Definitive Ray Charles [Import, Original recording remastered]

Ray Charles | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 1, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Wea/Rhino
• ASIN: B00005O3YU
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,265 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Mess Around

2. It Shouldve Been Me

3. Ive Got A Woman

4. This Little Girl Of Mine

5. A Fool For You

6. Drown In My Own Tears

7. Leave My Woman Alone

8. Hallelujah I Love Her So

9. Lonely Avenue

10. (Night Time Is) The Right Time

11. Whatd I Say (Part 1 And 2)

12. I Believe To My Soul

13. Im Movin On

14. Come Rain Or Come Shine

15. Dont Let The Sun Catch You Crying

16. Sticks And Stones

17. Georgia On My Mind

18. Ruby

19. One Mint Julep

20. Im Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town

See all 46 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

From Amazon.co.uk

All Ray Charles fans will want to check out The Definitive Ray Charles, because it's the first time a compiler has been able to combine the chart-topping hits from his Atlantic and ABC-Paramount years into one package. This means that we get the Genius's hits from 1953's "Mess Around" right through his golden R&B Atlantic era ("I've Got a Woman," "Drown in My Own Tears," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "I Believe To My Soul," "What'd I Say" and so on) alongside tracks that were not only massive worldwide hits but helped redefine popular music. "Georgia on My Mind," "Hit the Road Jack," "Unchain My Heart," "I Can't Stop Loving You," and "You Don't Know Me" not only combined superior standards and country songs with Charles's patented soul-gospel vocal style, but they were couched in an orchestral or big band setting that had simply never been utilized in this way prior to Charles's arrival. Those who know of his thorough musical background will not be surprised by this development, one that kept him high in the charts until the mid-'60s. This compilation thins out after the classic "In the Heat of the Night", as well it should, his latter-day duets with the Blues Brothers and Willie Nelson tidying things up nicely. Genius plus compilation good taste: an unbeatable combination. --Keith Shadwick

Product Description

Exclusive import-only two CD release, the first time any collection has surfaced that combines the chart-topping hits from his Atlantic and ABC-Paramount years into one package. This means that you get the Genius's hits from 1953's 'Mess Around' right through his golden R&B Atlantic era ('I've Got a Woman', 'Drown in My Own Tears', 'Hallelujah I Love Her So', 'I Believe To My Soul', "What'd I Say" amongst others) alongside tracks that were not only massive worldwide hits but helped redefine popular music: 'Georgia on My Mind', 'Hit The Road Jack', 'Unchain My Heart', 'I Can't Stop Loving You' and 'You Don't Know Me' This compilation thins out after the classic 'In The Heat of the Night', as well it should, his latter-day duets with the Blues Brothers and Willie Nelson tidying thing up nicely. Genius plus compilation good taste: an unbeatable combination. Warner. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the fifties to the eighties - it's all here, December 8, 2002

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Definitive Ray Charles (Audio CD)

There are plenty of Ray Charles compilations to choose from - some focusing on a particular era or a particular aspect of Ray's career. This particular compilation is the first to combine his fifties music (recorded for Atlantic) and his sixties music (recorded for ABC-Paramount) on one collection - it also includes a few tracks from more recent times.

The most famous of his early songs is probably the often-covered Hallelujah I love her so. What'd I say and I've got a woman are among the other great songs from Ray's fifties music that are included here. All those three were written by Ray, although he also recorded songs written by others even then. Fans of Ray's fifties music will need to buy a compilation devoted to those recordings - on this set, there are just 15 tracks from this era (about right for this compilation).

It is the sixties with which Ray will be forever associated and which is most strongly represented here. Despite Ray's ability to write his own songs, the two songs for which he is best remembered are both covers. Georgia on my mind is a Hoagy Carmichael song from 1931, while I can't stop loving you is a country song written by Don Gibson. In both cases, Ray did them his own way, broadening their appeal considerably.

I can't stop loving you was one of many country songs that Ray adapted to the R+B style. Some of his fans deserted him, but these recordings gained him more fans than he lost. What Ray showed was the main difference between different styles of music was the presentation - not the songs themselves. His re-interpretations of country songs are represented here by tracks 1 to 7 and track 9 of CD 2. Actually, he'd dabbled with the idea in the fifties, as his cover of I'm movin' on (CD 1, track 13) shows.

Among his other great recordings of the sixties are Baby it's cold outside (a duet with Betty Carter), Hit the road Jack (with Margie Hendrix), That lucky old sun, Yesterday and Eleanor Rigby.

After the sixties, Ray's success was limited, but he still had the talent. In 1984, he recorded a country album of duets with various country singers - it really was a country album, unlike his sixties covers. That album is represented here by Seven Spanish angels - a duet with Willie Nelson. Other (non-country) duets from the eighties are also included - Shake your tailfeather (with the Blues brothers) and I'll be good to you (with Chaka Khan).

The collection closes with an outstanding cover of Imagine, recorded for a French TV commercial in the late nineties.

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive, March 5, 2011

By 

Spider Monkey (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Definitive Ray Charles (Audio CD)

This truly is the definitive Ray Charles. You get a wide selection of his output from his early recordings to his eighties duets with the likes of Chaka Khan as featured on Quincy Jones' 'Back on the Block' album. Ray Charles' songwriting is superb, with the early stuff very clearly influenced by Gospel and church music of the time, but with his own twist. If you've seen the film 'Ray' you will know just what to expect and this doesn't disappoint. If you haven't seen the film, buy this anyway as it has some great blues and soul on here and should be in anyone's collection. I also recommend the film for those who like this album, as it provides a good insight into Ray and his music. This truly is the definitive collection and is a joy to listen to.

Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Manufacturing Defect, June 7, 2011

By 

Jay Lampe - See all my reviews

This review is from: Definitive Ray Charles (Audio CD)

I decided to keep the product even though, for the 2nd time, [disc one] will not read on any system. [Tried on Bose Wave, RCA, and auto car stereo].
There is clearly a manufacturing defect with the recording process for this CD.

The 2nd disc has some great music, but this batch should be reinpected before another customer gets defective merchandise.

As always, Amazon handled the return of the first order with speed, security, and accuracy.
I will continue to shop with them.