Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

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

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.

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 It sounds like a product of the time it was made and it's a little outdated. 3.5/5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

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Really good.

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

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.

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.

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)

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

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.

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

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.

Not my favorite kind of music but it was nice

2,7/5

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.

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.

fine

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.

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

Fine, but not my bag.

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

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

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.

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".

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

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!

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.

good bones but kinda hokey

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!

I was stoked to get this album. I love classic era Ray Charles. And this is great. Charles was on his game. However, if I’m being honest, I don’t really love the song selections. You Are My Sunshine is a little too hokey. Stylistically, the vocal harmonies are nice, but old fashioned such as I Can’t Stop Loving You. Not nearly as cool as his regular repertoire. I guess that was the idea but I’d much rather listen to The Genius of Ray Charles.

Can't say anything bad about it!

I like Ray Charles, but I do not care for most of these two albums. It feels like this music was probably old even in 1962. I appreciate what they were doing here, but at times it sounds like it's one or two steps removed from the Lawrence Welk Show. Charles' phenomenal talent is the only thing that elevates this tired material.

I don't really get this. Did "Country and Western Music" used to mean big band pops? Cause no shade to Ray Charles, it's a lovely record, but there's No Way a cowboy would be singing any of this

Cool how he transcends genres here, not cool how long this is. I can’t possibly be expected to finish this whole thing.

Really upset that this guy didn't mention trucks or light beers once. A pretty excellent album with a lot of classics covered with a completely different sound. If you like big band, old school R&B, this album will definitely be for you, but personally this wasn't my favorite, mostly because of the genre. Still pretty great to listen to, and I definitely enjoyed it.

Ik heb veel Fallout NV gespeeld en heb best een zwak voor de soundtrack daarvan. Het contrast tussen de wereld en de muziek werkt heel goed. Hier heb je natuurlijk dat contrast niet, dus dan ontstaat de vraag of je behoefte hebt aan het muzikaal equivalent van een zachte warme deken op een frisse avond. Ik soms wel, en dat er af en toe wat meer swingy nummers met zo'n leuke lopende bas langs komen houdt het fris genoeg. 3/5. Geen echte opmerkingen over de nummers zelf. Niets was echt een uitblinker. Niets was schrijnend.

Ik kan de big band, swingende vibes en de stem van Ray Charles wel waarderen, maar uiteindelijk is een 2 delig album met iets te veel zoetsappigheid iets te veel van het goede voor mij, waardoor ik er na disk 1 wel even genoeg van had.

Fun, not the most amazing. Some great covers though.

Was fine. But they’re just reworked cover songs. Did I need this?

It's Ray!

This is a really weird album. Whereas most popular music is white folks playing music inspired by music from black culture, this one is the other way around. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Bye bye love is definitely a step up from the Everly Brothers (who didn't write the song, by the way). Songs like 'I love you so much it hurts' simply did not stand the test of times. These absurdly sweet choirs, you cannot listen to that anymore with 21st century ears. And there are plenty of those. That's not really fair of course. But it's not the most exiting music ever anyway.

I didn't pay enough attention to the title and was surprised by these songs that clearly didn't sound like country western. Despite that, it was enjoyable enough. Ray Charles voice is good, even if he sings in genres I don't care too much about. 3/5

Mye bakgrunnsmusikk i denne boka

I have no idea what country and western have to do with any of this. Was perfectly fine but not groundbreaking

This was nice enough, though I really would have preferred listening to these country standards in country form as opposed to R&B form. I do like the big band though. Quite tasteful.

Definitely recognized a number of the C&W songs that were reworked by Ray Charles and definitely an improvement - but still just an OK album.

Pleasant though not always engaging. 7/10

Goat, but no replayability

A beautiful set of songs, his voice is so smooth. The big band strings and recording style is now quite old fashioned

I get it, and this albums importance, impact and legacy, but when I listen to Ray Charles, I want to hear him swing. The bookends are great and do just that, as do a couple of other songs on the album, ‘Half As Much’ and ‘Just A Little Lovin’ (Will Go A Long Way)’. The rest of the album is a bit of a snoozefest. There’s just too many slower songs/ballads here to hold my interest. They’re beautifully played, arranged and performed, but they just put me to sleep.

A fun take on some country staples. Although I think I prefer the originals when all is said and done.

Fine

Not sure where country and western came in, unless it was all covers of that genre. Alright music. Sounds very of the time and makes you dwell on it, but the album goes on longer than I cared for that particular style and feel

An inoffensive, charming listen of historical importance, but the impact of this album will most certainly have lessened over the years. “Famous soul singer takes on country and western classics” does not have the same impact now and it would have in 1962. Expectations radically shifted in the 60s. If an artist is not a songwriter it’s hard for them to maintain the same legendary space that they once held

This was a delightful listen and exactly what I expected

I liked it, but for me this is a relic of its time, and however seminal it may have been, it's just... not that fun to listen to any more.

