Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

This reminds me of Beyonce's newest album, in a way. An icon of Black music branching out to country, and it feels like they are trying to fight the genre rather than incorporate it. The opening song is a prime example. It really abandons the emotion of the original, and replaces it with... some R&B arrangements. It's an admirable project, and it's impossible to really evaluate a work like this a lifetime later, but I think the end result doesn't really stand on its own anymore. It's another casualty in the fight against the stranglehold that a small number of producers have had over country since forever, and I respect it for that, but I don't feel a need to return to this when both Ray Charles and country fusion have done better.

Pretty smooth but not my thing.

Not a big fan of big band or country music. That said, this is a well-made set of albums, and I can see the historical significance. Ray Charles had a great voice and energy. While I get that he was trying to put his own spin on these tracks, and that's why these are all big band arrangements, few of the songs (even in their original versions) actually seem like "country" to me. Perhaps those terms just meant something different back then.

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 don't get it. Was he under contract to make a double album so fell back on "western and country" standards?

A good album to ballroom dance to....

It's well done and doesn't come across as country and Western, but it's music my grandmother would listen to and I think it would have more appeal to that generation than to me. It's a three or better on quality, but other than one or two tunes I don't think I'll be looking to listen to this again.

Didn't enjoy it. To me it seemed like a weird fusion of country and Lawrence Welk with vocals by Ray Charles.

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

Incredible smash hit that broke the conventions of the time. Ray Charles the crafter of Soul knocks it out with country music.

I played Ray Charles in Spin class today : ) but this album's sound is just not for me. I appreciate the talent and the time, but there were a bunch of tracks that I had to skip through because I couldn't take it anymore lolll

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.

Not terrible but way too smooth for me

It's alright, but is it really that important in music history?

Your usual R&B big band record. I just can't figure out why this record would be better than other stuff of its category.

Lovely. A timeless fusion of swing,blues and country showcasing this amazing voice. Brilliant

Genius

This is sublime. I don't love every song but it doesn't detract from the realiity that this is stellar on every level. I don't need to say more. Yet, I must shout out the the title. "Modern sounds in country and western music." Wow! to take a sublime jazz album and force it down the panicked throats of a bunch of rednecks, "threatening" to undermine their "genre"... the passive aggressiveness of this is almost as sublime as the music within it.

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

all good

Loved this album! The jazzy remakes of classics of Hank Williams and Everly Brothers were quite impressive. The instruments and backup vocals were also spot on.

He never ceases to impress me. His style is very unique and executed very. His songwriting is also impressive he is a bard or poet writing ballads in the albums.

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.

I've heard of this album but had never listened to it. not familiar with most of the tracks in the country genre, so can't compare what Ray does to the originals. overall I enjoyed the listen-he's got a great ear and ability to style music and tell stories. only down sides are the fact it's a double album (gets a little long with about 5 tracks to go), and the "doowop" sound backing vocals on a couple tracks detract from his vocals

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.

A nice mellow vibe, though sounds a bit dated with the background strings in every song. Charles has a voice that could sooth a rabid honey badger into a cooing compliance.

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

Bangers

This was short but sweet. I always like some Ray Charles

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

N/A Unavailable to stream

Listened to the Skibidi Toilet song right after just to confirm - not really modern. But fine nonetheless

about as interesting as Christmas music

Didnt finish but very doowop era foxtrot music. Not my style but it was cool to see lines ive heard in rap songs

She 1000 on my albums till I day

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

This confirms for me that with the exception of Johnny Cash and a small number of others, country music is best done by others. Though it is strange to call Ray Charles modern, his take on some old standards all sound brilliant, nostalgic, and modern all at the same time.

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.

Way too long

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

Great album, very smooth all the way around. I like old country songs so it was nice to hear Ray Charles sing a few in his voice.

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.

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

2024-09-11...

8.5/10

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 liked it way more than I thought I would. Not my thing but undeniably good music.

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

Pretty nice collection from Ray.

so loooooooooong

Groundbreaking it may have been at the time, but it reads a bit schmaltzy now, when the strings and horns get heavy-handed (as on the otherwiste great "You Don't Know Me." But RC's delivery and phrasing – the sheer soulfulness of them – are excellent throughough and transcend the shortcomings (including iffy backing vocals on a few cuts). The formula works best with "Careless Love" and "Born to Lose" and "Someday," with their understated instrumentation and controlled tempos. "You Are My Sunshine" swings soulfully and has integrated, rather than ornamental, backing vocals) (noting that it might be a bonus cut). And as with other RC records, the singer seems a full notch better than some of the songs ("Hey Good Lookin'"); sure, these were hits and so, one supposes, what the peolpe wanted, but serving those fickle tastes isn't exactly a surefire path to the artistic pantheon. Bonus points in that one realizes now where one's father got one of the standard songs ("I Love You So Much") that he used to sing to us at bedtime, in the bath, etc.

“modern sounds in country and western music” has a weirdly nostalgic sound to it, despite me never hearing it before. the ornate backing vocalist and string section give this record an almost christmassy feel, one that warms the listener. charles’ voice is instantly soothing, and makes this album a very easy listen. i should like to here more of his work along this challenge, and hope to revisit this record.

A sublime walkthrough different emotions with the elegance of a slow ride at horseback, and the passion of a lover's kiss.

not my thing

Well, I love Ray Charles' voice, but I find the arrangements with all the strings and backing vocals rather too much and a bit same-y. Ultra-smooth.

Well made I'm sure but pretty boring really.

