I respect the legend.
Not sure I'd ever heard Ray Charles before. More swingy than I'd really like, but I can see where it would have been a big deal.
Can’t argue Ray Charles has a great voice but not my barrow at all. Historically significant but can’t say more than that. 2/5 5/10/25
I like country and I like Ray Charles but I don't like them together
Some songs are all right, but I'd really have to be in the mood to listen to this normally. It all blends together and all the songs are about the same subject.
I really enjoyed the few jazzier tracks. Sadly, they were sandwiched between a whole load of country tracks that I did not enjoy.
I’m just gonna say it - it was boring and I was bored
This sounds great but it's just not for me. The album overall kind of just all sounds the same imo. Good background music.
This feels like it's way longer than 1.25 hours. I want to move onto something else. This would be fine background music (if we eliminated the Disney chorus) for a restaurant, maybe, but it's no fun for active listening. A 2.
No me guta
Heard this before
Pleasant music but not very memorable.
I’m not a fan of country music.
2.5, good but redundant
Virkelig kedeligt. Virkelig langt.
Fancy diner music. But Ray Charles voice is timeless.
I really think that Ray Charles is the problem in all these situationships.... great music but too long and all too similar
2.5
Het blijft altijd lastig luisteren naar hele oude muziek. Het begin zit nog wel wat tempo in, maar in het vervolg zijn het voornamelijk trage croonerliedjes. Moet gezegd, Ray Charles zingt het fantastisch. Maar het is echt muziek uit een andere tijd. Ik kijk met veel plezier films uit andere tijden, maar ook daar heb je bij alles voor de jaren 70 dat het echt gedateerd aanvoelt. Alsof dat een hard omslagpunt is. Ik kan me voorstellen dat dit geweldig was in die tijd, want ze wisten nog niet wat daarna allemaal kwam. Ik kan het alleen niet met die oren beluisteren. Het verschrikkelijke koortje dat af en toe meedoet, brengen dit zeker omlaag naar een 2.
unfortunately not my thing. nothing gripped me about this whatsoever and my brain just tuned out the music. i suppose it's not terrible tho
I was looking forward to this but it was so...... Safe?
A nice smooth and slow album, but the bad audio recording really got to me. The random wind-like noises and distortion were really distracting and annoying. 2/5 stars.
Favorites: Bye Bye Love, You Don't Know Me, Worried Mind, Careless Love, Hey, Good Lookin', Midnight
Soul music not for me
Not the best of ray in my opinion. I’m much more into the blues stuff from 1961. Year I was born. I gave a few tracks. Gimmi the blues anytime
Good stuff but the backing vocals are dated
Huge respect for Mr Ray Charles (loved by my parents in the early 60s), but this album ain't it imho. Not the style where he shines.
Drôle d’album, un peu jazz, un peu bigband, mais avec un quatuor à corde qui donne un côté quétaine, ou vieillot…
Nice band. Too many Songs are too similar. Need a bit of Georgia on my mind. 🎺
Pleasant but very samey both musically and lyrically. Nice to hear several really famous ones with different arrangements though.
i love the harmonies and how pretty the music is. also neil young has a cover of oh londsome me that i enjoy inspired by the one on here. just not really something i can emotionally connect to
One of many albums I have listened to in my lifetime. In some ways it's just like all the rest - you hit play and then the music starts coming out of whatever device you've chosen to listen on. But in other ways it is much more. For instance, the hex code of the particular shade of red on this cover is #E2231A, which approximates to something called Tropical Red. Have I ever seen that before? Who can say.
