Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

miły

Nice pleasant album from the legend himself. Lots of soothing melodies and great vocals. A little bit long but nothing wrong with the album

I liked it, but it was a lot!

3/5, quite long and though nice to the ears sounds mostly the same to me throughout

Day 312 A voice from the heavens, found myself getting a little distracted as it sagged a little in the second half but plenty here to enjoy. Highlights Bye bye love Don’t tell me your troubles.

3.75

Bye Bye; tight arrangement, backup singers are locked in; Sid Feller key in song choices I have to get used to hearing Charles in a different light. You don't know me much like his Georgia recording. 2 tracks in and this is Country and Western? Someone tell Bob's Country Bunker. Half as Much swings like a pig by the tail! A lot of these ballads sound like something Nat King Cole would sing. There are a lot of ballads on this album. So many ballads! Maybe the title could have been Ballads and Blues? More suited. Distinct lack of my dog died my woman done left me my pickup truck broke down. Still, it's Ray so a 3.

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.

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.

Not my genre

Reminded me of Disney film! Not saying that's a bad thing either! Was a very pleasant listen!

it was a good vibe and helped me get my work done

Good, long. It doesn't always work -

Yeah it was a seminal recording.

Some good tunes in here. Nothing particularly inspiring, but easy listening.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

legal mas repetitivo

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

This is obviously good it’s just too old for me to really care about it

Pretty long. The faster songs are really fun. The slower ones are dated

Love this album

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

05/13 I feel like I need to be wandering a wasteland while listening to this

A smooth if at times slightly melancholic listen. Very pleasant background.

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.

I appreciate the album's musical and social impact. I also prefer Ray singing R&B, not over gloopy ass strings.

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!"

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

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.

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.

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

this is not my style at all but I respect it and enjoyed some songs

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

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

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?

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.

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

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 mean, it's Ray Charles. It's not any of his best songs, but it kept me entertained.

okej jest nie męczy mimo swojego wieku

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.

reminds me of frank sinatra i really like this one honestly goated 6.7 / 10

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.

Damn, that girl did a number on him

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

Not what I was expecting, and didn't particualrly grab me in any way. Good background listening.

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

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.

I enjoyed it, but the songs felt very similar to each other.

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.

Mer som smäktande filmmusik fr 40-talet än den jazz jag förväntat mig. Born to lose är bland det deppigaste jag hört.

funky

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

Love you Ray, but this one’s meh

An easy listen but nothing stood out for me

All of these songs are about cheating or getting cheated on wtf was going on in the 1960s bro

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!

Nothing wrong with that, nothing at all. I won't pretend like this is something I listen to daily though.

lovely

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

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.

3.5 but doesn't support this review format

too long and really didnt do it for me.

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?!

I know it's great music but, perhaps because it's covering a particular style, it felt quite undifferentiated at times and forgettable.

There is a lot in here that reminds me of my grandfather. I'm probably not going to listen to it again, but it does make me happy

Favorite track(s): You Don't Know Me, I Love You So Much It Hurts, Hey, Good Lookin'

Interesting versions of classic country songs, but the background vocals just make it sound SO old

5/10

大編成によるしめやかなRhythm & Blues、カントリーで聞いていて落ち着く。

I'm no expert, but these were not the sounds of country and western music.

The original version of this album was actually 5 volumes. Ray was trying to compete for the longest album ever but couldn’t quite reach Houmous & Chutneys infamous album ‘Longevity & Coco Pops’ a whopping 19 volumes. So Ray cut it back down to 2 volumes. 2.5 16/24 Don’t Tell Me Your Trouble

Nojuu, nojuu. Ihan okei. Ei syletä, ei himoita.

Mukavaa jatsia, ei normisoitossa mutta edelleen taustalla toimii aivan hyvin.

🤷‍♂️

3/5

This was fun! Didn't bother finishing it though

More like Gay Charles

a classic sound, but too long and repetitive highlight: Careless Love

Multiple great songs

Beautifull classics. A bit too long which makes it have filler. But really enjoyed it. 1. Someday (You'll want me to want you) 2. No letter today 3. Bye Bye Love

Never listened to Ray Charles before and I liked this album! The tone was strong throughout and for such a long album it got a bit repetitive at times, but the artistry makes up for it. There are some songs I will revisit.