The man had an amazing voice, and the big band music behind it makes it even better.

I was today years old when I learned Social Distortion did not write that song

First half is definitely more lively and energetic

if you're in the mood for it. it's a 5/5 imo

A bit bizarre

Gran disco. Principio de muchos estilos. Me encanto como lo canta.

Why do country songs recorded by a jazz/soul artist in 1962 sound like Disney Christmas songs from the 1930s?

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

Pretty good and soulful.

2 - Was fully expecting to really like this, but honestly it just felt like a different version of the same song for over an hour

I 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

Bye Bye Love 4 You Don't Know Me 3.8 Half as Much 3.7 I Love You So Much It Hurts 3.8 Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way) 3.8 Born to Lose 3.6 Worried Mind 3.5 It Makes No Difference Now 3.7 You Win Again 3.4 Careless Love 3.5 I Can't Stop Loving You 3.7 Hey, Good Lookin' 3.6 Score: 3.675

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

Genius

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

Ray was in his bag here.

I can understand how important this album was when it was released because of the culture at the time. Listening to it now, I’m underwhelmed. Great music and vocals, no doubt. It is more like elevator music to me.

Finally something a little different this week. I am loving the vibe of this album - it reminds me of a sad Christmas, if that makes sense.

The best durned versions of these songs that I ever heard, that’s for sure! A perfect balance of elegance and passion. I must say, I rarely go for that country twang, but this record just proves that a good song is a good song, especially when you have a master doing the interpretation.

Not bad

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

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

Sounded like a weird fusion of country and Lawrence Welk with vocals by Ray 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.

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.

This is a fantastic album--to have the foresight to pull a scoffed at genre and open it up to jazz sensibilities is next level. This might be the swingingest country album ever.

Bros old

goddamn i gotta get deeper into r&b 8/10

I skipped the second disc as only the first seems to be the original album. From what I can gather it is a historical significant album, but knowing none of that, it's a tight 39 minutes of reworking that holds up amazingly well. Ray's voice was impeccable as you'd expect, the song selection was nice and varied and the big band sounded great. Definitely will see a few tracks entering my weekend breakfast rotation.

9/10 At first I thought that this album is about an unrequited love and being rejected. And at some point it maybe a right thing to say. But in the middle of it I felt the other way around, that I couldn't manage to explain. Love is a hard thing to explain. And the love which is spoken there about is miserable, maybe unfair and difficult. I loved the story that goes through the lyrics. Simple language. Nevertheless it's strong and is right to place. The music reminded me of of some Disney movies soundtracks. Really nice and soulful album.

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

I loved this album, it reminds me of fallout new Vegas which is one of my favourite games

Simply amazing.

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.

Great album! Some soulful tunes in here

Really good

Muito bom!!!!

60’s

Für mich ist das ein sehr ungewöhnliches Album von Ray Charles. Viele ruhige Orchester Nummern, durchaus am Rande des Kitsches, aber sehr gut arrangiert und gesungen. Coverversionen sind gelungen.

This is an odd album!! Its like a cross between a Disney soundtrack and a Chrismtas album an album I want to not like but it is then saved with some great tunes on it. I loved Dont tell me your troubles, you win again and Born to Lose but around those tracks there was a lot of filler. Favourite song: Dont tell me your troubles Least favourite: Midnight Album artwork: Cool cover

classic

Normally, I wouldn't like music like this because it's quite boring and repetitive, like all the music from those times. But with Ray Charles it's something different. He just captivates me somehow. I liked this a lot!

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.

couldn't get into this one at all.

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. ***

Wasn’t the worst & wasn’t the best but ended up adding a few to the playlist so there’s that.

Classic stuff, barely a miss here 5*

good to listen to the odd track here and there , but after an hour this album gets repetitive.

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.

Kende dit album nog niet en eerlijk gezegd ken ik Ray Charles, buiten zijn hits, niet zo fantastisch goed. Maar damn, wijs album! Dikke 4 sterren hiervoor.

