Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

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. ;)

Bij voorbaat dacht ik dat Ray Charles een afro-amerikaanse vleug gegeven heeft aan een genre wat toch vaak geclaimd wordt door de witte man. Maar zo country is het album niet. Meer jazz en r&b. Wat er precies modern aan mag zijn, god mag het weten. Het schijnt wel muziek geweest te zijn die de dansvloer bezette met witte en zwarte mensen. Vanwege dit fraterniserende gevoel krijgt het album een voldoende. Maar verder was het een flinke zit. Rating: 6/10

Dit vind ik toch wel mooi. Deze lijst gaat van hot naar her, maar soms blijft de plaat toch even hangen in hetzelfde tijdsgewricht. Van Fats naar Ray. Fijn voor ons gemoed. En met opener Bye Bye Love waan je je direct in een Amerikaanse 50s/60s movie. Ondanks de ietwat treurige trekt zie je zo het hoofdpersonage met een glimlach op zn gezicht the American Dream leven. Bijzonder hoe deze Amerikaanse cultuur toch zo in onze breinen is ingebakken dat wij er zelfs nostalgische gevoelens bij krijgen. Toch is de plaatopener een vreemde eend in de bijt. De overgang naar de volgende nummers is te groot. De nummers zijn heel soul met strijkers en een laag tempo. De afwisseling met de R&B songs (zoals Just A little Lovin') is soms wat te abrupt. Nummers als Born to Lose en Worried Mind halen alle energie uit het album. Misschien zijn ze onder bepaalde omstandigheden wel mooi, ik vind ze hier echt too much. I Can't Stop Loving You is de lead single maar steekt er voor mij niet perse bovenuit. Veel lekkerder ga ik op de meer uptempo R&B nummers. Eigenlijk is dat mijn algemene conclusie van deze Ray Charles plaat. 7/10 Highlights Bye Bye Love Half As Much Don't Tell Me Your Troubles ("I got troubles of my own', geniaal toch...) Hang You Head in Shame

Appreciate this helped smash racial barriers of music. Not my cup of tea but what a voice.

I like Ray Charles and know some of his material but I did not enjoy this one very much. I guess one issue is this is a double album being volumes 1 & 2, so it seemed a bit long. Some songs are fine, but overall it just kind of became background noise. Don't see myself coming back to this one.

Not my thing. Background music really. Had a few songs I recognised

Bless the man and his beautiful voice, but this music is not for me, got a smoothness and 'big band' jazz type of music I just find boring.

A bit boring this one

OK

-its really just old people music

Just not my cup of tea

I do not like this genre of music. Sounds like something you would a couple dancing to in a fancy restaurant in the 50’s

I was finding it hard to get into this album for some reason. I got about 6 songs in, and just wasn't feeling anything that stuck out to me.

Oh boy, this draaaaaags. I don't have time for an album of country song covers that's so antique and out of touch with modern sensibilities. Ray's voice isn't suited for this style, the playing is repetitive, the lyrics are downright dreary. I can't find any possible reason anyone would want to listen to this, unless you're 60+

2.5 - None of the hits. Kinda boring by Ray Charles standards

Not any country music I’ve ever heard. Tell Ray he should have stuck to what he knew.

Pretty slow

Ray Charles er åbenlyst god og sån, men synes det her var lidt kedeligt og tandløst. Han er federe på singler.

BB Swing und SlowFox, 1962 -> 2

I truly don’t think this is the best ray has to offer us. He role played as Sinatra. Honestly, he’s an incredible crooner, his voice is amazing, that’s why this is a 2, but I feel like I expected something more. Hopefully we get another ray album.

disc 1 is pretty good? but zzz disc 2 is 1/5 for me. 2 western 4 me i think 1962 is just too old for me. i dont feel anything except "damn this is old" and i had to skip so many because they sounded very samey

A bit to adult contemporary for me...I like the more upbeat Ray Charles. 1.5/5

It was fine, I like Ray Charles but there was nothing amazing here for me. I wanted to like it more.

Massive legacy and influence doesn't change the fact that if I was ever stranded on a desert island with nothing but this album, I would probably repurpose it into a pair of PVC pants. Sorry, I'm running out of ways to say that I don't care for old rhythm and blues. I respect it, but this is not my kind of music.

I got quite bored of it and didn't really have any opinions while listening to it. But it wasn't offensively bad at least

Meh

Hopelessly dated, rating to my own tastes without historical context. It is nice for what it is though.

Enjoyable listen, a bit mellow. Jazz vocals aren’t for me.