Ray Charles will forever be one of the greats, and the proof is all over this record; however, while Ray’s vocals and piano playing may be timeless, the added flourishes in production endemic to this era date the music horribly. Which is to say, I can appreciate many of these tracks in isolation, but to sit through 1 + hours of this stuff is simply maddening. The fact that these are all country songs makes the experience all the more harrowing given the tedium of the genre. ⭐️⭐️
Allereerst: dubbel cd's zijn kut (in de regel) there I said it. Ik vind dat een album kort genoeg moet zijn om je aandacht erbij te kunnen houden in 1 sessie. Deze plaat vult me direct met een warm kerst achtig gevoel. Perfecte familie huiskamerplaat totdat... Die vuige sexy saxsolo van Half As Much in komt en alle vrouwen in de kamer weerloos van hun stoel glibberen. Ik ben op zich van liefdesliedjes of liefde als thema in de muziek, maar het mag van mij een flinke terug subtieler en minder zoetsappig. Moet zeggen dat het verfrissend is om een plaat te krijgen hier waarop de zanger daadwerkelijk kan zingen Tot slot, de dynamiek in CD 2 is hatelijk en tegelijkertijd hilarisch. Begint met vet blije bigband nummers. Op een gegeven moment was ik zo klaar met die blazende toeters dat ik overwoog het af te zetten. Lukte niet op de snelweg. Ergens op 1/3 van de CD maakte zijn chick het uit en kregen we een halfuur sad Ray te horen. De ballads waren aan het begin een verademing na die drukte. Het duurde en het duurde... Ik snap dat muziek een manier is om persoonlijke ervaringen te verwerken, maar soms kun je overwegen om een deel van het materiaal op de zolderkamer te laten ipv met de wereld te delen. Dit voelde als zo'n situatie. Leuke luisterervaring voor een keertje, nu is het klaar
W sumie takie se. Trochę za długie i jednakowe. Ale jedną piosenkę zapisałem do swojej playlisty.
Ok
I used to think labels such as "post-rock" and "post-punk" were pretentious and uncreative. But if these sounds are modern, then the need for "post-modern" becomes self-evident. Or does it? What even is "modern" in the context of history? I went off topic. The music itself is fine. Ray Charles has better albums.
Oh no, I can't stand this old-timey music. Gotta push through. I hear the musicianship and all that, but it's so so boring. Only made it through disc 1 2/5
Ray Charles is definitely a name one knows! The album is all right, sounds like the soundtrack from Lady and the Tramp. Just that most songs are incredibly slow and there is not much variation to it. So even though he's so well known and beloved, his music is boring.
5/10 Highlights: Bye bye love Just a little lovin' (will go a long way) It makes no difference now
I just get so SO bored of jazz.
Not for me.
Das Album Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music von Ray Charles erschien 1962 und wurde unter anderem in den Capitol Studios in Hollywood und den United Recording Studios in Los Angeles aufgenommen. Ray Charles war ein US-amerikanischer Musiker, dessen Werk häufig zwischen Soul, Jazz, Blues und Pop angesiedelt ist. Dieses Album markiert jedoch eine bewusste Hinwendung zur Country-Musik. Zu den bekanntesten Liedern des Albums zählen „I Can't Stop Loving You“, das sich zu einem kommerziellen Erfolg entwickelte, sowie „You Don't Know Me“ und „Bye Bye Love“. Die Arrangements greifen auf Streicher, Chöre und Big-Band-Elemente zurück, was in Kombination mit Charles' Gesang einen deutlichen Bruch mit traditionellen Country-Interpretationen darstellt. Das Werk ist dem Genre Country zuzuordnen, trägt jedoch starke Einflüsse aus Soul und Pop. Ray Charles gelingt mit diesem Album eine stilistische Erweiterung seines Repertoires. Es zeigt, wie musikalische Grenzen unterlaufen werden können, ohne die jeweilige Tradition zu verleugnen.
Better than the genius of Ray Charles but it’s just not good. Ray Charles is overrated.
Boooooring
No
This music is irritating. Just not feeling it.
Like the songs, not with Ray Charles voice
Real boring
Too trad for me.... sorry
Not my favourite. Wouldn't listen to again. Quite old timey and the songs kinda sound the same to me.