En 1962, au sommet de sa gloire Ray Charles - Le mec qui a inventé la soul en forniquant avec le gospel et le rhythm and blues - a décide de s'attaquer à un autre pilier de la culture américaine, un truc encore plus blanc que la neige du Montana en plein hiver : la Country and Western music. Sur le papier, c'est une idée de génie absolu. Un putain de geste politique et artistique. Imaginez le tableau : on est en 1962. L'Amérique est encore un champ de bataille pour les droits civiques. Et voilà qu'un artiste noir, non seulement chante de la country, mais le fait avec des arrangements grandioses, des big bands, des cordes, et s'approprie ce répertoire avec une aisance déconcertante. C'est plus qu'un album, c'est une déclaration. C'est Ray Charles qui plante son drapeau au milieu de Nashville et qui dit : "Cette musique, elle est à moi aussi". Rien que pour ça, le disque mérite sa place dans le livre des "1001 Albums". C'est un marqueur historique, un point de bascule. Voilà. J'ai fait mon devoir de mémoire. J'ai rendu hommage à l'audace, au contexte, à l'importance capitale de la chose. Maintenant, parlons musique. Parlons de ce que mes pauvres oreilles ont dû endurer. Parce que, merde, qu'est-ce que c'est chiant. Je suis désolé, il n'y a pas d'autre mot. C'est un des albums les plus incroyablement chiants que ce projet m'ait forcé à écouter jusqu'ici. Je m'attendais à de la poussière, à de la sueur, à la tristesse poisseuse des honky-tonks, à l'âme d'un Ray Charles écorché vif qui viendrait transcender la country. Et qu'est-ce que j'ai eu ? De la musique d'ascenseur. De la putain de musique de salle d'attente de dentiste de luxe. Le problème, ce n'est pas Ray. Jamais. Sa voix est là, impériale, chaude, pleine de cette fêlure qui vous brise le coeur. On sent le "Genius" qui essaie de percer à travers le mur de son. Le problème, c'est tout le reste. C'est cette production d'une propreté maladive, ces arrangements dégoulinants de bons sentiments. Chaque morceau, ou presque, est noyé sous des hectolitres de violons sirupeux et des choeurs de chérubins sous Tranxène. "I Can't Stop Loving You", le méga-tube de l'album... C'est l'archétype du problème. La mélodie est immortelle, la performance vocale de Ray est touchante, mais l'orchestration est d'une lourdeur... On se croirait à un dîner de gala chez tes grands-parents, avec les bougies et les napperons. Ça manque de couilles, tout simplement. Ça manque de terre. La country, c'est censé sentir la bière renversée et les coeurs brisés. Le rhythm and blues, c'est la sueur et le sexe. Ici, on a l'impression d'écouter la bande originale d'une pub pour du café soluble. J'ai eu l'impression d'assister à un combat perdu d'avance : la voix phénoménale de Ray Charles contre une armée de violonistes bien peignés et de choristes proprets. Et même si Ray gagne quelques rounds par KO technique, à la fin, c'est l'ennui qui l'emporte. L'album est lisse. Trop lisse. Il a poli les angles de la country jusqu'à en faire une boule de bowling. Il a emballé l'âme de Ray Charles dans du papier cadeau tellement épais qu'on peine à la sentir vibrer. C'est un disque conceptuel, oui, mais le concept a bouffé la musique. L'idée de réconciliation musicale est magnifique, mais le résultat est une sorte de soupe tiède où ni la country ni la soul ne sortent vraiment gagnantes. On est dans un entre-deux confortable et soporifique. Alors voilà, mon verdict est sans appel. D'un point de vue historique et politique, c'est un 5/5 sans hésiter. Un disque essentiel pour comprendre l'évolution de la musique populaire américaine et les barrières qu'elle a dû faire tomber. Mais quand je doit juger l'expérience d'écoute, ici et maintenant, en 2025... c'est un monument qui prend la poussière. Un disque que l'on respecte infiniment pour ce qu'il représente, mais qu'on n'a absolument aucune envie de réécouter. C'est peut-être ça, le piège du projet "1001 Albums". Tous ne sont pas là pour être aimés, mais pour être entendus. Celui-ci, je l'ai entendu. Une fois. Ça suffira. Allez, au suivant. En espérant un peu moins de violons et un peu plus de crasse.

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

Ray Charles has a fantastic voice, his keyboard playing is exemplary, and the band are fantastic. However, the songs on this album are just about as awful as anything I've ever heard. Insipid ballads, very much of their time, just dreadful. It seems that roughly nine out of ten of the songs are about someone suffering heartache. Considering this is a long album, it gets tiring very fast, probably about three tracks in and I was done with the theme and wishing it to be over. Ray manages to somehow pull it up to a woeful 2 stars, but only just.

Wonderful music. This man just exudes music out of him.

This doesn’t really do much for me though I get why it’s important.

Ray was a bit before my time, but I am lucky to have several kids who play orchestra. One is a trumpet player and one is piano. So I have come to appreciate jazz and R&B. My first impression looking at the cover was that I had missed something historically where Ray Charles invented country music. But digging in I can compare it to Postmodern Jukebox where popular hits are performed in a distinctive period style. If done well and with exceptional performers this concept works. Ray and his orchestra certainly fill the bill. After many decades that is where this album lands. As a period piece. A novelty. No matter how much raw energy and swing a genius like Ray Charles can muster to mix oil and water it will ultimately separate. Unlike Elvis who created something transformative that has stood the test of time this attempt to cast country in a an R&B mold produced a beautiful but ultimately dated result. An artifact. A curiosity. I enjoyed it though.

Ei minua varten tämä, kuin vanhojen Disney-elokuvien soundtrackilta musiikkia ja muuta ei-itseä-innostavaa.

Enjoyable

Favourite tracks: bye bye love: you're cheating heart; born to lose; hey good looking

me gusta el genero musical y su voz es genial pero si escucho mucho me cansa

Great kusic

Pretty standard late-era swing crooning, but dang are the performances top-notch.

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

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

i dont even have a weasoling for this

The GOAT

This album was great. While it’s hard to truly gauge these songs originally as “country and western” they do make a seamless tradition to R&B/Soul.

Solid 50's "country" album. No complaints.

Großartige Sammlung von verbesserten Versionen der Originale. Seine Stimme ehrlicher als die zeitgenössischen weißen Dudes.

pretty good. the album got off to a good start and finish. lulled in the middle a bit. felt more like christmas music at one point.