Wanted to love this since it is undeniably groundbreaking and Ray Charles is an indisputable legend. Some lovely arrangements and beautiful vocals, especially on "Born to Lose" and "Worried Mind." Also love the rearrangements of some classic country tunes like "Your Cheatin' Heart." But this thing is so damn long, and to my ears it gets very samey, with the big band vocals growing reaally tiresome. Pleasant enough but probably an overrated record.

Really enjoyed the first volume, but with a second volume as well it just felt overly long. Was surprised how many songs i recognised, but obviously some of this was due to them being standards and in the case of what you hot cooking, just brought flashbacks to the horrible Findus advert from the 80s

So far in this list, I haven't met a double (or triple!) album which wouldn't have benefitted from a good editor to whip it into a nice 45 minute album. This is no exception, as it drags a bit in the middle. That being said, what a voice! And I'm predisposed to love big band, brass numbers so parts of this were really up my alley. Bye Bye Love was particularly enjoyable in this style. I think this could have been higher, but the filler in the middle brings in down to 3/5

What a silky smooth voice. Just closed my eyes and listened to one of the greats.

It was good, just not my thing.

The song choices were kinda whatever, but the he's got that voice like butter

Ray Charles is legendary and of course he should appear on this list. This album was pleasant to listen to and Charles brings his style these songs. Over the course of an hour I found the style and arrangements did not change much. Most memorable song is 'You Don't Know Me".

I like Ray Charles but the instruments and the women were a little much.

Nothing to dislike but not too much that stood out as that good, 3 stars

Very mellow. Pretty cool. Ray singing old cowboy songs.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as The Genius of Ray Charles. A bit long for me and genres I don’t get as much from.

Ray Charles has a great voice but it felt like the songs were getting way too repetitive. The only thing I liked listening to his voice but like three songs in and I already got bored. The lyrics are sweet but not something masterpiece worthy.

Good, but nothing really grabbed me.

Nice music, great voice. Nrvertheless i wasnt too thrilled by most songs

Whenever I think of Ray Charles, I think of his cameo in Spy Hard, playing himself as a bus driver. Anyways, the music here is pretty good but I didn't really connect with it fully.

Fun listen. Some sounds are dated. A lot of the songs sounded the same or had the same ideas so was quite repetitive. Highlights: Half as Much

I'm sure with more patience I'd have enjoyed it more, but it was a bit much.

Slow mass compatible big band soul. Not the ray we expect!

Was a relaxing listen.

Ray Charles, who doesn't know him? I didn't know the complete album "Modern sounds ...". I do know the background vocals and the style. Nice to hear once.

Can never go wrong with this music. Great voice, great vibes. I don't know how to rate it though. 4 stars? 3? Somewhere in that range for now. -> 3 stars; Can't go wrong with this album, but there is little that sets it apart.

It was alright. 1960s sound for sure. Soaring orchestral music. Lots of songs about love. Simple themes. Smooth voice. Not my music but sweet once I. A while.

Meh.

I understand why it’s a classic but probably won’t revisit

Super smooth proto soul. Great voice and arrangements.

I enjoyed this! Great fun.

Nice bonfire album...

Well sung Ray Charles versions of country songs, though I prefer his other hits. The big band and strings arrangements don't suite some of these country songs which could use a little more grit. Standouts: 'Don't Tell Me Your Troubles', 'Teardrops in my Heart'

The title is a bit confusing, as it is an early R&B/pop/jazz/rock - literally anything but country. The Ray Charles versions of these songs are so popular, I didn't know that these were originally country songs. RC is a unique talent that makes every song he sings sound like it was written for him.

Great voice (of course) but typical of the period, it's a fairly average album.

The guys a genius for sure, trouble with music in this age is its slightly overproduced and too much orchestra (bit like now lols but with different sounds) think it could've been a bit rougther.

It may be culturally significant but I'm not so sure that I like this that much, it drags a bit

Oh, damn it. This keeps happening: I get all excited about some quality music and then it's not the good Ray Charles music: the soulful blues or the raw funky stuff. No, it's Ray's country and western pop project which sold loads in the sixties to my grandparents generation who didn't know any better. Yuck.

The backstory of why Ray Charles made this album is more interesting than the album itself, it's a covers album after all.

I don't particularly like it, but its definitely good to an extent. Fair play ray, 3 on me lad

Some tight solos and good swing but the sound got a little monotonous after 5 songs

great songs from the early sixties. Personally I'm a bigger fan of Ray's uptempo work.