Sounds like old school american club music but more classic
Just like the other Ray Charles album on here, he's got a lovely voice but these songs aren't doing him any favours - it all sounds so bland, and while the bid band feel was good for the first few songs it became just interminable and a constant string of the same thing over and over.
Bit slow/repetitive. First track full of energy then it falls off a cliff. Kind of jazzy big-band in places, can see the progression from Sinatra yesterday. But still, I find it quite boring... expected more upbeat exciting stuff from Ray Charles Best track(s) - Bye Bye Love, Hey Good Lookin, Oh Lonesome Me.
I know a small handful of Ray Charles songs, but I've never listened to an album of his. Reading about this album, I'm really interested to hear Ray Charles's interpretation of these songs. Let's fire up some Ray Charles on a Monday morning! Ah, this really wasn’t my cup of tea sadly. Ray Charles is a great singer, and this album sounds really good, but I found it to be boring. Other than “Bye Bye Love” and “Hey, Good Lookin’,” I’m not familiar with any other artists’ versions of these songs, so maybe if I had something to compare Ray’s versions to, I might have enjoyed this album more. The arrangements sound great, and the musicians who play along with Ray Charles are clearly talented, but I’m just not into the ‘big band’ sound of this album. Ray Charles is clearly talented, but there are other songs from his catalog that I would have much rather listened to.
Didn't love this it was mopey
Some nice renditions of some classic country western songs, sung by one of the great voices of our time. But this album is a net negative for both: it neither elevates the songs nor highlights the best of what Ray Charles can do. It was very one-note and way too restrained. Two stars.
I hope Ray won’t see this 2 stars I’m giving him 😬
Pleasant, unexciting. The background choir mostly a bit too sugary for my taste.
Meh. Too slow for my tastes.
I’ll Never Stand In Your Way if you want to listen to this one. However, Don’t Tell Me Your Troubles if you aren’t a fan.
It's a thing of its time. I can fully understand why he is considered to be influential in certain areas. And why in his day he was a big star. But by today's standards it was not relevant. It's a piece of history, and an important one at that. But only worth a 2
Bold to take songs from the likes of Hank Williams and transform them into an album where everything sounds the same
Sounded like a Christmas album
This was disappointing. I was excited for some Ray Charles but it was a lot of covers without much behind them in my opinion.
It’s alright, better than I expected from the title. Did enjoy chunks of it in the background, despite it being largely forgettable. 2.5
Not sure I've ever listened to Ray Charles before.... Not sure I will again. I thought I was miserable, but Christ Ray is on another level. Every song, or those that I can remember, are about unrequited love or being broken up with or similar. It's also very long and dated too... Not for me, but not terrible. 1.5 Chin up Ray lad, it might never happen
Kind of repetitive and it will be difficult to listen 24 songs in two volumes. It could be overwhelming. Best songs: Half as much, I love you so much it hurts, it makes no difference now, Oh lonesome me. Mellow songs are repetitive. Same formula. Could be a background album.
I'm sure it's important, but it's also very boring. Almost turns into Disney music at times.
Platters > Ray Charles
Väldigt showtunes-aktigt, känns som filmmusik från mitten av 1900talet
Okay well already this music is a struggle for me to get to, but now with the weepy woe is me it was especially difficult to endure. I don’t really know what to say- I of course have heard a couple of his songs and realize how big of a deal he is but not my favourite.
Good enough album but too long
This has no right to be this long.
If this was 1962 and the fusion of jazz/big band with other genre's was still new, it definitely would have hit better than it did. I thought the arrangements were well done, I enjoyed listening to new versions (to me) of old songs. All told though I don't think I'd put it back on, and at times I was tempted to DNF the album.
Too many love songs. This album makes me feel like a hopeless romantic. And honestly just made me sad. 2
I can see why people would like it. Didn't do so much for me.