I’d never heard most of these songs and had no idea that they were originally country songs. The only one I was familiar with was the opening track, “Bye Bye Love” from the Everly Brothers version (and it never really would have occurred to me to consider it a country song). I tried to listen to the originals for comparison and couldn’t get through most of them. Country just isn’t my genre. With the exception of the opening track (of which I’d say Charles’ version is tied with the Everly Brothers for me), I vastly prefer the Ray Charles versions. His reimagining of the songs as blues/jazz/r&b songs greatly elevates them, at least in my opinion. It must have taken balls at the time, too, for a Black man to put out an album covering beloved country songs. There’s also something delightfully subversive about a Black man in the early 60s singing a country song with the lyric, Why don't you put your arms around me? And I'll be your slave 'Cause just a little lovin', baby Will go a long way I haven’t listened to much Ray Charles, but I really enjoyed this album. His voice is very smooth and soothing. The lush orchestration and choral accompaniments give this album a very old-Hollywood vibe — though it does get to be a bit much occasionally, it works well most of the time. It’s great to hear Charles break out the piano chops on songs like “Worried Mind” and “It Makes No Difference Now.” If there’s one downside to this album, I’d say it’s that some of the songs sound very similar, but that’s more the fault of the originals. 4/5

Sounds in Country and Western Music is exactly what I expected it to be. Its slow, somewhat jivey, and kinda hits the bones a bit. However, EVERY song sounded the same to me. I really can’t expect much from a album that predates the moon-landing, but it is what it is. One disparity I noted was the outro, Hey Good Lookin’. All in all an alright album that might get a play or two in a movie soundtrack.

Day 37 - July 8th, 2024 Wonderful background music. 4/5

Dated production. Was probably interesting at its time. Now prefer the originals.

Not my favorite era of Ray Charles but at least interesting to listen to more big band type arrangements prior to the funk and soul.

A bit long and one-note, but good.

Ray expands the great American songbook, and rightly so, but these arrangements don’t always do the songs justice.

Inventive for its time, but not so exciting to listen to today.

Not vibe

I love his voice and vocals, but the album had so much strings accompaniment that it felt like I was listening to Andy Williams

ein

Nice but long

bardzo przyjemne i uniwersalne

This is like a great 1940’s album but done in the 1960s. Really great so far.

Very exciting start but is followed by much the same thing over, and over…

I’m normally a pretty rabid Ray Charles fan, but this isn’t it. This is Ray sings Hank with a big band/Christmas ensemble. Very few moments of Ray’s genius I love.

Of course his voice is amazing, of course the players on this record are all very skilled. Of course I enjoyed it. Really incredible. Enjoyed it the whole time. I would say though that its not music that I would listen at all times since it is indeed relaxing. Either way a great record. One of the things I enjoyed the most was the use of strings and the beautiful choir that would acompany the slower songs.

Very enjoyable. Ray’s sound is unique but his style brings a new life to these tunes.

Solid, some blues, not very country but good.

3☆/5 06.29.2024

Enjoyed it! Didn't really feel like an Album, more like a series of great songs but I guess that's what an album is :') 4

shaking my ass one song sobbing uncontrollably the next

Classic songs, bit of a bummer

Great but dated.

Country and Western, Big Band, Swing, and Jazz. I know very little about any of these genres, and actively dislike jazz, so this was unlikely to be a five-star album for me. And it isn't. It's dreary, and it drags, and Ray Charles' voice, as excellent as it is, is not enough to make this enjoyable for me, especially for an hour and a quarter.

4

Slow but good

Incredible vocals. Great big band chorus harmonies.

Warm gorgeous songs of love.

Was pretty good but songs started sounding the same after the first few.

Hard to hate anything this man did.

Nice and smooth. Not sure I have anything to add as this is greatness

Wow this was great. I feel like we’ve been waiting for this one. Some classic renditions that overall reminded me of Sinatra and some old country singers. Not every song kept me but plenty stood out. This is a fantastic album.

Damn, actually a ton of hits on here. Ray Charles doing mostly (if not all) covers, including plenty of songs we know and love. Not sure how much this is really "country and western music," but it's 1962, who am I to judge? Regardless, great collection of great songs, Ray was the man. Favorite tracks: Bye Bye Love, Half as Much, Born to Lose, Worried Mind, Hey Good Lookin, Don't Tell Me Your Troubles, Oh Lonesome Me. Album art: Just a picture of Ray on a red background, with text describing the album. Again, 1962, so I'll give some grace, but it's certainly not memorable. 4/5

TRUMPETS tbh, this album is putting me to sleep 3/5

I don't usually listen to the 60s much but this album has surprised me by how calm and cozy it is. As the album is two albums in one, it is a lot of songs. I will give this a low 4/5 as the album does start to feel a bit long near the end.

Good but you knew that, didn’t you?

I liked it but this ain’t country

Toughts this would be a drag due to being a double album. But i very much enjoyed this, did not get sick of the sound. Ray Charles is great, the piano, horns and everything else is great. My mind is saying 4 but my heart is saying 5.

Some of these are great, the rest are a derivative of “oh my lovvveee” with the backing vocals acting like angels. 2.5

Niet z’n beste werk, en ook gewoon niet zo goed. Snap niet dat dit er in staat

Vrolijk, emotioneel, mooie stem, mooie instrumenten, ga ik vaker luisteren

Good vocals and I understand the cultural importance of this album but it drags a little especially in the middle. Favourites: bye bye love, half as much, just a little lovin (will go a long way), oh lonesome me, take these chains from my heart. Very soothing but could use some editing. 3/5

Ray Charles lowkey goated for this, I didn't know that any of these songs were originally country since they sound so good in the blues style. I really like from this genre of music since it this tends to be very melodious and of course the strings are always beautiful. It was all super pleasant, I could definitely love this more if I was in the mood and had more time to just relax and soak in the vibe for a while. Had many favourites including You Don't Know Me, I Love You So Much It Hurts, Born To Lose, You Win Again, I Can't Stop Loving You, Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You), Don't Tell Me Your Troubles, Take These Chains From My Heart, Your Cheatin' Heart, and Teardrops In My Heart, making this a 4 from me

The 1960s version of the Pop Goes Punk compilations. Ray Charles just being an absolute boss and reworking country songs into whatever genre he sees fit, making them catchy and characterful the whole time. Vols I and II have a combined running time of about 80 minutes but it honestly flew by. No songs in particular really stood out but the whole thing was smooth as hell

good

More songs in here that I knew than I expected. Possibly some due to samples. Like that some were short eg 2 minutes, whereas some songs can be too long. Classics.