Honestly really liked the energy on it but just couldn't get into the songs, maybe some other time I'll be in the mood for it a bit more

Clearly iconic and foundational but not something I’d listen to on a whim

Na een nummer of 8; de general vibe lijkt duidelijk, blues met verschillende tintjes, bijna alle nummers klinken perfect als sentimentele muziekjes die je zou gebruiken bij een sepia-tinted scène in de 60s waar 2 lovers elkaar ontmoeten in een oud cafe waar binnen flink werd gesjwaamt, en in een timelapse verliefd raken op elkaar. Zal het sowieso verder afluisteren, fijne muziek maar ook ergens wel redelijk snel gewend. Lastig raten want kwalitatief goed maar voor mijn moderne oor ook snel redelijk monotoon. 7/10? Vrij zeker dat deze muziek zo essentieel is dat mn brein het al geaccepteerd heeft als blueprint. Geen idee of dat de rating hoger of lager maakt

Objectively good music and a monumental achievement for a black musician at the time of its release. Despite this, it’s just a covers album. I couldn’t get too excited about this and I don’t believe any single track caught my attention other than to go yep I know that one.

it’s just volume 1 that’s the original release and the one in the book. so i am not listening to volume 2 and the bonus tracks on spotify. it’s really not my thing this. i love ray’s voice but i really don’t enjoy big band music much. i feel i need to be there live to properly enjoy it. it is very respectful and amazing the history and impact this album had. but enjoyment wise it’s still only a 3 for me.

Crazy how much he sounds like Jamie Foxx!

I definitely see the country aspects of this album though if it wasn’t titled as such I may not have. I wasn’t blown away but I think that’s also because I prefer a different type of album. 75 minutes or so of 3 minute songs in the same style is a lot and I’ve chastised other artists for doing the same. Maybe the anthology style has faded out with time but going back to it always feels tedious. I liked a lot of these songs in general but couldn’t give you a single standout. Still, you could do worse than to listen to 20+ songs that you’ve never heard by Ray Charles. I give this a 3 as it was not bad by any means, but just didn’t grip me either.

i think the front half of this album (disc 1) had me much higher on this album as a whole than the back half. don't get me wrong, i liked it... but the last 6 songs just kinda took the wind out of my sails for this one. It doesn't detract from Ray Charles at all in my mind, and would love to hear more - but this country album turned jazzy soul probably just isn't my cup of tea.

I really vibed to this. I do like this kind of music in general. With that in mind, I do think this was executed well and I wouldn’t mind hearing it again.

Pretty easy listening, if a little boring at times. I did like it overall though. 3.5/5

Very pleasant music... but it's definitively "sunday-dinner-at-mom's" music. 3/5

Can't go wrong with some good old Ray Charles from time to time.

Good, but dated

It's a good album but it's just covers. I would give it a 3.5 if I could.

-i sweaaaar ive heard some of these songs before. i probably have because this is a classic sound -interesting to see this classified as “country and Western” by Mr. Ray Charles, that is not what i would have thought to categorize it as -it started very very strong with Bye Bye Love, maybe not quiite as interesting by the end but i still thought it was good -Favorites are Bye Bye Love and Half As Much

6/10

Fantastic. Like sunshine on your bones. Would hit way harder if I had love in my life

excellent standard, not my jam, but definitely appreciate Ray's influence on the music.

3.5

Three days in a row of albums in my collection. This is a semi recent acquisition, mainly got it for it's reputation alone. Though I really enjoy most of Ray Charles hits, the albums selected for this list tend to fall more in his big band or standards sound, wich is fine, but not the jumpin' R&B I really love from Uncle Ray. The four Gerald Wilson big band brass arranged selections are my personal favorites, but half of the album is the string and vocal arrangement of Marty Paich, which were a bit too syrupy for me (though worked on (I Can't Stop Loving You") (6.9) ★★★

Good vocals. Don't like the arrangements too much. 3.5 stars

The orchestra and choral arrangements are way over the top and overshadow the source material (which is a pretty great collection of songs). It ends up sounding like the music my grandma used to listen to when I was a kid. For example, "You Win Again" is a great Hank Williams song and it just sounds really corny here. I think the first few tracks are the best. 3 stars.

Some pleasant, easy-listening vocal cuts plus dim elements of bluesy piano like on Bye Bye Love and the swinging Hey Good Lookin’. A lot of soppy, souped-up, showbizzy arrangements though with some absolutely ghastly, fuddy-duddy, beans in my ears choir that almost violates the joint. A flat 3 stars.