Not my cup of tea
фильм про него нормалный альбом скучный
Ahhh country. I love folk music, but typically when I say that, I’m referring to more traditional folk music. Celtic dirges and maritime shanties seem to be in my wheelhouse. I forget often that country is folk music in a way. The term “country” conjures up images of now Christian high school bullies who bought cowboy hats to star in musical truck commercials. There is a world beneath the shiny beer-soaked garbage peddled to the lowest common denominator. When country was pop in the 60’s, it was great. So with that preamble out of the way, let’s hear Ray take on this complicated titan of music. Uhhh. Ok? Oh Jesus. This song turned into that fucking dentures commercial. That’s completely insane. Firstly, that a dentures commercial from AT LEAST 15 years ago is ingrained in my head, and secondly, that it existed at all. Is there nothing money can’t taint? Alright. Let’s get out of the big band dentures fiasco and into a ballad. I really bugged up country for almost no country sounds to exist. Thanks Ray. Decent ballad. Nothing that will spur me to begin to pen letters homeward. Bah, this one is pretty cool. Very “of the time” and ZERO country to be found, but this is a good one. I hate this song so much it hurts. Oh hell yeah. Getting all upbeat. Snapping along on a piano with an undone bowtie. Horrific visual. Not for me. This ballad sounds like it’s quietly played in the main room of nursing homes between magic shows while three or four elderly residents lightly sleep. Did we hear this one? This is getting weak. Come on Ray. Pick it up. I feel like it’s either lame big band, or the same ballad. Oh look, big band AND the same ballad. ANOTHER ONE. Stop. Everybody say Love. Don’t steal RuPaul lines from 40 years in the past. This is where this gets complicated. I loved this song coming into this album. I still really enjoy the song, but surrounded by 10 songs that essentially sound the exact same, it loses its lustre. At least this one has some country? A little? Meh. Fine one. Not the worst. This album is a little bit like Meat Loaf putting that sick ass album cover on Bat out of Hell, only to release a bunch of plodding ballads with the consistency of the artist’s nom de plume. What about this was country? It’s overly smooth big band in many sections and half asleep ballads with 1962’s answer to AI generated lyrics. I think if I heard each song individually, I’d think “oh this is nice,” as I believed with “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” Nice is a good thing, but as an album experience, this is a complete snoozer. The same song on repeat for what felt like an eternity. That song isn’t bad but 11 times makes me feel similar to how the stampede brand of low IQ country makes me feel. Woozy and a strange hankering for a pair of Wranglers, an ice cold light beer and maybe some denture paste. 1.5-2 HIGHLIGHTS: Half as Much, I Can’t Stop Loving You
I couldn't recognise this as Country and Western music at all at first, but apparently it is, although it is very bluesy. This isn't my thing and I struggled to get through this double album. Rating: 2
Not for me
I understand that certain albums are on here because of the cultural importance but that doesn't mean I need to like it. This is my truth.
Boring songs
Not my style of music but a great voice and an easy listen to have on
You hear all these songs with Ray's voice giving them so much meaning, but it's all drowned out by the lush backing and those awful massed backing vocals, which reach heights of horror when that soprano hits the jarring notes up top.
Ray's influence, hits and longevity are etched in stone but I'm not sure an album of covers makes the Top 1001 list. I don't think this stretched rock & roll much other than making covers cool and spinning a standard or country song into more of an R&B sound. The sound similarities with the other album on this list are too much to ignore Interesting take on "Bye Bye Love", "Careless Love", & "You Are My Sunshine", the rest was pretty vanilla. It hasn't stood up well with the heavenly-choir backing vocal, the extended strings straight out of a Disney musical, and the the over-the-top horn section. There's nothing cutting edge on this, even for 1962, was it a huge hit? It's lost on me, what justifies this making a must-hear list like this? 2 stars cause the songs are good & his vocals are easy to listen to. I'd like to hear a modern cleaned up version with fewer horns & none of the corny white-people-in-heaven-back backing vocals.
This was long and got repetitive towards the end.
