Reviews (page 3 of 13)
This was way too long for me
The strings and chorus are a bit much, but it’s still a pretty good album. Ray Charles was a very charismatic singer.
Hillbilly accents, bigotry, lackluster guitar, and simping for Capitalism.
I guess I'm to young. I liked Charles' appearance in Blues Brothers but this has too much slow vilin centered stuff for my taste. Some of the songs rock, though.
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.
A classic voice
It's nice, the sound envelope is really smooth and perfect, and the familiarity of the style is appealing and engaging, like, you can imagine people with misophonia using this as therapy because the sounds are exactly what you expect them to be. Though I presume many people with misophonia would completely disagree with me here! This is raising the unrelated question, what is people with misophonia's relationship with music in general, generally speaking? Anyway, this is nice. I gave it a three for me, partly because I don't want to give a million fives in this exercise, but I think it probably deserves a four objectively, whatever that means.
Sommige momenten erg cool, maar vaak merk je ook wel écht dat het meer dan 60 jaar is. Ook erg lang.
Dit is vast invloedrijk en klinkt prima uitgevoerd, maar het is alles behalve tijdloos. Klinkt -enorm- oud en daarnaast ook een tikkeltje saai.
Friday night... End of a long week... You turn on Ray Charles and dance around the kitchen and living room with your partner. Different time when music meant more than background music.
I don't know if I needed the second disk. But those first couple of songs really hit on a Monday morning. I know I love big band. and I think I'm going to give this a five even though it's probably more of an 8 or 9 out of 10. But I need to give credit when I really resonate with a piece. I used to always listen to Michael Buble's cover of You Don't know Me.
One of those absolute forces of nature… one of the great clean the house and listen albums. Floatin! 4.1
This drags a bit; it’s definitely from a different era. But, unlike the Sinatra album I had recently, this actually reimagines the songs instead of just covering them as they are. Super cool, even if it’s not really for me. 7/10 Quite Likeable
Not my genre
Reminded me of Disney film! Not saying that's a bad thing either! Was a very pleasant listen!
Meer soul in zijn linker pink dan het gros van de moderne muzikanten samen in heel hun lijf. Ik mis hoe los en speels albums vroeger mochten klinken.
prachtig
ik zou het zelf niet direct beginnen luisteren, maar stel dat dit op zou staan in een restaurantje of een bar dan zou ik wel gelukkig zijn
it was a good vibe and helped me get my work done
Good, long. It doesn't always work -
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.
Turns out I had little idea what Ray Charles was all about. For the lazy, he's black Sinatra. Fortunately, I found nothing that I would call Country Western here. Modern . . . for the time, sure. I'm here for it, though. Ray isn't (or at least wasn't at the time) the songwriter of Sinatra, but the performances are at least equal.
How can you not love ray charles!?
Yeah it was a seminal recording.
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.
Initially, I was quite daunted by a 24 track double album, but honestly I had a great time. So many well known standards, just classed up to the highest degree. Favourite track: Hey, Good Lookin’
Disc 2 is even better than disc 1.
화려한 등장을 할 것 같긔
The instrumentals are repetitive, I did, however, enjoy the romantic and jazzy vibe.
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
Some good tunes in here. Nothing particularly inspiring, but easy listening.
A classic
I want to give love to Ray Charles here but this album just didn't click with me. It's got an old timey country feel with some soul mixed in. It's an interesting blend. But it is pretty slow.
Que album tan precioso, da gusto escuchar cosas asi. Tan relajantes, armoniosas, hechas con tanto amor 9/10
I didn’t love it
Alright, mostly covers with a twist if I'm remembering right. I don't really have much to say about this. It's decent, perfectly fine for a full listen. Doesn't overly engage me, not something I will come back to. It feels long tho, and it starts to feel very repetitive after a while. Fav Track: I Love You So Much It Hurts
sounded pretty good 2.8
This one just didn’t do much for me. I can appreciate its historical significance and why it was such a big deal at the time, but I don’t think it has aged particularly well. Nothing here really grabbed my attention, and by the end I was mostly waiting for it to be over.
I Don’t feel related to it
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.
So much soul in this album A bit long for a comfortable listening but really relaxing 4 stars Fav song : Bye Bye Love
Such an easy listen, loved it!
Zeer kerstmis
Koselig gammal ray charles, 60 talls sweetness! Dette liker jeg meget godt
He really makes playing great and switching styles on the fly look easy, this thing gets jazzier than I expected.
Who doesn’t like Ray Charles? I’d prefer more songs to be fast paced and upbeat, but still an enjoyable album, if maybe a bit long.
Ray Charles vocals were so good I creamed
ni fu ni fa, estuvo chill
lovely
To be able to enjoy c&w classic songs by Mr. Charles is a surprise for me
Come on now, it’s Ray Charles
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
It's more the music of my dead grandparents than mine, but it's nice enough. It's very difficult to judge something that was considered modern in 1962 when you weren't born until the late 80s, and are living in 2026. The backing singers really date it, but his voice still works.