Fun old-school rock, r&b, and soul. Interesting that it is called a country and western album. Considering where country music has gone, this sounds quite far from the modern sound of country. Wonderful arrangements and performances all around

He had a great voice but this is very much of its time and really didn’t appeal to me. It gets 3 stars just got his voice

I liked this, it was nice to have something different

Pretty solid stuff, kinda sounded like a Christmas album but not in a bad way. Songs got a lil repetitive. 3.4/5 Fav song: oh lonesome me

Love Ray Charles Cool premise, some songs were great, others seemed dated Born to Lose was a highlight!

Sounds very good and all, little too old timey for me tho Will I listen to again: 25%

Decent time to be had here. I've never really listened to Ray Charles and I'm glad I have. The sound to my ears is relatively standard for at least what I think this era sounded like. But it's solid. Some more bumping tracks and some slow sad ones. There really is alot here. I saved a few songs but only a small percentage of the bunch. But overall good

Pleasant tunes from one of the greats 👍

Ray's a bit sad, some of those lines wouldn't be out of place on a my chemical romance song. The OG emo kid. He's got a good voice, a nice sort of classic sound, there's some nice big band sort of brass sections every now and then. You only need to hear a couple of songs to get the measure of the album though and though it wasn't bad it never really grabbed me. Couple of songs on a playlist would be alright, an albums worth is a bit tough. 2.5.

Quite long, overly maudlin, and not enough piano. Your Cheatin Heart and Make Believe are decent. I believe he aimed to modernise country and western, but it comes across dated now - which I never mind.

Pretty good.

I see why people love it, but for me I don't love this style of big band music.

Not my thing, don't hate it but don't love it. Appreciate the talent and skill though.

Little bit too cheesy for me

classic but not really my thing

Beautiful album, mostly songs of heartbreak, enjoyed it

Is this truly "country" music? If I had more bluesy vocals like this - and less (no) twang and/or pedal steel like Ray Charles delivers here - I'd be more-inclined to listen to more. I've always hated those creamy 40s/50s style background vocals and still do here - I suppose I understand what he was doing which was revolutionary, just that roughly half the album doesn't hold my interest as a listener 60+ years later - thankfully Ray's voice brings it back (even on the songs I don't care for). BUT the "boppers" are great - I particularly enjoyed the bonus track of "You Are My Sunshine" which takes that traditional standard and makes it wholly unique. Probably can file this as one in a bucket of albums on this list that were groundbreaking and historic at the time and you have to put into context to appreciate even more. Not that I didn't enjoy this (the slower maudlin songs are far too schmalzy for my liking and kill the flow a bit) since the uptempo tracks are worth the price. Excellent album, not sure how much it aligns with my tastes, but worthy of praise for what it was and I'd probably listen again. 7/10 3 stars.

I like this, it’s amazing that he managed to get on Country Radio in The South in 1962. But I just don’t love the music. I expected more swing and soul but it sounds a lot like a crooner to me. A slightly disappointed 3.

Don’t love r and b

Some interesting tunes but a lot is quite samey. Lyrics make me wonder about what he was going through at the time of recording

Ray is remarkably talented, but this era of music just isn't my cup of tea. I did enjoy hearing this rendition of "You Don't Know Me" which made me thing of "Groundhog Day"--one of my all time favorite movies.

Not my favourite of Ray's. Too far into Swing for me

I was a huge fan of the big band elements, i didnt like the slow and calm the mikents too much though so most of it wasn’t that great to me x

It's OK 3.2

OK

I really liked the opening song, but most others were a little boring. I feel like this type of music works best when it's energetic. That’s why I enjoyed the first song a lot, but the rest not so much. I would've certainly rated this album higher if everything were like the first song. I actually want to find more of this sort of energetic big band R&B Fallout type beat music, but this wasn’t it.

Pretty good.

Just not for me.

Nicht mein vibe

Got a soft spot for Ray Charles. The music is from a bygone era, but still retains a lot of modern feeling, particularly in the faster tracks. Wouldn't really choose to listen to this, but I can appreciate it.

Reminded me of Fallout. Favourite songs: You are my sunshine, Hey good looking

Silky smooth vocals, but sorely lacking in variety.

The sound is nice but kinda dated. It serves mostly as a teachable moment now. The source material, country, gives a very limited set of chords and progressions to work with and Charles does great work with it. But after two discs, they all start to blend together into one big country ballad blob. You are my sunshine is recognizable by the lyrics and thus stood out to me.

Great listen.

Solid 3.5. Ray Charles has a lot of way better stuff, this doesn't quite hit for me I guess.

This was ok.

I really enjoyed listening to this while cooking. Great vocals and very groovy.

