Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Not for me, some good songs and obvious talent, but most sounded the same and weren't something I would want to listen to again

some tunes here

This album falls into a category of music I enjoy but can’t fit into my daily life. I feel like if I could slow down my evenings a bit I’d put on records like this all the time.

Not my cup of tea but I respect the legend.

It's just too old and schmaltzy for me. I'm sure it sounds beautiful on a cold winter's night. It's all very well played but it's not for me.

Not sure I'd ever heard Ray Charles before. More swingy than I'd really like, but I can see where it would have been a big deal.

Real smooth

Can’t argue Ray Charles has a great voice but not my barrow at all. Historically significant but can’t say more than that. 2/5 5/10/25

I like country and I like Ray Charles but I don't like them together

This was pretty good, didn't even sound modern for 1962 to me though

I'll start by saying that I don't think this is a fantastic album. It's a solid 3.5 star album for me. But, I think this is a good album and a historic one that punches back against white musicians stealing black sounds (*cough* Elvis *cough*) by doing better things with the genre that was originally the White one when recording got started. So, for that I'm rounding it up to four stars.

Decent project, expansive and quite enjoyable 3/5

Love the upbeat stuff, but the slow ones are a little syrupy for my tastes. Vocals are amazing thoughout, though. Historically significant for sure, but not fully my cup of tea...

Mostly superb. Agree with other comments on schmaltzy background vocals on many tracks, but it’s old records. So I have to dock it a star for that. Otherwise it’s pretty great all around. Great singing. Great piano playing and great charts.

Pretty chill

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 Seems outdated even for its time.

Not bad. Not great.

Here Ray has taken old country standards and freshened them by using a mix of pop and jazz bringing them to a wider audience. As someone who used to play in a Hillbilly band (his words) he always knew he could do a good job with them. And he did.

Not a combination I would have expected, but reading up on it I can understand why this one was important. Ultimately not really my thing, but it is good.

Amazing voice, some of the songs were just a bit too slow for me. Didn’t hear as much piano as I thought there would be; more symphonic than expected.

Not my favorite Ray Charles album but with that being said one can never go on listening to his raspy voice, amazing piano playing, and superb orchestral accompaniment. One of the greats of all time.

Just barely a 4. Nothing extraordinary just that I kinda enjoyed listening to the entire album. Easy but chill

It’s nice, very swinging. Not sure if I’m actually finding too much country influence? Could be a great album to throw on in the background of a smoking-allowed, red satin, wine bar.

Some songs are all right, but I'd really have to be in the mood to listen to this normally. It all blends together and all the songs are about the same subject.

Ray Charles's *Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music* is a landmark album that successfully reinterprets country standards through R&B, soul, and big band arrangements. While praised for its artistic vision and cultural impact, some critiques note its polished production can feel dated. Here is a quick overview of the album's essential details: | **Aspect** | **Details** | | :--- | :--- | | **Release Year** | 1962 | | **Label** | ABC-Paramount | | **Producer** | Sid Feller | | **Key Arrangers** | Gil Fuller, Gerald Wilson (big band), Marty Paich (strings) | | **Key Singles** | "I Can't Stop Loving You", "You Don't Know Me", "Born to Lose", "Careless Love" | ### 🎵 Music and Production The album's sound is defined by its sophisticated fusion of genres, moving away from Charles's earlier R&B work . - **Dual Arrangement Styles**: The album alternates between two main sounds. Some tracks feature lush, string-laden arrangements with a choir (e.g., "I Can't Stop Loving You"), while others are driven by a swinging, brass-heavy big band (e.g., "Bye Bye, Love") . - **Charles's Vocal Performance**: Charles's singing is the centerpiece. He delivers the lyrics with profound emotion, blending the melancholy of country with the raw, soulful intensity of gospel and R&B . He avoids imitation, making each song distinctly his own . - **Genre Fusion**: Instead of using traditional country instruments like pedal steel guitar, Charles and his team re-arranged the songs using pop, R&B, and jazz forms, proving the songs' versatility and emotional core . ### 📝 Lyrics and Themes The album's power comes from its focus on universal and deeply felt emotions. - **Heartbreak and Love**: The tracklist is dominated by ballads about loss, longing, and unrequited love. Songs like "You Don't Know Me" and "Born to Lose" are prime examples of this somber, melancholy mood . - **"The White Man's Blues"**: Charles often stated that he saw little difference between country and the blues, noting that both genres dealt with "earthy," honest, and down-to-earth emotions about life's struggles . This shared emotional ground is the album's foundational theme. ### 🌟 Influence and Legacy The album's impact extended far beyond the charts, affecting American culture and the music industry. - **Commercial and Critical Triumph**: The album was an immediate commercial success, selling 500,000 copies in its first three months and earning a gold certification . It brought Charles greater mainstream recognition and is frequently listed among the greatest albums of all time . - **Challenging Racial Barriers**: Released during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, the act of a Black artist mastering and popularizing "white" country music was a quietly revolutionary act that challenged the industry's racial divisions . Charles also promoted the album with integrated concerts in the South . - **Legacy in Music**: The album helped codify the Nashville/pop crossover sound and inspired countless artists to explore country music, effectively helping to establish a "Great American Songbook" from Music Row . It demonstrated that great songs could transcend genre . ### ⚖️ Pros and Cons A balanced view acknowledges both its groundbreaking achievements and its stylistic choices. | **Pros** | **Cons** | | :--- | :--- | | **Cultural Impact**: Broke down racial barriers in music and demonstrated genre universality . | **Dated Production**: Some modern listeners find the string arrangements and backing choirs overly lush or "stodgy," dating the sound to its era . | | **Artistic Vision**: A bold and cohesive concept executed with mastery and genuine appreciation for the source material . | **Lack of Raw Energy**: The polished, ballad-heavy approach lacks the raw, gritty energy and improvisational fire of Charles's earlier Atlantic R&B work . | | **Commercial Success**: Brought country songs to a massive pop and R&B audience, with multiple chart-topping singles . | **Repetitive Feel**: The focus on slow to mid-tempo ballads can create a somewhat samey listening experience, with less variety in pacing . | | **Vocal Performance**: Charles's soulful, emotionally resonant singing is widely considered the album's standout feature . | **Genre Purity**: From a country purist's perspective, the album removes the "twang" and specific instrumentation that defines the genre's traditional sound . | ### 💎 Final Verdict *Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music* is less a country album and more a masterful Ray Charles album that uses country music as its source material. Its greatest achievement lies in proving that the emotional core of music is universal, transcending the artificial boundaries of genre and race . While its production style may not appeal to all modern listeners, its historical importance, artistic confidence, and the sheer power of Charles's voice make it an essential and timeless listen.

yeah i like this

So Ray completely changes some song like I'm your Sun shine and Hafe as much but stays close to the originals on others, You don't know me.Songs penned by Arnold, Rose, Gibson, and Williams. Enjoyed hearing his take but I'm pretty particular about what Ray Charles i will listen to multiple times.When listening to this album compare to the other versions for more enjoyment.9.26.2025 (used to have both volumes in the collection)

Kinda sleepy. I like the songs without the chorus better. I was surprised how many songs I knew.