Banger🔥
legal mas repetitivo
really really good!! ray charles is so sad...
great stuff
Fantastic, just a really classic sound. Will be listening again
I liked this. Lots of old country classics done with gusto. Perfect for cooking and eating Friday night dinner.
Honestly pretty disappointed based on how much I thought I was going to like this going off the name brand of Ray Charles. It’s still good, but it’s really slow and honestly a little uninspired. A couple slow songs wouldn’t be all that bad but it’s really the vast majority of the album. And they all just sound so similar. It’s got a big, I’m not mad, just disappointed energy to it.
Its ray charles yk a solid 2.5
As much as I respect the musical genius of Ray Charles, this album was definitely not a hit for me. It dragged and was honestly a chore to listen through. 3/10, Favorite Song: You don't know me
This is what I mean when I say I like pre-911 country.
This is obviously good it’s just too old for me to really care about it
so gorgeous. the arrangements are wonderful and i love the way he sings... really powerful but definitely a bit understated. 'i love you so much it hurts' and 'you win again' were favorites.
finally. something made before the advent of personal computing. one minute in and i can already tell i've been grossly underestimating his amount of juice (no pause) for the entirety of my life. yes i watched ray (2004). "i love you so much it hurts." that's it. that's the comment. great a side. alright b side. listen before the tau tangles kick in. 3.8-5.
Pretty long. The faster songs are really fun. The slower ones are dated
Love this album
Absolutely brilliant! Ray Charles was a genius.
Good stuff but the project really hurts you by making you listen to both volumes in one day. Not the album’s fault but I was ready to take a break after volume one and it just kept going.
Lush strings and vocals, his voice has such a unique character. First album that I’ve listened to by him.
Ray Charles fucking legend!
Absoluut vuur. Het is zo vet als je op deze manier genres en racistische vooroordelen kan overstijgen. Dit album voedt de ziel
4.5
Great sound on this album.
rayas el charlas GOATed
beautiful strings. loooooooove love love love love
It was nice. Was less interested in the big band swing stuff. I liked the orchestral elements. Ray Charles has a great voice.
Excellent double-album! Feel good music that felt a little like it transported me back in time.
A real mixed bag. The songs with some energy are fun, but the slow jams get old after a few and there are a TON of them. This album might get a 4 if 8-10 songs were removed, but as it is it's a borderline 2/3. Rounding up since at least Ray's vocals are consistently good even when it's otherwise boring, but this took some work to get through. 2.5
It’s nice
Very good sound
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
It’s OK. I’d never choose to listen to it.
Cool
Not for me
Not my type of music but really well done
Very pleasant listen
A lil repetitive but ooooh im swinging (3.75)
Loved it!
listening to the 2024 remaster. hope that doesn’t suck ass. it shouldn’t, i trust 20s remasters a lot more than stuff before that tbh.
One of the best old school music
Very chill. Kind of made me want to go to the US. All songs felt like they blended into one though
Very, very good. Would have been 5 stars, but it was just so long.
Classic Ray Charles. Kind of a cross between Sinatra and Country & Western
Gave this a few tries, it's a good album but often ends up fading to the back. Ray is a great singer and I think the jazz elements on top of the country themes is such a unique idea and he executes very well on it. Maybe could've been a bit shorter for a cohesiveness but it's an awesome piece of work.
Really enjoyed, sheer quality performance and arrangements the grand father of modern American music.
great listening music
Tough one for me - I really appreciate the genre-crossing element of this album and recognize its importance. I love Ray's voice, I love the piano playing, but...some of this just sounds a bit dated for it being 1962? Maybe the strings, big band, and backing vocals are just a little schmaltzier than I remembered and detract from the overall experience. I honestly thought this was recorded in the 50s until I looked at the record back. Some good stuff, some that I care for less. One of those that I feel like I should rate higher (I own it) but just was sort of middle of the road for me.
This is #day646 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… time to close out another artist, as this is my second and final record by Ray Charles. Those big-band numbers, especially those upbeat ones, always remind me of Leland Palmer singing during the creepiest moments of Twin Peaks. Nothing personal, just a vivid association. Otherwise, a fine one-off late-night listen. Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day647.
album para escuchar en mis mañanas, calido y elegante, romantico. me hace acordar a disney
I could not get through the album. Genre is just not for me … his voice is great, the piano is fantastic, but I could not stand the background singers and slow tempo of each song. 2
Sometimes it’s just great to spend 60+ minutes with arguably the greatest interpreter of songs/singer of all time. Each song a novel, telling a story of love, heartache and/or heartbreak, and making you feel everything through his voice. Incredible stuff.
Pretty sad album. Put me in a reflective mood and while I enjoyed it overall I don't see myself coming back all too often.
Amazing record
Loved this Album,!
i hate to say it but this was a bit of a snooze fest
05/13 I feel like I need to be wandering a wasteland while listening to this
479/1089 - Great concept. Very good execution too but unfortunately it has schmaltzy string orchestra and choir which kind of defeats the purpose. Great feel on piano.