Pretty enjoyable. Not really sure what kind of mood I'd need to be in to go back and listen to this though. Ray is one of the greats, and I appreciated his take and arrangements 3.75

I can’t hear Ray Charles sing without smiling. And this album is influential because it was such a departure from Charles’s usual genre. But the arrangements on this album — all sweeping strings & stilted choruses — are super dated and out of place. The same kind of arrangement works and sounds so natural on the Billie Holiday album in this collection— but here, it’s a painful distraction from a great performer. It’s a 3 on the strength of Ray Charles’s singing and playing and on execution of the concept—reinterpreting country/western songs in a very different style.

6/10 This was good, often very good, but a great example of less is more 2 albums worth of stuff that got pretty smart to me at points. The country stuff, with syrupy almost kitsch production was my least favourite. The uptempo stuff with brass and vibes was excellent. Best: You Are My Sunshine

So. Many. Love. Songs.

When it's good it's great but there are Ray Charles albums I like better.

The historical significance of this album cannot be understated. It certainly united people and did so much to help integrate American music, while affording Charles the ability to gain creative control of his art from this point forward... It feels like an artifact to me. It sounds like the Smithsonian smells, dated. Interesting to revisit every so often, but such an enormous relic.

Exactly what I was expecting but in a good way

Pretty good, great background music for a chill environment. I would probably not listen to this album when music is the main focus, as I found it quite long and repetitive for my personal music listening habits.

Correcto

A lot more artists started in the 60s than I'd realised. Gosh. Despite the name, this sounds more "oldies" than "country" to me, so I liked it more than I expected.

Lotsa soul, but overdone/heavy-handed arrangements and some pretty dodgy material. Surely there are are better RC records for this list. One really wants to like this more than one does.

Nice, fun, drags a bit near the end

Classic cocktail hour music.

I didn't love this. Most of the songs were kind of gutless. I like the edgy vocals of Ray Charles but most of these were early 60s easy-listening style

Listenable

Thought this was boring. Low 3

It’s weird because it’s not what I’d call country now. Has much more of a big band jazz feel. It's nice, and Ray Charles is a great performer, but it's not really up my alley taste wise.

It's a strange mix of many genre sounds. Not sure hoe much I enjoy it, but it' well done musically.

Ray Charles has a great voice and the songs were pretty fun. Best song: Hey, Good Lookin'

I do like Ray Charles, don’t know anyone who doesn’t!

A lot of good tunes

Nice stuff, a few surprisingly modern sounding songs here

Musically okay, but I can't listen to these melancholy “love" songs anymore. A double CD full of them is borderline torture. I haven't quite understood the country and western aspect that the title refers to either. I guess because 90% of the music sounds like it could be playing in the background of very old western movies? I don't even want to tear the album apart, it was probably really important and revolutionary in its time, but it's like reading important ancient writings today. More interesting than enjoyable.

I would not call most of this country or western, which made it more enjoyable than I expected from the title. Love the jazz swing style of the songs.

no letter today :( i have waited since dawn It's good stuff but genre-wise it's outside my wheelhouse. It'd help if I knew more of the songs it was reinventing... when it's covering ones I do know, like "Bye Bye Love" and "You Are My Sunshine," it's a pretty good time.

Not the kind of music I typically listen to, but I love the idea of taking traditional songs from one genre and completely re-do. Especially with Ray's amazing voice, most of these sound great, but I especially love the more up-tempo songs like 'Hey Good Lookin''

bye bye love- 6 you dont know me- 5 half as much- 6 i love you so much it hurts- 6 just a little loving will go a long way- 5 born to lose- 5 worried mind- 5 it makes no difference now- 5 you win again- 5 careless love- 5 i cant stop loving you- 5 hey good looking- 5

Sonic wallpaper I'm afraid: in one ear and out the other (albeit smooth and mellifluous while doing so).

This album was exactly what I thought it was. I feel like these songs have been around for an eternity. You hear them in every movie from the 70s and 80s. Good stuff but played out in basic in 2024.

It is nice

Many classics, well done.

Cute

Undoubtedly a great voice, love the warm production that makes me feel like I'm sitting by a fire at Christmas. Unfortunately the songs mostly sound the same to me and the style of music isn't really my thing.

I really like this album compared to the last one. It’s a lot more new aged for the time and it had a natural and flow. Literally, I think he was talking about finding a love and a new girl, but then back to the old love, but I couldn’t follow.

Bye Bye Love rocks. I read on the wiki this was groundbreaking because he blended country and soul at the height of the civil rights movement. That is cool, but it still sounds sleepy to my 2024 ears. This surely deserves 5 stars for the times and American history but it’ll be 3 stars for my records. If someone ever scrutinizes my 1001 ratings I’m going to have a tough time justifying how I gave this a lesser rating than OutKast. Curious about big band music, feels like it’d be sick to see in person. Either way, bravo Ray. I’m a fan.