5/5. This is such a unique sound, it's hard to deny the influence and importance of this album. Ray's soulful tones through these country ballads and songs, adding big band saxophones and background vocals expands the power and simple vocals these songs contain. Just throwing these guitar and vocal songs into larger than life experiences is a masterclass in and of itself. Great song choices as well so just a bonus. Best Song: You Don't Know Me, Half As Much, Careless Love

2\5 all the songs pretty much the same but some great lyrics

Beautiful and big—expansive. Loved it, and felt as if, for some reason, I needed it today.

good but not my thing!

Just a Little Lovin’ Worried Mind Hey, Good Lookin’ Teardrops In My Heart Hang Your Head In Shame I don’t know why but I kept feeling like the album was Christmas vibes to it. Whole album was solid. Hard for my to not like ray charles.

A landmark recording in American music. By Ray Charles and his wonderful baritone voice, singing county, folk and western songs reworked to his formula. Nothing more to say, just a decent album.

This album was great all the way through. Finally an album with cultural significance that is also an incredible work of musical achievement, adapting these songs to a jazz/r and b style just brought them so much character. That being said, the style was very specific and I honestly would have liked to see more variety in the interpretations so for that it’s A teir

I do love listening to Ray Charles. It was a strong start to the album with Bye Bye Love and You Don't Know Me. Remained a strong album and a soothing listen.

Never been a big Ray fan, however these big productions suit him well. This is a fantastically fun record, where the big band more than makes up for any of Charles' deficiencies.

I wanted too like this but there were too many soaring strings for me. Cool that it exists but I couldn’t get through it.

I can’t help but wonder how many country music fans in the early 60s picked this up expecting something different. The rearrangement of old country standards must have put more than a few of them on edge. But this is a great work and a pleasure to listen to, although occasionally jarring to hear him refer to himself as a slave (albeit to love) and as having “once” been blind.

Normally this would be a 4 for me, but context matters. Appropriating these songs in 1962, re-arranging them (often for the better), and choosing songs with lines about chains and being a slave and having it harder than others suddenly becomes much more poignant. Don’t tell me he was blind to what he was doing.

This is how you can get me to enjoy Country and Western music.

Some really good stuff on this one. I'd like most of the songs with the chorus better without the chorus. Some of the songs he chose to cover have some pretty corny lyrics, too, but those were probably typical of the time and genre. I'd probably like it better if it was a single album of just the stongest material. All told, still excellent.

Ray Charles is a legend and this double album has a ton of classics. Such a soothing voice

This doesn't sound like any Country or Western music I've ever heard, though it is a pretty good R&B album. Now I didnt like it as much as some of these 50s/60s R&B albums I've received so far on this list, though it is undoubtedly good. My favorite is probably Half As Much.

usual music preference towards metal, classical, electronic, and rap. 5. Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music: Listened to this while playing Elden Ring swinging around a greatsword. Ray Charles is great, I loved his bit in Blues Brothers. 8/10. I grew up with some of my parents Motown records and soul music scratches that same itch.

Important artist and no doubt an important album. But I liked it, didn’t live it. Probably ought to revisit some other time, when I’m more in the mood for this sort of thing and can give it my whole-hearted attention. Not the right music for me, right now., on the day it happened to come my way.

The whole thing obviously does not sound modern in 2024, and the angel choir seems a bit out of place after all these years. That said, Ray Charles' voice is phenomenal and there's certainly high quality here. All in all, hard to pin down. It feels like a Christmas album without being one to me.

i liked this album. not my vibe, but i dont felt the urge to skip any song. its a good sing. and i can see the influence of some song in others i have been listening

He has a great distinct voice although you’ll enjoy more if you don’t listen to the lyrics much. For whatever reason the last five songs have the exact same sound

An enjoyable album of Ray Charles singing standards and classics

Damn good album. Ray Charles is just phenomenal performer and the backing is just so classic. Very few misses on this, pretty much all great songs

Corny string instrumentations -- trying to appeal to mainstream audiences?

1. Liked Moss Garden as reminder of time in Japan. V Schneider my favorite. Surprised so much instrumental as I usually love Bowie’s sultry voice. Wanted to enjoy Neuköln for the German tie-in, but didn’t 😔 2. Not much of the piano I’m used to in conjunction with Ray Charles, but really impressed with his fine vocals and these country songs didn’t seem twangy to me. Enjoyed more than expected. Especially liked the first selection on volume 1, You Don’t Know Me.

