Customer Reviews

Greatest Songs - Johnnie Ray

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Johnnie Ray: Greatest Songs is a budget priced CD that showcases Johnnie singing with a more seasoned, mature style; and I for one like it! The artwork is great and the sound quality couldn't be better.

"Cry" opens the CD with Johnnie singing his heart out; and his more mature voice still has a great deal of strength, heart and soul. The percussion is really very pretty and Johnnie makes this tune his own all over again. "The Little White Cloud That Cried" has Johnnie singing so sweetly; he delivers this with panache. The music that accompanies Johnnie is very pretty. The percussion helps to mark the beat and the melody is grand! The backup vocalists also do a great job of harmonizing well.

"Walkin' My Baby Back Home" picks up the pace somewhat and Johnnie aces this effortlessly; his vocal talents were THAT good. Johnnie hits those high notes very well and the somewhat jazzy arrangement works wonders for this ballad. I love it.

"Please Mr. Sun" has a fine harp arrangement; and Johnnie delivers this every bit as good as when he sang it in his earlier days. "Please Mr. Sun" is a poignant ballad that very few others could ever hope to sing as well as Johnnie Ray did. Similarly, "Just Walkin' In The Rain" is a classic pop ballad that gets the royal treatment from Johnnie Ray; he delivers this with heart and soul; and his voice is warm and rather vibrant at once. Great!

"Here I Am-Broken Hearted" is a torch song that Johnnie performs very passionately; and this is easily a major highlight of this CD. The backup vocalists work wonders to help the melody belong; but make no mistake about it--this is Johnnie's song! Johnnie stands front and center--right where he belongs! I really like "Somebody Stole My Gal;" this upbeat melody belies the seriousness of the lyrics and Johnnie Ray makes this a sharp, peppy number that strikes me as very beautiful.

"Hernando's Hideaway" is another of my very favorite classic tunes ever; and when Johnnie sings this I truly enjoy every minute of it! Johnnie makes this an excellent number and the added Latin flavor to the melody greatly enhances this number.

Johnnie Ray was one of the very best crooners of the entire twentieth century; and this CD proves that even in his later years he could still bat these numbers straight out of the ballpark! This is a great CD for fans of Johnnie Ray.

Please do not judge Johnnie Ray by this CD. This is a terrible retread of some of his greatest songs. This album should be pulled from the shelves as it is an injustice to Johnnie's true talent. The "Most Requested" album is the best intro the the greatest singer of the 1950s.

"Greatest Songs" by Johnnie Ray is a fine collection of his biggest hits from the 50's, this collection is different, and interesting to listen to, though, as these recordings were done by Johnnie in the 1980's, his voice is deeper, and every track is in STEREO! Great liner notes by a close friend of Johnnie's describes his life and gives details about who sang at Johnnie's funeral in 1990 and others who were there, great to add to a Johnnie Ray collection, or just to hear how he sounded in his last years.

This cd re-presents some of his huge hits, notably "Cry" and "Please Mr. Sun" in a richer, more mature style than the originals in the early fifties and makes the listener love them all over again. His voice is every bit as persuasive as it ever was and I was surprised that the recording was made in the eighties. The selections are well-paced and if I have any criticism at all it's that some of the selections, notably "Lotus Blossom" were not on it. His presentation of bluesy music is first-rate. Of course, it's hoped that this isn't the only Johnnie Ray cd in a discerning owner's collection. Buy this as an introduction and then seek out the other cd's that are still available. All in all, a very satisfying listen.

This CD is a collection of familiar hits by Mr. Ray, his talent not only undiminished by his maturity, but, I think, improved. His delivery has a richness and grace that was raw at the beginning of his long, bumpy career, but with this collection, still magic. Recorded in the eighties, it doesn't have the feel of nostalgia, but rather a second run at the same material giving us the opportunity to see why he packed the house until his, sadly, too early demise. Excellent.

My mother first introduced me to Johnny Ray in the 1960's. She always told me how wonderful the Little White Cloud was. Then I saw "There's No Business Like Show Business" and knew he was the best. The fact that he was partally deaf left me intrigued with his music. It is as if you can hear HIS pain in his songs. No one better.

I enjoyed this version of Jonnnie Ray's big hits. I agree with the reviewer who felt that "The Best of Johnnie Ray" is better. I feel that his voice in his earlier years was more mellow and smoother. However, he was a great singer and he was still very good in his later years.

My mother loved Johnnie! I grew up listening to him whenever she played his vinyl on the record player. Brought back lots of memories. He had a unique voice and sang with incredible emotion!

These "re-creations" of Johnnie's biggest hits were recorded in the early 80s, when his voice was in serious decline. By this time it had acquired a harsh edge, exaggerated by his attempts to reach notes that were increasingly difficult for him to hit. In short, you should instead buy any of several collections of his original Columbia recordings from the '50s - "High Drama" would be an excellent place to start.

great cd, brought bach memories of my mom who used to listen to johnny ray.