Definitely not my Kind of music but I can respect for the genre it is.

Did nothing for me

Old timey

nice voice, but so syrupy, overall I really don't like it.

Too long and we all by now my thoughts on Country.. it was destined to fail

It’s ironic that the album is called Modern Sounds…. there is nothing modern sounding about it. Being released in 1962, music had already changed with the invention of Rock n’ Roll and The Beatles would arrive the next year. This just sounds like Christmas music to me. I respect Ray but I just can’t get into it 4.0/10

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

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

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

ok

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.

OK as background music.

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.

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

Zo weeïg allemaal

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.

Don’t get the rave reviews. Very dated today

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Cheesy old gospel

Too much Nashville for my liking.

Meh

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Quality but a bit samey TBH.

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.

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.

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*

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

Not for me but not the worst

Not my cup of tea

Didn't really love it

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.

Pessimo noioso

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.

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.

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.

Синатра на минималках

Not my cup of tea but listened in full and overall it's a background music for me sorta thang. For others I can imagine this being high on their lists.

Uhh it's fine. Definitely sounds like early 60s traditional pop/country. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing I want to revisit really. 2.5/5

1.5

Meh

There’s no denying Charles’ vocal talent, it’s just hard to sustain interest in 1.25 hours of love me/love-me-not ballads in the sub-60 BPM range.

I know this album is revolutionary and it’s obviously not my style, but the backing vocals were just really cheesy.

Country music with saccharine R&B? No thanks - depressingly dark words that lose their wit without the music, and they all basically sound like christmas carols - basically this feels like a cross-over money grab, that, naturally fell flat on it's face. Country and Blues are a dangerous combination.

Great voice, but it's dated. Strong early Disney films vibes

Black man covers country and makes it almost listenable. Laudable!

I can't quite pinpoint why but Ray charles just leaves me cold. I can appreciate that technically everything's very impressive and in the right place but for some reason it doesn't hit the spot emotionally. Weird.

It was well made but not really my thing.

I like Ray Charles as background music so the floor isn't that bad this has none of his best songs though

Too many love songs.

wow i did not know ray charles had one song that was 1 hour long. this was so boring???

hate to see a legend down this path. Does he really make any of these songs his own?

First Ray Charles album, but was expecting more

Was very slow throughout and not really a genre that i’ve ever really enjoyed, with only a couple songs giving any appeal. However, not awful and alright to people who prefer the slow country genre.

Too long and samey. Great voice though

Christmas already? Oh, not a christmas album but feels like one.

The songs are really good and well written in a way where you kind of want other artists to cover them in their own style. BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, I’m looking at you. I don’t think that I would actively go out my way to listen to any of the songs on the album though. They aren’t really my thing and I find some of them just really boring. I really lived the female singer in ‘You Are My Sunshine’ and it’s no surprise that it’s probably the most well known song on the album as it is the best one. 2.9/5

sleeper. unless I’m at the carniege with a cuban in one hand and a manhattan in the other, it’s a snoozefest. 4/10.

Meh. Some were good and the other 9 were all the same song

Groundbreaking and talented. I don’t like this music.

Sweet. A little samey. Not many known songs. Didn't finish.

des moments plaisants mais c'est blind spot le reste du temps

I appreciate the musical ability, vocals, and production but found the album difficult to enjoy.

2.

Perfectly nice but not my sort of thing

C’est l’fun et c’est bien fait, mais c’est un album de covers... et ça devient redondant après 5-6 tounes. Tsé le country, ça tourne en rond pas mal.

La production est superbe, tout comme la voix de Ray. La réappropriation des pièces est majoritairement bien réussie, quoi que datée quand on écoute ça aujourd'hui. Bien qu'il y ait 2 volumes, pour moi c'est un peu trop long. Pas certain que je vais y revenir.

not my thing

This is a great album that's not for me.

Its fine

The idea behind Ray Charles’ “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music” was to put a modern spin on some classic country songs. But a lot of the album is slow jazz or a more traditional R&B style, and doesn’t seem modern in 1962 when R&B, blues, and rock and roll music were evolving so rapidly. Charles is always a great performer, but this isn’t the style I prefer from him.

Helt ok.

not bad but not my style

Like the shit you accept listening to at christmas. Don't want it outside of december ta. Dated. Lovely voice, but everything else is so dated and slow.

R&B lento. Tostón. Se me ha hecho bola. Un 2.