Easy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Could not get into this!

On Spotify it was the deluxe version that's 2 disc and is more than an hour long. I wasn't planning on watching it until I realized it was the deluxe version and the real album was the first disc, so I decided to finally listen, and it was so good that I ended up listening to like half of the second disc without even knowing

A concerning number of women are willing to take advantage of a blind man.

I liked this, but I wouldn't really say it's something I'm drawn to. Although, this was extremely well made and I honestly think the questions brought up (often implicitly) by this are often more interesting than the music that's here. I wouldn't know it if I didn't look stuff up about this album, but this consists entirely of covers of country classics. However Ray Charles very tastefully adapts them to R&B in a way that I'm not sure anyone else could have. He really, truly makes them into R&B songs, but the compositions remain intact, even though they are transformed. I think one of the most interesting things this album asks is, "Is composition genre agnostic?". In other words, I have to wonder if any composition can be truly made into any genre of music. Where does a cover end and an original begin? Can a song be both a cover *and* an original? I don't know. But this is a truly unique example of interpretation as an artform. And while I don't think I'll be returning to this that often, it is very pleasant, and this kind of does need to be heard.

I really enjoyed the few jazzier tracks. Sadly, they were sandwiched between a whole load of country tracks that I did not enjoy.

Samey but some bops

I’m just gonna say it - it was boring and I was bored

Even though it runs long and starts to feel a little tired, this is a very well-executed and enjoyable album with a cool concept. Much like parents disguising vegetables in a dish so their picky child will unwittingly eat them, it turns out that hiding country music in jazz and blues makes it palatable to me

Easy to listen to

Very cool album concept that doesn't really live up to itself. Sounds fine, Ray Charles is obviously masterful, but it's still just ok music. Momentous and important, yeah, worth listening, but not like, an all-timer.

pretty modern indeed

Ray Charles we trust

Can't be mad at it. This sounds very nice

This is just brilliant. Ray is the master. Not a genre I am really into but the man just knows how to make great music and gets me in my soul

The arrangements on this album are so enjoyable.

Ray Charles is classic for a reason!

Really lovely stuff. This is an album I’d throw on if I was hosting a dinner party. It’s full of classic jazzy, soulful sounds, but in service of recognizably “country” songs, and it’s a great combo. It’s a little long, and not something I personally am gonna put on very often, but otherwise it’s an excellent album. Must-listen #215.

Sometimes context really matters. Without knowing more about this album, I might have thought "OK, I get it. Ray Charles is one of the greats of his era. He's got a great voice and this is some fine R&B. Not really my thing but cool." I might have been slightly confused by the title though. Clearly this isn't a country western album. Digging a bit deeper, this album becomes a lot more interesting. Released during the height of the civil rights movement, Charles dared to cross traditional racial lines in the music industry and make country standards his own. He didn't do this to prove any particular point, he simply loved the music and wanted to use his creative control the way he wanted to. But that in itself is a powerful statement that we don't need to confine ourselves to specific boxes, whether that means genres of music or seats on public buses. In doing recording this album, Charles raised his own profile, challenged society a little more, and affected the direction of several genres all at once. This is more than simply a Ray Charles album. The significance is huge here. It's not one I'd personally listen to much as it's not my style but it absolutely deserves its place on this list.

This album just wasn't for me. I felt a lot of the songs were filler, and didn't have that punchy Ray Charles vibe that I was hoping for. I was definitely impacted by bias over Charles' best hits, and I expected more on this one. 3/5.

Sultry, romantic and energetic. Enjoyable listen, but much of the album felt the same for me. Big fan of his voice and the personality he brings to the music, but I don't think I see myself reaching for this again.

Just Trustin' You Was My Great Sin 1001 Albums Generator 120 (09/17/2025) There's something about this style of traditional pop (similar to Frank Sinatra) that is just so sultry and cool. I haven't listened to Ray Charles much before outside of Kanye samples, so it was a surprise to hear this style from him. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music sounds neither modern nor like country, so the name is a bit of a misnomer, but it's still quite a good album. I will say that hearing Ray Charles say "I'll be your slave" is definitely a little strange lol. In general, the fast paced songs such as Bye Bye Love, Just A Little Lovin', and Hey Good Lookin' are probably the best. Some of the slow songs are good (You Win Again is a particular favorite of mine), and the orchestration and backing vocals are so fire here, but this sound can definitely start to blend together. A good choice for the list, even though it's not particularly my style. 3/5. Favs: Bye Bye Love Just A Little Lovin' (Will Go A Long Way) You Win Again Least Fav: It Makes No Difference Now

I'm a simple man. I hear Ray Charles, I upvote.

Today was not conducive to the kind of hard listening that could extract some underlying truth from the record beyond either the seductive historical context or the humdrum sensation of wondering which Nora Ephron movie might any given track accompany. Unfair,I know.

Great voice, songs and arrangements very much of its time [EDIT: booooring]

Klasika. Panašiai su Ella Fitzerald pagal tematiką, bet pas ją kažkaip linksmiau buvo.

I can't really with country & western, but if you're going to listen to it, you can't do better than Ray Charles. But I prefer him with R&B. Still, it's such a relief to hear what was by all accounts a hit C&W album that wasn't a jingoistic screed in defense of white supremacy.

Top notch. Love the style and song choices.

:)

This sounds great but it's just not for me. The album overall kind of just all sounds the same imo. Good background music.

High quality easy listening. Not really my thing, although nothing objectively terrible about it.

It's so interesting what is called "Country"-- much like Lil Nas X and Beyoncé more recently, Ray is redefines country, and it's brilliant.

If it’s the only album you listen to from the 60s, that’s okay with me.

This may sound dated to today's ears but having lived through the era when this type of music was popular, this was an excellent album and I enjoyed it. Ray was a great performer and I welcome listening to his music.