So its Ray Charles and lots of cover songs ... at least its not as long as the Ella Fitzgerald Standards.

a bit croony for my tastes

The album was alright I felt abit dated and not something I would listen to but overall it was ok

I learned by this album that it's important to do a bit of research on why some of these albums are on this list. Ray Charles covering a bunch of country songs sounds kind of mid until you realize that it was the first time a black artist was allowed to call his own shots and mix their own music the way they wanted it. That's phenomenal. Plus, Ray being a blind junky on top of all that, makes this that much more impressive.

I liked it fine

Country & Western Soul Style. This must have really pissed off all the Confederate rednecks in 1962. Tempted to give it 5 stars for that alone. As it is though a solid 3 stars.

Genre-fusing arrangements highlight vocal prowess, though pacing fluctuates noticeably.

Well worth the listen 3.5

Some good songs, but maybe a bit too samey in places.

I've found more enjoyment in listening to his singles than I do his full records, as this album doesn't have a definitive standout track to me. That being said, Ray Charles was a powerful musician that you can't help but love, and I really appreciate this album's cultural status of breaking down racial barriers of popular music way back in 1962. I also dig the vocal arrangements on here, they always added a little bit of oomph and emotion.

Estuvo bien, mejor que el anterior que había escuchado y ese ya era bueno, mucho sentimiento y talento de parte del señor 3.5

I get why Ray Charles was a big deal, and while I enjoyed some of the songs on this album, overall I felt, for me personally, many of these songs were too slow. Still, he’s got a great voice and I know on the more upbeat songs I was grooving.

5/10

This was monumental at the time. Most of the songs didn't age well, but there are several great songs on here. Pitchfork: 9.2 Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #127 Best Songs Bye Bye Love You Don't Know Me You Are My Sunshine Oh, Lonesome Me Your Cheatin' Heart

I could see myself listening to this if it was snowy outside and baking cookies with the love of my life. But it's not winter and I'm not in love, so I guess this album wasn't meant to find me yet. I do appreciate this album and Ray Charles' gorgeous voice, but as of now, I do not see myself returning to this anytime soon.

Jake Blues: So, what kind of music do you guys normally have here? Bartender: Oh, we have both kinds - Country and Western. Listening to this reworking of country standards into the big band and soul genres is really not the point of this one. This album had a tangible influence on making country music more mainstream and making black music more palatable to white audiences in the early 1960s. It was an important album in those respects and should be celebrated as such. But musically, it’s very dated and feels repetitive, partly because of the material and partly because of the sheer number of songs and the similarity of the orchestration on them. Much respect to this album, just not going to be listening again.

I will say that it's pretty ironic listening to an album considered modern in the time of 1962, which now, in 2026, sounds so classic and aged. Still, Ray Charles is an icon in the jazz scene. What he lacks in witty lyrics and meaningful themes he makes up for in his funky tunes and steady singing. At the time, love songs were the most popular, so it's expected that's what he would produce. I wouldn't say this album is anything special, but when considering the time it was released in, it's understandable that it had a major impact in how people viewed jazz and even the grassroots of 'rock' music. Currently, it's not as impactful, not in modern society or even to me personally. It's still a very good listen and well-crafted album though.

Not my bag really but I can respect the musicianship. Lots of feeling blue rhymed with you and lots of songs sound samey, but it was a good thing to experience at least once.

Not a stranger to this one. It’s worth a listen and its influence is very high. But it always runs long for me.

Arrangements are gorgeously done, but Lord give me a key change.

Fine. Nothin g memorable.

Old Ray had me a little worried with that title, but this was more rhythm & blues or big band than country & western…thank Christ

No complaints here - nothing mind blowing, but a worthwhile listen. This album definitely has more of a home on this list than The Triffids or Scritti Politti. 3.5

Interesante. Tal vez no me llega

Beautiful, very quiet feeling, for quiet situations, i would hear it more times and save it

Very cool but somewhat old fashioned

This record works like a time machine. Catchy melodies, dance tunes and heartwarming lyrics from an era where it was hard to take musicians out of their confort zone. Lovely record, but to my ears, it works better as background music.