Too swingy

Sometimes you need a little vinegar with the honey. A tad too schmalzty for my liking - veers into Disney soundtrack territory. Best Tracks: You Don't Know Me; Just a Little Loving (Will Go a Long Way); You Win Again

I can recognize the talent of the voice but I really really dislike the arrangements.

not for me

Entenc l'imprompta revolucionària que segurament va causar en aquell moment, en uns temps molt diferents als de la segona década dels 2000s, però em fa la sensació que ha envellit molt malament. Els arranjaments sonen molt passats, els temes han viscut millors versions i l'únic que destaca és la veu de Charles, i el seu esperit

Ahhh.. better when it is soul

couldn't be arsed with this one at all.

Dannii Minogue once told me that she likes fingering herself to the sound of Ray Charles, so it must be good.

Better than I was expecting based on the title. Well sort of. I'm losing confidence now. Bored. It's gone.

Country and western music ma hairy hoop. This isn't like any country and western music I have ever heard. I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing but I didn't think this was up to much either way. Cocktail bar background music at best.

its not bad sounding but i think its incredibly generic 60s rock music while also just taking classic songs and making them lose their qualities in the process

I have this album so obviously thought it was alright before. This time it rubbed me up the wrong way although I think that was because I was having a bit of a day and needed something with more pep....

I tend to like Ray Charles but I didn't care too much for this album. I didn't make it all the way through, maybe it was a lack of interest or maybe it was too many horns??

Not his best

A bit too long for my taste. The songs were also a bit too bland and the panning of the audio was unbearable

Okay, can respect the talent but not my style

If you wanted an entire album that sounds like a bunch of songs from classic Disney movies but is all about the dudes girlfriend/lover or whatever cheating/leaving blah blah than this album is for you. Nothing groundbreaking. Album gets stale quickly. All songs sound the same. Vocals and some of the instrumentation are ok but I was glad when this album was over

Pretty decent. Liked it enough but don’t see myself reaching for this album every often.

It is Ray Charles, so... good to the ears.

Too samey and I prefer Charles with some energy not commercial tunes from A Christmas Story

27th October 2021 Actually listened on the 28th on the living room speaker while working with jen in the kitchen. Didn't listen on the 27th as I was listening to Fontaines DC before seeing them at ally pally with Gareth. I love Ray Charles, but this is a covers album. I prefer the less swoony numbers that don't have the fuzzy backing vocals, but definite class all the way.

There’s a shop down the road in Mandurah where, for retail purposes, it’s Christmas all year. It’s part cave of wonders, part externalised visual migraine – each of its 30 corners housing a differently themed interpretation of what a Christmas celebration can be: the nativity, funny Santa, fatherly Santa, knowingly adult Santa, Disney, Disney nativity, under the sea, Australiana, Americana, rule Britannia, white, pink, gold, blue, goth. There a bauble for every emotion, every tendency, every christmassy feeling no matter how fleeting. I suppose of all the places a shop like that might be, the deep south of the Perth metropolitan area makes good sense. For an increasing number of the British diaspora (and who knows, maybe beyond?) it’s Christmas here twice a year now; the convergence of homesickness and cold weather demanding a festive celebration wth all the trimmings in July as well as December. I didn’t notice a Ray Charles Christmas corner on my last visit. On the strength of this record, that’s a miss. That feeling of cosy, near enough somnambulant fugue that’s the result of excess-mass gorging is a close cousin of my mental state engaging with Ray for an hour and a quarter. Lulling, calming, wistful-making. Unfortunately, though, no cracker.

A few of the songs were good, but for the most part this album seemed pretty bland to me. A lot of the songs sound the same and I become bored towards the end of it.

This is such a weird album. Ray Charles tried to straddle between country and soul but in my opinion didn't fully succeed in any of those genres. Because of that it's a very mixed bag of songs that are neither painful nor really exciting to listen to.

Another artist I have not listened to much at least deliberately listened to but wanted to because of his name and how well regarded he is but just never did yet the album immediately transports me to a particular point in time that I was not alive for and to a part of america I have never been which is pretty ammazing thing to do. I love how charles sings the part of a saxaphone in parts Just too many love songs or songs about love more accurately. hey good lookin, not a huge fan of this version but the song holds a place in my heart from it being in GTA but I do like hearing it in this style so it is interesting at least compared to the rest of the album which for me was quite dull. 2 - not for me but doesn't hurt my ears

I can't really say I would put any track here on again, but I also can't ignore the quality of the instrumentals. It might be unfair to judge an almost 60 year old record by today's standards, but most tracks just sounded the same to me. 2/5.