Love her voice. Great album
Over-arranged treacle - not my taste
I feel there is better Ray Charles to come.
Not really my type of music, but surprisingly not too bad
meh
Not his best
It took me til track 12 to realise these tracks are Soul covers of Country and Western classics. Up until then the arrangements are great but the everything sounds the same. Bye Bye Love, Don't Tell Me Your Troubles and Oh, Lonesome Me are the stand out tracks as these are the only real upbeat songs where I'd think "That's Ray Charles!"
2- Stars (4/14)
Ok
Decided to listen to the Greatest Hits instead
Ray just doesn't do much for me unfortunately. Or maybe this style from him doesn't, if he has another style. Glad to have checked it out, but it's not for me.
Of all the Ray Charles albums in this list, unsure why this and not others. It’s okay, more like a few country tunes with an old R&B feel. Not terrible but not great.
Fallout B-Sides
I expect I will enjoy other Ray Charles albums more.
Ok Ray can belt out a tune but this jut isn’t the type of music I would choose to listen to and couldn’t really get into it. Definitely some skipping involved with his one.
This reminds me of Beyonce's newest album, in a way. An icon of Black music branching out to country, and it feels like they are trying to fight the genre rather than incorporate it. The opening song is a prime example. It really abandons the emotion of the original, and replaces it with... some R&B arrangements. It's an admirable project, and it's impossible to really evaluate a work like this a lifetime later, but I think the end result doesn't really stand on its own anymore. It's another casualty in the fight against the stranglehold that a small number of producers have had over country since forever, and I respect it for that, but I don't feel a need to return to this when both Ray Charles and country fusion have done better.
Pretty smooth but not my thing.
Not a big fan of big band or country music. That said, this is a well-made set of albums, and I can see the historical significance. Ray Charles had a great voice and energy. While I get that he was trying to put his own spin on these tracks, and that's why these are all big band arrangements, few of the songs (even in their original versions) actually seem like "country" to me. Perhaps those terms just meant something different back then.
I don't get it. Was he under contract to make a double album so fell back on "western and country" standards?
It's well done and doesn't come across as country and Western, but it's music my grandmother would listen to and I think it would have more appeal to that generation than to me. It's a three or better on quality, but other than one or two tunes I don't think I'll be looking to listen to this again.
I played Ray Charles in Spin class today : ) but this album's sound is just not for me. I appreciate the talent and the time, but there were a bunch of tracks that I had to skip through because I couldn't take it anymore lolll
Not terrible but way too smooth for me
It's alright, but is it really that important in music history?
Your usual R&B big band record. I just can't figure out why this record would be better than other stuff of its category.
Listened to the Skibidi Toilet song right after just to confirm - not really modern. But fine nonetheless
Way too long
not my thing
Well, I love Ray Charles' voice, but I find the arrangements with all the strings and backing vocals rather too much and a bit same-y. Ultra-smooth.
Well made I'm sure but pretty boring really.
First half is definitely more lively and energetic
Why do country songs recorded by a jazz/soul artist in 1962 sound like Disney Christmas songs from the 1930s?
2 - Was fully expecting to really like this, but honestly it just felt like a different version of the same song for over an hour
I can understand how important this album was when it was released because of the culture at the time. Listening to it now, I’m underwhelmed. Great music and vocals, no doubt. It is more like elevator music to me.
R&B lento. Tostón. Se me ha hecho bola. Un 2.
This is an odd album!! Its like a cross between a Disney soundtrack and a Chrismtas album an album I want to not like but it is then saved with some great tunes on it. I loved Dont tell me your troubles, you win again and Born to Lose but around those tracks there was a lot of filler. Favourite song: Dont tell me your troubles Least favourite: Midnight Album artwork: Cool cover
couldn't get into this one at all.
Wasn’t the worst & wasn’t the best but ended up adding a few to the playlist so there’s that.
good to listen to the odd track here and there , but after an hour this album gets repetitive.