A smooth if at times slightly melancholic listen. Very pleasant background.
2 great records by Ray Charles. The name threw me off for a moment as I thought he had taken his shot at making Country / Western music. I should have realized it was him and his take on Country / Western classics from that era. Ray's voice is soothing and rich, such a good listen.
Hate country
This is a recording of a bunch of classic country songs only arranged for big band and strings. Ray Charles' vocal stylings are soulful and stylistic. Sounds a little on the Lawrence Welk side sometimes, especially when the background chorus joins in. Easy listening with some soul. Now that I think of it, kind of a weird mashup of sounds but Ray makes it work somehow.
This is a short album but it felt like a long album. However the good songs are really good.
I appreciate the album's musical and social impact. I also prefer Ray singing R&B, not over gloopy ass strings.
Ray Charles is going to get a lot more playtime in the next ten years of my life than he had in the first 50.
Did not know until today that this album is what Sturgill Simpson was referencing with his album titled Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. Ray Charles is an institution - looking at the song titles, most of them didn't look familiar, but when I listened to them it was like "Ah, of course - I know this song!"
I liked this way more than I thought I would
favs: bye bye love you don’t know me half as much i love you so much it hurts it makes no difference now i can’t stop loving you rating 2.5/5
3.5/4
The saddest thing about innovative ideas is that they remain innovative only for their time. And so it is with this album. Another collection of cover versions, typical of the '60s, yet unusual: Ray Charles took American country standards (white music) and rewrote them as rhythm and blues (black music), thereby greatly expanding his audience and showing other artists that this was actually possible. What does this mean to us now? Basically, nothing. What matters is that this is clearly not the album with which to get acquainted with Ray Charles's work. Not only did he seem to have deliberately chosen the most mournful love ballads, but his signature piano passages are also absent. Furthermore, the keyboards are completely lost against the waltz-like strings and choir; only the artist's voice remains. In short, Maestro Ray has gone down the wrong path, but it will do as a background music.
I can't see myself listening to this again. Ray is a legend, just not my thing. Pretty good for what it is.
Bye Bye, Love - 4/5 You Don't Know Me - 3/5 Half as Much - 3.5/5 I Love You So Much It Hurts - 3/5 Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way) - 3.5/5 Born to Lose - 3/5 Worried Mind - 3/5 It Makes No Difference Now - 3/5 You Win Again - 3/5 Careless Love - 3/5 I Can't Stop Loving You - 3.5/5 Hey, Good Lookin' - 3.5/5 In what I'd like to call "Now That's What I Call Reverse Cultural Appropriation!", Ray Charles puts his own spin on music popular at the time. That "at the time" is really making this seem more dated than it really should be, historical context notwithstanding. It very much drags on in the middle, and I can't justify giving this more than a 3 because of the slog known as the middle of the album. I know that he wanted to go for more of a "middle-of-the-road" type of sound, but that is very much not my thing, making what should have been an exciting album a dated slog. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: Bye Bye Love, I Can't Stop Loving You, Hey Good Lookin'
Ray Charles. Say no more. Good album.
It feels like it's mostly Ray Charles doing covers, don't get me wrong, I like it, but I prefer his more iconic songs to this.
notas muy relajantes con tonos suaves pero a la vez altos
A record that deserves a high ranking based on the barriers it broke and its place in American history. Musically, it’s all quite pleasant. Ray Charles has a beautiful voice. Certain songs like Hey Good Lookin are quite amazing. I do find myself wishing there was more piano from Ray throughout. The style does get a little old after an hour. But still a timelessly important album, with some legitimate musical chops. 4/5.
ball out ray charles ball out
Ta gueno che
The Spotify lossless version of this sounds excellent on home stereo speakers. Only got through vol 1. This is good music to have on the background but also intentional listening to the honest and passionate vocals.
Sometimes I like the old music like this, other times I find it pretty meh. Often times I find that I respond a lot to the tempo and energy being high, and in that aspect this album is full of music with some tempo. And yet I still found myself feeling a bit meh anyway. I'm not quite sure why that is. Standouts Hey, Good Looking 3/5
Escuché el primer disco y me encantó. Es muy movido para mi gusto pero muy top. No tiene nada de country, es como un blues alegre. De hecho, reversionó el country (que principalemente era de blancos) de modo de darle un toque R&B, soul, rompiendo barreras raciales. Overall, muy bueno.
this is not my style at all but I respect it and enjoyed some songs
Very enjoyable just not something I would listen to daily Favorite song: you don't know me
I adore this type of music-- the big band instrumentals, the additional vocalists singing with a dreamy refrain, the piano, the passion in Charles's voice. Just wonderful.
It is interesting in that it feels slightly country to me but when I try to name a specific element of it that’s country, I can’t think of any. For whatever reason, I didn’t enjoy it too much today. The review that wrote it’s best to imagine this on a pleasant day between fall/winter really helped me appreciate it while listening on a day in the beginning of summer. Rating: 2.7
Decent album, genius of the jazzy blues industry, also called one of the pillars of jazz and Blues
О! Рей!!! Я розповідав про цей альбом на каналі) Рей круть!!!