The one and only Ray Charles.

bello bello per carità però a un certo punto dici ok che palle secondo me top da ascoltare a natale preferita: midnight

Si

È innegabile che ray charles abbia influenzato in maniera significativa il soul, l’rnb e anche il jazz. Quest’album è sicuramente un grande album nonostante io preferisca, per quanto riguarda il jazz, un approccio più “freddo” alla miles davis o john coltrane.

bello, però a un certo punto pesato un po’. Mi sono sentita a tratti in un film Disney

Maró grazie

ma oggettivamente che gli vuoi dire dai

ma non mi salva le recensioniiiiiiiiwiiwiwiwi Comunque top album mi sono arricreata bellissime vibes ogni canzone era interessante a modo suo un 5 pieno x me

Ну как же это красиво и хорошо Под тëплый вечер самое то

It's excellent, great playing, great singing, well recorded. Could go up to a 5 in the future.

Good ray charles stuff, don’t see what’s country or western about it

Legendary

Einfach nicht mein Genre!

A compilation of some classic songs, sung with Ray's commonly known soulful voice.

Lovely classics from the 60s recorded beautifully. Soul and blues. “The album's integration of soul and country challenged racial barriers in popular music at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.” Just fabulous.

Well, it beats old fashioned sounds in country and western music. Although calling big band jump swing modern is pretty funny, even in 1962. Anyway, Ray Charles is a legend, the concept of this album is incredible and subversive (for the time), and I have no real desire to ever listen to it again (complimentary).

Classic big band masterpiece

I enjoyed that.

This is a good album, Rays got a great voice to go over these smooth beats.

This feels like it's way longer than 1.25 hours. I want to move onto something else. This would be fine background music (if we eliminated the Disney chorus) for a restaurant, maybe, but it's no fun for active listening. A 2.

Can someone find Ray Charles a woman who actually loves him as much as he loves her??? At it's best without the old-time-y choir in the background -- gives it the same sound I'd expect from 50's/60's Christmas music. Even the supporting singers on You Are My Sunshine are better. It has highlights but the record in its entirety feels repetitive. The sound stays the same. The lyrics stay the same (I love you, you don't love me, please love me a bit, I worry about you, you don't worry about me, I love you more than you know). He's a great artist but this is better as background music than a focused listen.

I liked it. Good tunes, good accompaniment, a little "disney choir" at times, and combining Vol 1 and 2 makes it way too long, but it's a pleasant listen at least.

I really appreciate Ray Charles. I enjoyed listening to this in the office while it rained. I'll say the lyrics really got old after a while, every song was kind of about the same thing.

Lounge like

Great Ray Charles

No me guta

Pleasant enough but didn’t really grab me. A lot was about to happen in popular music at the time and this does feel like it’s from a previous era.

This is nice to listen to but I don’t think I need it again. But still a very good album.

Great takes though it may sound dated to modern ears, the music is amazing.

Bunch of very ok albums the week

Another LP that was a revelation back in 1962, and it deserves that accolade, unlike some others we’ve had of late — Machito I’m talking about you… Lots of good tracks here, Ray’s singing is great. A solid 4.

What do you get when you combine a genre I generally dislike and an artist I’ve never gotten? Genuinely one of my favorite discoveries of this project, obviously.

pure nostalgia, pure perfection wonderful vocals and dreamy instrumentals everything i wished for

Not much to say, Ray Charles is a legend with a great voice, commanding musical presence, and this (double) album was really great from beginning to end. Did get a bit repetitive with the backing vocals and so many similar tempo ballads.

Reminds me of Christmas music but not about Christmas. Good but wouldn’t listen again most likely

Heard this before

Better than I was anticipating. Pleasantly surprised

I enjoyed listening to this album. Ray Charles is a legend with many great songs. The only thing that would improve this album is if it would come with an old fashion to really have a relaxing listening experience.

I wanted to like this more than I did. Ray has an incredible, emotive voice but I found there were too many slow, ballady songs that, especially on a double album, made it feel draggy. Some of the more upbeat tracks were more interesting to me and it could have had more over the course of the album. Perhaps I should have listened to it in a different context, or this album is just a reflection of style of its time, but overall I was kind of bored of hearing slow songs about love.

I liked disc 2 better than disc 1. First Ray Charles album I’ve ever listened through completely. Legend, great voice, lots of soul.

Chica yo que sé. Arrancó fantastico y luego me desconecté por lo lento que va todo. Igual se nota que el tipo es leyenda. Nota: 2.7

Pleasant music but not very memorable.

It was bizarre listening to ray charles sing this genre. But I loved it.

It’s an enjoyable album overall, I really like the vibes. Nothing stands out to me at all, and I don’t think that it’s Rays best work, but maybe it was important at a place in time. Definitely a good stepping stone of some of his music, I think a three out of five is fair.

Appreciate the singing and the piano, though the whole album idea didn't resonate with me.

The album from 1962 is very catchy and at the same time cozy. It’s giving late night music and I loved that. It reminds me of the Princess and the Frog but at the same time old Disney movie music such as Lady and the Tramp. The songs are rather similar to each other and the album is rather long which resulted in me becoming a bit bored… The songs don’t really stick with you but rather blends together and I can’t really remember the lyrics or melody afterwards. ”No Letter Today” reminded me of Vernon Dursley: ”No letters on Sundays” lol and I loved that. A lot of songs had similar names such as ”unchain my heart”.

Ooooooh, I don’t know a lot of Ray Charles (except Hit the Road Jack which most people do) so I’m hyped. — BEAUTIFUL ALBUM. There was something incredibly soothing about this, I don’t know what it was but Ray Charles voice is so comforting to me. Despite not being overly familiar with his music I found this album nostalgic which was an odd feeling but certainly not an unwelcome one. “You Don’t Know Me” and “Don’t Tell Me Your Troubles” were standouts but the whole album is solid.

I'm not arguing whether this is country, but I don't think this was even a modern sound in 1962. The big band arrangements are syrupy, but they are not really hook led. The backing vocals are excruciating. Ray Charles' voice is great, but I'm not sure this weird experiment in turning country into diabetes is the best use of that voice. 1.5 This is awful. The brash richness of the horns by themselves would make for an over-egged pudding but oh God…oh Jesus Christ, what sublime horror this set has in store over 70+ minutes. The strings are a water-boarding with pure syrup. They didn’t even ask me any questions. The pièce de Room 101, however, is the backing vocals. Volume Two teases you for the first few tracks with the idea that They might not return for the sequel. ‘You are my sunshine’ and ‘Don’t tell me your troubles’ have a pair of recognisably human backing singers doing quality work amid a few tracks with Ray duetting with himself or with no backing singers at all. It’s the best stretch of the album. But from ‘Take these chains from my heart’ onwards They return for their most relentless, merciless showing all the way to the bitter end. I am referring to that crushingly antiseptic sweep of reverbed, gender-neutral backing singing that typically opens the track by cooing the title of the song - like a torturer naming the next implement for the edification of the chap strapped to the table before him - then Oooooos a lot in the background before signing off with the title of the song once more. The torture chamber aside - this style of backing vocal is most redolent, with the assistance of the strings, of stepford wives escalating with fixed smiles, dead eyes, and absent souls, through the shopping mall. Perhaps it is this more than anything else that leaves the impression that Ray Charles is merely selling you something. Volumes 1 & 2, together for the first time in history in this essential set, available now at incredible value for only 74 minutes and 19 seconds of your time. I do like that the impossible-to-number backing singers - could be 3, could be 20, who knows? - sign off the entire project cooing the words ‘Hang your head in shame’ even if like everything else they sing they don’t mean it. It’s just words. There is no shame to be found here. 1.5/5

Amazing. I can't believe I haven't heard this before.

