Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

God tier production and god tier vocals. The arrangements are firmly set in an old-timey pop style, but it's just so cozy and cheerful, oozing mid-century modern sensibilities.

Enjoyable! Ray Charles has a nice voice

Volume 1: 3.5/5. This album sees Ray Charles reworking a selection of folk and country songs into what were at the time more “modern” genres such as Pop, Soul and Vocal Jazz. partially as a way to breathe new life into these songs/standards and partially as a way to challenge the racial barriers present in the music industry (and America at large) at the time. You get a decent variety throughout this track list like the big band styled “Hey, Good Lookin” or the slower and more dramatic “Born to Lose.” Maybe not one of my all time favorites but still a good collection of songs and an important piece of pop history.

Volume 2: 3/5. More of the same really, though with just a slightly weaker track list than volume 1. Was very interesting to hear such a different take on “You are my sunshine” though.

Let’s add this to the list of artists whose importance and influence I acknowledge and respect, but who I just don’t really care to listen to.

Kind of boring but it’s still Ray Charles

How can I not rate Ray Charles highly? This is so fun and catchy. I don't quite hear the country part, which is not a negative. A rare case where I didn't mind the length. 5*

Very nice. But conjures images of a family listening to the radio over an awkward dinner in 1950s suburbia.

Had quite high hopes for this - figured it would be an exciting take on C&W, but is somewhat saggy and saccharine in the end.

“The Genius” takes a set of country standards and completely filters them through his own style: big-band arrangements, sweeping strings, gospel feeling, and that unmistakable Ray Charles voice. On paper, the combination sounds unusual; in practice, it feels remarkably natural.

That is both the album’s strength and its limitation for me. Ray Charles is so distinctive that the country material quickly becomes secondary, and after a while I mostly hear a very polished Ray Charles record rather than a radical meeting of two musical worlds.

It is well made and easy to respect, but ultimately it sounds exactly like what I would expect from “The Genius.”

Most of the songs sound the same yet I think most of these songs are done pretty well. 6/10

*Variety of blues and rock for its time
*Distinctive voice and great backing band

i can listen to 1 or 2 songs but more is too much for me

The thing with Ray for me has always been his voice, I dont care for it.

That being said I have always appreciated his arrangements and the musicians and production quality of his work. Everything that should sound intimate and clean is and everything that is supposed to sound scuttled and messy like youre in a creaky floored dance hall sounds like it.

This is a nice take on some standards from genres you wouldnt (at the time) think someone like Ray would be covering. The success of how well this is done is that today this blend doesnt sound jarring, its a part of the musical lexicon that seems natural.

While this wouldnt be in my own personal 1001 I can one hundred percent see why it would be in someone elses.

solidno i zabavno. je li me tobožnjom inovativnošću i navodnom žanrovskom ambivalentnošću oborilo s nogu kao što je oborilo osobe čiji su osvrti ovdje najlajkaniji? pa baš i nije... premda mogu itekako cijeniti, neću baš ponovo tražiti da bih slušao

Very joyeus album. Ray Charles always cooks and this one is no different. I don’t actually know if it’s a live album, but it certainly has the energy of one. I really like how he manages to transform these good but old sounding songs into something fresh and novel for the time. This is really the bridge begween the crooner era of the 50’s and the more Motown-Soul side of the 60’s. Important album, but besides that also just a good album.

Beautiful, simply beautiful. What can you even say about Ray Charles, this is album with a great impact to popular music and everything else that followed it. But despite me enjoying this very much, I am not sure if I will go to full 5 stars, definitely at least 4 but not sure why I am hesitant on top marks here despite loving Ray.

I think this is one of those albums where you have to take be in a specific mood. I can imagine some late night, feeling a bit depressed, or contemplative, this could hit the spot. That’s not really my vibe today so much of this felt draggy. The production was too much. Just give me Ray and a piano, no need for background singers and strings.
But still, he’s so smooth, it certainly isn’t all bad.

This album started out fine, then it got boring. Good singing, good instruments.

Jamais écouté avant.

Quand une voix et un musicien exceptionnel s'empare des standards de la country pour les réinterpréter à son goût, à grand renfort de big band, d'orchestre de cordes ou de chœurs féminins, le résultat ressemble à tout sauf à de la country. Le geste artistique est admirable, l'âme que Ray Charles met dans chaque note de ses arrangements est impressionnante et l'impact sociétal de cette rencontre entre deux univers musicaux qui s'ignoraient le rend encore plus remarquable. Par contre, pas sûr que ça ait très bien vieilli, ça dégouline de kitsch et de miel bien collant, et c'est long, très long (en particulier en intégrant les deux albums), en plus d'être pas mal monocorde. Plus un problème d'âge que de talent, donc.

Top : You Are My Sunshine
Flop : I Love You So Much It Hurts

Classics from one of the all time greats, you can't go wrong