It’s surprising how many musicians I’m finding that I know the names of, but know nothing about. I couldn't even say before listening to this what genre Ray Charles comes under. So listening to this is a completely new experience. Though the album title is a bit misleading. This album is neither modern, country, or western. Anyways, I'll start with my biggest complaint, one that has been repeated for various older albums at this point. It's kind of repetitive. Most songs feel the same, which is kind of to be expected. However, when the album is fairly short and the quality of the songs is as high as it is, it isn't as big of a deal as it is with other album. The sound is great. While it doesn't really feel like country, which may be good or bad depending on who you ask, you can still feel the emotions that come with the best, most honest country music. Ray Charles, of course, was a great singer. The instrumentation elevates his singing to create a very high quality album. The main reason why this album deserves to be on this list is more so about the cultural significance rather than the actual album itself. This thing, as stated earlier, was groundbreaking. So, with every thing in mind, I think this album deserves a light 4/5. Did I need to hear this before I die? Yes

Enjoyed this 😎

too long of an album and not the type of music im into right now. really good music for the time it was made, and undoubtely one of the greatest ever. 3/5, as im not really into this, for me its like meh favorite tracks: just a little loving (will go a long way)

It was good. First cd is better than second

Torn between an objective "excellent musicianship, great artist" review and a "slightly schmaltzy treatment of the songs" review. I do love his voice.

Was ok

It's Ray Charles. Wonderful album, but probably not his best.

Modern it is not. Funny to think that once it was. Great vocals and cosy big band vibes.

I did not care for this. I mean, Ready Charles is one of the greats, but everything on this album just sounds like an old-timey Christmas carol.

Enjoyable. Not really what I’m ‘into’, but I can appreciate the inventiveness of changing the style of country songs.

"Modern" Sounds. I can see why this would slap in the 50's at ballrooms, then I see this album is from 1962. Not my style but worked.

C'est moederne oui

It’s good. It’s long. volume 1 is enough. Some great piano and vocals and musicianship…his audacity is amazing. This album matters. But it’s also kind of slow moving

Chille achtergrondmuziek, maar zou het niet heel snel opzoeken om actief naar te luisteren. Hij heeft wel echt een mooie stem zeg! En ik kan me goed voorstellen dat dit veel impact heeft gehad

Estuvo muy bien. Suena muy sofisticado, te baja mil cambios. Le pongo un 7.

It was objectively well performed and well done, it’s just not my taste

Its Ray He no great He no bad He Ray

Very long album. A lot of the songs sound the same by the end. But a few gems, and Ray’s voice always shines through.

Good melancholic blues, but not that great

Love this. Western style. Reminiscent of big band 60s. Ray Charles voice is gorgeous

Liker sjangeren, men denne traff ikke så godt.

Was fun and Jazzy, nice background music

#4 Never heard before. Cool, it felt like living in a Mad Men episode for an hour.

If this were a single album, it would have been quite solid, Ray Charles is a legend no denying that and his band does bring it. But there's too much filler on here. A passing grade but it could have been more.

This is a tough one. I'm sure it should probably be more than three, but I'm just not seeing where I can really give it more than that.

It's a Ray Charles album. I'm not really sure what else to say here! His songwriting is good and his voice is distinguishable, but at the end of the day this isn't my preferred kind of music.

Um álbum interessante, apenas. As partes com big bands são mais atrativas do que as com cordas, que soam meio datadas, assim como os backing vocals.

The historical and cultural significance of this album had more of an impact on me than the album itself. Ray Charles put together and amazing team and a beautiful album. It was wonderful to listen to, but I don't see myself revisiting it often.

Pleasant music, he has a good voice. I enjoyed many of the songs, but some were a bit slow. Easy listening.

It was okay. Actually it was entirely what I expected from Ray Charles, but i was hoping it would be a little more twangy based off of the title.

not really my thing but not bad, my grandmother loved this stuff...i remember her singing "hey good looking" all the time lol

I'm not sure about modern - his cover of Bye Bye Love sounds more old-fashioned than the Everly Brothers version. The backing vocals in particular really date this, but Charles' own voice is timeless.

Lots of cinematic moments in this one. It got a little samey in the middle, but this is by far the most time I've spent listening to Ray and overall, had a great time.

It's very long and kind of one note, so much so that it had looped back and played 4 songs before I realized it had started over

She doesnt want you bro

Don't hit the road, hit the sidewalk. 3/5

Enjoyed very nice vibes. Very classic/old style - jazz + country.

Very sweet

Legenda! Mutta löytyy parempiakin levyjä. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ray Charles! I liked the tracks like "It Makes No Difference Now" that were mainly him singing with a horn section, and the others with him on piano. As we all already know from other stuff he recorded, he was an incredibly gifted musician. However, I just couldn't deal with the strings and backup singers on a number of the songs. If I had a higher tolerance for the droopy music of the 50s and early 60s I'd give it 4 stars for the songs and its importance in the context of the period, but what can I say. So, 3 stars. Looking forward to other records by him.