Funny

As a lover of Ray Charles (but who isn’t) and old C&W (but…), this album is a slam dunk from the title onward. I wish my phone had ‘overdone strings’ and ‘maudlin background singer’ filters, ‘cause without them this would be pretty much a perfect album.

A very important and lauded album. Love Ray Charles and the arrangements on here are great, especially when compared to the originals wish there were a few less strings.

5/10 I don't like big band, ok? Bit o love Ray Charles's voice and when it breaks free of the horrible shackles of saccharine strings and BLAH BLAH trumpets (only ever for a moment), you get an insight into what music was about to become.

Modsoundern

Vol.2 мене дуже задушив, типові виконання та аранжування, голос звичайно чудовий. Vol.1 сподобався набагато більше, маю приємну приджазованість

При всій повазі, не виходить від цього альбому отримати якесь задоволення.

Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: 😎🕴️🟥 Production: 🕰️🙂👌 Music: 🐮➡️🆒 Rating: 🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️/5

Tbh I didn't listen to the full thing. But a lot of songs I was already familiar and wouldn't have thought he'd cover. And honestly he probably most all of these sang it better than the OG. I appreciate him.

4/5

Good one

Very long set of albums, but inoffensive stuff. Not sure why it's Country and Western as it's blues and smooth jazz!

Малко ми дотегна. Много протяжни песни от рода на романтиките на 50те дето ми дойдоха в повече

This is definitely an album that sounds dated, but his singing is lovely on this.

Every song here is pitch perfect for a montage in a 90s boomer romcom.

Such a great album, though initially a confusing listen on Spotify. Back in the late 90s I had the 4CD set version of this album that included the second volume and other country recordings Charles did for Atlantic. The version on Spotify seems to include both volumes but I didn't realize that at first, which made picking a track particularly challenging. That said, when I went to refresh my memory about the importance of this album in terms of crossover appeal of R&B singers, I found the original volume 1 track list. So, keeping "Half as Much" and "It Makes No Difference Now" from this album for my 1001 album exploration project playlist. A solid album on re-listen all these years later and I always have a soft spot for listening to Ray Charles.

Love it, just about every second

fun

I’m not a fan of country music.

Shows that classic songs are classic in any genre. Loved the Hank Williams covers. 4/5

Might have been the wrong day for this. I dug it but wanted something else. Need to revisit. Might be a grower.

Its beautiful. Nicely mixed. It's a mood, and for me, it's a sleepy one. Sink into a chair. Think a little. It's a 3 for me. I just don't gravitate to the sound. Perhaps a grower. If Zak bought it for me on vinyl I could listen to it more maybe have some naps.

Great album! I can't say I love every song on it individually, but I do love the entire album.

I appreciate the impact that this album has had. The album is amazing musically and Charles has an amazing voice but I don't enjoy the bluesy nature of the album. Yes the album is very creative and interesting but I just cannot get into it. It sounds like a product of the time it was made and it's a little outdated. 3.5/5

You know... Horns, strings, female backing vocals. I can picture the complete experience with this record, listening in a saturday night, savoring an Old Fashioned or a negroni, etc... The Full boomer american way of life experience™ BUT We are in 2026. I must recognize the quality and production, this record is a big product of its time. Furthermore, this album sounds like if Sinatra has the Mojo. But this is too much Sinatra-esque for me. Definitely, the best Ray Charles is the rock and roll Ray Charles. From Mess Around, I've Got a Woman, What'd I Say. Good album, but few remarkable songs. And they are more rock and roll/swing than this big band jazz thing that impregnates the whole record. 3/5, more like a 63/100

I got Volumes 1&2, so I don't know if both or just Vol. 1 was intended ala the Ella Fitzgerald Gershwin album(s), but, regardless I believe both albums belong on this list because Ray Charles does something that not many can do. He de-countrifies Country music. If a lot of these songs aren't recognizable to you than he did his job because what makes real Country music so good is the story telling. Take away the cliché or the jokes about the twang and put it into a different context like 60s Soul you get a masterpiece of an album. 5/5

very nice

Classic 50’s vibes. Felt like I needed to be at a drive in movie with my sweetie listening to this

Classic. Ray Charles, I mean it is just really nice. Sunday music.

🎵 Day 36 / Ray Charles – Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962) 🗯 In 1962, Ray Charles pulled off something unthinkable. He shifted from rhythm & blues into the sacred white space of country & western — and in the process, cracked it wide open for everyone. Think Beyoncé in the early 60s: uniting audiences, rewriting expectations, and sounding effortless. The record itself? Less cowboy boots, more big-band swing — lush arrangements, strings, brass, gospel-inflected backing vocals. It might not sound all that “country” to modern ears, but it’s all covers delivered with such conviction that they become Ray’s. ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ alone is a towering crossover moment — R&B phrasing set against syrupy Nashville strings, turned into a #1 hit. It’s not just a record, it’s a cultural earthquake. Proof that country and soul — black and white, uptown and downhome — could not only coexist but thrive together. Verdict: Essential For fans of: Sam Cooke, Patsy Cline, Solomon Burke, the bridges Beyoncé and Lil Nas X would later build.

2.5, good but redundant

8/10 Favorites: Bye Bye Love Hang Your Head In Shame

Kind of liked it, loved his voice as always but the symphonic background on all the songs all drifted together. Also, 36 tracks is a lot!

All love ballads, no lyrical 'depth' to be found. However, I think this is just about as palatable as music can possible be for me. Giving it a four, I've been back already and I'm confident I'll be back in the future. I love you so much it hurts, half as much, and you don't know me are highlights.

I guess I’m on a generosity streak

Did exactly the same as Harness.

Entirely unremarkable which is a shame

I felt like I should like it more

Fell asleep to on a plane. Seemed perfectly fine. The last song hang your head in shame felt apt

I don’t think I ever would have pegged any of these songs as country/western, but I would put them down as really good.

Sunglasses

Ray Charles is one of my favorites, this was an instant 5 for me. He's got some serious pipes, sings like a beautiful bluesy angel. I mean c'mon, his last name is even my first name!