I haven't listened to enough Ray Charles to have an informed expectation; however, this was far from what I expected tonally. While book-ended by two upbeat swinging dance tracks (Bye Bye Love and Hey, Good Lookin'), the entire mid-section is comprised of more reserved tracks that pull from the country standard repertoire. Kind of interesting they made the decision to start and end in such a jarring way relative to the rest. In any case, this isn't a style of music I know a lot about. I find most entries to be enjoyable enough with a few exceptions that stood out for the better. The one track that stood out to me was Born To Lose. Just a fantastic and beautiful song that makes use of slow country caper with sweeping strings that buoy the whole arrangement. All around though I'd say this falls somewhere in the high 3 for me from a personal enjoyment level. Never something I would put on by choice, but also never something I would be mad about being made to listen to.

Ray charles is the man

It's just great music.

Definitely found myself toe tapping a bit to this. Ray Charles voice is so velvety smooth he makes every song sound like a Christmas carol. Little on the slower side for my liking especially after lunch but great nonetheless.

I feel like a lot of people can thank Ray Charles for getting a lot of sex over the last 60 odd years

This was a recent album Top tracks: Hey Good Lookin, You Are My Sunshine

Ray makes every song better.

One of the best albums of all time. This is one of the first CDs I ever remember listening to. My dad's favorite, and one of mine today. Really just amazing music, Ray Charles is great.

More “Important” and “interesting” than “good” for me. Still worth a listen.

Props to Ray, this is a seminal album, hugely influencial on soul and pop as well as country music, historical, etc., but it's also the torture music of my childhood, the channel we begged my father to change on the car radio - he never did.

I loved this! I haven’t ever listened to Ray Charles and did not expect this. Maybe his biggest hits that I would’ve heard are different? Like maybe the song selection here just worked for me? Not sure, but another very pleasant surprise.

This was a fun album to listen to and a very interesting album to read about. It basically consists of covers and reworks of country songs through a soul and R&B lens. What I find really impressive is that some of these songs even got radio play on country and western stations. Thanks to this album generator, I never would have listened to this album on my own, so I'm really excited to say that I enjoyed it and will definitely listen to it again in the future.

This was a good listen. Not really my thing but it certainly sounded great.

not at all what I expected from the title, even knowing it was RC

This was pretty fun! The background choir reminded me of Christmas music from the 40s and 50s LOL. I'd listen again, but only if I was really in the mood for this type of music.

I wanted to like this more than I did. At some point I noticed how the songs mostly ended with the same (sounding) harmonization of the last phrase by the choir of ladies and then it drove me nuts the whole rest of the time.

Great jazz, great themes, not so great artist if you’ve seen the biopic

The Genius. What else can be said?

What else is there to say? It's just legendary. Favorite track: Oh, Lonesome Me

Why? Yes he has an amazing voice and talent that shines through in buckets but surely the production should respect that at least a little.

God bless Ray!

You Don't Know Me Born to Lose I Can't Stop Loving You

Country Soul, rhythm and blues, traditional pop. I'll say it straight up, did not like this album at all on first listen. I was very bored by it and could not wait for it to end. But I have it another shot the next day and turned a complete 180 on my opinion. It's sultry and beautiful, passionate and romantic. It's so smooth and powerful. Even the songs of longing and loneliness hit hard. Ray Charles has some pipes on him for sure. The more modern take on country classics was something I didn't like at first but I find the beauty in now. I don't know what happened but this album rules. Probably will revisit. 4/5

Classic Ray Charles. Love when it’s just him and the piano. “I can’t stop loving you” brings back memories of listening to this song with my Aunt Annie. I get how the string instrument intro was standard for the times, but it was annoying. Background singers felt like listening to the Lawrence Well show. Just Ray and the piano. That’s all there needs to be.

Not a fan of the schmaltzy background singers. Too locked into that dated 50s style, and I prefer Ray’s music from his earlier Atlantic years with the funkier Raelettes as background singers, and Ray more rooted in R&B and Jazz where he damn near created modern soul on his own. But he was flexing here, a fuck you to the “establishment” that wanted to pigeonhole him in “black music” 🙄 so I respect him for what he was doing. A couple of highlights, but most of these country/folk songs sound better by the original artists.

Liked the album. Was a little slow at times, but Ray’s voice is iconic and I enjoyed some of the songs he covered. 3.5/5 Might listen again

The strings, the chorus date the album. But the smooth voice, the piano leads and sax breaks are great. I'm finding I like the 50's, 60's choices more than much of the contemporary stuff. Maybe time has filtered the older stuff more. My issue with this album is the length.

Pretty nice? I really didn't understand why this album was called this because I never thought that Ray Charles was country. That he was doing classic country songs in an R&B format makes so much more sense now.

This is fun!

Ray Charles assuredly deserves his notoriety within the American lexicon, and his seamless bridging of R&B, soul, pop, folk and country music into one solid sound is certainly to be praised. However, over sixty years later, the album gives off an unintended side effect of being too homogenized to sound like anything remotely worth talking about. It has its hits, it has his voice, and it has a swinging production not unlike Sinatra's best, but something just feels bland. Music's ability to vary and shift is one of its best features, and to mold it into one blob does wonders for bringing people and taste together, but only damages the songs inside. It is an album with tons of passion, but nothing to truly call remarkable, and I can only imagine this issue worsens with each passing decade. Good music of the past, but still definitively music of the past, and I can't help but think this rang true only a couple of years after this release.

It’s really good, was smooth listening.

Ive been wanting to listen to this album for a long time! Such amazing and beautiful soul and country! This album was one of gram parson’s biggest inspirations!

Enjoyed this album! Love his voice and the vibes. A classic 4 ⭐️

Pleasant enough, good background noise. Easy listening. Too long of an album for my liking.