Chill Ray is the best Ray. I just wish those kinds of songs were more frequent. Favorite track: You Don't Know Me

It's something. Look, I like the culture, and he does have a nice voice, but I wouldn't call it "Modern" anymore. The choir cuts through my head. I'm not a giant fan.

This had much more big band in it, and less r'n'b, than I'd expected. Most of the songs here seem to be standards, independently of Ray Charles's treatments of them.

Too long an album for me.

51. atmospheric

Starts with a bang. Charles is a guy I always think of as old, but here he is only 32. Great voice and instrumentation. Not really for me though. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? Some ? Owned: No 47/185 (25%) Will I get: No

Incredibly sappy.

When does the country part start? Listen...LISTEN. Ray Charles is incredible. Timeless voice drenched in character and experience - truly a feast for my ear holes. And some of these tracks are indisputable classics - elegance of a bygone ear... BUT it just doesn't strike me. I'd take this record on loop for eternity vs being punished by public airwaves, but just atmosphere tunes for this guy.

Even though the big band, orchestra and dreamy backing vocals is more swing band and less "country and western music", Ray Charles' voice is so strong, sincere and emotive, so I'll forgive the possible misleading album title. My favorite tracks are ones with minimal backing vocals like 'Lonesome Me', I find myself wanting one-on-one swing time with Ray and the 1950s Disney-style dream girls kind of ruin the vibe.

First listen

A solid ok

Pa ono, sladak album i ipak je to Ray Charles. I dalje mi je malo premellow za slušati u komadu. 3/5, 6/10

Ray Charles is great.

I guess me and my parents' aren't ready for that yet. But my grandparents are gonna love it.

Ray Charles is undoubtedly a talented singer and musician but the big band background of this double album does not serve him well.

Not bad but not for me

Charmoso porém muito grande

I like the artist, but not this album. ★★★

Nothing bad but nothing too notable either, not sure I could name a single song with it now off. Definitely good music to just have on in the background and I may come back to it for that reason Despite this I can understand why this album is on here and how influential this album was, but I’m rating these for my current feelings and enjoyment of it rather than impact it had and how “good” the album is 3

Ray Charles and Country and Western music. Two things that are relatively unknown to me. It is hard to know where one starts and the other ends. One thing I can say for sure is that I didn't need a double album of this, maybe I would have liked it a little more if it was just the first volume. That being said I didn't dislike it, it just dragged a little. And the lyrics, oh my god, get over it man, there's plenty more fish in the see. The one about being scared to go to sleep may be one of the worst things I've ever heard.

While Ray Charles is certainly an iconic performer and all time great, I didn’t dislike the album but it’s definitely not my style. I think it could be good background music but not something I would actively listen to. A lot of the songs started sounding the same to me, which is likely just because I don’t appreciate the various nuances of this style.

This album was pretty good. Ray Charles sounded great. I really liked his delivery of the songs. There was a mix of upbeat songs with a big band and slower songs with string arrangements and a choir. I preferred the upbeat songs. The slow songs weren’t bad or anything but I’m not really into the choir sound for these songs. It’s extremely old timey sounding and kind of dull. It made me feel like I was listening to those old Christmas songs arrangements, which is fine sometimes but I wasn’t in the mood for. I only listened to Volume 1 which, is the original track listing for this list, but I may check out Volume 2.

very EH. not something i’d usually listen to, but it was good for my first album with this genre !! i’d give it a 6/10 honestly. Only a few songs i’ve added to my main playlist and none to my fire.

never listened before -most of these are very short and simple, but still nice -i really like his voice and the choir in the background, these songs sound like they're from an old disney film only listened to half but it was good 3/5

dis vibey you dont know me real wish men would still sing and write like this so damn avoidant every song about being madly in love is making me deeply uncomfortable very grand i like his voice not something i would listen to alone

It’s good, not my favourite

Good music, great arrangements, but suffers from the same problem as Ella Fitzgerald's Gershwin Songbooks. At least Ella's album had way more variety in terms of arrangements. Ray Charles is more of a singles artist, I guess?

Wonderful singing and production. Very long. Some elements are nostalgic and didn't age as well.

I love his voice but all in all there were too many strings and corny backup singers for me on this.