Just good listening to music. Not a bad song on it.

Ray Charles: a national treasure. I didn’t know how to interpret the name of this album at first, but while listening I began to understand it a little more….the modern take on country-western mixed with lounge vibes, and even some bluesy gospel influences for extra flavor. I’ve heard his classics, the ones we all know and love but this was my first run through this entire album, or two rather. And it was a fun swing. His emotional ballads are heartbreaking and you really want him to come out ok but that’s the hook and it’s a relatable one. He comes across as such a singular force in his delivery - it is clear why he is counted among the greats. The melding of his raw, edgy, slightly gritty voice in with the smooth, melodic instrumentals is intoxicating…makes one feel more romantic just by listening. He is smooth, polished, and a true romantic. He’ll always hold a beloved space in our collective hearts.

Dude. Reintepreting all this sad boy​, whitebread mid​-century country and western twang ​material as a big​, swinging jazz ​numbers and r&b ​ballads right in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement is ​such a fucking boss move I can see why this record is on the list. The ripple effect in America from this record cannot be understated. ​Primarily, this album represents an astounding act of creative jiu-jitsu. Country music has its origins in American Black Culture, but many of the originators were left behind​ when it was branded and commercialized as a white thing after WWI. ​In this record, Charles takes songs that owe their existence to African-American creativity and reclaims them through yet another act of African-American creativity. Genius. This also in turn brought a lot of mainstream white listeners along to appreciate Charles and other R&B artists.​ Not to mention that Willie Nelson himself stated the album "did more for country music than any one artist has ever done."​ "Bye Bye Love"​ is a fantastic and bombastic way to let you know you aren't getting slide geetars on this record. ​"You Don't Know Me​,"​ also a heavy standout, telegraphing that there are definitely gonna be some tears, too. T​he 1960s string orchestras, women's chorus background harmonies*, and that hollow lead vocal reverb will always remind me of hanging out in my grandpa's house when I was a kid. I am pretty sure my grandpa listened to this record ​a lot, in fact. ​He was one of the white dudes who got hip to Ray Charles through this album. (Th​is memory was triggered with the classic. "I Can't Stop Loving You."​)​ Ray Charles has a​ real ache in his vocals that lend such gravity to these interpretations. "Careless Love" is a cool blues take, but since the lyrics mention mourning doves a lot I simply cannot like it on principle. I have hated the call of the mourning dove ever since I was a little kid. It is one of the​ most annoying sounds on Earth, and this song references it. I hate ​the sound of mourning doves so much, I plan to move somewhere where they don't exist so I don't have to listen to their ​vacant fucking cooing ever again. Stupid, repetitive ass birds. ​Anyways, "Hey Good Lookin'​" is an ​m​arvelous jazz take on the Hank Williams Sr classic. The punctuating horn lines give tha​t original hayseed twang some incredible ​swingin' life. ​P​laying with the ​rhythms within the time signature and syncopation applied to ​"You Are My Sunshine" takes it to an almost unrecognizable place. It injects the​ heartbreaking melancholy of the original with a​ surprising joy. The cover art seems designed primarily to catch maximum attention at the record store in all its red glory so everyone just picks it up immediately. Nice typography, but I would expect nothing less from a layout done in the 1960s when design was really peaking. * Try and convince me these chorus backups repeating the last phrase aren't a more ethereal equivalent of a hype man like Flava-Flav or Sen Dog repeating the last 4 words of the main verse in rap and hip-hop.

I wasn’t familiar with most of these standards, but when I was, I was amazed at how much Charles made these songs his own. An excellent themed album that manages not to feel like a gimmick.

Great voice, just not my genre

Gut gemacht. Hat am Anfang wirklich Spaß gemacht, wird mit der Zeit aber etwas anstrengend, weil es dann doch ähnlich ist.

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

Virkelig kedeligt. Virkelig langt.

Fancy diner music. But Ray Charles voice is timeless.

10/10 vibes

I really think that Ray Charles is the problem in all these situationships.... great music but too long and all too similar

2.5

Warme orkestklanken, jazzy pianogetingel en zoetgevooisde koortjes, en de aanstekelijke blije stem van Ray: ik word wel blij van dit klassieke geluid. Maar, zo vertelt d'n Wiki, in de roerige tijden anno 1962 was dit ook nog eens een brug tussen de zwarte muziek en de blanke country & western. We staan hier op een kruispunt van blues, jazz, pop, country en folk, en iedereen in Amerika vond het leuk. 'Music unites people', zei een van de critici. Dat dat nog maar weer vaak moge gebeuren.

En compleet overzicht van verouderde stijlen. Niet mijn smaak dus. Maar het hoort natuurlijk bij een muzikaal overzicht. En kies dan deze plaat maar. Want Ray kan wel zingen. Wiki benadrukt de muziek- en cultuurdoorbrekende opzet. Want Soul en Country waren (zijn) toch echt twee verschillende werelden. Ik beleef zelf weinig luisterplezier aan dit album. Maar al met al kan ik deze man niet met een onvoldoende laten zitten.

Het blijft altijd lastig luisteren naar hele oude muziek. Het begin zit nog wel wat tempo in, maar in het vervolg zijn het voornamelijk trage croonerliedjes. Moet gezegd, Ray Charles zingt het fantastisch. Maar het is echt muziek uit een andere tijd. Ik kijk met veel plezier films uit andere tijden, maar ook daar heb je bij alles voor de jaren 70 dat het echt gedateerd aanvoelt. Alsof dat een hard omslagpunt is. Ik kan me voorstellen dat dit geweldig was in die tijd, want ze wisten nog niet wat daarna allemaal kwam. Ik kan het alleen niet met die oren beluisteren. Het verschrikkelijke koortje dat af en toe meedoet, brengen dit zeker omlaag naar een 2.

I’m going to be honest I didn’t rly pay attention to this album but had it on in the background and what I head I did like it. Soul music is right up my alley so ofc I liked it. My only complaint is that I feel like there are better soul albums/artists vocally and there wasn’t rly any variety in songs. Fav song was Making Believe and I’ll give it a 7.7/10 3.8/5

The fact that these are covers of country songs is insane!!! “You Dont Know Me” is the first standout song on here, the soaring strings and backing vocal accompaniment are so charming. Add these to Charles’ heartfelt crooning, and it all comes together to make a really special, wondrous but still sad song. The one that really got my attention was “Careless Love” when he hums the ‘well if I could hmmmm’ part. So much soul comes through in little choices like that. It’s hard to even call it a choice, these sentiments seem to be destined to spill through Ray Charles artistry. He’s at his best on this album with songs like these, when everything sounds super floaty, when Ray is hopefully pining for someone. I knew that “Hey Good Lookin” was too good to be an original by Jimmy Buffet/Clint Black (no disrespect to Jimmy I love him). Speaking of covers, “You Are My Sunshine” is a neat lift of a classic so different that it was hard to recognize. “Leave Me Alone” was a nice change of pace; it speeds things up in contrast to what can be my only criticism of this record, that a few too many songs are functionally the same. In my perfect world, Charles picks the best dozen of the bunch and tinkers with them or lets them run for a while. But that’s a nitpick at best! Ray Charles was in his bag. Such a rich voice. 4/5 all day on this one

So good

I really enjoy all this, but it's too much altogether. Terribly named too.

Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and country classics all had a beautiful child.

So monumental it changed not one but 2 genres. It's like listening to a warm hug. It is a bit long in the tooth though. 8/10

This was far more ballroom or orchestra style music than country and western. Most of the songs are sappy, schlocky love song remakes, but Ray Charles is a legend and a couple of them are fun, like Don’t Tell Me Your Troubles.

Ray Charles has one of the best voices of the 20th century. I'm pretty sure he could make anything worth listening to. Which is exactly what he does here. These are country songs from the 40s and 50s redone with some soul, a bit of jazz, and a whole lot of big band. This sounds like it comes from 1948, not 1962. Big band isn't really my thing, but this is more interesting than most of it. I don't particularly like the backing choral singers. I also don't particularly like this era of country music, so most of the songs are a bit boring too. I found it interesting that most of the songs I liked were originally sung or written by Hank Williams. I guess he was a better writer than most country musicians of this era. This would get about a 2 or 2.5 with most other singers. Ray Charles makes it a solid 4.

Absolutely one of the best. Every track is memorable.

unfortunately not my thing. nothing gripped me about this whatsoever and my brain just tuned out the music. i suppose it's not terrible tho

This starts off in the Frank Sinatra realm of things, moves on to Christmas sounding music, splash in some gospel and now we are onto the old style country. While this doesn’t blow me away, it’s serviceable. It spans multi generations and can be background music for pretty much any setting. Thats important. I do not have a standout track, as one of the knocks against it is that the songs don’t really separate themselves from each other. They just all skip along one by one.

He can really play the piano well but there were a few points where it seemed like he couldn’t see the keys he was hitting

A few years ago, I would raid the thrift store/op shop record bins, hoping for an excellent vinyl. I struck lucky a few times with jazz records. The sort of album, I could toss on while making a cup of coffee on a morning, enjoying the morning sun and relaxing sound. I'd never got any Ray Charles, and when it said Country and Western (yes, that's right, both kinda!) I was a little unsure. The songs themselves don't sound at all in any country manner (except the odd string of notes). Hank Williams's 'Hey, Good looking!' has been given a big band revamp. And that's the highlight of this record, the backing band. It's strong, tasteful and very busy! Lovely cinematic style orchestration, jazzy horns and backing choir that sounds straight out of a 50s Disney movie. Charles can sing! Even the solemn numbers he still belts out with exceptional baritone. I suppose I never appreciated his pipes! This is the sort of album, I wish I picked up. I will get copy one day! And, usually 5 stars is for albums that I could proudly blast out of an aux chord in someone's car. But, hey, I don't care anymore! 5 stars!

This album is like coming home from your tour of duty as the war has ended. Earlier, everyone was singing and dancing in the streets, and now your and your wife have retired to a nearby quiet bar as the festivities have wound down. After enjoying a few rum cocktails as the other patrons leave, you find yourselves to be the last people in the bar. You slow dance on the dimly lit dance floor, all of a sudden oblivious to the world around you.

Great swing and rock to it and what an amazing singer. Would have been quite the album in the 60s and while it stands up today, I can't give it a 5 as its not quite my cup of tea.

This album starts with a joyful “Yeah!”—and honestly, that set the tone perfectly. I was hooked right away. On my day off, walking in the sun, it felt like the ideal soundtrack—full of good energy. I really enjoyed the mix: the lush, Sinatra-style orchestration, Ray’s bluesy vocals, and those Western songs reimagined in a big band blues style. It all worked beautifully. That said, it’s too long. It could’ve been a tighter single album. The pattern—upbeat tune, then a slow heartbreak ballad—gets repetitive. A little more variety would’ve helped. Still, the singing, arrangements, and vibe are top-notch. It’s the kind of record I’d put on at a party or when I want to feel lifted. Smart, soulful music.

Really enjoyed reading about this album and how it was made while listening to it! Definitely groundbreaking!

An old classic I heard of bit never listened to. It was really nice!

Enjoyable and interesting in both music and lyricism despite almost every song being about love.

Easy-to-listen-to big band staples to get your grandma dancing to. Charles has such character in his voice and orchestration.

Jazz and blues takes on western and country classics. As good in theory as it is in execution. Loved it.

Really good.

I don't like the genre, but it is a good album

This was already in my collection. The man is awesome!

I feel like I wouldn’t really call this country and western but it was fun to listen to. Not my fave of all the covers tho

Loved it

Ray CHarles, what an innovative record, it says it’s country but it’s not like anything else. It’s a great listen and given time and greater understanding on my part could be 5. 4.5 Star

Can Ray Charles make bad music? I don’t think so.

Wanted to love this album. Production , singing and playing are classic big band Ray Charles. Unfortunately most of the songs are slower love songs or revamped blues renditions, which drops it a star for me.

Amazing

I could listen to Ray Charles all day. I think that his music very soothing and mellow, like something I would listen to if I want to go to sleep peacefully. But I feel that this album coming before albums became a serious thing, it really didn’t do much for me. Albums at the time of this coming out were mainly just a compilation of songs, almost like a greatest hits but with a lot of filler. This was also a time when covers mainly took over the music industry with some of the biggest songs by Elvis and the Beatles being covers before they really brought they’re own songwriting into the mix. There are some good songs on here but I just feel that all this album really is, is mainly filler. But other than that, like most albums at the time, there are some great songs on it. Favorite Tracks: Bye, Bye Love, You Don’t Know Me Rating: 3/5

Pretty fun, but got boring after a while.

Lovely songs, and Ray Charles has a beautiful, soulful voice, but I wouldn't in any way categorize this music as country and western. I guess he modernized it by removing the twang, fiddle, steel guitar, banjo, etc. and replaced it with lush orchestral sounds and angelic backup singers? I wasn't sure if this entry was supposed to be for both volumes or just the first, but I liked it enough to listen to both. Those cheesy backup vocals are a bit much sometimes, especially on the second volume, maybe because "I Can't Stop Loving You" was so popular? Speaking of that song, it always reminds me of the climactic scene in the Metropolis anime (2001) (which I highly recommend).