I can understand why Ray Charles was an influential artist. I just think he has much better music than what is in this album. Some of it feels slightly bland, which is disappointing coming from a name this big. There are no recognisable 'hits' on this album, or to be honest, much that is all that exciting. I appreciate the vocals and the pure talent that this man has in his calibre, but the whole album is just asking for something slightly more. With it being an album with two discs, you'd expect something more to keep you invested. On a brighter note, the instrumental throughout is beautiful, and well supported with Ray Charles' naturally great voice. He is very obviously a genius when it comes to music, from lyrics to sound, which is why this slightly disappointed me. There were, however, a few tracks that pricked my ears slightly that I enjoyed. Favourites: Don't Tell Me Your Troubles No Letter Today Bye Bye Love
I wasn't familiar with this album but it's really great
Love Ray though I'm not sure if he knows what Country and Western music is.
big fan of this form of yearning
It's Ray Charles. The voice is supreme you could listen to him sing the phone book. One of my favourite songs You Don't Know Me is there in all its glory. Don't much care for the backing vocals however his piano playing and the orchestra is brillant.
Lush and polished does nothing for me.
ok either the rng is seeded to specifically give us more albums from artists we already heard recently, or it's broken, or we're just astronomically unlucky, cos we got the other ray charles album just over a week ago, making this the i think 5th time we've gotten 2 albums from the same artist in rapid succession since we started. idgi. anyway i was hopeful that this would be more of an r&b sound than the other one, and it is, but unfortunately its often kinda just big band still, mostly in the first half. i definitely enjoyed it a lot more than "the genius of ray charles", especially cos the recording quality isn't total dog ass this time, but as with that one i think this album is at its strongest in tracks like "worried mind" and "it makes no difference now" where the brass section is (mostly) removed and i can actually hear him (sometimes) playing the piano. i wish we'd gotten one of his albums that was like that throughout? overall its fine but like, i just really don't understand why these are the picks the list compilers chose for ray charles albums. i understand that there's a historical context justifying this one at least, and i did also mostly enjoy it, so this is more a complaint about the other album but still. it just makes me wonder what the fuck we're doing here, yknow?
Great album. I love Nashville sound country, and the big band/soul genre cover takes that ballroom ballad essence to its endpoint. Another convincing argument for me to start collecting vinyl.
Made me feel like I was in an old Disney movie. So heartfelt, pure and emotional…A lot of country, a mix of my favourite genres and you can see how this work deeply influenced Elvis music. A bit slow but I actually love these kind of things!
Unfortunately this wasn't at all for me.
Good stuff. The production sounds very dated, but Ray always sounds good.
Overall a pretty good album. I don't know if I'll listen again, but it was pretty enjoyable for something outside my normal listening type.
Nada
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).
Lots of classics/ covers in this and maybe I just don't recognize some. Very different sound from the originals i know but all of them sound great.
Great voice and style. Clearly a pro. Interesting song assortment. I agree with other reviews saying he took country songs and made them a different genre. Reverse Elvis - 100% the right description of taking a root and owning it in a different form. Oh this cover of I Can't Stop Loving Your is used in the climax of the movie Metropolis (not the black and white one). It hits.
He has a beautiful voice. The production value on this album is as good as it gets. The subject matter of the songs is very repetitive, but that's a big part of the genres at play here. Same ingredients served many ways. I Can't Stop Loving You is a stand out.
Double album, twice the joy. Ray is just a real treat, no matter the situation.
Great
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
Ray Charles is legendary. Some of the greatest and most influential stuff. But this album is mostly background listening. It's not bad at all, it's just not anything profound.
Listened to the first bit and it was pretty good
goated.. tive um bom momento com esse álbum
It was really good, Ray Charles is always an delight to listen to.
This was great. 4/5
What to say? It's amazing to have an excuse to listen to music from this era. It's so spacious, so warm, uplifting. Love the way this album blends country into soul and R&B. Says Wikipedia: "The album's integration of soul and country challenged racial barriers in popular music at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. In the process of recording the album, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to exercise complete artistic control over his own recording career."
It’s so… polite. His voice is great but the songs aren’t really there and it’s not interesting whatsoever. I only listened to the first installment because believe me, I’m not fixin to spin 74 straight minutes of the most nothing music ever. Also, is this even country? I really want to know. I don’t hear any country sounds here, other than the occasional choir that sounds vaguely country-ish. It’s also like the same song over and over again. I like some of them but it’s all so samey that I can’t really pick out any songs without knowing deep down that they’re all the exact FUCKING same. 5.7/10
I toyed with giving this one a 5 for a little while, but settled on a 4. Great album with a 20 star song in "You Don't Know Me"
muy cool
I mean, it's Ray Charles. It's not any of his best songs, but it kept me entertained.