In Conclusione: onestamente m'ha parecchio annoiato. Oserei dire che sono quelle che all'epoca i miei nonni avrebbero chiamato canzonette. Sono praticamente fatte con lo stampino, l'equivalente delle hit estive di oggi. Ovviamente i musicisti erano tutti molto più bravi per carità, però il contenuto artistico secondo me è poco.

Sounds like something very experimental and not really a great body of work. Still enjoyed some songs though!

Honestly. It didn't rock my boat. I don't think I'd play it at a BBQ, which is the litmus test.

Glad i listened to this Ray Charles album, he has a great voice. But I dont think I eill listen to it again!! 2 stars

Niet veel van gedraaid!

Mooie film van hem gemaakt en een paar liedjes, maar dit is toch te oudbollig voor mij.

These are great interpretations, but the likelihood of me listening to this again is minimal

I respect this but don’t particularly like it.

I'm cool with the big band sound in some of this, and do like Ray Charles' voice, but right now wasn't into it.

I'm surprised I didn't love this album. Just didn't resonate with me like I figured it would. Just felt old-timey and not in a good way

Striimaus ja MP3 maailmassa elämään tottunut mies ei osaa arvostaa tuplalevyjä. Turhan pitkä teos ja pelkästään parhailla biiseillä olis ollut ihan jees, mutta kokonaisuus puudutti. Kaksi tähteä.

I had high expectations: I liked the idea of a black/white music barrier breaking project. Plus, Ray Charles undoubtedly had a great voice and, being not a fan of country music, I can only appreciate when country songs do not sound like country at all. The problem is that these over-sugary arrangements don't make them sound like rhythm & blues either (certainly not "rhythm"...). As someone already pointed out, there is no way this sounded "modern" even in 1962. Perhaps it would have done in 1932...

Meeh... No me gustó

Nope. This sounds like background music in a Rankin Bass xmas animation. But goopier. I get that this was groundbreaking in its day for genre-bending. But I do not enjoy any of the genres involved here.

Not for me. 1/5

1/5. Not my cup of tea at all.

Can’t hear this kind of crooner stuff without thinking of the Family Guy “sounds of the ratpack” sketch. I’m sure “hey there fruity” made the first cut of this album. I know it was “of a time” but the whole thing was just very cringey. Awful awful lyrics generally about loving little girls from what I can gather, I think thankfully that term meant something different in the early 60s.

Olvidable

definitely not my taste, stopped at three songs

Hillbilly accents, bigotry, lackluster guitar, and simping for Capitalism.

very hard to say what the context to this was, sounds like it might have been a lot can definitely hear the old-timey country vibes tho

I Don’t feel related to it

It’s OK. I’d never choose to listen to it.

Not for me

Hate country

Unfortunately this wasn't at all for me.

A great voice, but not my bag at all. Of the coroners, this is much better than the Sinatra album we had to suffer previously though

A long hour…. Its just above ZZ top…

I didn’t enjoy this very much at all I’m afraid, although “It Makes No Difference Now” is a good song - not the worst of the one stars but quite a way from the top of that category. Potentially the most incongruous album title of all time too…Tom

Just so boring

is schon gut so.. aber einfach überhaupt nit meins

Liked the energy on the earlier tracks but really not my thing. Okay for what it was but did feel myself watching the clock

I absolutely hated this one, literally every last thing about it lol. Potentially part of the problem, and this is definitely a me problem, is that all I know of Ray Charles is his appearance in The Blues Brothers. I love that performance of Shake A Tail Feather and I was expecting something more like that.

281/1001. Am I allowed not to like this album? No matter how good some of the faster versions are, the slower ballads take me to some idealised version of 50s-60s america, where housewives wear high heels, dad makes money enough to buy two cars for the family, two kids, (a boy and a girl of course) eat their Kellogg's because that prevents masturbation. You put sugar on top of your bread, bacon, candy, and potatoes, and every day ends by the campfire where some cowboys sing in harmony. I never thought it would be a Ray Charles record which would make me write these kinds of lines.

Of it’s time. Some good songs but I can’t see myself going back to this one

Not really for me

Not on Amazon Music

Not my cup of tea.

uhhh only listen to like half a song i knew i wouldn't like it from just reading the title.

Just too slow for my tastes. And seriously; an album of cover songs is on this list?

So incredibly bland

I've always thought Ray Charles music was way more powerful, but it's kind of meh for me. Seems outdated even for its time.

Could not get into this!

Einfach nicht mein Genre!

Lyden af alle Disney film fra før 00erne. Og langt oven på dét.

nix für mich. Jazz oder was auch immer das ist gefällt mir nicht so.

