Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

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

i dont even have a weasoling for this

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

3☆/5 06.29.2024

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

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

I liked it but this ain’t country

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

God bless Ray!

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

I enjoyed it :)

2.83

Depressing songs and lacks the normal energy. 5 stahs

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

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

Tappin my foot!

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.

classic Ray Charles, can't go wrong

So I like jazz and I like old country but this just seemed like old pop music. Maybe at the time it was revelatory but it just seemed like old forgotten songs. I would much rather listen to many of the originals.

Gran voz pero unos arreglos orquestales muy desfasados y pelín recargados.

Lounge music, more jazz, very similar, but okay for wait room music

Croony and classic, lots of love ballads

3.5

3-stars

3.5 stars. Opposite of some other albums on this list where the music is great but the singing is the downfall. Some fairly boring/generic country and western tunes but Ray Charles' voice makes it all a pleasant listen nonetheless.

Hmm. Not sure country and western means what you think it means.

I guess

Is this the first pre-Beatles record we listened to? It definitely sounds like it. I love when an artist gets big enough to do whatever the fuck they want, and this record is great. It's not held up well to time though so only a mid rank.

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve learned to respect country music within the last twenty-four hours, I’d only have two nickels, but it’s weird that it happened twice.

decent

Nice chill listen. RC broke barriers for his music. Was fun to listen to but dunno if i would seek it out

i had to sing Bye Bye Love for Chorus and hated every second of it because there was only four of us in the baritone section and I hated Chorus because I was shy as FUCK lmao You are my sunshine is a classic

It's okay - I can't express how much I hate the song You Are My Sunshine and should be a 1 just for including that.

It's fine.

It was pleasant to listen to, but didn't really catch my interest

Im not crazy about Ray Charles. All these songs sound like they were written and performed better previously by someone else. Also sounds like a performance while you eat dinner at a tableclothed dinner theater in the 60s drunk on martinis and champagne. But i know hes amazing and these do sound great but the horns and band over power any sort of piano playing going on if any.

pretty good

Good 3.5

Mostly good

Do not listen to when depressed. Otherwise pretty good album.

Heavy on the violins and 60’s background singers and some big band. But damn, what a voice.

Mid

Decent work by Ray Charles was with the listen

If you’re looking to grab your old lady by the waist and swing away around the fireplace on a cozy winter night, this is your stuff. If, on the other hand, you’re looking to do virtually any thing else, this is not your stuff.

This was alright. Might be a tad too long, but it's not a major issue. Best song on it is It Makes No Difference Now.

Great vocals, chill vibes, some nice love songs. Didn't exactly rock my world, but it was a decent listen, and I'd much rather listen to something like this than to a certain heavily 'overrepresented on this list' genre for the 10000th time. Could have been a bit shorter imo, but it's ok.

Oh, man. While I don't love a big band, I can't deny the likely influence of Ray Charles on songs like "Under the Boardwalk" (1964) by The Drifters and "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding (1967). I lit up listening to "I Can't Stop Loving You" in mono and found myself switching between each L/R earbuds to hear the different parts of the song. What a trip. I preferred Disc 1 to Disc 2. By the time I made it to the second half of the album, I couldn't help but wonder who hurt this man. Who broke his heart? There were at least a half dozen songs in a row lamenting a lost love, and it felt like a hasty breakup. 60s music tends to remind me of Christmastime, and it's not my favorite. But I did like the album, all things considered!

Superstar talent on a subpar album.

Some classic tunes on here. Didn't hate it.

Angestaubter Rythm and Blues

It was really long. I can see this being his genre, and maybe all the albums sound like this, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t be split into a few album. Every song sounded mostly the same, but they were good.

hes one of the goats ong really cool concept fuckin with this heavy rn it would be criminal to give this any less than a 3 so much passion in his voice truly a man enjoying himself only thing preventing it from gettin a 5 is it is quite slow at times but shits vibey

Ray Charles sounds great here. Some good interpretations of the standards he re-worked. There are sections of the album that can feel repetitive–particularly during a string of slower songs–but once the more up-tempo songs kick in, there's more variety in the sound. Kind of wish the country and western was more prominent in the musical arrangements to create a stronger fusion of the worlds he was bringing together.

It was nice, and had a good vibe for certain situations, but not something I would go to unless ready for that situation.

Not super exciting, but a beautiful expression of the mainstream jazz tradition. In addition, there is something to be said about the whole blending of soul and country, which must have been pretty radical at the time. Great performances, great arrangements (its Marty Paich and strings, duh) and a nice way to start the day.

Just goes to show you that a great musician can even make the dumbest country, western and folks songs sound passably cool. Totally unnecessary though.

ein paar banger dabei

It’s hard to rate albums like these. All of the songs are good but they sound SO similar.

A great Hifi album

Swing wie Franky!

Sorry boys, my review disappeared

kan ikke lige se mig selv finde den her frem igen, men det er nogle gode arrangementer og ray charles har en fed stemme!