Listening session: april 28th, while chilling at home Listened to before: no Thoughts: this feels like it belongs on the soundtrack of a black and white vintage romance movie. The only downside of this album is that it’s quite long and therefore becomes a bit repetitive Favourite tracks: You Don’t Know Me, You Are My Sunshine & Teardrops In My Heart
Es un disco que genera tranquilidad, el tiene una voz que da paz. Por momentos mi cuerpo seguía el ritmo y por otros momentos me sentía en una película de estados unidos. Es un disco que tiene correlación de principio a fin y esta muy bien logrado el concepto de ubicar al oyente en el contexto que sale a la luz este disco. Me gusto, lo voy a volver a escuchar reiteradas veces en mi vida, conocía el artista, no este album.
okej jest nie męczy mimo swojego wieku
Bye Bye Love - 9/10. Jazzy and slick. Big fan. You Don't Know Me - 10/10. Goosebumps as soon as Mister Charles's voice kicked in. Half as Much - 10/10. Jazzy, slick, and smooth. Love the Big Band sound mixed in with the old-school Country/Western tunes. That saxophone solo alone gets this track a 10. I Love You so Much it Hurts - 8/10. Very good. Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way) - 9/10. Nice Big Band arrangement, and Ray's vocals are outstanding. Born to Lose - 8/10. Very good. Worried Mind - 8/10. Very good. It Makes no Difference Now - 9/10. The horns cook, and Ray's voice is smooth. Great tune. You Win Again - 8/10. Great, bluesy tune. Backup vocals are rich and full, strings are well arranged. Careless Love - 9/10. Smooth and slick, just like the rest of the album so far. I Can't Stop Loving You - 11/10. One of the iconic Ray Charles songs (even though it's a cover, I know). This one goes to 11. Hey, Good Lookin' - 10/10. Somehow, Ray Charles covering Hank Williams doesn't feel like it would work, but it definitely does. This tune cooks. You Are My Sunshine - 9/10. This is a very interesting version of this standard. It's great, but it's unusual. No Letter Today - 9/10. A bluesy, Big Band swing beat under a pure, old-school Country song? I'll take more of this, please. Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You) - 9/10. Great. Don't Tell Me Your Troubles - 9/10. This one absolutely swings. Midnight - 9/10. Cool and outstanding. Oh Lonesome Me - 9/10. Outstanding tune with a swinging Big Band style. Take These Chains From My Heart - 9/10. Awesome arrangement and great vocals. Your Cheatin' Heart - 11/10. Once again, Ray Charles singing Hank Williams is a choice, and this is incredible. As good as the original. This one goes to 11. I'll Never Stand in Your Way - 8/10. Very good. Making Believe - 9/10. Great. Teardrops in My Heart - 8/10. Very good. Hang Your Head in Shame - 10/10. Nearly perfect. Overall Rating - 4.54/5 (9.08/10). I would not have thought Ray Charles covering old-school Country songs would be this good. Country with a Big Band Swing is crazy. Absolute killer album.
Tämä oli hyvä levy, ehkä hitusen verran liikaa balladi-biisejä, mutta Ray:n ääni on kuin kaataisi hunajaa korvaan.
I saw a review that said this album was a reverse Elvis. And that's spot on. He took music and made it his own. It's such a wonderful listen.
First time listen Ray Charles is hard to hate and there's not a bad song on this album. It's biggest flaw is how repetitive it can get from a songwriting and instrumental perspective. It's all good from front to back, but hearing so many bluesy, heartbreak ballads back to back wears on you pretty quickly. Favorite Tracks: Just a Little Lovin', Born to Lose, You Win Again Least favorite: None stuck out 3.5/5
If I had never heard Ray Charles or these songs before then I think I would rate this higher. Fortunately I have heard superior versions these songs by Charles. This is still a really well done album.
The fact that this exists is a miracle. The fact that it's good doesn't hurt.
Ray Charles singing the classics is very nice. The oldest sounding album so far and something Don Draper would be spinning with a glass of whisky in hand
Classic Songs with a soulful, inspired voice and intimate production. Feels like he's in the room with you.
reminds me of frank sinatra i really like this one honestly goated 6.7 / 10
spoiler: not at all country and western
Ironic title considering the music is neither modern nor country nor western. Has a very early 60s popular sound to it. Ray has a classic voice. Double Laps on this list are a little cumbersome. From a history of music perspective I can see why it would make the list.
Fantastic Top songs: Bye Bye Love, Just A Little Lovin, I Can’t Stop Loving You, You Are My Sunshine, Don’t Tell Me Your Troubles
Beautiful and timeless. 9/10.
eee absolutamente increioble me sorprendio la verdad, pense q el estilo me iba a aburrir un poco pero no. muy romantico y meloso puede der pero de todas formas es increible la viz de este tipo todo de laprimer a la ultima cancion
Highlights: Bye Bye Love, You Don't Know Me, Half As Much, Just A Little Lovin, You Win Again, Hey Good Lookin In order to stay true to the entry I only listened to the original twelve tracks (passed on listening to vol. 2). But holy shit this came on HARD. Busted through the door like the Kool Aid man, but then it went polar cold and slowed to a crawl. Fitting for the weepy lyrical themes. Not a single happy song on here until the very end, only 19th century-ass romantic schmertz. And as the record goes on it does get a bit monotnous, but there is still a consistent quality to it.