Super

i hadn't heard of this specific album before, but i know ray charles ofc and it was very much what i expected. if they didn't sing the title of each song as the first thing in literally every track i probably couldn't tell them apart bc they're very similar - not necessarily a bad thing, but i probably won't relisten to this on my own. best case i'd put it on in the background if i had it on vinyl. that said, ofc this is a good album; they're good songs, but not exactly the stuff i usually listen to. objectively this is at least a 4/5, but i suspect that's the case for most of these albums so i'm gonna try rating them based on how i personally feel

Classic - calming

Sedate jazz

Ray Charles the goat, you feel really posh having this is your background music while eating or studying, but nothing I'm crazy about. Seeing videos of him performing live is crazy tho, you see the energy flowing through him, something music close to your heart makes you feel, and I can vibe with that.

Interesting album that I’ve never got around to listening to before. Great vibes but it feels a bit like it’s neither fish nor fowl and ends up sounding like big band swing for much of the time. Pleasant listen and has the sound of the time but a bit below expectation given the praise it receives from critics.

didn’t listen to all of it

nice to feel sentimental for some music i never heard before

Great collection of songs - although too long. I would have enjoyed it more if the track list were at least cut in half

Very nice album, Sunday morning background music vibes, I liked You Don’t Know Me A little repetitive but I think all music like this sounds the same Overall 3.5/5

Not what I was expecting. It's like crossing fundamental country lyrics and melodies with Ray's silky vocals and a big band kind of vibe. It's got a classic feel to it in that sense, well produced early '60s music for everyone. And this time in the albums generator journey, it's appropriation of a white American standard for the benefit of anybody willing to listen. I feel like Seth McFarlane must love this. I'm not quite enchanted with the compositions or the history of the era. I'm more swayed by the amazing instrumental sections that collect behind and in between the lyrics. 3.2/5

Completely fine, nothing I would listen too but overall everything is skillful

Album 1002 of 1089 Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music - Ray Charles (1962) Rating : 2.5 / 5 I’ll start with the obvious: I always love hearing Ray Charles sing. His voice alone can carry just about anything, and this album is no exception. He takes familiar country and western songs and makes them his own, smoothing them out with soul, class, and that unmistakable Ray Charles touch. Most of the tracks were recognizable, and listening to them felt like stepping back in time a bit. Whether it’s real memory or just the feeling the music gives off, I couldn’t help but think of my grandfather and the kind of records that might’ve been playing back then. There’s a strong sense of nostalgia wrapped up in this one, and that’s part of its charm. That said, while it’s very enjoyable, it didn’t really bring anything new or earth-shattering for me. It’s Ray Charles singing good songs and doing it well - which, honestly, is never a bad thing. The album’s strength lies more in its warmth and familiarity than in surprise or reinvention. In the end, this is a solid, comfortable listen. Ray’s voice elevates everything, the arrangements are tasteful, and the whole thing goes down easy. It may not knock you over, but it’s a pleasant reminder of why Ray Charles remains one of the greats.

I have always been a casual Ray Charles fan. This is a three star album.

29/1089 2.9673* I didn't realize Ray Charles was from the Big Band era. Such a distinctive voice, it makes me smile when he sings. Very soulful album and shows why he's been a musical fixture for more than 65 years. Hits...you don't know me, bye bye love.

was this album title ironic 65 years ago? this is very pleasant but its such grandma music

a landmark album that if one were to rate solely on consideration of sociopolitical impacts particularly in the american context could very easily make the case for being one of the most important albums in the last 100 years, but you already know that. it's ray charles for crying out loud. that said, as always i rate media based on my personal enjoyment which is the subjective experience of Myself in My particular modern context, and this album is very Of The Times. charles has an incredible voice and it's no surprise why people lost their shit at hearing a bunch of classics covered in such a strong way, but it doesn't quite land for me with the same impact.

The more up tempo songs are pretty catchy and energetic but the slower songs aren't really getting to me too much. I'm finding more country that I like but I realize the slower love, almost gospel, country songs aren't my forte.

It's not bad but I rarely listen to it

* fave song - you don’t know me * ray charles has a very good voice, no song in the album that i disliked i could listen to all of these, feels like the soundtrack to falling in love idk, i liked it! a little slow and dragged on at some points but i would listen again.

Good artist. Great voice. Made it in country and contemporary music. Also, heck of a piano player.

Only Ray Charles could take classic country songs and make them even more depressing.

Pretty slick that he even made this album, but I really only dug the upbeat ditties…which there wasn’t a ton of. I am only 34, not 95, this is not my bag baby. I feel quite sick.

It’s repetitive but there are far worse repetitive albums. I wish more artists would have orchestra’s backing them.

It's always nice to listen to Ray Charles. Good stuff.