Nice sound, with the distinctive piano playing holding it all together. Ray’s voice is huge and comforting. Can only go so high for an album of standards not re-invented in a particularly unique way, but still a thoroughly pleasant experience.

With a “studying history” focus, I see how Ray Charles is the man and worthy of a few entries on this list. I genuinely enjoyed a few tunes (You Are My Sunshine and You Dont Know Me were my favs). I did find it formulaic/repetitive at points with both lyrical themes (obvious) and musically. Reading on Ray Charles was far more interesting to me. He’s worshipped by a lot of my heroes in the 70s

Some great tracks on here and perfect background music but also a lot that I wouldn’t be able to pick out of a lineup. Accidentally listened to this on loop in my headphones while sleeping last night and didn’t wake up once. Feel guilty giving this less than Elvis (kind of the reverse transaction of this album) but that one feels like it explores more territory. Random plug for new Elvis doc on Netflix.

What is not to like - great tunes from a great singer

2.5 rounded up

own

It was very good. Not surprisingly.

I didn't mind listening to this - especially his Hank Williams covers. But historical interest, more than something I would go back to.

More enjoyable than I thought it would be but still not really something I would put on purposefully.

Classic

Too long. Sorry. Good but too long

3 stars since it was a big deal in its day.

I did not use a private Spotify session for this double album. Not what I expected given the nod to Country and Western music, not bad, but it's not making any to any rotation.

Strong start but winds up becoming uninspiring.

Ray Charles is another artist who I like in small doses and not really an entire album. It’s not bad. But I start checking my watch halfway through. 3.5/5

Too soft for my taste, but it's not bad

Good but not for me.

Not my favorite Ray Charles but album concept is very cool

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music transformed into Love Songs to Slow Dance To. Too respectable and inoffensive to fully embrace at such a length, especially given the lack of variation. The backing choir on I can’t Stop Loving You sound incredible though.

Just because it is Mr. Ray Charles

Honestly, I have no idea why this album is called Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music since i did not hear a single influence from country music like the title would have implied but I'm not here to complain about the title, I'm just here to say that this album is a pretty good one. I found that the best parts of the album were the opening song and closing song since they had the fun jazz sound i like. The other songs went for more of a Frank Sinatra sort of sound which is fine but nothing i liked more than the really jazzy stuff. This album is a pretty solid one, just had a little too much of the stuff i liked less. Best Song: Bye Bye Love Worst Song: I Love You So Much It Hurts Side note: I find the first song kind of funny since the lyrical subject matter is so sad and serious yet the music is so jazzy and groovy

I have to rate this album as a measure of my enjoyment, and at the end of the day, it's not really music that has much pull for me. That said, upon reading more about this album, I have a hell of a lot of respect for it. Ray Charles covering a bunch of country songs, reaching deep into them and transforming them. Bringing other things to the surface. All this when the music industry, like American society as a whole, was segregated. Honestly, it's pretty incredible. My frame of reference is pretty small, not only to Ray Charles and his style of music, but to the songs he's covering here. Just to get a taste of the source, I went and looked up the original "Hey Good Lookin'" by Hank Williams to compare. Night and day. I do think it's the jazzier renditions I prefer. They sound more unique than the string-heavy arrangements, which seem to lend themselves to a lot of country songs more easily. And if I'm not mistaken, it seems that this kind of production would become more popular in country over the course of the decade. Perhaps it's a corny takeaway, but music does unite us all. I appreciate what this album represents.

Album con un sonido grandioso, con toda una big band detras transformando viejos estándares del country en clave soul y unos grandiosos arreglos orquestales. Y el bueno de Ray lleno de sentimiento en canciones como "Born to Lose". Me gustó mas el volumen 1.

It was pleasant to listen to, but that is about it. I wont be buying the record or seeking it out again

While Ray Charles' talent is on full display on this album, showcasing his amazing vocals and overall musical ability, it still falls short of greatness due to being quite samey throughout. When you've heard the first few tracks on this album, you've sort of heard them all.

This was better listen than I was expecting. It really doesn’t sound very country or western at all. However, all the songs start sounding like every other orchestra backed 40s/50s song and the run time is way too long.

It sounds much less country than expected.

3,5

Essentially an album of cover songs?

Ray Charles is Ray Charles. 6/10

Hoy toca escuchar a Ray Charles, artista del que, como a tantos otros, ubico sólo por canciones sueltas. El disco arranca con sonidos que automáticamente me llevan a películas yankees como musicales o films de animación. ¿Créditos iniciales de películas, tal vez? Todas pistas pasionales, sentidas, divertidas, que demuestran lo sarpado que era éste tipo. Hasta la próxima semana.