Wow, what an album. This was my first Ray Charles album, and I'm excited to hear more! There are so many great songs here, wrapped up in a theme of love and loss that I adore. This is the closest thing to a 5 as I've gotten in a while, but the only thing holding it back are a few songs being a little too repetitive, or forgettable; On an album that's nearly 90 minutes, that can be forgiven. I loved the presentation of each song with the slow ensemble and Ray's amazing voice just ooze with passion and romanticism. Favorite songs: Born to Lose No Letter Today Oh, Lonesome Me Take These Chains From My Heart

Good but not a fan

Far too long, but a groundbreaking album considering the climate it was released in.

Love Ray Charles but this album less so

Definitely would have preferred a Ray Charles album that wasn't a batch of country, folk, and Western music standards.

I was looking forward to this but it was so...... Safe?

Ray Charles...obviously super talented musician with a great voice. However, it just sounds a little too dated at this point. I'm sure these were bangers back in the day but they don't live up quite the same. Album feels too long and I only made it through about half. Credit where it's due though 5/10 (2.5/5)

Erinomaisesti sovitettu kokoelma klassikoita!

A nice smooth and slow album, but the bad audio recording really got to me. The random wind-like noises and distortion were really distracting and annoying. 2/5 stars.

Ray Charles LOVED his wife. The album got very samey.

Super charming and i can't really hate in ray charles

Love Ray C

Not always for me, but can see how influential and important it was.

soul + country —> great stuff

Its Ray Charles, impeccable singer yada yada yada. At first I didn’t really get the album title until I did some research and discovered these are all covers of popular country songs of the time, and I ended up recognizing a couple. On top of being a creative concept, I think it’s a huge testament to how impressive early R&B arrangements are, from the enchanting strings in ballads like Born to Lose to the rowdy big band horns in blues tunes like Bye Bye Love. A little too long in my opinion but cool to see this Legend’s take on some old Honky Tonks.

fun! quite samey, which I think is common for albums of this era

A nice listen, quite samey but enjoyable

Good but a little samey.

Who doesn’t love some smooth big band country jazz

He’s good. What a voice. Great arrangements and I love the fact that you can still hear a bit of country in there but he has very much made it his own.Prefer the uptempo numbers, they are fun, the slower ones get a bit samey

Pretty good. But I like some of good other stuff better.

Wonderful

It’s an ambitious project and Ray is up to the task, but the cycle goes on and on and on to the point of exhaustion. There’s 1 1/2 really great arrangements here but the switching of country background singers to big band background is just grating. But Ray Charles cannot be denied totally, so it’s still worth a spin.

Soul filled take on country music

Not my favorite kind of music but it was nice

Solid Ray Charles. Big band arrangements that sound about as far from country and western as you can get. Strong closer with “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” but this album is plagued with the same corny white backup singers as his other Columbia records.

The songs blend together in the similarity of their arrangements, but Ray Charles is a fantastic performer.

This was a fun album with great soulful sounds and music. Ray was one of a kind.

Smooooooooth, baby.

What an incredible voice this man had! The arrangements and orchestration are very much of their era but all the better for it. Most if not all the songs are better than the originals and it was a pleasure to listen to.

2,7/5

Favorites: Bye Bye Love, You Don't Know Me, Worried Mind, Careless Love, Hey, Good Lookin', Midnight

There are some good interpretations on this album, and some that don't work. The big band/orchestral sound doesn't wow me.

Just a great mix of blues, jazz, and soul. I can't help but see this as just a bit dated, but considering the time period it's from, it overall holds up better than a lot of other stuff.

beautiful

Soul music not for me

Ray Charles doing country and western songs. It works well. I wasn't sure what to expect but it's good. I suspect the reason this albums works so well because Ray Charles is a generational talent and amazing. Seriously he put so much out there and listening to him feels like home.

Sounded good. A lot of classic songs here that I recognized.

A delight. Great singing, great music. Happy to return to this any time.

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

Strong musical skills but too slow for me

Cool music, nice album I could listen to every once in a while.

super smooooth and nice, saved to listen again later. Love the vibe.

lounge music qui fait du bien

Incredible sound quality, production and musicianship. Appreciate the talent but this isn't something I'd come back to. All the songs kind of melded into each other.

Not the best of ray in my opinion. I’m much more into the blues stuff from 1961. Year I was born. I gave a few tracks. Gimmi the blues anytime

fine

adri: 8, la tranquilidad es lo que más se busca. Me ha transportado a otra época. mar: 8, cuuuuuteeee

Very modern

Good stuff but the backing vocals are dated

this was lovely <3

As great as Ray Charles is, musically a lot of this album is corny schmaltz. I HATE this style of background vocals and the strings get annoying as well. But I can forgive that because of how much I admire this album as a thing that exists, even if I don’t want to sit and listen to it. Firstly, I love the sheer chutzpah of Ray Charles recording an album of country songs. Sometimes when one of the greats is at his or her peak, they say “I can do anything and it’s going to be amazing. I can sing the phone book and it will be a hit.” And occasionally, they’re actually right. That is where Ray Charles was in 1962. He could have done anything and it was going to work and he knew it. You have to admire someone who has it and isn’t afraid to act accordingly. Secondly, I love how very, deeply, American this album is. In the old world, they love their distinctions. The pottery guild makes the pots and the blacksmithing guild makes the frying pans and if anyone colors outside the lines they will go beat them up. And don’t get me wrong, I respect that. It ensures everybody eats and can provide their children with their daily ration of wine and cigarettes. But - for better and very often for worse - America threw that playbook straight in the trash. Distinctions exist here, but they always bow - like everything else in America does - to the almighty dollar. If you can sell units by tearing down every genre distinction in the world then we will put a crown on your head until your records stop selling. The only distinction Americans care about is cash or card. Everything else is just details. We will listen to your big band country blues jazz in our combination KFC Taco Bells while wearing our Italian clothes and driving our German cars, all of which are made in China. God bless America! Ray Charles was the best in the world at this time and followed his vision for the art he wanted to make with a boldness that people who don’t have a proper appreciation for that kind of thing might call arrogance, and the world is a better place because of it. The only reason I’m not giving this record five stars is because of how it veers into Lawrence Welk territory at times. But I have enjoyed re-listening to it today and unquestionably think it belongs on this list.

I don't know a single Ray Charles song. I'm sure I've heard one before, but I couldn't name one or identify his voice. This will be a good exposure to that, although I also didn't realize he made country music? Either this album is out of left field or I just know nothing about this guy.

Great

This album makes me wish I was in love and walking along a cobblestone path with my person. Omg I can't wait to cook an elaborate dinner while listening to this. I am just swaying at my desk imagining what life could be <3

I'm not really a fan of the big band or the choral accompaniment, but this album deserves a place in my Tidal library and merits five stars on the basis of Ray's voice alone.