Pladen var nem at høre og stilen var lige præcis hvad jeg forventede af den her plade.

Gorgeous and like listening to a piece of history. A little too sad for my taste and current mood!

Songs from the primordial ooze of modern popular music. A little sleepy for my taste honestly but Ray is a great performer.

Kalle ankas jul

A bit too long but I loved it, it’s a great comfort album for a Winter day. [0137/1001]

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

While hardly an unpleasant listen, and having a collection of standards on a list like this makes sense, I really don't see myself returning at all. Bye Bye Love is the highlight for me, though moreso because I recognize it from Simon and Garfunkel's cover on Bridge Over Troubled Water.

I really like this kind of music and appreciate what Ray Charles tried to do here, but I just couldn’t get behind this album. I’ve heard some of these versions over the years and they just never clicked with me. Still, three stars for the musicianship.

I really enjoyed I Can’t Stop Loving You, Hey Good Lookin’, and the cover of You Are My Sunshine, which is pretty good version. Generally, the music was fairly listenable, but Jesus cheer up, Ray! Maybe if you sing about something other than women leaving you or wanting to fuck other guys, they might stick around a bit longer! Good album to listen to if you’re struggling with a breakup, I guess. Or terrible maybe.

Pretty nice stuff. Simpsons reference: I think so PS. I need to start putting more effort into these reviews.

Gave me Christmas movie vibes. And Disney movie vibes.

Ray has got a good voice. This is a really good album when you are chilling out. Really like, you don't know me, the rest of the album was okay

im sorry ray, its not you its me. im just not feeling it of late. im not usually like this! or maybe this record is just a bit tepid? who knows. anyway today i learned i dont like mahler 8

Good album but wasnt the vibes for today

Bigband ravintola musiikkia. Aika tasapaksua. Herkkää

Really calm love music it’s pretty sweet shit. 3.3/5

3.2/5 Best Track: I Can't Stop Loving You

Should probably delve deeper!

As with many of these albums, it wouldn’t be my go to, but it wasn’t bad.

Ray Charles is a great musician. I like his music and enjoyed this album- possibly more of a fan of his more blues and jazz works (“Georgia On My Mind” and “Hit The Road, Jack” come immediately to mind) but this is good stuff. Have you ever played improv on the piano with your eyes closed the whole time? It’s a great experience. Ray Charles was a legend. Three and a half stars.

The songs on this album are big nostalgia from my teen years. I love it! That being said - it's been a while since I listened to the whole album all at once, and I didn't realize how... samey it sounds? Like it sounds like maybe two really long songs. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I actually am finding I wasn't necessarily blown away by the album as a whole. Still a great listen though, and it made me remember what it was like to be a kid and wish I was a hacker.

I'm not usually a fan of country and western but I quite liked this, especially the more upbeat songs. High 2/low 3.

очень скучно (хоть и никаких претензий к вокалу)

There are some really good songs on this but I’m not a fan of the old, weirdly intervaled harmonies. Like the endings of (at least) the last 5 songs on the album. It’s a 3 star album with some 5 star songs.

Unsure if I would want any of these songs in my rotation. But I enjoy live music, so hearing this in the bars would be entertaining. Although, maybe I am not the biggest fan of this album because he is so sad. I wish he was more happy. I enjoyed hearing the backup vocals, and would be interested to see this integrated in modern music.

Some good songs,.

I mean I cant find anything bad about it but I did not enjoy it and got bored a couple songs in. I was googling Ray Charles while listening and unsurprisingly he was a huge womaniser.

It was a fine enough album, Ray has a good voice and the songs are crafted well enough but there’s not a whole lotta country going on here so the title is a bit misleading. For the lack of variety here it’s way too long at an hour and fifteen. Pleasant enough to listen to I suppose but I won’t be returning 2.5 stars

It is Ray Charles - enjoyable music and vocals. Just not riveting - it's good music for the background but nothing i really feel like i need to focus on. I do like "I can't stop loving you" but definitely not the best Ray Charles album

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

La voix est belle et sentie, les arrangements réussis, mais ça reste plus d’une heure de Ray Charles qui se lamente, se victimise et shame les femmes de sa vie.

This album is a neat take on country western songs. The sentimentality of 1950s country songs fits well into Ray Charles’ Big Band style. Though I didn’t take any songs from this album, I appreciate the experiment. One other note, is that many of the songs have a 1950’s Christmas song vibe.

Typical slow rhythmic classic jazz, chill

I feel like I need to give this a closer listen. Had it on in the background at work and it was super pleasant but I've only dug in a little to what makes it great. Interesting part is that it's a Country western album with a big band, but the songs are so obviously country songs/themes. Can't wait to dig in again. It will prob get a higher rating next time. I think I like disc 2 better.

I like Ray Charles singing the blues, Country and Western is not mine. To be honest - the album sounds a little bit better than expected. Therefore 3 stars…