En 1962, au sommet de sa gloire Ray Charles - Le mec qui a inventé la soul en forniquant avec le gospel et le rhythm and blues - a décide de s'attaquer à un autre pilier de la culture américaine, un truc encore plus blanc que la neige du Montana en plein hiver : la Country and Western music. Sur le papier, c'est une idée de génie absolu. Un putain de geste politique et artistique. Imaginez le tableau : on est en 1962. L'Amérique est encore un champ de bataille pour les droits civiques. Et voilà qu'un artiste noir, non seulement chante de la country, mais le fait avec des arrangements grandioses, des big bands, des cordes, et s'approprie ce répertoire avec une aisance déconcertante. C'est plus qu'un album, c'est une déclaration. C'est Ray Charles qui plante son drapeau au milieu de Nashville et qui dit : "Cette musique, elle est à moi aussi". Rien que pour ça, le disque mérite sa place dans le livre des "1001 Albums". C'est un marqueur historique, un point de bascule. Voilà. J'ai fait mon devoir de mémoire. J'ai rendu hommage à l'audace, au contexte, à l'importance capitale de la chose. Maintenant, parlons musique. Parlons de ce que mes pauvres oreilles ont dû endurer. Parce que, merde, qu'est-ce que c'est chiant. Je suis désolé, il n'y a pas d'autre mot. C'est un des albums les plus incroyablement chiants que ce projet m'ait forcé à écouter jusqu'ici. Je m'attendais à de la poussière, à de la sueur, à la tristesse poisseuse des honky-tonks, à l'âme d'un Ray Charles écorché vif qui viendrait transcender la country. Et qu'est-ce que j'ai eu ? De la musique d'ascenseur. De la putain de musique de salle d'attente de dentiste de luxe. Le problème, ce n'est pas Ray. Jamais. Sa voix est là, impériale, chaude, pleine de cette fêlure qui vous brise le coeur. On sent le "Genius" qui essaie de percer à travers le mur de son. Le problème, c'est tout le reste. C'est cette production d'une propreté maladive, ces arrangements dégoulinants de bons sentiments. Chaque morceau, ou presque, est noyé sous des hectolitres de violons sirupeux et des choeurs de chérubins sous Tranxène. "I Can't Stop Loving You", le méga-tube de l'album... C'est l'archétype du problème. La mélodie est immortelle, la performance vocale de Ray est touchante, mais l'orchestration est d'une lourdeur... On se croirait à un dîner de gala chez tes grands-parents, avec les bougies et les napperons. Ça manque de couilles, tout simplement. Ça manque de terre. La country, c'est censé sentir la bière renversée et les coeurs brisés. Le rhythm and blues, c'est la sueur et le sexe. Ici, on a l'impression d'écouter la bande originale d'une pub pour du café soluble. J'ai eu l'impression d'assister à un combat perdu d'avance : la voix phénoménale de Ray Charles contre une armée de violonistes bien peignés et de choristes proprets. Et même si Ray gagne quelques rounds par KO technique, à la fin, c'est l'ennui qui l'emporte. L'album est lisse. Trop lisse. Il a poli les angles de la country jusqu'à en faire une boule de bowling. Il a emballé l'âme de Ray Charles dans du papier cadeau tellement épais qu'on peine à la sentir vibrer. C'est un disque conceptuel, oui, mais le concept a bouffé la musique. L'idée de réconciliation musicale est magnifique, mais le résultat est une sorte de soupe tiède où ni la country ni la soul ne sortent vraiment gagnantes. On est dans un entre-deux confortable et soporifique. Alors voilà, mon verdict est sans appel. D'un point de vue historique et politique, c'est un 5/5 sans hésiter. Un disque essentiel pour comprendre l'évolution de la musique populaire américaine et les barrières qu'elle a dû faire tomber. Mais quand je doit juger l'expérience d'écoute, ici et maintenant, en 2025... c'est un monument qui prend la poussière. Un disque que l'on respecte infiniment pour ce qu'il représente, mais qu'on n'a absolument aucune envie de réécouter. C'est peut-être ça, le piège du projet "1001 Albums". Tous ne sont pas là pour être aimés, mais pour être entendus. Celui-ci, je l'ai entendu. Une fois. Ça suffira. Allez, au suivant. En espérant un peu moins de violons et un peu plus de crasse.