Damn, that girl did a number on him
Had no idea there was a volume 2! Have owned 'volume 1' for years (it's not labeled volume 1 so I wouldn't have thought to go looking for a 2), but this was a great discovery. Loved it just as much as I love the original. While it's country by name, it's Ray through and through.
3/5. I enjoy Ray Charles a lot, but the genre hop here isn't doing it for me. Granted, rock, blues, pop, and country were all so heavily intertwined at this time that the hop isn't all that drastic, but there is a noticeable difference when you compare to his R&B records. The music is good. It's executed well. Charles is magnificent as always. But as a whole it loses steam fast. There are other Charles albums that have greater merit. I'm not interested in the historical impact here or there, especially with nothing of note musically accompanied it. Worth a listen but not returning to.
A recognizable artist, and I gave the album a few listens through, but not sure I appreciated the departure from the style I would have expected from Ray Charles. No doubt a talented artist, but this album didn’t grab me.
Great vocals, great musicianship, although the mood is overall a bit too "happy go lucky" for my taste. 3/5
Muy buena voz, meh en lo demás
Very pleasant to listen to, but ultimately not my cup of tea. I enjoyed the more upbeat tracks (Don't Tell Me Your Troubles, Bye Bye Love), but some of the songs reminded me of Christmas songs 6/10 Saved a Song? ----- ✅ Saved Album? ------ ❌ Will Listen Again? --- ❌
A great sounding album by Ray Charles. I probably wouldn’t go back and listen again and again to the album but I can see adding many songs to playlists to have on in the background.
Sad and beautiful.
WOOO RAY!! Great album, and if course, I'm getting to figure out how i can dance to all of them. 8/10
Classic Ray!
What type of music do you play here? "Both types! Country and Western." One of my favorite lines from Blues Brothers which has Ray Charles! Taking old school country tunes and jazzing them up for the big band style. I saw a review say this was a "Reverse Elvis" and did a great job of bringing people together. Classic with generational talents.
Not what I was expecting, and didn't particualrly grab me in any way. Good background listening.
Amazing. Classic and beautiful work. Would actually be an easier 5 to give if it were shorter
didn't pay much attention was playing slay the spire
No estaba el mood, pero definitivamente tendría ese vinilo. Buen álbum.
3.5 De complemento unos beignets y un vestido verde
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
It's hard to put this kind of trad big band stuff in to right perspective. Works well on the background and Ray Charles is such a great singer. The songs on this album are quite traditional and most of them sound familiar, even for the first time hearing them. It might have more value than my 3/5 rating, but what do i know.
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.
7/10
It’s a very cool album. Just lovely to sit and listen to. Not really Country at all tbh. The backing singing style is very 50s easy listening and is jarring with Rays vocals. Other than that I can’t fault it. 4
I enjoyed it, but the songs felt very similar to each other.
up a star because my grandma loves this one
There’s something really funny about giving an album this title, and then it’s country songs done in a completely different genre. Not “What if Ray Charles did a country album?” but “What if country songs were Ray Charles songs?” Not bad to listen to, either.
super super lovely
I clearly wasn't mature enough when I listened to it for the first time, it's actually really classy, really good, even the length doesn't bother me.
Mer som smäktande filmmusik fr 40-talet än den jazz jag förväntat mig. Born to lose är bland det deppigaste jag hört.
An awful lot of the music I like is inconceivable without this. That said, I can do with less of the Jordanaires style backup singers.