I respect its historical significance, and I love a lot of Ray's stuff, but much like The Genius of Ray Charles, I just don't consistently love this album. Although he sounds amazing as always, his voice and piano playing too often get overshadowed by the string and choral arrangements, and it's ultimately a bit of a sleepy affair for me. I hadn't listened to this album in about 10 years, but I remember listening to it a bunch trying to "get it" in my teens and early twenties; it appears I'm still not there on a subjective level, despite understanding why it's as revered as it is. 3/5

Detached as I am from this album and its significance, I can tell Ray Charles can back up his claim in the album’s named. Not the type of music I usually listen to but I enjoyed this album. The sound is very vibrant and Charles really nails this vibe.

This was more diverse than I expected. Lovely, just too long. 3.5

My second

Fun. Uncomplicated. Not really my thing, but very pleasant. I have a feeling I will be drowning in 3s at the end of this project, which I suppose makes sense.

Last year I read Ray Charles’ book Brother Ray, where he talked about his sojourn into country music in the 1960s. Naturally, I was excited to see what Country Ray Charles would sound like. What I discovered: this ain’t country or western, this is vocal jazz. This actually is not much different than anything he put up prior to this. The album was well produced and has some good songs, but he literally just took the lyrics from country western songs, and then he applied it to a full vocal jazz orchestra. There are some good tracks on here, such as You Are My Sunshine, which was upbeat and fun. Sadly, it’s one of the only upbeat songs that’s not a dreamy meander. This one’s hard to rank. So I’m gonna do it like this. Historical since he may have been the first black artist to sing some of these songs: 4; quality: 3; modern influence/relevance: 2. Him sleeping with like twenty woman during the recording of just this album: he’s pretty fly for a blind guy!

Random thoughts: * This was way more like jazz standards than anything country and western. Were these all considered country covers? * Several of the songs were about heartbreak so maybe they were all country songs. * Hearing Ray Charles sing "I was blind but now I see". Who decided on that?!? I did chuckle when hearing that. * It was smooth listening overall but I probably won't pick this one out again. It was alright. Ray is great but I just found this meh.

6/10 - It's Ray Charles, nice to have on in the background

3.5

To my surprise I managed to finish the whole (2 discs) album, although, most of songs I even cannot recall.

sympa

Can recognise that this is a beautiful album, Ray is the star of it obviously, but the strings and backing vocals are a little too treacly for me to really enjoy fully.

Adds a real class to the country music. Actually makes country music listenable!

What a strange album, and what a genius Ray Charles was in putting his own spin on a completely different genre than what he was most famous for. I'll admit that the most eye-opening aspect of this album is how many tunes on this album were considered "country" standards, as even the originals don't really correspond to what I think of as country/western (shows how much I know). I'm not really a big fan of the big band sound, so I'm not a great judge of this album, although I *did* feel like several tracks--"Just a little lovin'", "It makes no difference now", "Hey, good lookin'" and the bonus "You are my sunshine" from Vol. 2--are probably the most impressive transformations of slow and often boring tunes into fun and virtually unrecognizable covers by Charles and his (big) band. It was also fascinating to read how controversial this concept was, and how successful Charles was not only in executing it, but in also gaining an even larger following, and simultaneously elevated country's profile too (at least the Nashville scene). It feels like the Wikipedia entry likely overstates the impact of this album and Charles' fusion approach to influence the civil rights movement and achieve some degree of racial harmony, but that doesn't diminish the power of Charles' vision to interpret two different genres into a single form.

a classic for sure.

Love me some Ray

A little slow, but really did shape a generation of music.

Did not listen, but I have heard this before. It's good stuff. Just not my genre, really.

Ray’s cheeky smile shines through on every song

6/0

Very nice, cool vibes

I like Ray Charles, but I find myself conflicted when it comes to this album. If you look at it from an historical perspective, weighing its impact on pop music, then, sure, "Modern Sounds" is worth a listen; but if you consider the quality of the songs and their production, then the album falls way short of the best that Ray Charles has to offer. It might be the case of right artist, wrong album.

It's real sad romance hours

Nice break-up story.

Good, pleasant listening.

Talented artist however the similar intros to each song does wear thin after awhile.

I pressed play on this feeling excited to hear a Black artist recontextualize the almost uniformly white genres of country and western music. ”The album's integration of soul and country challenged racial barriers in popular music at the height of the Civil Rights Movement,” as its Wikipedia entry reads — and Amen to that. The problem I have with it is how unsoulful it sounds, thanks mostly to the overwhelming and cloying production flourishes with the string section and the lily-white backing choir. It’s good when it’s actually soulful, such as on “Bye Bye Love” and “Half As Much.” Too bad so much of it sounds like 1940s radio drama theme songs or Vegas showtunes.