Ray Charles is royalty. I'd give anything from him five stars. But this album deserves them all (despite the occasional use of cheesy strings and mid-century white chorus). As an aside; Willie Nelson credits this album with making Country a commercially viable genre. With all of the ridiculous conversation over whether Beyonce's Cowboy Carter is Country, I never heard or read anyone cite to this album. To me it proved that that whole conversation was never about music.

unbelievably soothing and beautiful music that really encompasses the big band sound. Ranges from slow and emotional to high energy charleston type sounds.

This is the shizzle. Ray shows the hairs width difference between r and b and country. Jimmie Rogers, the Everly brothers and Hank Williams get their genius polished. Musical dna. 1500000

First impressions - I like a torch songs. Soothing and swoony. Then into fun big band. Back to serenading with strings. Oh he does the aching beauty well, and when he goes low the reediness of his voice disappears. Impressed by my first listen to Ray Charles, adding it to the pile of music from that generation which will be eternal.

I think Robert Christgau sums this album up best : "It transfigured pop, prefigured soul, and defined modern country & western music." Apparently I purchased the album sometime in the early 70’s at Ashwoods in Sydney for 85c. (I also have Volume Two, which was quickly recorded & released in the same year, after the huge success of this album. Apparently it cost me $2.00 at Cash Converters sometime in the 90’s.) As is shown in the 2004 biopic “Ray”, after over a decade of recording in the jazz & r&b genres, Charles had a big hankering to record with strings, & this was the album on which he achieved that aim, with amazing success. AllMusic's Stephen Cook writes that "Charles intones the sleepy-blue nuances of country crooners while still giving the songs a needed kick with his gospel outbursts." The fact is that over 60 years since these recordings were made, I sometimes find the strings & particularly the background singers when they sound particularly white, to be a little jarring. You Don’t Know Me is a good example of that, but what makes it work is the magical voice of Brother Ray. One of the great post-war vocalists. And once he started using strings & strayed from pure r&b, even my father started buying Ray Charles records. The other things behind the album’s greatness are the arrangements and the country songs chosen. Superb, whether you like those strings or not. I Can’t Stop Loving You (Don Gibson) & You Don’t Know Me (Eddy Arnold/Cindy Walker) are the standouts. I loved Ray before I’d ever heard of Hank Williams, who died when I was three. But ever since discovering him in the 70’s, he has been one of my favourite songwriters. And it’s just a treat to hear Charles’s voice interpret Hank’s lyrics on the two Hank tracks, You Win Again & Hey Good Lookin’, which also ends the album with a rousing big-band arrangement. The arrangements also reinvent The Everly Brothers’ hit Bye Bye Love (Bryant/Bryant) & the Curley Williams classic Half As Much. But let’s face it, Ray Charles could sing the telephone book & make it work.

I am having a really shitty week at work. Lots of stress and crazy deadlines. I'm tired and cranky, and this has been reflected in this week's review. But then there is this. This album (and its sequel, Vol. 2) are dead-set, must-own, classic records, and so enjoyable to listen to. Ray had a great ear for great songs, without fear or favour towards any genre. And then he sings the hell out of them, with absolutely terrific big band arrangements, strings and backing choir. everyone is at the peak of their powers. And despite Ray clearly aiming at a cross-over market (i.e. white people), he doesn't tone down the soul in his voice or playing. Don't get me wrong, I am also a big fan of his grittier RnB records, but I could listen to this all day. I've streamed it three times today already. I'm going to pull out my vinyl copies later and spin them too. Every home should have a copy of both volumes of this wonderful, wonderful album.

I appreciate the artistry in this album and I'm not likely to seek it out. Overall, I found the strings to boring, though well textured. Ray Charles for me is a mandatory part of a good record collection. But for me, a best of collection would tick that box.

It's a fine album, with good vocals. But j just don't find it interesting and actually quite boring. Standout tracks: Bye bye, love and I can't stop loving you

Great instrumentation. Would play in background on a weekend morning. Would not listen to intently as rhythm and melody feel too dated sometimes.

3/10 It was really nice of Ray Charles to give a bunch of vanilla choral singers and an out of touch big band orchestra an album of his to play on. I hope that this isn't the only Ray Charles album on the list so I can make it up to him. I simply can't spend all day listening to this inane nonsense. 5/8/2024

Absolutely loved it

While this isn’t a record I throw on every day, I’m not sure it’s possible to give it less than 5 stars. Hugely influential and probably the best example of Charles’ talents on record, it’s a fascinating listen from start to finish. There’s so much emotion in all the phrasing and delivery in Ray’s vocals and piano playing. His takes on these classic songs transform them into all new songs. I’m not sure I could listen to this and not have my mood elevated and my outlook brightened. This is music intended to lift up the soul and strengthen it even after it’s done. It should be required listening for everybody.

BL: I liked the first Ray Charles I had on the generator maybe 6 months ago or so now, so it'll be good to hear this album. I'll see if it matches up to how good the first one I listened to was. AL: Volume one was very good, quite standard - not as much innovation as the previous record, but still very good and listenable, the use of the falsetto backing vocals add a eerie vibe to it which adds to the lonesome country twang which resonates throughout. Volume two was much of the same, and its welcome had worn a bit thin by the end. Still incredibly good music, just not sure if I'd ever want to consciously listen to an hour of it again. "Midnight" was the true standout track in these two volumes FT: "Half as Much", "You Win Again", "Midnight", "I'll Never Stand in Your Way" 3/5

Awesome!

Ray is a treasure and this album certainly shows why. He took old standards and gave the SOUL.