- i do not know if this is technically big band jazz but i enjoyed it - bye bye love was stuck in my head all day - i just love jazz. i love some banger instrumentals and some backup singers and some beautiful vocals - there is a certain kind of wailing string opener that a lot of slower/sadder jazz pieces use and it enthralls me every single time bro - sometimes they sound like the pieces that would play in the background of old peanuts features/shows - only not a 5/5 because some of the slow songs blurred together for me. cut down the length of the album a little bit and it would've been so perfect - honorable mentions: hey good lookin', you are my sunshine - favorites: bye bye love, half as much, it makes no difference now (I LOVE SWUNG RHYTHMS!!!!!!), don't tell me your troubles - rating: 4.5/5
such a legend highlights: you don't know me, just a little lovin rating: 3.5
Några dängor man kände igen från Fallout
so fucking good makes you realize how everything else is trash on this list
This cured my scoliosis
makes me feel like everything’s gonna be alright
funky
NO FUCKING SKIPS. 5/5
Maybe best breakup album of all time
The Spotify collection combines Volume 1 and Volume 2, along with several extra tracks. Although bundled together, these remain two distinct albums that follow a similar blueprint: one side dedicated to orchestral ballads and the other to an up-tempo, big-band style. Released in 1962, both records are high-quality releases with several stand-out moments. Sonically, the production is excellent for its age, as are the sophisticated musical arrangements. However, the backing vocals by The Jack Halloran Singers - used primarily for the orchestral numbers - tend to date some of the material. In instances such as "I Can't Stop Loving You", these additions feel somewhat superfluous; the vocal performances by Ray Charles are powerful enough to stand on their own. This was a deliberate production choice by Charles to ensure the tracks appealed to a mainstream pop audience, but the effect hasn't always aged well. Conversely, the contributions from Charles’s long-time backing group, The Raelettes, on the big-band numbers remain vibrant and have not dated in the same way. Volume 2 opens with the big-band arrangements, and the shift in vocal style is immediately apparent on "You Are My Sunshine", which possesses a genuine soulfulness. "Oh, Lonesome Me" is a brave attempt at reimagining a classic in an up-tempo manner, though it does not quite capture the emotional resonance of the original. On "Take These Chains from My Heart", the more dated choral arrangements return, though they feel slightly less jarring on "Your Cheatin' Heart". These are accomplished albums that successfully bridged genres, even if some of the stylistic choices are firmly rooted in their era. Four stars overall, with Volume One being the slightly stronger album. Volume One 1 "Bye Bye Love" (4/5) 2 "You Don't Know Me" (5/5) 3 "Half as Much" (3/5) 4 "I Love You So Much It Hurts" (4/5) 5 "Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)" (5/5) 6 "Born to Lose" (4/5) 7 "Worried Mind" (5/5) 8 "It Makes No Difference Now" (5/5) 9 "You Win Again" (4/5) 10 "Careless Love" (5/5) 11 "I Can't Stop Loving You" (4/5) 12 "Hey, Good Lookin'" (5/5) Total Vol One - 53 Average Vol One - 4.42 Volume Two 1 "You Are My Sunshine" (5/5) 2 "No Letter Today" (4/5) 3 "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)" (5/5) 4 "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" (3/5) 5 "Midnight" (4/5) 6 "Oh Lonesome Me" (3/5) 7 "Take These Chains from My Heart" (3/5) 8 "Your Cheating Heart" (4/5) 9 "I'll Never Stand in Your Way" (3/5) 10 "Making Believe" (3/5) 11 "Teardrops in My Heart" (4/5) 12 "Hang Your Head in Shame" (3/5) Total Vol Two - 44 Average Vol Two - 3.67 Total - 97 Average - 4.04 301/1001 163/301 albums reviewed were new to me
It's pretty good. I didn't like the pacing of the tracks, going from one upbeat song to a sombre one, only to be followed up with an upbeat one again. Favourite Track(s): Bye Bye, Love, Half as Much Least Favourite Track(s): It Makes No Difference Now, You Win Again
Lovable 64 yea old album
An album almost as old as me and one not especially familiar, despite various familiar songs. Neither had I appreciated the significance and impact of the fusion of soul and country at the time. I thoroughly enjoyed listening while varnishing the pergola in the April sunshine
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
Varias rolas como para el fin del mundo
smooth
Easy listening on a sunday morning. Alright but not my thing.
I'm a huge Nine Inch Nails fan, but Hurt belongs to Johnny Cash now. He owned his cover, made his mark on it and forever claimed it. Ray Charles here did just that, and to a whole double album of songs too. That's novel as hell and I respect it. It didn't need to slap so hard with the big band jazz either, that's just a lil extra as a treat.
Love songs
The voice is just so iconic. Incredible vibes, you just wanna slow dance and feel happy in an empty room.
A beautifully-composed double-album that fills you with nostalgia for a time you weren’t alive for.
absolutely!!!!
I wonder if the title was a little ironic or not? Either way I love this album. I’ve heard it before. Ray Charles is the man.
Love you Ray, but this one’s meh
i wasn't expecting such a relaxing and homey vibe from this album. The instrumentation and slow rhythm in its songs, with the use of bells makes it feel like a Christmas Album. And it's quite strange considering that is more of a popurri of songs. In that sense, can feel a bit samey. But if you're in the mood and need a relaxing and comfy album, this one is excellent. Considering that the little information i know about Ray Charles makes me think about him in a more soulful music related style, this is a great representation of his skill and versatility.
2.5
An easy listen but nothing stood out for me
smooth ass album
*1962. *This is undeniably great stuff, but you have to be in a pretty specific mood to want to listen to it. I am rarely in said mood. However after being forced to listen to a couple tracks, I quickly get into said mood. *Really cool concept - Ray took vanilla country songs and made them bluesy and theatrical. Lots of horns, Frank Sinatra-esque but actually soulful. RATING - 7.5/10
Who doesn't love Ray?
All of these songs are about cheating or getting cheated on wtf was going on in the 1960s bro
Just so boring
I love Ray Charles. I love his original jazz & blues and his 70s stuff, in particular his version of Abraham, Martin & John… I know this album was groundbreaking for its time. Big production, great songs, just not my favorite Ray Charles album. I suggest any of the original Atlantic albums before this one. Ray Charles, Yes Indeed!, Genius After Hours, Genius Sings the Blues… or if you prefer jazz try the Atlantic albums Soul Meeting or Soul Brothers with Milt Jackson! TJ is album was historical, just not my favorite!
ray charles again 5/5
A beautiful voice and wonderful melodies, a good classic.