Its not particularly country by my standards, and it has that Frank Sinatra style overproduction typical of records from the era. But I mostly liked it.

These songs all sound kind of the same and I don't enjoy the ballads. Ray Charles has a better voice than I expected though.

This was a cool old school album, I liked that he took old country and made it his own!

I wouldn’t mind putting this album on in the background this winter to soundtrack a snowy night out. This albums historical significance is undeniable, and the quality is there as well. While almost nothing on these two volumes was remarkable, it’s still a very pleasant listen.

I was a bit nervous when I saw country and western music, but nothing like that all. I had a lot of horns, more like jazz or swing.

Meh, a little too mellow. I appreciate his contribution but not really my style.

Far from today's country and a really ground breaking album. Great voice. Dated and boring production.

This did sound like country and western to me. More like Christmas music without lyrics about Christmas.

The singing is pretty good but unfortunately this is just not really my type of music

I smile

Great voice and generally lovely songs. Just those parrot backing vocals are SO JARRING. I agree with others that it sounds dated and like Disney music and it's not good for an album like this.

Unless covers are transformative, I get bored pretty quickly. Luckily Ray Charles is a singular presence, so even the straightforward songs on this have something extra. But I can't stand the syrupy backup vocals in songs like "I Love You So Much It Hurts," "You Win Again," "I Can't Stop Loving You," etc. They're the opposite of how the book characterizes the string arrangements, "just to the right side of cloying." I find a fair amount of this cloying, but they can't all be "You Don't Know Me."

Enjoyed it but nothing too special

Ray Charles goes country. Or rather, does country songs but retains his R&B-stylings, resulting in a unique and sophisticated blend of genres. Considering the still on-going difficult relationship between the Country Music establishment and African-American artists, I'm guessing this album was met with more than a few raised eyebrows back in the day.

Doesn't sound much like country or western to me, but this 1962 classic has a certain feel-good nostalgic appeal. The strings on I Love You So Much It Hurts are beautiful alongside Ray's clear voice and the backing choir. Tracks like Born to Lose and Worried Mind hit a lot of the same notes, not to mention I Can't Stop Loving You. So this subverted expectations, but I do like it. Feels festive somehow. Really not my style, which caps the rating, but I can't go less than ***.

Iconic voice, just don't love the music as much.

I'm not a country and western music fan, but I did enjoy Ray Charles' renditions of those songs.

Ray Charles’s voice and skills are great; no doubt about it. This album just felt like such a chore to get through. It really dragged on for a lot. The mood is very pleasant, but the experience just gets boring after a few songs in most of the listen was one long lull. Nothing very surprising about it, but I can appreciate the sweetness.

No tiene las mejores de Ray. Está bien de fondo.

Okay. He's a good musician. Longish album (a double). Not sure all the songs exactly fit together, felt like a collection of random pieces.

The concept of this album is fairly unique, taking country and making it jazz/blues. I do think it's a little long.

It's good. Very "oldies playing next door while there's a fire crackling in the fireplace and a snow storm outside".

Genre is meaningless, but it's hard to find the country and western (or Ray Charles for that matter) under all that Big Band. But you can see how these could be good songs if they just let the guy sing them.

“Oh that’s where that’s from” experience. Not bad

It was a nice, easy listen. I could see myself putting it on in the background while working.

Golden oldies, not really the sort of Ray Charles tunes I like overly much but fine in the background 2.5 ⭐⭐⭐

Think it might be my first Ray Charles album on here. 2cds, 75 mins, let’s go… Musically it’s very pleasing to listen to. Nice arrangements and a whole lot of soul and heart. More of a background, almost Christmas, feel to it and sending me a bit sleepy! Didn’t listen to it all (3.5)

3/5 stars (5/10) Good background noise in my opinion, therefore no "good" or "bad" songs, may change if I do another listen.