типичный кантри 4/10

Decent

It was good! Not a ton to say, I liked it and how upbeat the songs were. I was shocked at how many songs were on the album and how short it was. But still, I ended up really only giving it one listen through.

Volume 1 really felt dry, but his voice makes it great. Volume 2 spiced it up

Ray Charles is always amazing, however I have a preference for his livelier numbers

Ray Charles is something special, but cover versions don’t generally set the world alight and this is no exception. Pleasant.

3/5

Primer acercamiento a Ray Charles en formato LP. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962) es el decimo álbum de estudio del artista, el cual también es considerado su obra más importante. Este trabajo toma diferentes canciones de los géneros del country y el western y las reinterpreta bajo el formato de los covers, brindándoles una nueva composición y significado. Destaco principalmente esta facultad de maximizar el sonido. Así, tanto los arreglos orquestales como los coros y la voz de Charles hacen de esta experiencia una muy singular para la época. Además, este trabajo es sumamente accesible, lo cual le permite al oyente naturalmente cantar y bailar cada una de sus canciones. Este factor se refleja en sus letras, las cuales si bien flojas (en la medida que son bastante monotemáticas) son accesibles para todos. Por otra parte, considero que, si bien el sonido es lo más relevante, es también su factor más débil, en la medida que muchas de las canciones comparten un sonido similar en su composición. En conclusión, considero este un buen trabajo del artista. Destaco además su repercusión dentro del mundo musical y en la cultura afroamericana, al abrir fronteras que ningún otro artista había logrado en su momento FAVTRAXS: You Don't Know Me / I Love So Much It Hurts / Just A Little Lovin' (Will Go A Long Way) / Born to Lose / Hey, Good Lookin' LEASTFAV: It Makes No Difference Now

Great singer, great musicians, the same song sung the same the over different backing instrumentals for the whole album. 6/10

This was easy enough to listen to just on the longer side of things

Nice listening for the evening. Nothing ground breaking but pleasant

Cowboy Charles

Never heard this before. No gems here, but likeable songs with likable singing and likable arrangements. Not sure a double album was necessary. Would probably rate higher if the best songs were on a double album.

A good album to ballroom dance to....

I kind of like Bye Bye Love, Half as Much, Just a Little Lovin’, Hey Good Lookin’

He has a clear and beautiful voice and successfully blended several genres. Although his music is not my particular style, I can appreciate it, especially given the time period in which he recorded and released this one.

I prefer funkier - Ray Charles but you can't argue with the feeling I'm that voice. Definitely transports to a different place.

all good

Look, Ray Charles had an incredible voice. He sounded great on this album. The problems I have with it are that it is 1. A double album and over an hour long and 2. Every single song is about a woman that he either can't have or broke his heart in some way. Every. Single. Song. Like seriously can the man not come up with some other material to sing about? Is there nothing else in his life or the world that captivates him? It just makes for a very long 74 minutes when every song has the same topic.

Interesting album, worth it for me just for the version of “Born to Lose”. Strangely the Spotify version only had 5 songs. I listened to all of those and a few more, but moved on before I got through the entire album.

Album sounds great, Ray's a hell of a singer. I just kinda got bored halfway through it.

To me most of the songs sounded like extensions of the same song, probably because i am not familiar with the genre.

All right, well, it feels like cheating to include a two-volume set on this list? I like the upbeat songs, even when not particularly cheery in substance ("Don't Tell Me Your Troubles," for example).

Great songs, great voice, great production

I'd listened to this before and enjoyed it- need to revisit again at some point cos I was quite tired yesterday

Fully understand its importance as a massive crossover hit plus cultural significance. Much of the two records leaves me cold. Ray is in fine voice, some of the arrangements enjoyable, but some of the strings and almost all of the backing vocals are annoying as hell. I could condense the two into one better record, at least to my taste.

Ok - who doesn't like Ray Charles? Some good stuff.. but stalls as a rare double album.

Never really listened to him but he is delightfully entertaining. Lyrics are so-so but the instrumentals are fire.

This poor man seems to have had his heart broken more times than Taylor Swift.

2024-09-11...