J - 1/5 Best Track - "I Can't Stop Loving You" F - DNL

Having spent over an hour of my day listening to this, I may as well have not bothered. Couldn’t tell you anything about it.

I think the same folks that composed Disney movies in the 50's and 60's help Ray Charles compose all this what with the string flourishes and chorale backing. All it needs is a princess with forest animals flocking to her to complete it. Otherwise, makes me feel like I have more grey hair and need to drive around slowly in the left lane in my Cadillac while wearing high waisted slacks and complaining about young people and minorities.

I celebrated when this finished.

Something my nan would have liked. Not for me

Another one where I can see it being an important album at the time, but it’s really not for me. And 24 tracks is too much of a bad thing.

I didn't realize these were all originally country songs until he started started playing Hank Williams. This album now-a-days feels really ho-hum.The chorus voices singing background every song made it feel like i was watching a 1950's Disney movie. Didn't really care for it at all.

Flashbacks to sitting in the back of my dads Vauxhall Viva enduring this sort of thing crackling away on his Medium Wave radio wishing that the journey would end.

Just looking at the title, this was on a hiding to nothing. Then imagine my surprise after listening to it, discovering that this really wasn't Country and Western music, old or modern after all. What a blessing. However it was still of load of crap.

Parp

Might as well be the same song on repeat. I have no time for this.

A unique talent but not my thing so was a little bit of a slog to listen through for me.

Honestly a difficult listen. It wasn't offensive in any way, just quite far from my thing. Reminded me of something my Gran would probably enjoy. It was also very long, and felt it.

Oof, cover versions of songs I don't particularly like. Competent but not my thing

Not my thing at all, he's got a great voice though.

N/A Unavailable to stream

about as interesting as Christmas music

pretty stale, liked the soulful energy, just not for me

A bit bizarre

60’s

Sounds like fallout music. And like fallout music, I do have to be quite distracted while listening to enjoy it. 1/5

No

Ray Charles has a superb voice.. the music though is awful. It’s sickeningly bad. In fact it’s worse than that . 🤢

Before listening: I really just don't wanna. Nothing about this title makes me want to listen to this at all. I'm not in the mood, just leave me alone. After listening: Definitely DNF. I did try, as in I put my headphones on and clicked play, but this album just did not resonate with me. Nothing about it was enjoyable at all and you're talking to a guy who somehow gave Bjork 2 stars. The fact that it went for over an hour made it even worse.

''Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music'' leest de titel. Modern is een relatief begrip, blijkt maar weer. Ik respecteer en waardeer Ray Charles, maar dit is het meest oubollige album dat we tot nog toe hebben mogen beluisteren, en lang niet de oudste. Big band muziek is niet mijn cup of tea, en ik was dan ook wel helemaal gaar in m'n hoofd na er 1 uur en 15 minuten aan blootgesteld te worden. Zeker innovatief om een hele lading country standards in een R&B mal te gieten, maar het flitsende van dat kunstje is er na een nummer of 5 al wel vanaf. Een aantal originals zijn me bekend, en geen een komt echt beter uit de metamorfose dan dat hij erin ging. Wat toch frappant is, met zo'n stem als die van Ray. Hij heeft zoveel soul in die keel, waarmee hij voor een groot deel verantwoordelijk is voor de totstandkoming van het gelijknamige genre, maar ondanks dat het allemaal heel echt aanvoelt verveelde de algehele melancholie me wel een beetje. Ja z'n liefdesleven lag in shambles, en nee heroïne zorgt nou niet echt voor een opgetogen stemming in huize Charles.. Nummers als 'You Are My Sunshine' zorgden dus ook voor spaarzame zonnestralen in een met donderwolken verpakt album. De uptempo stijl ligt meer in het straatje van z'n geweldige album 'What'd I Say'. En alhoewel ook erg oubollig, wat vaak een doorn in het oor was bij het beluisteren van dit album, 'I Can't Stop Loving You' is een prachtig nummertje. Het gospel-achtige koor voegt echt wat toe. Maar al met al zijn twee hoogtepuntjes te weinig op een album van 24 nummers, bezongen door zo'n machtige stem. Ik kom telkens weer terug bij z'n swingende jazz albums als 'What'd I Say' en 'The Genius of Ray Charles', maar deze klikt gewoon niet. Misschien is het ook deels de ongelukkige timing, zo direct na een andere oldie in de vorm van Fats Domino. 5,5/10 Highlights: You Are My Sunshine I Can't Stop Loving You