Ray Charles has a fantastic voice, his keyboard playing is exemplary, and the band are fantastic. However, the songs on this album are just about as awful as anything I've ever heard. Insipid ballads, very much of their time, just dreadful. It seems that roughly nine out of ten of the songs are about someone suffering heartache. Considering this is a long album, it gets tiring very fast, probably about three tracks in and I was done with the theme and wishing it to be over. Ray manages to somehow pull it up to a woeful 2 stars, but only just.
This doesn’t really do much for me though I get why it’s important.
Ei minua varten tämä, kuin vanhojen Disney-elokuvien soundtrackilta musiikkia ja muuta ei-itseä-innostavaa.
Dated production. Was probably interesting at its time. Now prefer the originals.
Not vibe
I’m normally a pretty rabid Ray Charles fan, but this isn’t it. This is Ray sings Hank with a big band/Christmas ensemble. Very few moments of Ray’s genius I love.
Great but dated.
Country and Western, Big Band, Swing, and Jazz. I know very little about any of these genres, and actively dislike jazz, so this was unlikely to be a five-star album for me. And it isn't. It's dreary, and it drags, and Ray Charles' voice, as excellent as it is, is not enough to make this enjoyable for me, especially for an hour and a quarter.
2\5 all the songs pretty much the same but some great lyrics
I wanted too like this but there were too many soaring strings for me. Cool that it exists but I couldn’t get through it.
Props to Ray, this is a seminal album, hugely influencial on soul and pop as well as country music, historical, etc., but it's also the torture music of my childhood, the channel we begged my father to change on the car radio - he never did.
not at all what I expected from the title, even knowing it was RC
I wanted to like this more than I did. At some point I noticed how the songs mostly ended with the same (sounding) harmonization of the last phrase by the choir of ladies and then it drove me nuts the whole rest of the time.
Why? Yes he has an amazing voice and talent that shines through in buckets but surely the production should respect that at least a little.
It's a fine album, with good vocals. But j just don't find it interesting and actually quite boring. Standout tracks: Bye bye, love and I can't stop loving you
3/10 It was really nice of Ray Charles to give a bunch of vanilla choral singers and an out of touch big band orchestra an album of his to play on. I hope that this isn't the only Ray Charles album on the list so I can make it up to him. I simply can't spend all day listening to this inane nonsense. 5/8/2024
Tbh after 5 really dull croony songs about love, I gave up. Looking at the remaining titles I’m guessing the general theme didn’t change.
Idk he’s great but….. this album is not it
okay
I appreciate the historical significance. I appreciate the soulful voice and the standards. Its just old and not something I wanna listen to a whole bunch of.
The big band was fun, and Ray Charles has a great voice. But this album feels very dated. I really disliked the Disney-sounding female harmonies that backed a lot of the songs.
Though the voice of Ray Charles is soothing and he is iconic, I didn't care for the country tunes.
Think I may have been a little generous before with the last Ray Charles album because it is nice music but it really just isn't for me. It is sweet how caring these artists were for their partners but hearing the same concept over and over again does get really tiring. Just nothing about it that makes me really want to listen to it even if it is nice it is just not hitting with me. I may have to review the other one again but this one felt slower so maybe that's why I am more negative but it's only a 2 for me. Stand Out Songs: You Don't Know Me Just a Little Lovin' I can't Stop Loving You
It was okay.
Very listenable although it is not my favorite style of music. Often reminds me on christmas songs. ;)