No

I'm 150 albums in and I'm way over thinking this. I went into listening to these albums purposely avoiding Wikipedia until after I listened and rated them. However.. I don't really know how to rate this. It's not an album i'd ever listen to because it just doesn't really do anything for me. But it feels "important" At the same time I don't even know the cultural significance of this album to quantity why it's important. I think these are covers. Would it be more important to put the albums of the original artists on this list to add context, or does ray Charles significantly altrs the music enough to warrent the album to exist being on this list even with the album being context free? Then does any album on this list follow that? I'm sure there are plenty of albums I like on this list because of the context it exists and I like the album BECAUSE of the cultural significance that I do understand. What even makes a great album. Maybe I need to get a copy of this stupid book. Anyway I have it a 3 I don't know

Objectively very good. The arrangements, performance, and recording quality is exceptional. I've discovered while doing this project, I tend to struggle to dig in and enjoy any form of vocal jazz or big band albums. So I recognize the importance and quality of this album but I have a hard time feeling drawn to it if that makes any sense.

Nice. Love Ray Charles. 1962. Saw him twice in concert.

Lavish and impeccably produced collection of sixties hits reproduced with an authentic big band feeling. Very good for what it is. Added to my library and will wheel it out at Christmas.

Tbh after 5 really dull croony songs about love, I gave up. Looking at the remaining titles I’m guessing the general theme didn’t change.

Really enjoyed this, Ray is a bit of a genius and will listen to again, probably when the in laws are staying. Had a bit of everything and thank god it wasn't proper country music because that sucks.

Ray Charles has a great voice and these are gold standard American songs. Easy 4 stars.

I enjoyed it :)

2.83

Idk he’s great but….. this album is not it

Depressing songs and lacks the normal energy. 5 stahs

okay

A mix of good and great

Candle light, a good wine with you lover, possibly in a winter night....and Ray Charles music in the air.... That's how I feel about this album.... 4/5

I appreciate the historical significance. I appreciate the soulful voice and the standards. Its just old and not something I wanna listen to a whole bunch of.

I've heard better old music. Stand-out: Hey, Good Looking

Probably something really neat when it was released, but not something I found particularly compelling. 3/5

Nice voice good tunes

So beautiful. So artistic. Thanks, 1001 Albums Generator, for bringing this album to me.

smooth and finger waggin

Cool to hear another version of "Bye Bye Love" after listening to Bridge Over Troubled Water. "I Love You So Much It Hurts" has beautiful backing vocals and instrumentation. I can picture people boogieing in black and white to "Hey Good Lookin'". Ray's vocals are silky-smooth throughout the whole album. The jazz instrumentation is on point and the strings are a nice touch, this album definitely has a very grand presentation. This isn't really the type of music that I'd seek out but I can't knock it, good stuff.

I liked it but it was slightly disappointing because I was hoping more of the album would be jazzy big band like the first song. But other than that, fantastic album, his voice is incredible, it's obvious why he's one of the goats. Favorite Song: Bye Bye Love 8/10

Groovin! Love some oldies. Ray has a great voice, and I like the background chorus too. Y'all know I love some brass and strings. I feel like I'm in an old Disney movie. Top songs: You don't know me I love you so much it hurts Born to lose

I love me some Ray, though I do prefer his later stuff. This is still so good and such smooth riding.

Happy to listen to once, but won't be coming back for the album

To be completely honest, I am still struggling to figure out where the country or western was on this album. Maybe I am stupid or maybe country music’s sound has strayed so far I have no idea what it sounded like in the 50s/60s. Regardless, this album was fantastic in my opinion. I loved both the uptempo big band cuts as well as the moodier, laid back ones. The strings and backing vocalists were a nice touch, but Ray Charles has such a powerful voice that he could carry a song even without it. Really felt the emotions in his delivery on some of the more melancholic and slow ballads. Strong 4 Fav Songs: Bye Bye Love Born To Lose I Can’t Stop Loving You Hey, Good Lookin

Tappin my foot!

Great album…first time listening to the entire album. I knew the hits but the rest was fresh. This is what all music should make one feel.

Incredible. Such a range of feelings. Smoooooth vocals

great

The big band was fun, and Ray Charles has a great voice. But this album feels very dated. I really disliked the Disney-sounding female harmonies that backed a lot of the songs.

A timeless classic. Ray Charles has a fantastic voice and he effortlessly converts these country songs into beautiful swing and soul numbers. Fantastic all around! Note for Spotify Users: Volumes 1 & 2 are combined into one album on Spotify, but only Disc 1 was on the original album. Best Song: You Don't Know Me Weakest Song: I Can't Stop Loving You Album Score: 10/10

Best Song: You Are My Sunshine. I like hearing what someone as talented as Ray Charles is capable of doing with a song that everyone knows like this. Worst Song: No Letter Today. What an energetic dump after the preceding song. Total snooze. Overall: Obviously Ray Charles has a lot of talent, but I prefer to hear him in a more stripped-down setting, where his own soul and talent shines through more. I could almost imagine Frank Sinatra using these arrangements, which I feel undersells what Ray Charles is capable of.

Though the voice of Ray Charles is soothing and he is iconic, I didn't care for the country tunes.

Timeless. Pure class. There's as much soul and rock & roll as countrypolitan. This sounds vibrant in any era, and I expect will continue to do so.

Love this one - sad songs really were done best in this era. Smooth, easy listening, love the use of horns throughout.

Vinyl-worthy