I'll be damned if this doesn't put a smile on my face. It was interesting to hear these songs from this perspective. There was a feeling of listening to gospel songs in church. It was a nice listen. I'll give this a 4 just for Ray doing a bang up job on some country songs.

Ray Charles is a comfort listen for me. These songs didn't strike me as very country or very modern, but I guess at one point they were both. Some of them seemed more like jazz standards, but I enjoyed hearing different arrangements on the songs I was familiar with. I could totally see having this on as good-vibes background music.

The man sounds effortless on every song. I am not even sure someone can really even be taught this type of vocal delivery. It's unforced and just seems to come to him naturally. A lot of these songs I haven't even really heard, but I was drawn in simply by the way Ray sings. It's really incredible. No pitch correction but just talent and experience. I'd be really curious to know how many takes it took him to execute some of this stuff. I bet it's not many.

good

Not a big fan of country, but Ray Charles puts his spin on some recognizable standards.

Fine, but not my bag.

I really like this concept and I’m glad I had a chance to listen, since I probably would never have pressed play unless someone told me to.

Huge respect for Mr Ray Charles (loved by my parents in the early 60s), but this album ain't it imho. Not the style where he shines.

this is music, my vibe, mi manada

Great! Loved the big band tales of country songs - maybe needed one more big and faster number midway through the second half to keep the pace up, but fantastic nonetheless

Drôle d’album, un peu jazz, un peu bigband, mais avec un quatuor à corde qui donne un côté quétaine, ou vieillot…

Move over Pat Boone and Perry Como, Ray can do country swing for the country club dance better

Songs about love with a nice Big Band sound

Definitely didnt get the country/western I was hoping for but an enjoyable album

These songs are fire and I don’t typically like this genre of music.

Not much to say here. Complete classic

Absolute masterpiece. If you're looking for Great American Album you could probably stop your search right here.

What a blindingly talented musician. He can inject such genuine emotion into his music; he knows when to blast with his vocals and horns and when to keep it soft and simple. Any one can see this is a fantastic album

A lot of standards and classics- great swing/big band feel. Well done if not a bit too long/repetitive but an absolute legend at the top of his game.

Enjoyed listening to it. Standout songs: You dont know me Hey, good lookin

Is this the 1962 equivalent of Cowboy Carter or Lil Nas X? Sixty years later, these songs do not sound at all controversial but I'll believe what I've read about how many feathers were ruffled at the time. Conversely, it's also hard to wrap my head around everything I've read about how influential this was in mainstreaming (and influencing) country music. There were only a few moments in this album where I could hear the country bleeding through in the arrangements, otherwise this played like a pretty standard album of early 60's R&B/Soul/Pop crooning, just based on country songs. I could have done with fewer violins, but I understand that was a thing at this time. I feel like I appreciate this as much as I appreciated "The Genius of Ray Charles" when I listened to that but I understand that this album is probably more culturally significant and thus more necessary pre-death listening. That makes rating complicated. In any case, I’m glad I held back a little bit on my 'Genius' review so I can say it here: Ray Charles was a visionary. Someone get this guy a Diet Pepsi.

Ray Charles and the Genius of Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

I prefer Ray Charles' other stuff to this album. There are only 2 types of songs on "MSiCaWM": 50s ballads and jazz. Those tunes are still good, though. I did accidentally listen to "MSiCaWM" out of order. Also, why does this album's title sound like a compilation that was released 20 years later? 3 stars for "MSiCaWM".

The way Ray plays and sings these songs, you would think they were all his originals. Can't help but log them ad the definitive versions going forward. Favorites are Bye Bye Love, You Don't Know Me, Just A Little Lovin', You Win Again, and Hey Good Lookin'.

Nice band. Too many Songs are too similar. Need a bit of Georgia on my mind. 🎺

Good stuff, Ray

Excellent

Ray Charles is a classic

Lots of lovely love songs, i got bare hate in my heart tho

great fun

This isn’t music I typically gravitate towards because it is a bit slow for me but I can appreciate the significance of the album and the blending of soul, big band music, and classic country genres. Many of the songs sound similar to me so they all sort of blend together but they have a great melody and sound and are produced wonderfully. I would need to be in the mood to pick this up again but I would recommend others to check this album out!

Wish there were a few more uptempo tracks and a few less ballads, but even if this isn’t a personal favourite, historically it’s a vital album.

The way that he basically reinvents these songs into a style that's so effortlessly his own is incredible. Some of these songs are classics in their own genre and he's taken them and remade them into basically new songs while still keeping the underlying feeling and idea of the songs in tact. "Hey Good Lookin'" is unbelievable. "You Are My Sunshine"...whoa..... "Your Cheatin' Heart" works surprisingly well in this style. Excellent album and a really enjoyable listen.

Great arrangements. Lyrically, you can tell these are country songs. He does it very well, but I'm not listening to something this long where they all sort sound similar. Not knocking Ray Charles or the music. It's just too much.

I didn’t even notice the country

Pleasant but very samey both musically and lyrically. Nice to hear several really famous ones with different arrangements though.

good bones but kinda hokey

i love the harmonies and how pretty the music is. also neil young has a cover of oh londsome me that i enjoy inspired by the one on here. just not really something i can emotionally connect to

One of many albums I have listened to in my lifetime. In some ways it's just like all the rest - you hit play and then the music starts coming out of whatever device you've chosen to listen on. But in other ways it is much more. For instance, the hex code of the particular shade of red on this cover is #E2231A, which approximates to something called Tropical Red. Have I ever seen that before? Who can say.

Ray Charles will forever be one of the greats, and the proof is all over this record; however, while Ray’s vocals and piano playing may be timeless, the added flourishes in production endemic to this era date the music horribly. Which is to say, I can appreciate many of these tracks in isolation, but to sit through 1 + hours of this stuff is simply maddening. The fact that these are all country songs makes the experience all the more harrowing given the tedium of the genre. ⭐️⭐️

Aw yeah. This album is it. Ray Charles brought his rhythm and blues style to popular country songs, turning them into classics. I'm not quite sure what he did to make the songs so good--is Ray Charles a witch? The whole album is delightful, and I am charmed.

This type of music is not typically my jam (surprising absolutely nobody who knows me or tracks my reviews). That said, even I can see the greatness in Ray Charles. He does a very good job of converting country music to his typical soulful big band style; there was an idea here and he made it a strong success. There's no trace of these originally being country songs, which I think is very interesting and impressive. Not a fave, but definitely a nice listen! There's a reason that Ray Charles is a legend, that's for sure!

This dude rally has it all going on this album but I especially love the title