Nothing wrong with that, nothing at all. I won't pretend like this is something I listen to daily though.
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.
lovely
This was quite a nice jazzy album. I enjoyed having it in the background while doing other things. It also reminded me of how my parents would have this in the background whenever we would visit family friends.
It's all very good, nice, heartfelt, and calm, but a double album is too much even for songs like these. So, a 3
Interesting that this is a country/western album without really being one. If you had told me it was just Ray Charles doing his usual thing, I would've believed you without much more thought. I guess that means the concept he was going for worked. I don't really love the idea of a full-on covers album being essential, but it seems like this one makes the list for other reasons. The Wiki entry really is an interesting background to this album and why he made it, plus the outcome that followed as a result. Hard to argue with that making this a must-listen. I didn't love this one for a bunch of reasons, not the least of which is that I don't love either style that is the focus of the album. Even so, I appreciate it for plenty more. Hard to come up with a rating that reflects that. Overall: 3.1/5
Until now I have never listened to Ray Charles, but that’s not the same as not knowing about him. I know Ray Charles from the Blues Brothers, or more accurately from a partner whose favourite film is the Blues Brothers and adores it. She watched it daily at one point in her life. I of course have watched it with her several times, so I thought I had some idea of what to expect here: something upbeat and energetic like his performance of Shake A Tail Feather in BB. I was half right. This album is such a strange blend of high energy blues and slow crooner tracks that would be right at home on an album of Nat King Cole or Frank Sinatra, with the weighting being slightly in favour of the latter. I would have preferred the weighting to be reversed. Ray Charles has a great voice, and his band does a great job, but I certainly thought they worked better at the classic rhythm and blues than the slower crooner tracks. Not to say he was objectively better in one style than the other, purely personal preference. Charles is certainly adept at both, and the whole package here is a good listen.
This was really nice! Ray’s voice and the instrumentals all work really well together to create a smooth sound throughout. Likes: Bye Bye Love; You Don’t Know Me; It Makes No Difference Now; Careless Love
Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Great - The Genius shows why he deserves that name. Incredible voice and the arrangements here are sublime. The contrast between the energetic numbers and the slower, prettier tunes is really nice. I definitely enjoy the faster songs more though, the joyous energy is so infectious. You Win Again is fantastic. Tasteful piano touches just add to a lovely album. I don't think this is particularly mind blowing it's simply a master at work, effortlessly moulding songs into his vision.
Solid old timey music. Not my kind of thing, but it is to be respected.
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.
Goat shit. We love Ray
Good takes on classsics. Not sure I would call them country and western at this point, but it was a great list of standards and Ray does them justice. Not groundbreaking, but solid.
2.5/5 Très cool à mettre en fond lors d'un apéro ou un repas
It's about goddamned time this thing served me up a 5iver. I was beginning to think this was the 1001 albums of completely forgettable mediocrity. This man is brilliant. This album is amazing. 5 stars. Shout out to the Diet Pepsi commercials of my childhood
Fantastic.
is schon gut so.. aber einfach überhaupt nit meins
Surprised how much I liked it. Not big on country but I like the way Ray does it.
3.5 but doesn't support this review format
This is country? It sounds like a melding of jazz and R&B, but with Charles' country drawl. I can somewhat hear it; a lot of the slow songs remind me of Patsy Cline (i.e. Crazy). I guess country back then was more orchestral-flavoured than it is now. (3.5-4)
It’s classic Ray Charles, what’s to complain about?
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.
Delightful
too long and really didnt do it for me.
It was alright at first but then something clicked and it got so good. Imagine walking around a city, like the idealised version of Paris or somewhere else you see in old films, down a path in the park with lantern-like streetlights and black metal benches whilst this plays.
Ray's not my style
surprisingly good, wouldnt throw it on in the club but chill nonetheless
This sounds strangely old and comforting. Like something from a grandparent’s collection which now would be great-grandparent’s collection. Nobody makes albums like this anymore. I wonder why? Perhaps this kind of music has finally aged out to be relegated to the past and brought out only for nostalgia’s sake because I don’t think I will ever want to listen to this like baroque music or dixieland jazz. I wonder if young people could ever be impressed by the fact that this album is made by real musicians, probably in one take?!
Ray Charles is great
I know it's great music but, perhaps because it's covering a particular style, it felt quite undifferentiated at times and forgettable.
Not terrible but its not christmas and this feels weirdly christmassy......
Some good songs, a bit samey in parts
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 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
Tad bit samey, but nonetheless great.
It's a good time.
Stellar album with everything just working flawlessly. Loved the chill vibe of the songs and the instruments sound amazing as do the singing.
ME ENCANTO
Little long but that's a first world problem
Not my favourite Ray Charles album but still very good.