classic

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 91 Interpolation of Country & Western Music… I take exception to artists that record music released under their name they did not write, as it seems uninspired to reimagine others creativity regardless of how unique they spin it. Perhaps I am quibbling here, however I respect originality over performative entertainment (which account for the majority of the pop tarts). There is no disputing the beauty of Mr. Charles voice nor the talent of his musicianship, as these reworked ballads certainly have his signature stamp on them, which I’m sure felt much more modern for the time in which this was released. 🎧 Classic Track: I Can’t Stop Loving You 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Midnight 🎧 Personal Favorite: It Makes No Difference Now 🚫 Skip Track: Half As Much This album was a bold move: a Black soul artist interpreting white Southern country standards during a time of deep racial division in the U.S. It became one of the most important albums in American music history. Ray Charles set the stage for the genre-mixing we see in country music today: He showed that country isn’t defined by race, region, or even instrumentation—it’s about emotion, storytelling, and soul. His work directly influenced artists like Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton, and Kane Brown, who aren’t afraid to push genre boundaries. Many modern country artists now incorporate soulful vocals, horn sections, and R&B rhythms, a legacy of Charles’ innovative style. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Missed opportunity for pure originality Ray Charles’ voice is the soul of the album. His phrasing turns even the most familiar songs into emotional revelations. The split between orchestral ballads and brassy swing numbers, while musically satisfying, makes the album feel like two projects fused into one. The tone swings dramatically, sometimes jarringly, between melancholy and cheerful—a strength to some listeners, but to others, it undermines emotional continuity. At times, particularly in the string-heavy arrangements, the album borders on over-sentimental or even saccharine. The high drama of “I Can’t Stop Loving You” works—but lesser-known tracks risk veering into easy listening or adult contemporary territory. Charles chose songs that were already classics, often with conventional or even conservative lyrics. He did not challenge country music’s ideological content—he simply reframed it sonically. This limits the album’s potential to fully interrogate or redefine country music’s deeper cultural narratives.

As my trumpet-playing friend would say, so tight, so smooth. I'm not a huge fan of the strings and chorus, but the songs are so well done.

The finale to Ray Charles. It's been a good minute since my last album of his - I listened to The Genius of Ray Charles a little over 150 albums ago. That album was interesting on account of being one of the very first entries on the list, though I don't remember much about it beyond that. I'm not a jazz guy, what can I say? I'm expecting this album to be more of the same, though that isn't necessarily a bad thing. These kinds of pleasing, accessible jazz albums are more to my liking than all of the avant-garde shite. This was a bit of a surprise. The Genius of Ray Charles was quite sentimental and reserved from what I recall, whereas this album has more of a showbiz feel to it. It reminds me of the production music from Ren & Stimpy, which is a style of music I enjoy dipping into whenever I'm feeling cartoony. Anyways, this is pretty decent. There were times where my attention faltered, though for the most part it's a pretty solid collection of fun, relaxing tunes. Ray Charles brings his A-game with the vocals (they're much better than what I remember on Genius), and there's a decent level of variety on these songs, too. The "whatchu say" on "Bye Bye Love" made me do a double take. I recognise it from "Hit The Road Jack", which is also by Charles. Is that like his catchphrase or something? "You Don't Know Me" is an interesting tune. I can't decide whether I've listened to it previously or if it's just five songs I've heard before smashed into one package. Either way, it's pretty decent. The strings are always a good addition to this style of music, and I appreciate the contributions from the background singers. Ray Charles' singing is pretty adept, too. "I Love You So Much It Hurts" is another good cut. It falls into that perfect niche of being relaxed and engaging at the same time. Again, the strings are very nice, and Charles' vocals are quite possibly at their best. Book time. Chart-topper for fourteen weeks. Wikipedia reveals that this album blends genres and is regarded as Charles' best work. Yeah, this seems like a solid pick. I cosign the inclusion.

Nice to hear ray do western

Yeah this was fine. Ray Charles is super talented. I just didn't vibe with it too much during my listen.

It’s old and dated, it’s very long, and it’s very similar from top to bottom. But, man is it still pretty good despite all of that. Ray has an amazing voice and absolutely carries each and every song on this album. It doesn’t matter how old it is, this is always going to be just straight up good music. Not a lot I can say about it that hasn’t already been said. Picking a favorite is also hard because there are so many songs on the album. I’m sure each one is someone’s favorite, and they’re all valid. Naming the album “Country and Western Music” is also just inherently funny, and must have been pretty risky as a Black man in the 60’s. Mad respect for being one of the first shit-posters. Game respects game. At the end of the day, I think my favorite song on the album was "Oh, Lonesome Me." But there are a ton of good ones to pick from.

107/1001 Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ It's undoubtedly a beautiful set of songs from Charles's voice, to the harmonies, to the string arrangements. However, it does end up feeling a bit samey and one note for my liking. Enjoyable enough.

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.