Reading the Wikipedia I understood why this is an important album.. breaking down a musical divide and the contribution to the civil rights movement was an interesting piece of context. Overall it's very chill to listen to. Pleasant strings, it sounds like music one might hear in a 40s Disney animated movie. I know nothing about jazz in case that wasn't obvious. It wears a bit thin over the 74 minutes but I appreciate the vision to do this to a bunch of country songs. Maybe I'd score it higher for the invention if I knew more than a handful of the originals

I was really looking forward to blues and soul with Ray Charles. Unfortunately, my expectations were not fulfilled. The album title actually says it all: country and western music. I can't usually get into these genres. But hey, it's Ray Charles. so give it a try. And there were also 2 or 3 very nice tracks on the album. However, the music mainly reminded me of somewhat corny film music from classic western films in black and white. After just under an hour, I'd had enough. I probably won't listen to this album in its entirety. 3/5

so loooooooooong

Cool that it exists. The best parts are when Ray cuts loose with the jazzy or bluesy piano, but ultimately the arrangements are a little too polished or something

I really liked this at the start. Just charming nice bluesy tunes. But I didn't need a double album of it - waned and got repetitive. Didn't get much from the second disc. Fave Tracks: Bye Bye Love, Just a Little Lovin' 3.3/5

First, I need to note that I had to play this album in mono. For whatever reason, the mixing in spotify put all of the vocals into my right ear which just felt off. Anyway, this album is super ambitious and honestly cocky by Ray Charles. He is not really know for his "Country and Western Music" so proclaiming he was putting forward the most modern sounds is ballsy. Overall, I do think he hit the target, but maybe not the bullseye. Many of the songs feels samey, and even cover basically the same themes. While I liked the blues influence, the big band nature of some of the songs doesn't feel like country to me at all. More stripped back songs on this album seem to have actually influenced country music to come in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Best Songs: Just A Little Lovin', I Can't Stop Loving You, Your Cheatin' Heart, You Are My Sunshine Worst Songs: NA

I acknowledge its importance and love Ray’s voice and piano. But I hate the strings.

Not bad

Bien. Muy bien canta. I Can't Stop Loving You

Never heard this before. No gems here, but likeable songs with likable singing and likable arrangements. Not sure a double album was necessary. Would probably rate higher if the best songs were on a double album.

I particularly enjoyed the arrangements for the tunes I knew from Hank Williams and the Everly Brothers and such. Probably would enjoy it even more if I knew more of the original recordings.

Cozy album, but didn't really stand out to me in any way from other big band music. Weak 3.

A cool album with country standards made jazzy. I get that in a historical context this is a major album as country widely was (is) white music and blues/jazz was black. This was breaking new ground at the time (for a contemporary version i guess Lil Nas releasing "Old Town Road" is the same). Does it hold up? Kind of. I mean if you want to listen to some jazz/blues I think there are more iconic and better albums. Same goes for country I guess. But still, it's a nice window in to another time and interesting at that.

Bros old

Not the modern I'm used to that's for sure

Pretty sleepy jazz/blues. Second album started off hot then went back to the same boring choir songs. Not bad just wanted some more upbeat stuff

Songs are nice to listen to in the background

Music is mostly good, no songs really stood out for me.

Meh, jolly and easy to listen to but nothing special

Creí que iba a encantarme y la verdad me aburrió un poco. Además está larguísimo. Me gustaría ponerle 3,5 estrellas pero esta cosa no acepta medios puntos así que ni modo. Se va con 3.

I think this proves that country is mainly in the delivery rather than the songwriting. I liked the big band songs more than the strings/chorus ones, but in all cases, Charles' delivery is impeccable.

I haven't actively listened to Ray Charles unless it's Christmas stuff in a playlist. Though I recognize the significance on cultural history especially for a black man in the 1960s, thematically I was a bit tired of the same "Longing for a love who doesn't want me/ wants more than me" theme halfway into the album. maybe I'll appreciate it the more I listen to more things from the era.

Some real classics and interesting versions of well-known songs.

Ray Charles’ voice is amazing. His piano is amazing. I love the trumpets. But the backing vocals and orchestration make me cringe. I really want to like this album - but the more I hear the sound built around the voice and the piano, the less I like it.

Ganz ok - aber diese langsamen Hollyood 50s Songs sind viel zu viele. ***

This is too long. The songs all start to sound the same.

This is Ray Charles. An important album, an undeniable classic, but it not tingle my senses so it's 3 stars.

Mad pipes on this dude Always dig a good standard Sad boi <3 you are my sunshine

Pretty good, but at some point every song started to sound the same to me.

Heerlijke jazzy, bluesy plaat dit. Ray Charles heeft sowieso een fantastische stem! Dus dat is puur genieten. Maar mijn god, ik vind een dubbel album vrijwel altijd te lang, nu dus ook. Er staan genoeg mooie nummers op, maar ook behoorlijk wat nummers die me totaal niet pakken. Toch jammer, omdat de highs ontzettend high zijn. Ik denk dat als je hier een album van 10-15 nummers van zou maken dat ik het gemakkelijk een 4 of een 5 zou geven, nu kom ik helaaas niet boven de 3 uit! FAVO: You dont know me, just a little lovin will go a long way, I cant stop loving you, Oh lonesome me, Take these chains from my heart